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Economist Rehman Sobhan has called on Bangladesh to strengthen its private sector and adopt more agile, forward-looking policies to keep pace with the rapidly shifting global economy. Speaking at the “Bay of Bengal Conversation,” organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in Dhaka on Saturday, Sobhan warned that without …

Agent banking is rapidly expanding financial inclusion across Bangladesh, significantly boosting women’s participation in the formal economy and driving strong growth in remittance transactions. According to Bangladesh Bank, agent banking has evolved from a basic transaction platform into a key driver of women’s empowerment in rural areas and an essential …

A government watchdog has dug out an epitome of operational, environmental, and governance “failures” in a vital project that continue to undermine Bangladesh’s leather sector and its global competitiveness, thereby causing the country to miss millions in foreign exchange. On such a discovery of fiascos, the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation …

Sramik Karmachari Oikya Parishad, a platform of 12 labour organisations, on Saturday announced the blockade of Chattogram port for November 26, demanding the cancellation of the recent decisions to lease out several port facilities to foreign companies. The announcement was made at a daylong Chattogram Divisional Trade Union Convention held …

The afternoon sun shone on the large transparent plastic bottles lined up on the wet tiles of the Bashbari WASA water ATM, one of the water collection points the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority has set up in the capital. Barefoot and focused, 17-year-old Rakib from Mohammadpur moves quickly, …

The government has moved to frame the country’s postal laws to give citizens a legally recognized address and secure access to financial services, as it moves to replace the 127-year-old Post Office Act of 1898 with the Post Services Ordinance 2025. The new law will create a national digital addressing …

Bangladesh’s revenue collection fell short by Tk 17,219.97 crore to Tk 119,478 crore in the July-October period of the financial year 2025-26, below the target set at Tk 136,697.07 crore. However, revenue collection grew by 15.54 per cent from the previous corresponding time in FY25, reaching Tk 103,409.17 crore, according …

Bhutan is interested in transforming its current preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bangladesh into a free trade agreement (FTA) to expand bilateral trade. Visiting Bhutanese Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay expressed this interest at a meeting with Bangladeshi Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin at a hotel in Dhaka today. Bangladesh …

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) today suggested its members strengthen the structural safety of factory buildings considering the recent back-to-back earthquakes in the country. Since a large number of people work in the factories, if needed, the structural safety of the buildings should be reinforced, the association …

Bangladesh’s financial sector has fallen short of expectations due to prolonged governance failure, weak regulatory enforcement and delayed reforms, despite commendable growth in the broader economy, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur said today. He also described the sector’s overall performance as “disappointingly behind”, blaming structural weaknesses that remain largely …