The Star Business pages of The Daily Star highlighted a series of major developments in the national economy last week. Among them, six reports delved deep into pressures on exports, financial stability concerns, policy debates, and longer-term structural challenges.
Here is a recap of those major reports:
Businesses underprepared as LDC graduation clock ticks (Jan 3)
With less than a year remaining before Bangladesh graduates from the least developed country category, businesses remain largely unprepared for the transition.
Trade bodies warned of possible export losses due to the erosion of duty-free market access, citing slow progress on trade agreements, high production costs, and infrastructure bottlenecks. They urged urgent policy support and negotiations to cushion the impact.
Exports fell nearly 5% in 2025 (Jan 4)
Bangladesh’s merchandise exports fell by nearly 5 percent in 2025, reaching $47.74 billion, amid weak global demand, geopolitical tensions, and reciprocal tariffs imposed by the United States.
Although apparel shipments declined, some non-RMG sectors posted modest growth, offering limited relief to overall export performance.
NBFI depositors may get money back before Ramadan (Jan 5)
Depositors of nine troubled non-bank financial institutions may recover their money before Ramadan in 2026, Bangladesh Bank said, as liquidation processes move forward.
The NBFIs together hold deposits worth Tk 15,370 crore. The government has verbally approved around Tk 5,000 crore to repay small depositors as part of the resolution plan.
Microcredit bank plan stirs debate over profit vs social goals (Jan 6)
The proposed Microcredit Bank Ordinance 2025 has triggered debate among economists and microfinance practitioners.
While policymakers argue the move would strengthen financial inclusion by expanding services, critics warn that introducing profit-driven banks into microcredit could dilute the sector’s social mission of serving low-income borrowers.
Spinners, apparel exporters differ over extra duty on yarn imports (Jan 7)
Textile spinners and apparel exporters are divided over a proposal to impose an additional safeguard duty on imported yarn.
Spinners say the measure is needed to protect local mills from import surges, while garment manufacturers argue it would raise costs and weaken export competitiveness.
Uneasy recovery: strong reserves, weak exports (Jan 9)
Despite stronger foreign-exchange reserves supported by remittance inflows, Bangladesh’s economic recovery remains uneven due to sluggish exports.
Economists caution that structural weaknesses, rising business costs, and political uncertainty could weigh on growth unless export momentum improves.