Bangladesh

Bangladesh's jute industry is set for a significant export boom, fueled by the global push for sustainable and eco-friendly products. As a leading exporter of jute yarn and a major player in the overall jute and jute goods market, Bangladesh holds a natural edge in this expanding green economy. To fully leverage this, strategically targeting new, high-value markets with diverse, eco-conscious products is key.   Recent Export Performance The past five fiscal years reveal both fluctuations and strong growth, showcasing the industry's resilience and potential. While detailed year-on-year breakdowns for all jute categories and destinations vary, overall trends indicate robust performance: FY 2019-2020: Jute and Jute Manufactures brought in approximately $882.35 million. FY 2020-2021: A remarkable surge saw earnings hit $1161.48 million, breaking records and exceeding the $1 billion mark—a 31% increase from the previous year. FY 2021-2022: Exports remained strong at $112...

Grameenphone, Bangladesh’s premier mobile network operator, is grappling with an escalating dispute with its former workforce, a situation that has grown increasingly contentious in recent months. The ongoing saga, marked by persistent protests and a tragic incident, is casting a shadow over the company’s public image and attracting investor scrutiny.   The heart of the contention lies in the former employees' demand for a 5% share of Grameenphone’s annual profits, as stipulated by the Bangladesh Labour Act. Protesters, organized under the "Laid-Off and Deprived Grameenphone Workers Unity Council," allege years of withheld payments and accumulated penalties. Based on Grameenphone's reported net profits from 2020 to 2024, the cumulative 5% share owed to workers is estimated to be a staggering BDT 8.54 billion. This substantial claim, alongside demands for job reinstatement and other lawful dues, forms the core of their intensified agitation.   Recent weeks have...

  The integrity of Bangladesh's Islamic banking sector hangs precariously, its promise of ethical, interest-free finance undermined by a deepening crisis of non-performing loans (NPLs) and acute liquidity shortages. This isn't merely a Shariah compliance issue; it's a fundamental failure of effective banking practices, exacerbated by the unchecked influence of powerful defaulters who have exploited these institutions. At the heart of the crisis lies a systemic issue of massive loan defaults, often linked to influential groups like the S Alam Group, whose alleged irregularities have ballooned NPLs at key Islamic banks such as Islami Bank Bangladesh. This concentration of risk, coupled with questionable lending practices, has shattered balance sheets and eroded public confidence, triggering significant deposit withdrawals and a severe cash crunch across the sector. Several Islamic banks now face alarming equity deficits, with some seeing default rates reportedly soaring to ...

  The ongoing crisis within Bangladesh's National Board of Revenue (NBR) has reached a critical juncture, with a prolonged pen-down strike by tax, VAT, and customs officials severely impacting the nation's economic vital signs. Government revenue collection has slowed to a trickle, and essential business operations, particularly in the import and export sectors, face unprecedented disruption. At the Heart of the Unrest: The root cause of this debilitating standoff lies in a controversial ordinance proposing the dismemberment of the NBR into two distinct entities: the Revenue Policy Division and the Revenue Management Division. While the government champions this structural overhaul as a necessary step to enhance efficiency, mitigate conflicts of interest, and broaden Bangladesh's notoriously narrow tax base, NBR officials stand in staunch opposition. Their primary concern revolves around a contentious clause within the ordinance that would permit officers from the gener...

Sri Lanka is actively pursuing investment from Bangladesh to bolster its domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities. This initiative stems from a significant imbalance between the nation's demand for medicines and its current production capacity, alongside a strategic push to strengthen economic ties within the region. At a recent high-level business forum in Colombo, Sri Lankan officials and industry representatives extended a strong invitation to Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, acknowledging Bangladesh's well-developed and globally competitive pharmaceutical sector.   Sri Lanka presently relies heavily on imported medications, with an estimated 85% of its pharmaceutical requirements fulfilled by international suppliers. In 2021, imports of medical and pharmaceutical products were valued at approximately USD 763 million. This substantial dependence on foreign sources exposes the island to vulnerabilities in global supply chains and currency fluctuations, a challenge acu...

Bangladesh's financial sector is navigating a period of intense pressure, as evidenced by the 91-day treasury bill yield climbing to a historic peak of 12.10% in recent auctions conducted by the nation's central bank. This new high surpasses the 12.02% observed just a fortnight ago and represents a notable ascent from rates around 10% recorded a few months prior (April 2025). This escalating yield reflects considerable liquidity strain within the banking system and an increased reliance by the government on domestic funding.   Several interconnected factors are contributing to this significant rise. Firstly, commercial banks are contending with increasingly stringent liquidity conditions. This situation is partly attributable to a surge in non-performing loans (NPLs), which reached an unprecedented Tk 345,765 crore by the close of 2024. Furthermore, there's a clear trend of depositors shifting funds from financially weaker institutions to more robust banks, intensifying...

  The intricate web of Bangladesh's capital market has once again drawn sharp attention to the actions of Md. Abul Khayer, a Deputy Registrar at the Department of Cooperatives, and his repeated involvement in share manipulation, particularly concerning Crystal Insurance Company Limited. Recent rulings by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and an ongoing Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case highlight a pattern of alleged illicit activities that threaten market integrity and investor confidence.   The BSEC's Stance: Fines and Warnings   The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission has consistently taken enforcement actions against Abul Khayer and his associates for their alleged role in share price manipulation across various listed companies, including Crystal Insurance. A recent BSEC ruling, as reported on June 16, 2025, saw Abul Khayer and his associates slapped with fines totaling Tk 24.6 million for manipulating the share price of Cr...