Business

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam today reaffirmed the government’s commitment to signing trade agreements with high-potential countries to expand Bangladesh’s bilateral trade and investment. “The government is actively working to conclude trade agreements that will help strengthen economic ties with African countries and other promising markets,” she said. The state minister made the remarks during a courtesy ...

US-Bangla Airlines has expressed interest in operating Hajj flights from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia for the 2027 Hajj season, proposing a net one-way fare of Tk 98,000 per pilgrim. In a letter sent to the Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Monday, the airline said it is prepared to operate Hajj flights in compliance with all required conditions. ...

Mercantile Bank PLC has launched a 100-hour entrepreneurship development training programme in Chattogram under the Skills for Industry Competitiveness and Innovation Program (SICIP), aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial skills. The month-long training is being conducted under the supervision of Bangladesh Bank as part of the Ministry of Finance’s SICIP, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The inaugural ceremony was presided ...

Bangladesh’s paper industry is facing a multifaceted crisis, with rising production costs, energy shortages, escalating raw material prices, high interest rates, weakening domestic demand, and the import of finished paper at artificially low prices through under-invoicing pushing local manufacturers to the brink. Industry stakeholders say the government is losing substantial revenue while domestic paper mills are struggling to survive due ...

Experts on Sunday underscored the need for following Bangladesh roadmap to International Labour Organization (ILO) for the upcoming labour rules and labour law reforms. They made the remarks at a programme organised by IndustriAll Global Union (IGU) in collaboration with IndustriAll Bangladesh Council (IBC) at Asia Hotel in the capital. IBC President Kutubuddin Ahmed gave welcome address in the event ...

Continuous rain and adverse weather conditions have caused major disruption to flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport since early Sunday (July 12). At least two international flights were diverted to Sylhet and Kolkata after they were unable to land in Dhaka due to the bad weather. At the same time, more than 50 arrival and departure flights were delayed ...

Bank Asia PLC has launched Bank Asia ZEN, the upgraded version of its mobile banking app, said in a press release. The app was unveiled at Bank Asia Tower on July 8 by the bank’s Managing Director, Sohail R K Hussain, in the presence of members of the senior management team. Previously known as Bank Asia Smart App, the platform ...

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation will visit Dhaka from July 12 to 16 to discuss the framework and conditions of a proposed new loan programme for Bangladesh. According to Finance Ministry sources, the government has sought a new IMF loan package centred on banking sector restructuring, revenue reforms and a revised reform agenda, replacing the previous programme agreed during ...

Bangladesh has introduced major changes to its income tax system that will allow investors in government savings certificates (Sanchayapatra) to claim refunds, if excess tax is deducted from their profit. The reforms, introduced under the Finance Act for FY2026-27, also offer tax discounts for individuals who submit their income tax returns early. Savings Certificate Tax No Longer Final Under the ...

Asian stocks rose sharply on Friday, led by chip and AI firms as investors brushed off concern over the stalled recovery of energy supplies through the critical Strait of Hormuz, with tit-for-tat attacks escalating between the US and Iran. The renewed back-and-forth attacks have further eroded the fragile three-week-old ceasefire, bringing the spotlight back on oil prices and what they ...