Refayet Ullah Mirdha

Senior Staff Reporter of The Daily Star.

LDC graduation: Govt proposes duty cut, change in trade rules

In the budget for FY26, the government has proposed reducing import duties on certain goods and amending trade rules to enhance competitiveness in preparation for the country’s impending graduation from the list of least developed countries (LDCs).

1w ago

Major US trade bodies welcome Trump’s hint at tariff relief for apparel, footwear

Five American trade bodies wrote joint letter to Trump

1w ago

Govt to allow rawhide exports despite tanners’ objections

Although tanners have voiced opposition, the government will allow rawhide exports during the Eid-ul-Azha season with the aim of fostering demand and ensuring better prices for traders at the field level, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said yesterday.

3w ago

US trade bodies reiterate call for better labour rights

American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the US’s largest trade body in the apparel and footwear sector, and the Fair Labour Association (FLA) tied Bangladesh’s efforts to improve labour rights to ensure successful tariff negotiation with the Trump administration.

3w ago

BGMEA wants 3-month window from India to clear pending shipments

The association urges the interim government to send a letter to India seeking the opportunity

3w ago

Govt looking to defuse trade tensions with India

Bangladesh does not want any further escalation in tension with India, as the recent retaliatory moves are affecting bilateral trade

3w ago

Inter-ministerial meet today on Indian curbs

The commerce ministry has convened an inter-ministerial meeting today to work out ways to address India’s restrictions on imports from Bangladesh through land ports.

3w ago

Exporters caught off guard by India’s import curbs

"This sudden decision could severely disrupt bilateral trade"

3w ago
May 12, 2025
May 12, 2025

Trump tariffs: Lower tariffs, higher import of US goods on the cards

Bangladesh will propose lowering the import tariff for certain American goods and increasing the volume of imports of some items as part of the efforts to narrow the trade gap with the US, which elicited a fresh 37 percent reciprocal tariff from the Trump administration.

May 9, 2025
May 9, 2025

Traders want local warehouse to buy more US soybean

Building a warehouse facility in Bangladesh for US soybean products can boost its import and help reduce the bilateral trade gap, Bangladeshi traders said at the Sustainasummit and Aqua Tech Talks in Sri Lanka.

May 8, 2025
May 8, 2025

Build warehouse for US soybean to reduce bilateral trade gap

Bangladeshi traders say at global summit in Sri Lanka

May 5, 2025
May 5, 2025

Investment at stake as gas crisis chokes textile, RMG factories

The country’s flagship textiles and readymade garments (RMG) industries are reeling from a crippling gas crisis, threatening an estimated $70 billion in investments amid mounting global trade uncertainty over new US tariffs.

May 1, 2025
May 1, 2025

Bangladesh’s response to trump tariffs: US will get work plan by next week

Bangladesh will send the work plan to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) within the next week to reduce the trade gap as part of the efforts to bring down Trump’s reciprocal tariff, currently on pause until July 9.

April 27, 2025
April 27, 2025

Bangladesh races to expand air cargo capacity

In a first move to address the shortfall, Sylhet's Osmani International Airport is set to launch dedicated cargo operations today

April 25, 2025
April 25, 2025

US wants Bangladesh’s work plan to reduce trade gap

The United States Trade Representative (USTR), the US government’s chief trade negotiation body, wants to see Bangladesh’s work plan on narrowing the bilateral trade gap before the Trump administration makes a call on reciprocal tariffs.

April 25, 2025
April 25, 2025

RMG orders adequate until Christmas

Local suppliers have secured adequate work orders from US clothing retailers and brands to stay busy until Christmas at the end of this year, although the shipments are likely to be subject to Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

April 24, 2025
April 24, 2025

RMG’s safety standards must be replicated by others

Safety standards in Bangladesh’s garment sector saw a marked improvement after the disastrous Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, but there is still a need for other sectors to improve in this regard, Labour Reform Commission chairman Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said in an interview yesterday.

April 23, 2025
April 23, 2025

Can Bangladesh fend off Vietnam in RMG race?

Bangladesh's limited trade diplomacy, coupled with its slower shift towards value-added production, could allow Vietnam to surpass it in global rankings