The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) is going to hold a hearing involving Bangladesh to see whether a recent rise in prices of garment items sourced from the country had anything to do with unhealthy competition.

Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserves are likely to fall below $21 billion next week after the Bangladesh Bank clears import bills of around $1.35 billion with the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), said a senior central bank official.

Chinese textile and garment entrepreneurs are bullish about Bangladesh as the country cements its position as a top supplier of apparel items, evidenced from a healthy flow of orders from international clothing retailers and brands.

Pran-RFL Group plans to set up a second industrial park in Natore and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has assured the group chairman of providing gas supplies to it, said the conglomerate’s marketing director, Kamruzzaman Kamal, yesterday.

About 47 percent of the factories that were deemed at risk of industrial accidents by the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) have yet to implement necessary corrective measures within the stipulated deadline of December 2023, officials of the government agency said.

In the financial sector, green financing focuses on funding eco-friendly projects that will support managing intents towards a healthy environment not only for the existing generation but also for the future generation. It refers to the promotion of environment-friendly practices and the reduction of bank finances towards carbon-related footprint.

The bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Myanmar through the Teknaf land port came to a complete halt on Sunday due to the escalation of the fighting in Rakhine state between the government forces in the Southeast Asian nation and the rebel Arakan Army.

The overall inflation in Bangladesh slid 19 basis points to 9.67 percent in February thanks to a fall in the prices of both food and non-food items, according to sources at the planning ministry.

Bitcoin touched a record high on Tuesday, fuelled by investors pouring money into US spot exchange-traded crypto products and the prospect that global interest rates may fall

Telecom operators yesterday placed several proposals for the upcoming national budget for fiscal year 2024-25, demanding slashing corporate tax, withdrawing value added tax (VAT) on SIM sales and preventing double taxation, saying these would aid digitalisation in the country.

Raising awareness among citizens about cybersecurity and educating them on how to safely navigate the internet are crucial for Bangladesh to protect its cyberspace, experts said yesterday.

Bangladesh exported garments worth $4.49 billion in February 2024, one of the highest for any single month, undergoing a year-on-year growth of 13.93 percent, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Bangladesh Bank is planning to initiate mergers and acquisitions among weak non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) if a similar initiative in the banking industry sees success.

The interest rates of deposits and loans in the non-bank financial sector of Bangladesh have increased despite the cut in margins since the benchmark rate is on the rise.

Bangladesh finds itself at a critical juncture in its power sector, grappling with the perennial challenge of balancing the cost of electricity production against the revenues generated from its sale.

The Mughal Empire restaurant in Mohammadpur of Dhaka wore a quiet look at 7:30pm Monday, normally a peak time. With only four people at one corner eating biryani, it is a stark contrast to the usual gathering of 25-30 people.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is going to provide budget support under the climate finance programme, which should provide some relief to the country’s foreign currency reserves.

Md Iftekharul Haq, an entrepreneur in Rajshahi, had become a local pioneer in producing compostable shopping bags back in 2022, providing a much-needed solution for the rampant environmental pollution in Bangladesh caused by polythene waste.

A tax policy mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday began to work with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to train taxmen to assess tax expenditures so that the government can eliminate less effective tax exemptions, broaden the tax base and increase revenue collection.

The New York State Supreme Court’s recent ruling in favour of the Bangladesh Bank has brought the country “one step closer” to recovering the stolen funds from the people responsible, according to the central bank.