Today’s top 5 business stories

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 1st October 2026.

India seeks $218 anti-dumping duty on Bangladeshi PET film

India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies recommended anti-dumping duties of up to $218 per tonne on Bangladeshi PET film imports for five years, according to Sunday findings. The proposed tariff targets flexible plastic packaging used in food and pharmaceutical production.

The trade authority set a lower rate of $58 per tonne for AKIJ Biax Films, the only cooperating exporter, while other firms face the peak levy. Investigators concluded that foreign shipments undercut Indian domestic prices, causing material injury.

According to official data, Bangladeshi shipments expanded from 12 tonnes in fiscal 2021-22 to 2,763 tonnes in 2024-25, representing 3.4 per cent of Indian imports. The recommendation follows separate anti-dumping duties of up to $445 per tonne on Bangladeshi jute.

The tariffs take effect once notified by India's finance ministry. The move expands the total number of Bangladeshi export products subject to foreign anti-dumping measures to five, joining items penalised in markets including Pakistan and Turkey.

Source: The Daily Star

BB scraps 1 per cent fee on Bangla QR

Bangladesh Bank suspended the 1 per cent merchant discount rate on Bangla QR transactions from 1 October, eliminating fees for sellers. Central bank Executive Director Arif Hossain Khan announced the measure at a Dhaka press briefing on Wednesday.

Under the decision, merchants incur no withdrawal charges, with funds depositing into bank accounts instantly instead of two days. Central bank data showed daily transactions reached 3.5 lakh worth Tk 143.54 crore across 40 lakh merchants.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said Bangla QR transactions will remain completely free of charges. Inspecting transactions at Banani Kitchen Market on Thursday, Chowdhury said zero-cost payments allow small vendors, rickshaw pullers and grocery traders to operate without cash.

To support the zero-fee framework, the central bank introduced institutional incentives of up to 0.20 per cent for transactions under Tk 2,000. Bangladesh Bank plans to transition 50 per cent of all financial transactions to cashless platforms by 2028.

Source: Bonik Barta, BSS

CSE drops seven banks from CSE50 benchmark index

The Chittagong Stock Exchange excluded seven commercial banks from its benchmark CSE50 index on Wednesday following a regular biannual review. According to a bourse press release, the revised composition of fifty leading equities takes effect on 11 October.

The bourse dropped Islami Bank, IFIC Bank, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Mercantile Bank, ONE Bank, Premier Bank and United Commercial Bank. Incoming replacements include Dhaka Bank, BSRM Steels, Berger Paints, Fine Foods, Heidelberg Materials, Taufika Foods and The Ibn Sina Pharmaceuticals.

Following the rebalancing, constituent companies in the CSE50 represent 76.40 per cent of total market capitalisation and 72.57 per cent of free-float market capitalisation. The scrips also accounted for 53.72 per cent of average daily turnover on the exchange.

Rebalanced biannually, the index tracks liquid stocks while excluding debt securities and 'Z' category companies. Retained index constituents include industrial manufacturers such as Square Pharmaceuticals and Walton Hi-Tech Industries alongside surviving lenders like BRAC Bank and Eastern Bank.

Source: The Business Standard

Bangladesh Bank maintains 9.5 per cent rate on inflation risks

Bangladesh Bank kept its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 9.5 per cent on Wednesday, citing persistent price risks. Announcing the quarterly monetary statement, the central bank also retained the standing lending facility rate at 11 per cent.

Headline inflation slowed to 8.26 per cent in August, but non-food inflation remained elevated at 9.32 per cent. Officials said a Tk 20 per litre fuel price increase alongside new pay scale implementations raised transport and manufacturing expenses.

Private-sector credit growth fell to 4.75 per cent in August as default loans reached 32.78 per cent in June, according to central bank data. The monetary report said rate cuts alone cannot resolve structural constraints, citing energy shortages.

The government announced a Tk 60,000 crore stimulus package following 4.14 per cent growth in FY26. Central bank officials said remittances, which rose 18.90 per cent in early FY27, helped stabilise external accounts against wider macroeconomic pressures.

Source: The Business Standard

CPA extends revolving account bill payments until 31 October

The Chittagong Port Authority extended the facility to pay container consignee bills through bank revolving accounts and pay orders until 31 October. CPA Secretary Syed Refayet Hamim announced the extension on Wednesday following appeals from customs clearing agents.

In an application to CPA Chairman Rear Admiral S M Moniruzzaman on 27 September, CCAA General Secretary Md Shawkat Ali said suspending revolving accounts on 23 September caused discontent among agents accustomed to clearing dues through port branches.

According to the notice, technical integration between the port's online system and Sonali Bank is complete, allowing users to settle bills through an online gateway. CPA said port users must transition payments to the online system within the stipulated time.

From 1 November, paying container consignee bills through online platforms will become mandatory, requiring all settlements to be completed 100 per cent digitally. CPA said no pay orders or revolving accounts will be accepted from that date onward.

Source: BSS

That concludes today’s briefing. Stay with Beyond Headlines for in-depth news and analysis, explainers, opinion pieces, long reads, and more.