Banks allowed to issue foreign-currency guarantees for projects
Bangladesh Bank's new directive lets local banks issue guarantees and SBLCs on behalf of foreign contractors on internationally tendered projects.
English edition
Business Desk, page 5
851 reports translated from the Bengali original, most recent first. বাংলা সংস্করণ
Merged 5 Islami banks file 10,000 cases to recover defaulted loans
Bangladesh Bank says a forensic audit into fraud under the banks' previous management is in its final stages, alongside ongoing restructuring efforts.
17 banks to provide 410 billion taka for stimulus package
Bangladesh Bank's 600-billion-taka package aims to reopen closed factories and revive the stalled economy, with the private sector borrowing at 7.5% average interest.
Is Malaysia tilting toward China?
PM Anwar Ibrahim's remarks on Taiwan and Sabah defense have revived questions about Kuala Lumpur's alignment, though analysts say its Western ties remain intact.
Government orders real, not just paper, recovery of defaulted loans at Sonali Bank
The Financial Institutions Division says the bank's 16.4% default rate is still too high and has ended the era of loan reclassification and 'evergreening.'
China vows to keep trade ties with Iran intact despite US sanctions
Beijing said its cooperation with Tehran operates within international law and warned against third-country interference after Washington sanctioned 60 entities.
US sanctions four Indian companies over Iran oil ties
The State Department action, part of 'Operation Economic Outcast,' also names individual partners and directors tied to millions in Iranian petrochemical imports.
Central bank delivers good news to Sammilito Islami Bank depositors
Governor Md Mostakur Rahman instructed the bank's leadership to make clear there will be no haircut on depositor profits and to restore normal operations.
TCB to buy 80 billion taka of goods to keep essentials market stable
The state trading agency plans to source edible oil, lentils, sugar, chickpeas and dates domestically and internationally, while expanding warehouse capacity.
Gold prices rise again in Bangladesh
BAJUS raised 22-karat gold by up to 1,633 taka per bhori to 247,743 taka, while silver prices were left unchanged.
French firms increasingly view Saudi Arabia as regional business hub
Companies like Schneider Electric and Tarkett are expanding in the kingdom as Vision 2030 tax incentives and export growth reshape its role in the region.
Merged Islami bank depositors to get full withdrawal access from September
Bangladesh Bank's governor said Sammilito Islami Bank depositors will face no haircut on profits and can withdraw funds as needed starting September 1.
Fake certificates, dead teacher’s account used to draw madrasa salaries: probe
The Madrasa Education Directorate has cancelled MPO indexes and ordered repayment across several institutions after uncovering forged documents and payroll fraud.
Verse 10 of Surah Al-Fath recited at presidential oath ceremony: what it means
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in Friday at Bangabhaban, followed by the oaths of four new cabinet members.
Bangladesh Bank publishes today’s currency exchange rates
The central bank set new interbank rates for the US dollar and other major foreign currencies based on market demand and supply.
Bank directors’ loans hit 2.08 trillion taka, far exceeding legal cap
About 500 directors across 42 private banks have borrowed roughly 17 times the legal limit, with officials from the central bank to the finance ministry aware but unable to act.
BSEC to overhaul three-decade-old merchant banker rules
A four-member committee has 30 working days to propose amendments modernizing licensing, fiduciary duty and risk standards for merchant banks.
Analysis: Iran may be planning one last major strike before October elections
A commentary piece argues Tehran could launch a major attack ahead of Israeli and US elections to sow panic and weaken Trump's political position.
CPD says government’s first six months show more negative trends than positive
The think tank found relief on inflation but flagged weak revenue, falling investment and a gas crisis disrupting industry across 362 observations.
Finance minister stresses innovation-driven industrial growth
Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury praised the BIRDI initiative's recognition of researchers and entrepreneurs at an ADB-backed awards ceremony in Dhaka.
Government approves two LNG cargo purchases for September
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchases approved deals with South Korea's POSCO International and the UK's TotalEnergies Gas & Power at over $24 per unit.
