The IMF and World Bank's 2026 Annual Meetings ended with few concrete answers for developing countries grappling with mounting debt, geopolitical conflicts, rising inflation and uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence (AI).The meetings, held in Bangkok last week, highlighted how developing economies continue to bear the consequences of decisions made by wealthier nations, including higher borrowing costs, ...more

The government has recommended cancelling the appointments of the managing directors (MDs) of three state-owned banks Sonali Bank, Janata Bank and Rupali Bank.The Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance issued separate letters on Monday recommending the cancellation of the remaining contractual tenures of the three MDs. The respective banks’ boards of directors will ...more

The government has cancelled the remaining contractual tenure of Md. Shawkat Ali Khan, managing director (MD) of state-owned Sonali Bank PLC.The Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance issued a notification on Monday announcing the decision.According to the notification, the government has recommended and approved the cancellation of Shawkat Ali Khan’s remaining contractual tenure ...more

The government has cancelled the remaining tenure of Md. Mojibur Rahman as managing director (MD) of state-owned Janata Bank PLC.The decision was announced in a notification issued by the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance.According to the notification, the government has recommended and approved the cancellation of Rahman’s remaining contractual tenure under his ...more

The World Bank has urged developing countries to focus on building small artificial intelligence (AI) models tailored to local needs, saying the technology could accelerate economic development and expand access to digital services.According to a report by British newspaper The Guardian, these smaller models can operate directly on smartphones, even with slow internet connections, making ...more

Disbursement under Bangladesh Bank’s Tk20,000 crore refinancing scheme for reviving closed factories has reached Tk560 crore, up Tk450 crore in 18 days, although many businesses are still waiting for funding.According to the central bank’s latest data, applications worth Tk1,490 crore had been submitted under the scheme by October 18. Of this amount, Tk560 crore had ...more

Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC has set an example in dividend distribution by paying its approved 180% cash dividend to institutional and general investors just one day after its annual general meeting (AGM).The listed technology giant in Bangladesh’s engineering sector distributed the dividend for the 2025–26 financial year to investors’ respective bank accounts following approval at ...more

Dr Enayet Karim, editor of The Daily Industry, President, Global Economist Forum, discussed climate and environmental programme financing in Bangladesh with Andrea Selmi, an analyst at ICCAP (Inclusive Climate Finance for Vulnerable Communities in Asia Pacific), on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok.Their discussion focused on expanding access ...more

Walton Hi-Tech Industries PLC, one of the Bangladesh’s leading publicly listed manufacturers of electronics, electrical and technology products, successfully held its 20th Annual General Meeting (AGM). At the meeting, shareholders approved a 180 percent cash dividend and 10 percent stock dividend for the financial year 2025–26.At the AGM, shareholders expressed satisfaction with the attractive dividend ...more

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said Bangladesh will meet conditions under a potential new agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), signalling a shift from his earlier rejection of the lender’s terms.“There will, of course, be conditions. The conditions will be met. There are also some issues that both sides will have to ...more