Tax-free income limit may rise to Tk 3.75 lakh
The government is planning a series of measures in the upcoming national budget to alleviate the tax pressure on individuals and businesses, including raising the tax-free income threshold and relaxing certain compliance requirements.
12 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Budget should draw clear roadmap for smooth LDC GRADUATION
The upcoming national budget must outline a comprehensive roadmap to prepare for the country’s graduation from the least developed country (LDC) club in 2026, prioritising tariff rationalisation, tax reform, and sustainable fiscal policies, according to a leading business leader.
11 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Dev budget for FY26 lowest in four years
The interim government is set to slash the development budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 by 14 percent year-on-year, as it struggles with limited fiscal space and steers away from costly mega-projects.
6 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Falling food prices ease inflation
Falling food prices over recent months have helped cool inflation further in April, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), with economists attributing the easing of price pressures to post-festival effects.
5 May 2025, 18:00 PM
NBR targets 10.5% tax-GDP ratio by FY35 amid IMF push
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set a target to raise Bangladesh’s tax-to-GDP ratio to 10.5 percent by the fiscal year 2034-35, as part of its newly formulated 10-year revenue strategy, according to official documents.
28 April 2025, 18:00 PM
Tax authority to split. Will it bring the desired outcome?
Touted as a historic overhaul, the move has ignited debate over whether it will drive meaningful reform or merely deepen the layers of bureaucracy, given the NBR's persistent failure to meet its targets.
27 April 2025, 18:00 PM
March revenue growth nears 10%, but no cause for cheer
NBR still needs Tk 65,000cr per month to hit IMF target for FY25
19 April 2025, 18:00 PM
Govt sets Tk 4.99 lakh crore target for NBR in FY26
The new target has raised eyebrows, given the underwhelming performance in revenue collection so far
16 April 2025, 18:00 PM
65% registered taxpayers skipped filing returns. Why?
Tax compliance is a vital pillar of a country’s economic stability. But in Bangladesh, despite various government efforts to widen the tax net, an alarming 65 percent of eligible taxpayers did not bother filing their returns within the deadline, which was extended thrice this year.
22 February 2025, 18:00 PM
65% of registered Bangladeshi taxpayers skip filing returns -- what would be the fallout?
As of February 16 this year, only 39.86 lakh taxpayers out of around 1.14 crore TIN holders filed their returns
22 February 2025, 09:30 AM
GDP may cross $500b for first time in FY26
The finance ministry is likely to project that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) will surpass the $500-billion mark for the first time in the upcoming fiscal year (FY), anticipating an economic rebound in FY 2025-26.
15 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Development spending in Jul-Jan hits 15-year low
Implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) stood at just 21.52 percent in the first seven months of fiscal year 2024-25 as public works were weighed down by political unrest.
13 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Rice bran oil export may face 25% regulatory duty
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is set to impose a fresh 25 percent regulatory duty on the export of crude and refined rice bran oil to discourage shipments and increase domestic supply.
8 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Rice bran oil export may face 25% regulatory duty
An NBR notification may come this week to boost the oil’s domestic supply
8 February 2025, 14:34 PM
Wage growth negative for 3 years as inflation outpaces pay rise
The wage growth rate stood at 8.16 percent in January, 1.78 percentage points below the inflation rate of 9.94 percent that month
5 February 2025, 18:00 PM
Foreign loan surge in December brings some relief
A big chunk of foreign funds was provided as budgetary support from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in December released $1.1 billion, leading to a rise in foreign aid disbursement and providing some relief to the government.
26 January 2025, 18:00 PM
Economy slowing, negative revenue growth shows the sign
For Bangladesh, it is no longer the question of whether the economy is destined for a hard landing or a glide to a flat state; rather the question now is how deep the descent will be.
23 January 2025, 18:00 PM
Potato imports facilitated despite massive price fall
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has allowed the use of nine more customs stations for the import of potatoes, specifically from Nepal and Bhutan, aiming to diversify supply sources and reduce dependency on India..The nine stations include Rohonpur in Chapainawabganj, Sonahat in Kurigra
21 January 2025, 18:00 PM
VAT hike raises medicine prices
Healthcare seekers face higher prices for medicine due to the hike in value-added tax (VAT) on trades by pharmacies and drug stores.
12 January 2025, 18:00 PM
VAT shock in the middle of the fiscal year
The National Board of Revenue went ahead with its plan to hike value-added tax and supplementary duty on goods and services despite widespread concerns that the move will stoke inflation and slow down economic activities.
9 January 2025, 21:06 PM
VAT, SD on nearly 100 items hiked despite inflation worries
NBR issues a notification moments ago
9 January 2025, 15:59 PM
Inflation eased slightly in Dec but still above 10%
Bangladesh concluded another year staring at prices of essential items taking a wild ride, the central bank scrambling to further tighten the money supply and penny-pinching among limited income people.
6 January 2025, 18:00 PM
Will VAT hike add to inflationary burden?
The government’s recent move to increase value-added tax (VAT) on 43 goods and services has raised two key questions: will it generate enough revenue to avoid a huge budget deficit and will it further stoke an already high inflation?
4 January 2025, 18:00 PM
Revenue collection falls in Nov though business climate improves
Bangladesh’s revenue collection fell in November this year even though the country saw improvement in its business climate that month thanks to the alleviation of political uncertainties stemming from the nationwide mass uprising in July-August.
31 December 2024, 18:00 PM
Foreign fund flow, new pledges dwindle as debt servicing surges
Bangladesh’s foreign debt servicing surged 28 percent year-on-year in the first five months of fiscal year 2024-25 owing to the country’s expanded foreign loan portfolio and a rise in global interest rates.
29 December 2024, 18:00 PM
Inflation outpaces wage growth for 34 months straight
Many low-income and unskilled workers in Bangladesh’s agriculture, industrial and service sectors are being compelled to reduce consumption as rising inflation eroded their real incomes over the past three years.
28 December 2024, 18:00 PM
Separating policy, revenue in NBR top reform priority
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) should not both formulate policies and collect revenue, rather a separate, independent and specialised policy wing should be formed, recommended an advisory committee recently. .This should be the first priority when bringing about reforms, said the co
25 December 2024, 18:03 PM
Not a good year for job-seekers
Fresh graduates, their faces pale and uncertain, spent 2024 poring over newspaper job advertisements, applying for any suitable position and frantically appearing for recruitment exams in Dhaka.
24 December 2024, 18:00 PM