Financial Institutions Division orders Janata Bank to draft crisis turnaround plan
With nearly 70% of its loans classified as non-performing, the state-owned bank has been given 12 to 24 months to hit specific recovery targets.
Islami Bank’s defaulted loans near 990 billion taka, highest in banking sector
The bank's default rate has surged to 52% of total loans, with most of the bad debt tied to the S Alam Group and entities linked to it.
Betel-leaf farmers in Rajshahi turn to chui jhal as new cash crop
Farmers in Mohanpur upazila are commercially growing the pungent spice vine once confined to the southwest, drawing on techniques used for betel leaf.
AI designs new viruses that work as functioning bacteriophages: study
Stanford and Arc Institute researchers used generative AI to design virus genomes, 16 of which proved able to infect and destroy E. coli in the lab.
ADP implementation just 0.69% in fiscal year’s first month
Ten ministries and divisions spent nothing at all in July, the first month of the 2026-27 fiscal year, an IMED report finds.
‘We are in a total war’: Pezeshkian
Iran's president said his government feels “shame” over economic hardship it cannot relieve, even as he claimed Iran has emerged stronger despite US pressure.
Government wants to move from import dependence to alternative energy
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told a DCCI seminar Bangladesh is targeting 5,000 megawatts of solar power this fiscal year alongside nuclear and coal.
BAJUS targets $7 billion in jewelry exports within five years
The jewellers' association outlined plans for a special economic zone, new factories and a diamond-processing unit to make jewelry the country's second-biggest export earner.
Titumir outlines government’s three-stage economic strategy
The PM's finance adviser described a Recovery-Restoration-Reconstruction framework, citing 12 percent revenue growth and rising reserves as early signs of progress.
Call to halt imports of Israeli settlement goods
Labour MP Emily Thornberry urged the UK government to ban trade with West Bank settlements, saying individual sanctions alone won't curb settler violence.
Britain’s aid to Bangladesh falls by more than 50 percent
A Sundarbans climate project is closing two years early after UK funding cuts, leaving about 20,000 people without expected support, The Independent reports.
More than 20,000 US troops sexually assaulted in 2025
A Pentagon report found an estimated 20,492 service members experienced sexual assault in fiscal 2025, even as harassment rates and victim counts declined from 2023.
Teachers, staff told to submit documents for retirement benefits
The Teachers' and Employees' Retirement Benefit Board asked applicants who haven't yet received payment to submit updated bank and ID documents, warning against brokers.
SBAC Bank holds workshop on risk-based supervision
Bangladesh Bank officials briefed SBAC Bank's senior executives and branch managers on supervisory policy at a day-long session in Dhaka.
Commercial fish catch edges up, but hilsa haul collapses
Marine hilsa catches have fallen 77.6 percent in four years even as total sea-fish catches rose 11 percent last fiscal year, industry data shows.
Event highlights financial literacy, career awareness for young people
Khulna University's Career Club and Prime Bank held a financial-inclusion seminar with mock interviews to prepare students for the workplace and financial sector.
Islami Bank offers smartphones for Bangla QR transactions
A new campaign will award smartphones to 50 customers and 50 merchants using Bangladesh Bank's Bangla QR payment system between August 23 and September 30.
27 factories closed in six months, nearly 20,000 workers lose jobs
An analysis of Industrial Police, BGMEA and BKMEA data shows Bangladesh's garment sector losing factories to financial distress, falling orders and a worsening gas and power crisis.
Kunming-Chittagong corridor could open new trade gateway with China
Bangladesh's consulate in Kunming pitched Yunnan entrepreneurs on investment opportunities, citing a proposed corridor linking southwest China to the Bay of Bengal.
Iran now adopting a more offensive posture
Armed forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia said Iran's military doctrine is shifting from defensive to offensive after lessons from recent wars, though not toward preemptive strikes.
Private sector raises alarm over inflation, credit crunch and stalled investment
Business leaders told a DCCI seminar that private-sector credit growth has fallen to just 5 percent this fiscal year against 25.9 percent in the public sector.
