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
Economic growth doesn't ensure youth employment
In 2014, 14 percent of the globally unemployed were young people (aged between 15 and 24). However, the situation was not uniform
10 April 2017
Bangladesh Economy At A Crossroads: Looking for “breakthroughs”
Bangladesh economy's impressive growth performance over the past two and half decades has raised hopes about the country's
5 March 2017
SDGs: A paradigm shift?
There are risks of trade wars between the dominant countries in the coming years, which will certainly undermine the prospects of such 'global partnership'.
2 January 2017
How to make Special Economic Zones successful
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are geographically delineated 'enclaves' in which regulations and practices related to business and trade differ from the rest of the country and therefore all the units therein enjoy special privileges. SEZs can generate both static and dynamic benefits.
4 December 2016
Sub-regional cooperation can be the answer
Though There is a strong demand for a deeper regional integration in South Asia, the progress has been rather slow.
1 October 2016
Where do South Asian countries stand?
For meaningful comparisons among different countries with respect to their levels and trends in income inequality, we need comparable data.
31 August 2016
Why do some countries trade more than others?
Heoretically, trade liberalisation results in productivity gains through increased competition, efficiency, innovation and acquisition of new technology.
12 June 2016
Political economy of regional integration
The aspiration for deeper regional integration is high on the political agenda of most of the leaders in South Asia. Since the early
11 April 2016
Is Bangladesh all set to be a middle income country?
BANGLADESH has recently been upgraded from low income country (LIC) to lower-middle income country (LMIC) as per the World Bank's classification.
5 March 2016
How to tackle 'entitlement failure' in infrastructure?
In the discourse on infrastructure and economic growth the dominant area of discussion is on the quantity and quality of infrastructure
2 February 2016
Making the most of the demographic dividend
As people's economic behaviour varies at different stages of life, changes in a country's age structure can have substantial effects on its economic performance.
18 January 2016
Demystifying non-tariff barriers in South Asia
In the initial years of SAARC in the 1980s, the popular hypothesis for the reason behind limited intra-regional trade was the prevailing
2 October 2015
Bangladesh needs a new investment regime
Looking at the trend in the investment-GDP ratio since 1979-80, we can suggest four different investment regimes in Bangladesh.
1 July 2015
Our garment industry at a crossroad
In order to maintain the competitive advantage, there is a tendency of putting downward pressure on workers' wages and benefits. In this context, for the workers' welfare, there is a critical need for reducing the cost of doing business in Bangladesh.
26 June 2015
From 'good-enough' jobs to 'decent' jobs
Though there are many views on 'inclusive growth', the key consensus is that inclusive growth is a growth process which reduces poverty, inequality and social exclusion and promotes 'decent' jobs and economic and social cohesion.
24 May 2015
Is it a sustained driver of economic growth and employment creation?
There is need for a well-designed and effective industrial policy wherein monetary (interest rate subsidies) and fiscal incentives (reduced taxes or tax holidays) should be transparent and time-bound.
8 May 2015