The new fiscal year 2025-26 has begun, but rather than optimism and momentum, it has opened with trepidation. Across Bangladesh, businesses are bracing themselves against a perfect storm of old and new challenges - political tension, energy crises, high interest rates, and declining investor confidence.While each of these issues is significant on its own, their ...more

Bangladesh’s industrial sector-a backbone of its economic aspirations-is collapsing under pressure from an unfolding energy crisis, rampant inflation, currency volatility, and a credit crunch. Industry insiders now say production has fallen as much as 50%, with widespread factory shutdowns threatening livelihoods, export earnings, and investor confidence.A broad consensus has emerged among business leaders and independent ...more

In a significant step toward ensuring institutional reform and economic stabilization, the interim government of Bangladesh has published a detailed progress report summarizing the initiatives it has undertaken across 14 critical sectors. Released on June 25 by the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing, the report provides a comprehensive picture of the government’s reformist efforts since it ...more

Bangladesh’s energy security is under growing threat as escalating tensions between Iran and Israel have driven up global fuel prices and increased fears of supply disruptions, especially in critical maritime trade routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. With the conflict intensifying in the Middle East, fears are mounting that a prolonged geopolitical crisis could ...more

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East escalate dramatically, Bangladesh’s business community is bracing for significant fallout. The situation turned more volatile after the United States launched airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities yesterday, prompting Tehran to retaliate with threats to attack U.S. naval forces and shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage ...more

The coal source and destination are the same, and the route is the same, yet there is a huge difference in the fares of different ships. Some power plants are charging $12 per ton, while others are charging as much as $19.Why is there such a huge difference in ship fares on the same route? ...more

With the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel escalating daily, fears are intensifying over a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz-a critical global oil and gas chokepoint. For Bangladesh, such a development could spell serious trouble, particularly in terms of fuel oil imports and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, potentially triggering a fresh wave ...more

Despite years of domestic and foreign investment in Bangladesh’s energy sector, government subsidies continue to balloon, driven by costly electricity generation, inefficient infrastructure use, and expensive LNG imports. In the last five fiscal years alone, the government has provided over Tk 2.06 lakh crore in subsidies to the power and energy sectors, with electricity alone ...more

For the third day in a row, Israel launched airstrikes across Iran on Sunday, escalating tensions and hinting at further military action. Some Iranian missiles bypassed Israeli air defenses and hit targets deep inside Israel, while nuclear negotiations that might have helped ease the crisis were abruptly called off.The region is now bracing for a ...more

The national budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, announced amidst a challenging global economic climate, has raised significant concerns among local business leaders and industry experts. While the government has highlighted critical priorities such as inflation control, food security, and social protection, the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has pointed out that the ...more