Bangladesh’s external cushion is wearing thin
4 August 2026
Bangladesh’s latest external sector numbers deserve closer scrutiny than the reassuring headline of rising remittances suggests. A closer reading reveals an economy gradually losing one of its traditional sources of resilience: steady inflows of concessional foreign financing.
4 August 2026
Opinion / Bangladesh's external cushion is wearing thin
3 August 2026
While remittances continue to support foreign exchange earnings, the simultaneous decline in foreign loan commitments and disbursements, coupled with rising debt repayments, points to a tightening external financing environment
3 August 2026
A trillion-dollar ambition needs a stronger investment climate
29 July 2026
The other day, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman reaffirmed his government’s commitment to transforming Bangladesh into a $1 trillion economy by 2034. While the ambition is welcome, there is a policy puzzle that needs to be encountered
29 July 2026
A higher growth target without credible reform will remain elusive
20 July 2026
Growth cannot be declared or budgeted into existence; it must be earned through credibility, investment, productivity, and institutional change.
20 July 2026
Exports falter, remittances rise: What does this tell us?
2 July 2026
Exports stood at around $48 billion, down by 0.58 percent from the previous year, despite a sharp June increase. This means the rebound came too late to change the annual picture. It may signal some recovery in orders, delayed shipment adjustments, or short-term buyer confidence. But it does not prove that the export sector has regained strength.
2 July 2026
Budget reform must start with what's feasible
30 June 2026
Every year, the national budget contains some good initiatives.
30 June 2026
A budget of promises, pressures, and unanswered questions
13 June 2026
Budgets often reveal more through their tensions than through their promises. The proposed budget for FY2026-27 is no exception.
13 June 2026
The budget must rebuild social protection for a changing economy
4 June 2026
Bangladesh has reached a point where social protection can no longer be treated as a set of small compensatory programmes for the poor.
4 June 2026
Why the new budget can't solve our problems
The key question, however, remains: to what extent have our current economic challenges been addressed by the new budget? It hasn't done proper justice to answer this question.
7 July 2023
There is no consistency or logic in the targets set in the budget
We should have focused on addressing the macro-fundamentals, which would create a launching pad for the coming year’s fiscal flow.
1 June 2023
When hunger strikes
Addressing the inflationary pressure and the resulting food insecurity of the poorer households need to be the top priority now.
3 April 2023
Shocks and shields: Economic resilience during turbulent times
Bangladesh’s economic growth performance has been encouraging, but questions remain regarding the drivers and quality of said growth.
16 March 2023
Do we really know how hundi works?
A more comprehensive analysis is needed to gather a complete picture of the hundi business.
2 March 2023
The Dreamer and Doer
One of his finest strengths was his ability to communicate at all levels. He could comfortably address a roomful of diplomats, academics and policymakers, and not miss a beat when speaking to them about his dreams. He could mix with ordinary people from all walks of life, speak in their local dialects, and relate to their problems just as easily.
21 January 2023
Coping with the twin shocks of inflation and depleting forex reserves
Dealing with these two major challenges is essential for macroeconomic stability
3 December 2022
We can bypass inflation effects if we act smart
The volatility of commodity prices in both global and local markets has put ordinary people in Bangladesh in an uncertain situation.
9 November 2022
How should we address our core labour market challenges?
We need a strategy to deal with youth unemployment and improve women's inclusion into the economy
5 November 2022
Why is our public spending on education still so shockingly low?
Since it boosts individual productivity and produces a trained labour force, education is seen as a crucial road to economic progress.
10 September 2022
The anatomy of macroeconomic challenges in Bangladesh
Despite the macroeconomic success, Bangladesh faces several long-standing challenges.
2 August 2022
Economic challenges that budget 2022-23 must address
The current global political, economic and trade situations are not favourable for a developing country like Bangladesh.
2 June 2022
Here’s what the 2022-23 budget must address
The national budget for the next fiscal year will be the third since the start of the Covid-19 crisis in March 2020. Can we expect it to address the current realities, contexts and challenges of Bangladesh?
6 May 2022
Looking beyond the official arithmetic of inflation
Do the official inflation figures in Bangladesh reflect the actual inflation faced by the economically marginalised households in the country?
1 March 2022
The path to development is riddled with challenges
As we continue to celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence, there is a need for an elaborate discussion about the development challenges we are about to face in the days to come. Bangladesh’s development challenges are associated with its larger development goals.
15 January 2022
What should be our development strategies during Covid?
Seeing the varying degrees of Covid that the world has experienced over the last one and a half years, we can safely assume that this pandemic is here to stay.
1 September 2021
Challenges facing SMEs during pandemic
In Bangladesh, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have heterogeneous characteristics, which are evident from their diverse business activities. However, the discussion on SMEs has a fundamental problem related to the definition and scope.
3 August 2021
Covid-19 recovery: Contexts and priorities in Bangladesh
Around a year and a half have passed since the onset of the Covid crisis.
4 July 2021
Expectations from budget
This year’s national budget will be the second to be implemented amid the ongoing unprecedented economic and social crisis brought on by Covid-19.
2 June 2021
Stimulating private investment in times of pandemic
In Bangladesh, despite the gradual rise in the investment-GDP ratio over the past three decades, private sector investment, in proportion to GDP, had remained stagnant for years even before the onset of Covid-19. The Covid-19 crisis intensified the problem.
8 May 2021