Canada threatens dollar-for-dollar tariffs on US goods
PM Mark Carney ordered retaliatory tariffs after last-minute trade talks with Washington collapsed, while the US trade representative accused Canada of reneging on agreed terms.
Finance minister pledges to clear all barriers to private investment
Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told a DCCI seminar the government will build a website to fast-track business complaints and is targeting a three-month energy reserve.
Major shift in world gold prices
Gold hit a three-month high after a weaker dollar, driven by the U.S. Treasury's bond-buyback plan, sent spot prices up 2.4 percent to $4,623.94 an ounce.
No quick fix for energy crisis: finance minister
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told a DCCI seminar that resolving the energy crisis will take time even with every government initiative in play.
Bangladesh Bank signs financing deal with seven commercial banks
Sonali Bank, BRAC Bank and five other lenders have agreed to fund a 41-billion-taka package from surplus liquidity as part of a broader 600-billion-taka initiative to boost jobs and exports.
US debt is growing by $90,000 every second
The United States' national debt has topped $40 trillion, and economists warn that rising interest payments now exceed defense spending and could ripple into borrowing costs for ordinary Americans.
Banglalink seeks commercial approval for tower-free mobile connectivity
Banglalink has asked regulators to let it commercially launch a satellite-based direct-to-cell service with Starlink after a trial in remote areas including Bandarban and Sandwip.
What’s the solution to Bangladesh’s electricity crisis?
Bangladeshi consumers report worsening load-shedding and rising bills as a gas and dollar squeeze hits generation; experts point to structural profiteering built into the power sector and urge a shift toward renewables and regional…
Gas crisis drains fertilizer stocks to the brink
A combination of the Iran war, Qatar's refusal to sign a supply deal, and a domestic gas shortage has pushed Bangladesh's urea reserves to just 329 tons above the safety threshold, with officials warning…
Government roadmap to rescue troubled BASIC Bank
The government has warned state-owned BASIC Bank against new lending risks and laid out a 12-point roadmap to restore it as a well-governed, financially sustainable bank, after years of loan scandals left its non-performing…
Government eyes $4,500 per capita income, 8.5% growth in 5 years
Bangladesh aims to raise per capita income to $4,591 and GDP growth to 8.5 percent by 2030-31, according to a General Economics Division reform roadmap, though economists say it lacks a concrete implementation timeline.
Evergrande founder sentenced to life in prison
A Chinese court has sentenced Hui Ka Yan, founder of the world's most indebted property developer, China Evergrande Group, to life in prison, five years after the company's collapse shook China's economy and financial…
US national debt surpasses $40 trillion
The United States' total government debt has surpassed $40 trillion for the first time, with spending on Social Security and interest payments far outpacing tax revenue, raising fears of a major fiscal crisis.
US 'begging' allies for help: Iran deputy foreign minister
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said the United States is 'begging' its allies for help after suffering defeat, as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington's newly declared 'economic…
Energy crisis deals blow to exports, $63 billion target in question
Bangladesh's export sector shows signs of a turnaround but remains hobbled by an energy crisis, industry figures say, casting doubt on the government's ambitious $63.4 billion export target for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Gold price rises Tk 3,849 per bhori
The price of the best-quality, 22-karat gold jewelry has risen by Tk 3,849 per bhori to Tk 240,628, the Bangladesh Jewellers Association announced, the year's 105th price adjustment.
19 modern hostels approved for 10 medical colleges
ECNEC has approved a project to replace unusable structures at Dhaka Medical College and build 19 modern hostel buildings across 10 medical colleges, among 10 projects worth Tk 9,333.58 crore, State Minister for Planning…
Bangladesh Bank sets Tk 60,000 crore agricultural loan target
Bangladesh Bank has set a Tk 60,000 crore target for agricultural and rural credit disbursement in the 2026-27 fiscal year, a 53.8 percent increase from the previous year, with banks ordered to ensure loans…