For the first time, the International Monetary Fund has imposed a ceiling on Bangladesh’s foreign borrowing. According to IMF conditions, Bangladesh cannot take on more than $844 million in external loans in the current fiscal year. (Note: original amount in Bengali read as ৮৪৪ কোটি ডলার — depending on reporting conventions, this could mean $8.44 billion; the IMF document referenced sets quarter-by-quarter limits.)

The IMF country report, issued after a waiver for the fourth and fifth tranches totaling $134 million in June, lists the borrowing cap among the conditions for receiving the next disbursement. It specifies quarterly ceilings: up to $191 million in the first quarter, $334 million over six months, $434 million over nine months, and $844 million for the full fiscal year. The IMF will monitor foreign borrowing on a quarterly basis.

Last fiscal year the government borrowed $857 million in external loans. In July — the first month of the current fiscal year — Bangladesh drew $202.4 million. To meet IMF conditions, the government will need to restrain foreign borrowing relative to the previous year.

Trade through Panchagarh’s Banglabandha land port has been suspended for nine consecutive days, including weekends, in observance of Durga Puja. The closure began Friday and will continue until October 4. However, cross-border travel for passport holders remains open. Port manager Abul Kalam Azad said Indian traders and transporters from Fulbari agreed to halt import-export operations during the period.

Albania has expressed interest in recruiting both skilled and unskilled workers from Bangladesh to meet its growing labor demand.
In a meeting with Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus on Thursday, Albanian President Bajram Begaj said several companies have already applied to hire Bangladeshi workers. He added that cooperation could also expand in sectors like tourism.
Dr. Yunus welcomed the proposal, stressing Bangladesh’s potential to contribute with its young, energetic workforce. He urged Albania to simplify visa procedures, noting that Bangladeshis currently need to apply via New Delhi.
President Begaj assured that Albania is considering introducing an e-visa system for Bangladesh. He also stated that Albanian universities are ready to welcome Bangladeshi students under existing international admission programs.

Bangladesh received $2.23 billion in remittances in the first 24 days of September, marking a 17% increase compared to the same period last year.
Between September 1–17 alone, $1.77 billion was received, followed by another $460 million in the next seven days.
By comparison, August remittances totaled $2.42 billion, while July saw $2.48 billion. Notably, expatriates sent a record $30.32 billion during the 2024–25 fiscal year.

The Indian government has introduced new regulations to control rice exports to Bangladesh. From now on, non-basmati rice exports will only be allowed upon registering export contracts with India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The directive applies to all new letters of credit (LCs), excluding those already backed by tenders.
Bangladeshi rice importer Dinesh Poddar noted that the new policy may slow down import procedures and increase costs, which could lead to higher retail rice prices in Bangladesh.

At the U.S.-Bangladesh Executive Business Roundtable, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus called on leading American corporations — including MetLife, Chevron, and Accelerate — to explore fresh investment opportunities in Bangladesh.

Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said six Bangladeshi political leaders, part of Yunus’s delegation, were also introduced to U.S. business executives during the meeting.

The government has approved the purchase of 40,000 body cameras for use in the upcoming national election, confirmed Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed. The procurement, estimated at Tk 400 crore, was cleared by the relevant purchase committee.

The adviser said the Election Commission will allocate the budget, and the cameras will be procured through UNDP to ensure transparency. Notably, the final voter list will be published on November 18, including all citizens who turned 18 by October 31.

Bangladesh’s revenue collection grew by 21% year-on-year in the first two months of FY2025–26, according to the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

In August 2025 alone, revenue stood at Tk 27,174 crore—up from Tk 23,089 crore in the same month last year, reflecting an 18% growth.

Combined revenue for July–August 2025 reached Tk 54,423 crore, compared to Tk 45,005 crore in the same period of 2024. VAT collection at the local level surged by 33.83%, while income tax and travel tax rose by 24.17%.

