Business

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reportedly declined to release the next tranche of Bangladesh’s ongoing loan programme by June, citing the country’s failure to implement agreed reforms in the revenue and banking sectors. Instead, the IMF has proposed starting discussions on a new loan programme with additional conditions, according to officials familiar with the matter. The development is expected ...

The government is working to ensure adequate fuel reserves to meet the country’s demand in June, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit said on Friday. Speaking to journalists after visiting Eastern Refinery Limited in Chattogram, the state minister said country currently has sufficient fuel stocks for April and May, while preparations are ongoing to secure ...

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $35.04 billion, according to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Bank on Thursday. Under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) BPM-6 accounting method, the reserves stood at $30.37 billion, the BB added.

World Bank (WB) President Ajay Banga has appreciated the detailed sector-wise election manifesto of the ruling BNP and affirmed all out support for Bangladesh. The WB president made the assurance at a meeting with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the Washington DC on Wednesday on the sidelines of IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, according to a message received here ...

The AA has been fined £4.2m and ordered to make payments to more than 80,000 learner drivers for not showing the full price of lessons at the time of booking, an illegal practice known as “drip pricing”. The UK competition watchdog, which launched an investigation into the practices employed by the AA Driving School and BSM Driving School last year, ...

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has extended the deadline for submitting Value Added Tax (VAT) returns for the March 2026 tax period via its e-VAT system until 23 April. According to an official notification, the extension has been granted in the public interest, taking into account disruptions caused by the Pahela Baishakh public holiday as well as technical issues ...

Gold prices in Bangladesh have increased again, with the latest adjustment raising the price of 22-carat gold by Tk2,216 per bhori. According to a press release issued by the Bangladesh Jeweller’s Association (BAJUS) on Wednesday (15 April) morning, the new price of 22-carat gold has been set at Tk250,193 per bhori (11.664 grams). The revised rates came into effect from ...

HSBC bosses have said the Iran war is already hitting global economic confidence, as a string of business leaders warned over the impact of the conflict. Georges Elhedery, the Lebanon-born chief executive of the bank, told Bloomberg Television at a HSBC conference in Hong Kong: “We’re saddened and concerned with what’s happening in the Middle East, and we’re concerned not ...

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is set to resume flights on the Dhaka-Sylhet-Manchester route on 1 July following the completion of Hajj operations, aiming to ease travel for expatriates and meet growing passenger demand. The decision was made in line with directives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen international connectivity, according to a ...

Commerce and Industries Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Monday announced a major push toward deregulation and the simplification of bureaucratic processes to foster a more business-friendly environment. “Despite significant global economic pressures, the government is committed to removing lingering processes that currently hinder trade,” he said. The minister made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a high-level ...