Bangladesh's business environment deteriorated slightly in 2023 compared with 2022, mainly because of sluggish regulatory reforms, weak infrastructure and difficulty in access to finance, according to the Bangladesh Business Climate Index (BBX) released today.

Measured on a scale of 0-100, the homegrown index fell to 58.75 in 2023 from 61.95 the previous year, according to the BBX 2023-24 launched by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and Policy Exchange, Bangladesh (PEB).

"Significant reforms are required," said PEB Chairman M Masrur Reaz presenting the findings of the BBX at a programme at the MCCI Gulshan office in Dhaka.

The survey was conducted among 520 small, medium and large enterprises.