Bangladesh has reduced taxes on mobile phones, according to Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. He announced that the customs duty on imported mobile phones has been cut from 25 percent to 10 percent, while the tax on locally produced phones has been lowered from 10 percent to 5 percent. The announcement was made on Thursday afternoon at a briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium in Dhaka.

The press secretary said the government expects this move to expand the country’s mobile phone industry. He noted that many used phones are imported, refurbished, and sold domestically, which harms consumers and causes tax losses for the government. The new tax structure is expected to increase demand for locally produced phones and reduce their prices.

During the same briefing, officials also discussed textbook distribution for the new academic year, stating that 83 percent of books have already been delivered to students and the rest will be distributed by January 15 after correcting errors in 123 titles.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines reported a net profit of Tk 785.21 crore for the 2024–2025 fiscal year, marking a 178 percent increase from the previous year. The announcement was made at the airline’s annual general meeting held on December 30, chaired by Board Chairman Sheikh Bashir Uddin. The airline’s total revenue reached Tk 11,559 crore, up 9.46 percent year-on-year, while operational profit stood at Tk 1,602 crore.

According to Biman’s General Manager of Public Relations, Bosra Islam, the state-owned carrier has maintained profitability for five consecutive years and achieved net profit in nine of the past ten fiscal years. During the reporting period, Biman transported 3.383 million passengers across 30 domestic and international destinations using 21 owned and leased aircraft. It also earned Tk 925 crore from cargo operations, a 45.21 percent increase from the previous year.

Biman provided ground handling services to 31,112 foreign airline flights carrying about 6.1 million passengers and recorded its highest-ever ticket sales in January 2025. The airline attributed its success to efficient financial management, digital modernization, and improved passenger services, with future plans to expand routes and strengthen cargo operations.

The Bangladesh government has again reduced the profit rates on national savings certificates, effective from Thursday, January 1, 2026. The Internal Resources Division (IRD) announced the new rates, which will remain valid for the next six months. Under the revised structure, the maximum profit rate is set at 10.59 percent and the minimum at 8.74 percent. The previous adjustment took place in July 2025, as part of the government’s semiannual review process.

According to the new rates, the Family Savings Certificate now offers 10.54 percent profit for investments below Tk 7.5 lakh and 10.41 percent for higher amounts. Pensioner Savings Certificates will yield 10.59 percent and 10.41 percent respectively, while the five-year Bangladesh Savings Certificate will provide 10.44 percent and 10.41 percent. Quarterly profit-based certificates will offer 10.48 percent and 10.43 percent depending on investment size.

Savings certificates issued before July 1, 2025, will continue to earn the rates fixed at the time of issuance. However, reinvestments will follow the newly announced rates. The government will reassess and possibly revise the rates again after six months.

Bangladesh Bank announced that customers of five recently merged Islamic banks will begin receiving refunds of their deposits starting Thursday, January 1. In the first phase, depositors will be able to withdraw up to two lakh taka. The banks involved in the merger are First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank, and EXIM Bank. These institutions have been consolidated under a newly formed entity named Sammilit Islami Bank.

According to Bangladesh Bank, all current, savings, and fixed deposits from the five banks have been transferred to the new bank. Depositors are assured that up to two lakh taka of their funds are protected and can be withdrawn initially. To facilitate this process, necessary funds have been allocated from the Deposit Protection Fund to the banks under resolution.

Customers who choose not to withdraw their money immediately will continue to earn market-based profit on their existing balances, as stated by Bangladesh Bank.

India has overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, according to the country’s annual economic review released on December 31, 2025. The review stated that India’s gross domestic product has reached approximately 4.18 trillion dollars and is projected to grow to 7.3 trillion dollars by 2030. Based on current trends, India could surpass Germany within the next three years to become the world’s third-largest economy, trailing only the United States and China.

The report highlighted that India’s real GDP grew by 8.2 percent in the second quarter of the 2025–26 fiscal year, up from 7.8 percent in the previous quarter. It also noted that merchandise exports rose to 38.13 billion dollars in November, compared to 36.43 billion dollars in January. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had earlier projected that India would overtake Japan next year, a milestone now confirmed by the review.

The findings underscore India’s accelerating economic expansion and its strengthening position among the world’s major economies.

Bangladesh Bank’s foreign exchange reserves have reached their highest level in three years, standing at 33 billion dollars, according to data released on Tuesday. The central bank has been purchasing dollars from local banks as remittance inflows rise and foreign loans arrive, pushing reserves up to 33.18 billion dollars. Under the IMF’s BPM6 accounting method, reserves are recorded at 28.51 billion dollars.

Bangladesh Bank bought 890 million dollars from seven banks through auction at a rate of 122.30 taka per dollar. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, total purchases reached 3.13 billion dollars, with more than 1 billion dollars bought in December alone. Governor Ahsan H. Mansur stated that reserves are expected to reach 34–35 billion dollars by the end of December, emphasizing that the increase is being achieved through domestic dollar purchases rather than external borrowing.

