Economy

Supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party shout slogans during a massive rally in Dhaka on Dec. 10, in which they called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step aside and install a caretaker government.
Politics

Bangladesh government digs in against protests as economy teeters

Experts warn of 2023 debt challenge and election considered unlikely to be fair

13 December 2022
A factory in Vietnam operated by Matsuoka Corporation, a Uniqlo supplier. (Photo courtesy of Matsuoka Corporation)
Business trends

Vietnam, Cambodia draw Japanese apparel makers away from China

Uniqlo suppliers and others lured by lower labor costs and RCEP tariff reductions

8 December 2022
Garment workers check shirt measurements at a factory in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Officials in the key sector are hopeful after better-than-expected exports in November.
Economy

Bangladesh sees economic ray of light as exports, remittances rise

Encouraging November data raises hopes for avoiding deeper South Asia crisis

5 December 2022
Employees dine at a garment factory in Dhaka: Bangladesh has struck a preliminary deal with the IMF to help stave off an economic crisis.
Economy

Bangladesh confidence lifts with IMF loan but tough reforms await

Officials cheer while experts warn against counting chickens too early

10 November 2022
A pharmacy serves customers by candlelight during a blackout in Dhaka in early October.
Economy

China offers to help Bangladesh keep lights on as outages bite

Envoy says Beijing wouldn't 'sit idle' if industry-crippling power crisis worsens

2 November 2022
Vendors light candles at a market in Dhaka during a blackout in early October. The government's energy adviser recently said the power problems are "all about foreign exchange."
Economy

IMF visits Bangladesh as short-term debt adds to reserve fears

Forex coffers at lowest level in over two years, expected to shrink further

26 October 2022
A government bank employee counts money in Dhaka: New deposits in the country's banks have fallen sharply
Economy

Bangladesh's high inflation eats up savings, squeezing banks

Liquidity fears grow after new deposits declined nearly 30% last fiscal year

11 October 2022
A customer hands over Sri Lankan rupee banknotes at an open market in the capital, Colombo. The country is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades. 
The Big Story

Asia's ticking debt bomb: Sri Lanka crisis sounds alarm bells across region

Disaster looms in Laos, Bangladesh and elsewhere as China seems reluctant to take losses on Asian loans

3 October 2022
Bangladesh is eager to reduce its reliance on the dollar as its taka depreciates, in part by trading with China in yuan. (Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters)
Economy

Bangladesh aims for yuan trade as cushion against mighty dollar

Shrinking forex coffers spur scramble for alternative currency arrangements

27 September 2022
Maintaining healthy garment exports will be crucial for Bangladesh as the country struggles with dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
Trade

Bangladesh clothing exporters target Asia as Western demand fades

Manufacturers increasingly look to markets such as Japan, South Korea

7 September 2022
Bangladesh's finance minister has blamed money laundering through manipulation of trade invoices for exacerbating the country's trade deficit.
Economy

Bangladesh widens net for laundered billions as forex reserves fall

Government tries mix of sticks and carrots as experts warn of low success rate

6 September 2022
A woman talk with her husband with telecommunications application at Jharabarsha, in a remote farming village in Gaibandha district, Bangladesh: Access to the internet is almost as important as food and water in the modern world.
Opinion

More must be done to narrow Asia's digital divide

Poverty is not just scarcity of food or water, but also lack of access to high tech

3 September 2022
The dollar's nominal effective exchange rate against a broad basket of currencies, including from both advanced and emerging economies, is now at one of its highest points since it started publicizing the data in 1994. 
Currencies

Superstrong dollar threatens debt crisis across emerging economies

Mexico pressured to follow Fed hikes, while Sri Lanka's repayment costs soar

2 September 2022
Bangladesh, where consumers are feeling the pain at the pump, is looking for cheaper fuel options. (Photo by Shahru Nayef)
International relations

Bangladesh eyes cheap Russian fuel oil to lower import bills

Dhaka wary of antagonizing West but desperate to ease inflation, forex pressure

27 August 2022
Striking Bangladeshi tea workers stage a demonstration at a plantation in the northeastern Moulvibazar District. (Photo by Mintu Deshwara)
Inflation

Bangladesh tea strike spotlights poorest workers' inflation plight

Protests resume after offer of raise to $1.50 a day -- far below $3 demand

22 August 2022
Protesters carry traditional kerosene lanterns during a demonstration against fuel price increases in Dhaka. Kerosene now costs the equivalent of about $1.20 per liter, versus 84 cents before hikes on several types of fuel. (Photo by Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Politics

Bangladesh anger over fuel prices echoes Sri Lanka, Pakistan

Political pressure mounts as nation joins neighbors in seeking IMF aid

17 August 2022
The Bangladesh Special Economic Zone will be the first in the country with world-class infrastructure, according to lead developer Sumitomo. (Photo courtesy of Sumitomo Corp.)
Companies

Bangladesh's first Japanese-backed industrial park nears launch

Sumitomo-led project gives manufacturers a foothold in underdeveloped market

16 August 2022
Stream article image
Feeding Asia

Opinion: Reform the global food system to end famine

Three clear avenues for action that will limit the spread of the crisis

29 July 2022
A woman fans a baby by candlelight during a recent blackout in Bangladesh. (Photo by Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Economy

Blackouts bedevil Bangladesh as South Asia forex worries mount

Echoing Sri Lanka and Pakistan, woes blamed on Ukraine war and falling reserves

27 July 2022
Stream article image
Feeding Asia

Asia's agricultural revolution: planting a high-tech future

Population, inflation, climate stoke innovation to grow more with less

15 July 2022
Stream article image
Feeding Asia

Hunger in Asia on the rise

Inflation, COVID-19, climate, conflict drive food insecurity

6 July 2022
People wade through flooding as they search for shelter in northeastern Bangladesh on June 18.
Natural disasters

Death toll in Bangladesh, India floods rises to 42

Dhaka searches for millions stranded by nation's worst monsoon disaster in years

19 June 2022
The apparel industry dumps 92 million tons of textiles a year. The European Union hopes new rules will increase recycling, repair and second-hand retail. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and AFP/Jiji)
Business Spotlight

From China to India, Asia braces for EU plan to kill fast fashion

Supply chains may have to shift to recyclable, durable clothes -- with uncertain consequences

10 June 2022
From a Maldives bond payment to India's central bank meeting and Pakistan's upcoming budget, South Asia's economic strain is in focus.
Asia Insight

Beyond Sri Lanka, economic cyclone bears down on South Asia

From Pakistan to Maldives, forex and debt risks grow as inflationary headwinds build

7 June 2022
Workers pick leaves at a tea plantation in northern Bangladesh, where thousands of farmers have traded potatoes, rice and other traditional crops for the more lucrative commodity. (By Kaniz Fatima)
Agriculture

Bangladesh farmers trade lowly spuds for high tea

Growers brew bumper profits with tea leaves as government eyes export markets

31 May 2022