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Beyond Headlines brings together the five biggest business stories of the day in one concise business digest to keep readers informed about the developments that matter. Here’s the business digest for 23rd September 2026.
The Asian Development Bank lowered its economic growth forecast for Bangladesh to 4 per cent for fiscal year 2026-27 on Wednesday. In its September outlook report, the Manila-based lender projected average inflation to reach 9 per cent amid elevated energy and transport costs.
The revision marks a downgrade from 4.5 per cent projected in July and 4.7 per cent in April. The report estimated the economy grew by 3.7 per cent in fiscal 2025-26, while projecting the current account deficit to widen to 0.6 per cent of GDP.
ADB Country Director Qingfeng Zhang said economic recovery is beginning but remains vulnerable to external shocks and domestic structural constraints. Zhang said accelerating structural reforms across macroeconomic management, energy security and the financial sector remains essential to unlock private investment and create quality employment.
Remittance inflows are expected to remain resilient despite Middle East tensions, supporting external stability alongside foreign exchange reserves. The lender said services and agriculture will drive expansion, while private consumption faces pressure from persistent inflation and borrowing costs across the economy.
Source: bdnews24.com
Mongla Port earned a record revenue of Tk 387.95 crore during the 2025-26 fiscal year, exceeding its target by Tk 40.08 crore. Mongla Port Authority Chairman Rear Admiral Arif Ahmed Mostafa said operational volumes expanded during a Tuesday briefing.
The port handled 1.2251 crore metric tonnes of cargo, marking a 17.66 per cent rise from the previous fiscal year. Container traffic rose 38.49 per cent to 29,714 TEUs, while ship arrivals reached 815 alongside 12,075 imported reconditioned vehicles.
Infrastructure development projects are underway to enhance capacity, including two container terminals funded under an Indian credit line. The MPA is also procuring six support vessels for delivery by June 2027, following the completion of an industrial waste-management system in June 2025.
Mostafa said maintaining channel navigability along the 144-kilometre route remains an ongoing operational priority. The port authority plans to launch direct feeder services to Singapore, attain first calling port status and improve regional road connectivity to accelerate trade across southwestern Bangladesh.
Source: The Business Standard
Bangladesh Bank introduced a regulatory framework on Wednesday allowing authorised dealer banks to settle cross-border trade in Taka through non-resident vostro accounts. The circular permits domestic lenders to open accounts for foreign correspondent banks without initial foreign currency deposits.
Under the arrangement, trade contracts and letters of credit will remain denominated in convertible foreign currencies before conversion into Taka at prevailing exchange rates. Importer payments will credit the accounts, while local exporters will receive direct disbursements from the balances.
Central bank officials said exporters may retain foreign currency quotas to settle raw material imports and Export Development Fund loans. Surplus balances in vostro accounts can be channelled into direct investments, portfolio assets, alternative funds or approved local loans.
Industry insiders said the framework provides an additional bilateral channel while maintaining compliance and documentation standards. Analysts said expanding Taka settlement mechanisms will help diversify international trade financing and reduce foreign exchange liquidity pressures across commercial banks.
Source: Prothom Alo, The Financial Express
Islami Bank Bangladesh is facing operational disruptions in corporate lending as the institution continues operating with a one-member board and without a regular managing director. The governance vacuum has delayed loan approvals and letters of credit.
According to bank data, deposits fell to Tk 1.61 lakh crore from Tk 1.85 lakh crore amid instability. Defaulted loans reached Tk 98,914 crore, representing 52 per cent of total lending, alongside an operating loss of Tk 1,285 crore.
A deputy managing director, speaking anonymously, said the lack of a full board impedes decisions on new corporate credit. The leadership vacuum has also stalled contract extensions for eight senior executives whose terms recently expired.
Bangladesh Bank Assistant Spokesperson Shahriar Siddiqui said regulations prohibit keeping the managing director post vacant beyond three months. Central bank officials said authorities are screening candidates to form a five-member board to restore institutional stability.
Source: The Business Standard
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) plans to measure the net domestic product using United Nations environmental standards to provide national policymakers with highly accurate economic data. The revised national accounts will utilise the 2025-26 fiscal period as a new base year for evaluating sustainable wealth creation.
While conventional gross domestic product measures output without deducting resource depletion, the updated framework incorporates the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting. The new accounting structure is designed to evaluate how excessive commercial extraction degrades the natural asset base, including forests, minerals and inland fisheries.
A senior statistical official said the international system is placing greater emphasis on measuring comprehensive national wealth beyond traditional output metrics. The bureau expects to publish the initial estimates alongside net national disposable income figures by May 2028, requiring continuous coordination across environmental government agencies.
Source: The Financial Express
That concludes today’s briefing. Stay with Beyond Headlines for in-depth news and analysis, explainers, opinion pieces, long reads, and more.
Beyond Headlines brings together the five biggest business stories of the day in one concise business digest to keep readers informed about the developments that matter. Here’s the business digest for 12th October 2026.
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Beyond Headlines brings together the five biggest business stories of the day in one concise business digest to keep readers informed about the developments that matter. Here’s the business digest for 11th October 2026.
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