Zahid Hussain

Dr Zahid Hussain is a former lead economist of the World Bank’s Dhaka office

How is the economy doing?

The silver lining is that the economy isn’t falling apart

1m ago

Currency unleashed: Handle with care

This decision is a pragmatic step, regardless of whether it was motivated by the necessity of meeting IMF program conditions for the 4th and 5th disbursements

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Handle with care

With a flexible exchange rate, BB can now shift its focus toward domestic economic priorities such as inflation control, employment growth, and financial stability instead of continuously defending the currency

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Differentiating the FY26 budget

The interim government (IG) is set to present its FY26 budget on June 2. The anticipation is that their budget will depart from the past.

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Differentiating the FY26 budget

The interim government, unburdened by political motivations, has no need to seek popular acclaim

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Global trade dynamics amidst US–China tariff war

The bilateral trade in goods between the US and China faces the risk of being severed due to the imposition of steep tariffs

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US tariff war: Implications and strategies for Bangladesh

On April 2, 2025, US President Trump introduced sweeping reciprocal tariffs, effectively reversing nearly all US tariff liberalisation since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

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Implications and strategies for Bangladesh

The average US tariff surged from 2.5 percent to 20 percent with a single executive action

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March 17, 2025
March 17, 2025

Reforms on the move

The Bangladesh Bank has embarked on a series of banking reforms with quiet determination. Most recently, it has tightened regulations regarding dividend payouts by scheduled banks, exemplifying the strategy of seizing low-hanging fruit in the pursuit of structural reforms.

March 16, 2025
March 16, 2025

Banking reforms on the move

The Bangladesh Bank has embarked on a series of banking reforms with quiet determination. Most recently, it has tightened regulations regarding dividend payouts by scheduled banks, exemplifying the strategy of seizing low-hanging fruit in the pursuit of structural reforms.

March 9, 2025
March 9, 2025

Macroeconomic policies amid interim incumbency

Navigating the labyrinth of macroeconomic management is particularly challenging during periods of interim leadership.

March 8, 2025
March 8, 2025

Macroeconomic policies amidst interim incumbency

Navigating the labyrinth of macroeconomic management is particularly challenging during periods of interim leadership.

February 10, 2025
February 10, 2025

Meandering through tricky lanes

This objective is challenging but achievable, particularly if supply-side inflation pressures are mitigated.

December 6, 2024
December 6, 2024

Our inflation quagmire

Inflation refuses to budge. Part of the reason may be honest disclosure of what the data is saying.

August 17, 2024
August 17, 2024

Where are we heading?

By bringing down a despotic leviathan, the anti-discrimination student movement has earned the moral authority to be spokespersons for the whole nation

July 31, 2024
July 31, 2024

Rebooting the economy

The crackdown on the nonviolent uprise of the students and the subsequent one thing leading to another chain of events locked down the economy, only figuratively reminiscent of the pandemic in 2020

July 19, 2024
July 19, 2024

Not much beyond lip service

In their Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) for the first half of FY25, Bangladesh Bank (BB) has stuck to the policy stance already in place. 

July 18, 2024
July 18, 2024

Not much beyond lip service 

Let’s begin with the central question to gauge what more this MPS could have done to increase the potency of monetary policy in restoring macro-financial stability.