Here’s to hoping that the interim government initiates targeted and critical reforms in FY2026 to improve budget implementation
The FY2026 budget must be more than a mere fiscal statement.
With the central bank agreeing to go for a flexible exchange rate, the IMF will disburse the fourth and fifth instalments in June this year.
Controlling inflation should be a top priority for the interim government.
The Spring Meetings indicate that the IMF and World Bank are at a crossroads.
From the perspective of attracting FDI, the gas price hike poses a significant challenge.
Bangladesh faced a crippling 37 percent tariff on its exports to the US.
The root cause of gender-based violence lies in deeply entrenched power imbalances between men and women.
It is unfortunate that the previous government fell short of its commitments to strengthen the banking sector.
The problems are economic, social and political in nature.
The mismatch of export data raises a fundamental question about the precision of economic reporting and its ramifications for Bangladesh's economy.
The FY 2024-25 budget falls short of assessing the depth of the economically challenging time.
Mergers cannot be based on the arbitrary decisions of authorities. This amounts to an imposition of the liability of poor banks on well performing banks.
Due to lack of coordinated and coherent measures, inflation continues to rise, notwithstanding the abolition of the interest rate cap since July 2023.
The upcoming budget should adopt a balanced approach to address economic slowdown and inflationary pressure.
The reason for continued high consumer prices in the country despite prices dropping in the international market is a combination of policy and institutional failure.
The mounting debt servicing obligations also threaten to exacerbate the strain on the country’s low foreign exchange reserves.
It is especially important now as Bangladesh is set to graduate from its LDC status and become a developing country by 2026.
