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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 5th October 2026.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said on Sunday that the government cancelled its programme with the International Monetary Fund, rejecting unacceptable conditions to finance development through domestic capital markets.
Speaking at World Investor Week in Dhaka, he said Bangladesh requires $50 billion annually to build a $1 trillion economy by 2034. He said the country cannot continue depending on development partners, adding that external assistance remains insufficient to meet national financing requirements.
Chowdhury said the government plans to link with financial centres including New York and Hong Kong to issue dollar, panda and samurai bonds. He said mobilising international capital alongside domestic savings will reduce reliance on foreign debt.
To support market expansion, the minister called for structural reforms across capital and bond markets, including securitisation and improved institutional coordination. He said commercial enterprises must raise market funds independently rather than relying on state financing, projecting major stock market transformations within a year.
Source: The Business Standard
Bangladesh Bank unveiled a five-year banking reform roadmap on Sunday to curb soaring non-performing loans. The 13-point plan presented to a parliamentary committee targets major loan defaulters and restricts borrower exposure across the banking system.
Official documents revealed bad loans reached Tk 6.06 lakh crore in June, accounting for 32.78 per cent of total outstanding credit. Banks faced a provisioning shortfall of Tk 2.22 lakh crore, while 22 lenders accumulated Tk 2.54 lakh crore in losses by March.
Under short-term measures, the central bank will conduct quarterly reviews of the top 20 defaulters at banks with default ratios exceeding 10 per cent. Medium-term steps include publishing lists of wilful defaulters and introducing expected credit loss-based provisioning rules within three years.
Over five years, Bangladesh Bank plans to cap sector-wide exposure for single borrowers and mandate bond issuance for loans exceeding Tk 1,000 crore. The parliamentary standing committee on finance ministry reviewed the roadmap, urging transparency and economic stability while requesting detailed banking data at its next meeting.
Source: The Business Standard
Bangladesh sought to advance negotiations with Turkey on a bilateral free trade agreement during diplomatic talks in Dhaka on Monday. Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir met Turkish Ambassador Ramis Sen to review progress on initiating formal trade negotiations.
According to the industries ministry, Dhaka requested contact information for Turkish fruit exporters to strengthen domestic supply networks. Both sides also explored industrial cooperation regarding hazardous waste management from electronics and ship-breaking sectors, utilising Turkey's specialised disposal facilities.
The Commerce Minister said he plans to conduct bilateral discussions with his Turkish counterpart and visit an investment agency during an upcoming visit to Turkey. Ambassador Sen said environmental concerns reduced Turkish tannery activity, prompting synthetic leather usage.
The Turkish envoy invited Bangladesh to attend a ministerial conference under the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Bangladesh was also invited to participate in the upcoming World Halal Industrial Summit and Halal Expo.
Source: bdnews24.com
Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate detected a shortage of 13.35 lakh kilograms of bonded raw materials at JASS Accessories in Chattogram, according to the National Board of Revenue today. The discrepancy involves potential duty and tax liabilities of Tk 9.10 crore.
A CIID team visited the Pahartali premises on 28 September following an intelligence tip-off. Officials compared physical warehouse stock against online utilisation permission records, finding only 5.86 lakh kilograms instead of the required 19.21 lakh kilograms, leaving 13.35 lakh kilograms unaccounted for.
According to official import records, the customs-assessable value of the missing materials reached Tk 24.97 crore. The company imported polymers, duplex board and rubber thread yarn under duty-free bonded warehouse facilities for export manufacturing.
CIID officials said the directorate is investigating whether the duty-free materials were diverted elsewhere through the misuse of bonded facilities. The agency said legal action will follow under applicable customs legislation once investigators complete the examination of corporate documents.
Source: BSS
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Mahmud Hasan Khan on Sunday urged Pakistan to import more jute yarn and pharmaceuticals to narrow bilateral trade gaps. He said expanding two-way commerce remains essential to promote balanced economic cooperation between both nations.
According to a BGMEA press release, Bangladesh imports substantial industrial goods from Pakistan while exports remain comparatively low. Khan said garment manufacturers could purchase more Pakistani chemicals and dyes while modernising maritime shipping to reduce transit times.
Pakistan High Commissioner Imran Haider said his mission will take necessary steps to promote bilateral trade and facilitate business matchmaking sessions. Haider said Pakistan will host Bangladeshi business delegations to establish direct commercial ties.
Both sides also discussed exploring a bilateral preferential trade arrangement to sustain commerce following Bangladesh's graduation from least developed country status. Haider proposed student exchanges and technical knowledge sharing between the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology and Pakistani textile institutes.
Source: BSS
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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