The proportion of working-age people declined to 65.08 percent in 2023 from 66.58 percent in 2021, according to a survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). A year before, the proportion was 65.67 percent.

The newly drafted telecom law and broadband policy ignored the broadband internet sector, said the top leader of the last mile cable operators, demanding more attention to the sector which caters to six crore customers.

Bangladesh needs to connect with neighbouring countries for sustainability, which could be achieved through tripartite cooperation, the analyst also said.

In 2021, some 2.25 percent of the population used SHSs. The number declined to 1.81 percent in 2023, according to a recent survey report of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The midday sun blazes down on SM Sourcing, the world’s highest-rated green garment factory in Gazipur’s Konabari. About 60 workers on one of the factory floors are busy making export-quality frocks as they hurriedly finish their work ahead of lunch. Despite the summer heat outside, only a few ceiling fans are switched on and the factory floor is quite cool.

Currently, China is Bangladesh’s single largest trading partner, with the bilateral trade amounting to $24 billion.

The key index of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) bounced back yesterday after suffering a major decline on the preceding day.

Last year, MNCs paid Tk 5,060 crore as dividends, representing 72 percent of the total earnings while in 2022, they gave out Tk 6,346 crore in dividends, which accounted for 95 percent of the profits.

At the end of December 2023, Bangladesh’s banking sector had Tk 145,600 crore as NPLs -- 9 percent of the total outstanding loans.

The central bank said in quarterly review on money and exchange rate

The government can generate additional revenue of Tk 30,000 crore in the next fiscal year of 2024-25 if it reduces existing tax exemptions for various sectors, according to a noted economist.

Bangladesh’s stock market has been going through a bear run for the last two months despite petering out of election-linked uncertainty, signaling that the worries about the macroeconomic challenges are far from over.

The government has extended its contracts with Summit Group’s three gas-based power plants for the purchase of electricity in the next five years.

Speaking about Bangladesh, the ILO said its governing body took note of the report on the progress made with the implementation of the roadmap of actions and was mindful of its 2021-26 timeline for the labour sector reform as well as of the results yet to be achieved.

Traders opened LCs worth $247.26 million in July-January of the current fiscal year of 2023-24, up 25.81 percent year-on-year, central bank data showed.

The rising price level in Bangladesh has left the middle and low-income segments in a severe cost of living crunch, with inflation hovering above 9 percent since March last year.

The dependency ratio of the people who are over 65-plus years rose to 9.4 percent in 2023 from 8.6 percent in 2022.

Previously only Shariah-based banks were allowed to avail the IBLF against Bangladesh Government Investment Sukuk (BGIS) bonds as securities.

Although the foreign sale pressure was not huge, the buying interest from institutional investors was insignificant either. As a result, the indices dropped.

A total of 12 NBFIs in Bangladesh are running without an MD or CEO and a majority of them have had their top post vacant for more than three months in a clear breach of laws.