However, import-export sector revenues dipped slightly to Tk 7,647 crore, down from Tk 8,007 crore in August 2024.

Economic adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has cautioned investors against treating the stock market as a regular source of income.

“Believing that profits are guaranteed from the capital market is a mistake,” he said, stressing that investments should target genuinely profitable sectors. He recommended making Sukuk bonds privately issued to encourage productive investment.

Reflecting on past infrastructure planning, he noted that even during Barrister Nazmul Huda’s tenure as communications minister, he had opposed taking World Bank loans for mega projects like the Padma Bridge. “Funds for such projects could be raised from the share market,” he added.

Economic Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has assured that school students will receive their new textbooks by January this year.

He confirmed that the list of printing contractors will be finalized within this month, adding that those previously accused of irregularities in the textbook printing process will not be awarded contracts this time.

Addressing broader issues, the adviser also announced that the government has approved the procurement of vaccines. He noted that negotiations with UNICEF are aimed at reducing commission costs, and that vaccines for the next three months will be sourced through competitive bidding.

The U.S. Department of State has provided eight key recommendations aimed at improving financial transparency in Bangladesh. According to its financial transparency report, the current Bangladeshi government largely follows the budget framework set by its predecessor, though it has taken some important reform measures to enhance economic transparency.

The recommendations include:

Publishing year-end financial statements within a reasonable timeframe.

Preparing budget documents in line with international standards.

Separately presenting executive office expenditures.

Providing a comprehensive picture of government revenue and spending in the budget.

Ensuring the independence of the supreme audit authority according to international norms.

Granting the audit office full access to budgetary information.

Timely publication of audit reports with detailed proposals and explanations.

Disclosing key information on natural resource contracts and government procurement.

The report also noted that while the previous government made budget proposals and approved budgets publicly available online, they were not published within a reasonable timeframe. Although the information was generally reliable, it did not fully comply with international standards, such as disclosing the government’s debt levels in the budget.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the agriculture sector for a prosperous future.
Speaking at a daylong training workshop in Cox’s Bazar with over 300 agricultural entrepreneurs, he stressed: “We must enhance entrepreneurial skills, adopt modern technology, and expand financial support to ensure sustainable farming.”
He noted that agriculture not only boosts economic resilience but also secures food security for the nation.

Bangladesh’s foreign currency reserves have once again crossed the $31 billion mark, according to central bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan.

As of Wednesday, gross reserves stand at $31 billion, up from $30.59 billion earlier. Under the BPM6 calculation method, reserves rose to $26.08 billion from $25.75 billion. Sources confirmed that net reserves now exceed $21 billion, though the exact figure remains unpublished.

The reserves had dipped to $30.3 billion on September 7 after Bangladesh Bank settled $1.5 billion in import payments through the Asian Clearing Union.

Import-export activities through the Akhaura land port in Brahmanbaria came to a halt on Wednesday morning in observance of Vishwakarma Puja.

Despite the suspension of trade, cross-border passenger movement through the international immigration checkpoint and customs operations continued as usual.

Mohammad Rajib Bhuiyan, a C&F trader at Akhaura, confirmed that Indian counterparts from Agartala port in Tripura had earlier informed them of the closure. Trade is expected to resume on Thursday morning with the export of fish to Tripura.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has praised Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for his leadership in steering Bangladesh’s economic reforms. During a videoconference, she commended Bangladesh’s adoption of a market-based exchange rate and efforts to restore foreign reserves, describing them as “bold steps that have given new momentum to the economy.”

Yunus thanked Georgieva for IMF’s support during challenging times and reassured her that credible elections will be held on schedule in February—before the holy month of Ramadan. “Once the elections are complete, I will return to my previous work,” Yunus stated.

Georgieva stressed the importance of banking sector reforms and boosting domestic revenue. Yunus also highlighted Bangladesh’s youth initiatives and referenced Nepal’s youth movements and the nation’s aspiration to join ASEAN.