AM Jahid

Staff Reporter at The Daily Star, Bangladesh #10 years of experience #Expertise: digital and multimedia content production, fact checking, data analysis, social media management, search engine optimization.

Is cooling red-hot inflation to 7% by June possible?

The central bank governor projects cooling the red-hot inflation, which has hovered above 9 percent since March last year, to 7 percent by June next year.

4d ago

ADB approves $600m to accelerate economic recovery

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has become the first among multilateral and bilateral lenders to respond to the interim government's call for budgetary support, approving $600 million aimed at easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves and accelerating economic recovery.

1w ago

Revised budget may be Tk 50,000cr smaller

Bangladesh’s national budget for fiscal year 2024-25 is likely to be reduced by more than Tk 50,000 crore, with the entire cut expected to be made in funds meant for the annual development programme (ADP).

1w ago

Bangladesh ‘sleepwalked’ into middle-income trap

Bangladesh, mired in data fog, has “sleepwalked” into the middle-income trap according to the white paper on the state of the country’s economy.

2w ago

Distressed loans equal to cost of 22.5 Padma bridges

Distressed assets in the banking sector have reached a whooping Tk 6,75,030 crore, an amount bigger than the cost of building 22 bridges across the Padma or 13.5 metro rail systems in Dhaka, according to a White Paper released yesterday.

2w ago

Banks reel from liquidity crisis despite rising deposit rates

Despite rising interest rates on deposits and various efforts by the central bank, Bangladesh’s banking sector continues to face a liquidity crisis that has hamstrung some lenders.

3w ago

Moody’s downgrades Bangladesh banking rating to ‘very weak’

Moody’s has downgraded Bangladesh’s banking sector to “very weak” from “weak”, citing worsening client confidence, limited transparency and inadequate financial safeguards over the past year.

4w ago

How some non-banks tamed bad loans

When most non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) in Bangladesh are in hot water with high ratios of non-performing loan (NPL), a handful have been successfully able to keep the rate low.

4w ago
May 1, 2024
May 1, 2024

More exchange rate flexibility needed

Bangladesh’s macroeconomic performance has significantly improved since the country entered the IMF’s $4.7 billion loan programme in January last year, but the bleeding of foreign currency reserves continues, putting the taka under pressure, the global lender said yesterday.

April 24, 2024
April 24, 2024

Exim Bank’s profit dropped 9.4% in 2023

Exim Bank's profit declined 9.4 percent year-on-year to Tk 337 crore in 2023, according to a disclosure on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) website yesterday.

April 15, 2024
April 15, 2024

Three out of four people still unbanked in Bangladesh

Only 28.3 percent had an account with a bank or NBFI last year, it showed, increasing from 26.2 percent the year prior.

April 6, 2024
April 6, 2024

Celebrating Eid getting harder for the vulnerable

As middle and low-income segments of society struggle against the backdrop of a severe cost-of-living crisis, the surge in aggregate demand ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr poses a further hurdle for many striving to celebrate the festival.

April 6, 2024
April 6, 2024

Economics of Eid

As the darkness of night made way for the first light of day, a rhythmic hum echoed through the tranquil dawn in Jamalpur like a heartbeat.

April 3, 2024
April 3, 2024

BRAC Bank logged 35% profit growth in 2023

BRAC Bank PLC registered a 35 percent increase in profit to Tk 827.50 crore last year thanks to its focus on small and medium enterprises (SME) and technology-based customer services, which added over 3.60 lakh new customers.

March 27, 2024
March 27, 2024

One panjabi for two occasions

The rising price level in Bangladesh has left the middle and low-income segments in a severe cost of living crunch, with inflation hovering above 9 percent since March last year.

March 24, 2024
March 24, 2024

Bangladesh's biggest shopping festival begins as Eid nears

The number of shoppers has been increasing since Friday, said brands and retailers. But with about 18 days left until Eid, consumers are yet to start buying clothing items in large quantities, they said.

March 23, 2024
March 23, 2024

Gender gap in MFS widens from 3% to 16% in five years

The gap broadened to 16.06 percentage points in December last year from 3.25 percentage points in the same month in 2019, according to the data.

March 21, 2024
March 21, 2024

Shrimp exports to face significant competition after LDC graduation

Shrimps, popularly referred to as “white gold” due to being one of Bangladesh’s most valuable export items, may face significant pressure from competitor nations after the country graduates from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026.