Bangladesh’s FY26 balance of payments: External stability amid weak investment and export dynamism

Bangladesh Bank's import data show that capital-machinery imports have remained weak
10 August 2026

A quiet warning from the Barind

The northwestern region of Bangladesh has long been vulnerable to drought. Located within the Barind Tract, Rajshahi is characterised by low rainfall, high temperatures and a farming system heavily dependent on irrigation.
22 January 2026

The Singapore story

During the Brexit campaign of 2016, pro-Brexit politicians in the United Kingdom promoted the vision of a “Singapore on the Thames” by freeing the UK from the European Union.
21 January 2026

The future of retail banking

Retail banking in Bangladesh is entering a moment of reckoning. With the Bangladesh Bank (BB) preparing to issue digital banking licences, and with more organised mobile financial services, AI and platform technology becoming mainstream, it is no longer enough for a bank to be a place where peop
1 November 2025

Simpler regulations needed to ignite startups

To encourage youth-led entrepreneurship and turn innovative ideas into viable businesses, the Bangladesh Bank (BB) announced a Startup Funding Facility in July this year.
21 October 2025

Are we doing enough for the urban poor?

More than one in four people are poor, while one in ten live in extreme poverty
5 October 2025

Why is gold hitting record highs in Bangladesh?

Industry insiders attribute the surge primarily to the international bullion market
22 September 2025

Be bold or be boring

We have two kinds of brave people. One, the man who casually crosses a six-lane road while talking on the phone, blind to buses, rickshaws, and divine intervention.
7 August 2025

BB should be transparent about its consumer credit rating licence

The initiative, which received little public attention at the time due to political instability, represents a critical juncture in Bangladesh's financial infrastructure development.
22 May 2025

The shadow of a 5% tax: Bangladesh's remittance dilemma

Such a tax would directly eat into the amount that families receive back home, discouraging many from sending remittances via official banking channels
21 May 2025

Without capital markets reform, Bangladesh will stay invisible to the world

Bangladesh must build an ongoing feedback loop with actual global investors—those managing billions in emerging and frontier market mandates
17 May 2025

The challenge of measuring inflation

Mr Arif, a lower-middle-class citizen, decided to visit his local market to purchase essential goods for his family. To his dismay, he discovered that the prices of almost all necessities had gone up by a staggering 30 to 50 percent. This sudden spike in prices left Mr Arif perplexed and worried about the increasing burden on his already strained budget.
7 November 2023

Is voice technology driving Bangladesh's transition from digital to smart?

In the throes of a digital renaissance, Bangladesh, steered by the government's Digital Bangladesh initiative, has achieved a remarkable technological evolution. The nation has seen an uptick in internet connectivity, digital financial services, e-education, and e-commerce, with an entrepreneur-driven surge.
12 October 2023

Are we over-communicating to our customers?

In a world that is exceedingly inundated by messages, it is, perhaps, time for businesses to think about whether we are over-communicating with our customers.
2 October 2023

Government banks and interventions in credit markets

Credit markets are often affected by market failures, which makes them prone to government interventions. While there are many ways in which governments can intervene in financial markets, a common method is through state-owned banks.
1 October 2023

Turning fintech into digital bank

Fintech is a buzz word or a disruption or an innovation in this transforming world. We have always seen such debate among different types of experts or colleagues from financial industries at home and abroad. But we can’t ignore its rapid disruption towards financial inclusion and growth.
12 September 2023

Challenges and opportunities ahead of South Asian economies

However, rising interest rates and risks in the banking sector in the United States and Europe have increased uncertainties in South Asia’s outlook, given their significant impact on balance of payments, exchange rates, and financial markets.
20 May 2023

Women’s challenges in the age of big data

March, and more precisely March 8th, is a time to raise awareness about the remaining path toward equal opportunities for women and men. This is especially challenging in the current days of infoxication where algorithms on the Internet nudge us to jump the discussion from one topic to another day after day. March 8th has passed, yet many gender challenges remain.
7 May 2023

In many countries, taxes and transfers make the poor poorer

Most countries, as they emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, are seeking economic growth from weakened fiscal positions. As health and social spending surged to help workers, families, and businesses cope, the economic shock greatly reduced revenues.
6 May 2023

Sizzling Cities: Planning for urban heat resilience in South Asia

South Asia is bracing for yet another hot year. Pre-monsoon temperature records were shattered again in 2023 by the hottest February recorded in India since 1901, along with the hottest day in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 58 years in April.
4 May 2023