Bangladesh

Are you trying to figure out how the new national budget affects your wallet? The Bangladesh National Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27 has rolled out sweeping reforms to personal income tax. The biggest talking point this year is the massive overhaul of Section 78 of the Income Tax Act, 2023, which directly reshapes how your investment tax rebate is calculated. If you rely on DPS, Sanchayapatra, or life insurance to lower your tax burden, things are changing. Let’s dive deep into the old vs. new tax rebate rules and see exactly how these changes impact your financial planning this year. What is Section 78 in Bangladesh Income Tax? Under Section 78, the government allows taxpayers to claim a financial deduction (rebate) from their total payable tax if they invest in approved sectors. These sectors typically include: ·        National Savings Certificates (Sanchayapatra) ·        Deposit Pension Schemes (DPS) ·   ...

A new era for Bangladesh’s economy officially kicked off on June 11, 2026, with the unveiling of the national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27. Presented in the National Parliament—presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and attended by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman—this marks the nation’s 55th budget. It is also the debut fiscal plan for the newly appointed Finance Minister, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. Unveiling a historic BDT 9.38 lakh crore budget, the Finance Minister’s opening address laid out a bold roadmap aimed at economic recovery, long-term growth, and easing the financial pressure on ordinary citizens. Here is a deep-dive analysis of the FY 2026-27 budget speech, focusing on inflation control, economic targets, and how it will directly impact your wallet. Tackling Inflation and Easing the Burden on Daily Essentials Acknowledging the heavy macroeconomic pressures and the soaring cost of living, the Finance Minister made it clear that stabilizing the economy is...

The integration of microinsurance into mobile wallets is driving a powerful financial inclusion revolution across Bangladesh. At the forefront is bKash, which has successfully transitioned from a peer-to-peer money transfer tool into a massive digital insurance marketplace. By serving as an accessible sales and collection agent, bKash is bridging a critical socio-economic gap, bringing essential safety nets to a nation where over 90% of the population historically lacked coverage. The true genius of this model lies in a highly collaborative ecosystem. Rather than underwriting policies itself, bKash connects traditional insurance carriers with agile insurtech aggregators like Carnival Assure, Bimafy, and Chhaya. This orchestration enables completely paperless enrollment, instant policy generation, and direct-to-wallet claim payouts. By dismantling bureaucratic barriers, it brings micro-entrepreneurs and low-income families directly into the formal financial safety net. From an econo...

To understand how terrifyingly close Bangladesh’s energy infrastructure is to total collapse, look no further than the panic that gripped the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) over the last 24 hours. The 2026 global fossil fuel crisis has finally cornered policy managers. Trapped by volatile liquefied natural gas (LNG) markets and an unsustainable reliance on imported liquid fuel, the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) let generation costs balloon past a staggering Tk 143,000 crore. As the bleeding worsened, the World Bank stepped in with a blunt mandate: execute aggressive subsidy cuts immediately or kiss future fiscal cushions goodbye. With a gun to its head, BERC pulled the trigger on June 3, blindly passing production costs down the grid with a massive, flat tariff hike. What followed was institutional whiplash. Faced with immediate public fury and the sudden realization that they were about to trigger mass economic destabilization, the regulat...

In a move that redraws the map of emerging market e-commerce, Jiji Africa has formally completed its acquisition of Bikroy.com, the dominant player in Bangladesh’s digital classifieds sector. The deal, signed in Dubai on May 12, 2026, marks the African unicorn’s first major cross-continental expansion, signaling an aggressive push to export its high-growth business model to South Asia.   The Long Game: A Disciplined Entry The acquisition is the culmination of a "stealth-to-scale" strategy executed by Jiji’s leadership under CEO Anton Volianskyi. Jiji’s first foray into the Bangladeshi market began in March 2025 with the launch of jiji-bd.com. Rather than pursuing an immediate buyout, the firm opted for a year-long "test-and-learn" period, operating as a direct challenger to the incumbent. This operational period allowed Jiji to calibrate its proprietary machine-learning algorithms to local urban consumer behaviors in high-density regions like Dhaka and Chitt...