The initiative, which received little public attention at the time due to political instability, represents a critical juncture in Bangladesh's financial infrastructure development.
Such a tax would directly eat into the amount that families receive back home, discouraging many from sending remittances via official banking channels
Bangladesh must build an ongoing feedback loop with actual global investors—those managing billions in emerging and frontier market mandates
Mr Arif, a lower-middle-class citizen, decided to visit his local market to purchase essential goods for his family. To his dismay, he discovered that the prices of almost all necessities had gone up by a staggering 30 to 50 percent. This sudden spike in prices left Mr Arif perplexed and worried about the increasing burden on his already strained budget.
In the throes of a digital renaissance, Bangladesh, steered by the government's Digital Bangladesh initiative, has achieved a remarkable technological evolution. The nation has seen an uptick in internet connectivity, digital financial services, e-education, and e-commerce, with an entrepreneur-driven surge.
In a world that is exceedingly inundated by messages, it is, perhaps, time for businesses to think about whether we are over-communicating with our customers.
Credit markets are often affected by market failures, which makes them prone to government interventions. While there are many ways in which governments can intervene in financial markets, a common method is through state-owned banks.
Fintech is a buzz word or a disruption or an innovation in this transforming world. We have always seen such debate among different types of experts or colleagues from financial industries at home and abroad. But we can’t ignore its rapid disruption towards financial inclusion and growth.
Crypto assets have been more of a disappointment than a revolution for many users, and global bodies like the IMF and the Financial Stability Board urge tighter regulation.
The economic headwinds that faced Asia and the Pacific last year have started to fade. Global financial conditions have eased, food and oil prices are down, and China’s economy is rebounding.
One year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the surge in global food prices that the war triggered has subsided. But there are still reasons for worry: Prices remain elevated, and new shocks could send them soaring again.
It bears remembering that, as recently as the second half of 2021, the Federal Reserve considered that the surge in consumer price inflation would dissipate, with price increases returning to the Fed’s 2 per cent target in 2022. In testimony before Congress, Fed Chair Jerome Powell affixed the now infamous “transitory” moniker to the ongoing price increases, which he ascribed to temporary supply bottlenecks and price declines in the early stages of the pandemic.
A famous physicist once said: “When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it.”
Grameenphone recently celebrated its 25 years in Bangladesh. It is a story to be proud of, a story of how telecom technology was made available to people from all walks of life.
Government support was vital to help people and firms survive pandemic lockdowns and support the economic recovery. But where inflation is high and persistent, across-the-board fiscal support is not warranted. Most governments have already dialed back pandemic support.
Deployment of migrant workers from Asia is slowly getting back on track after plummeting due to the Covid-19 pandemic during the first quarter of 2020. Some countries are recording departures of migrant workers exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Governments confront difficult trade-offs amid sharp increases in food and energy prices. Policymakers must protect low-income families from large real income losses and ensure their access to food and energy.
On End Poverty Day this year, it’s hard to find cause for celebration. The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a historic setback, pushing 70 million people into extreme poverty in 2020 – the largest one-year increase in three decades.