Remittance inflows have also strengthened, with 3.04 billion dollars arriving in the first 29 days of December. For the 2024–25 fiscal year, total remittances reached 30.33 billion dollars, up from 23.91 billion dollars in the previous year.

The government’s Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase has approved several major procurement proposals, including the purchase of 70,000 metric tons of fertilizer, 50,000 metric tons of non-basmati parboiled rice, and 10,000 metric tons of phosphoric acid. The approvals were given at the committee’s 52nd meeting of the year, held virtually on Tuesday and chaired by Economic Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed. The Food Ministry will buy the rice through international open tender at a cost of about Tk 220.05 crore for the 2025–26 fiscal year to strengthen national food reserves.

The Industry Ministry received approval for multiple proposals to ensure uninterrupted fertilizer supply for the agriculture sector. These include importing 10,000 metric tons of phosphoric acid for Triple Super Phosphate Complex Ltd, 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea from Bangladesh’s KAFCO, and 40,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea from Saudi Arabia’s SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company. The total estimated cost of these imports is several hundred crore taka.

In infrastructure, the committee recommended approval of a major project under the Ministry of Shipping to build an inland container and bulk terminal at Khanpur, Narayanganj, under BIWTA, costing about Tk 184.91 crore. Officials said these procurements will support food security, fertilizer supply, and inland transport development.

U.S. President Donald Trump, beginning his second term on January 20, tightened the country’s immigration policies, leading to widespread labor shortages within a year. Construction firms in Louisiana are struggling to find carpenters, hospitals in West Virginia face shortages of foreign doctors and nurses, and a neighborhood football league in Memphis cannot form enough teams as immigrant children have stopped arriving. The administration has raised visa fees, reduced legal entry routes, and deported over six hundred thousand people, while hundreds of thousands more face deportation after the withdrawal of temporary legal status granted under the previous administration.

Oxford Economics estimates that current policies have reduced net immigration to about 450,000 people annually, far below the 2–3 million per year under the Biden administration. Immigrants now make up 14.8 percent of the U.S. population, the lowest since 1890. Cities once vibrant with immigrant communities, such as Los Angeles and New York, have grown quieter, with fewer international students and diminished cultural activity.

Business owners fear the labor shortage will worsen, affecting industries like construction, nursing homes, and childcare, even as higher wages fail to attract enough workers.

Bangladesh Bank has announced a special resolution scheme for depositors of five troubled Islamic banks being merged into a new entity named Combined Islamic Bank. According to the circular issued on Tuesday, depositors can initially withdraw up to two lakh taka, while those with higher balances may withdraw one lakh taka every three months for up to two years. Term deposits cannot be encashed before maturity, and specific timelines have been set for repayment after maturity.

The five banks being merged are First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank, and EXIM Bank. Bangladesh Bank stated that persistent irregularities, severe liquidity shortages, and high non-performing loans had crippled their operations. The merger and resolution scheme aim to safeguard depositors’ funds and restore financial stability. Institutional fixed deposits worth 15,000 crore taka will be converted into new bank shares, while depositors outside the financial sector may access loans or investments up to 20 percent of their deposit balance.

The central bank has set the new bank’s authorized capital at 40,000 crore taka and paid-up capital at 35,000 crore taka, with a seven-member board appointed to oversee operations.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur has said that remittance continues to play a major role in maintaining the country’s economic stability. Speaking at the NRB Global Convention held on Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka, he stated that remittance surpassed 30 billion dollars in the last fiscal year and is expected to exceed 35 billion dollars this year. He noted that remittance has supported the economy even during times of crisis.

Mansur emphasized that Bangladeshis living abroad can significantly contribute to the nation’s economic growth and development. He urged stronger engagement with expatriates and encouraged them to invest their skills and resources in Bangladesh. Drawing on his own experience of living in the United States and Canada, he described himself as a “half-NRB” and highlighted the importance of utilizing the expertise of professionals working in diverse fields abroad.

He added that expatriates can invest through offshore banking units, the stock market, or government dollar bonds, which offer attractive returns. Mansur expressed hope that NRBs will continue to contribute regularly to their homeland’s progress.

The 1320-megawatt coal-based power plant located at Gondamara in Banshkhali, Chattogram, will cease operations from January 1, 2026. A project official confirmed the development on December 29, citing that the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) owes more than Tk 3,000 crore to the plant operator, SS Power. Due to the unpaid dues, SS Power lacks sufficient funds to book coal imports from Indonesia, forcing the company to halt electricity generation.

According to the report, SS Power currently supplies 1,224 megawatts of electricity to the Chattogram region, where total demand stands at 1,600 megawatts. The shutdown is expected to cause a severe power crisis in the region and significant losses nationwide. The plant, operated by China’s SEPCO III, had been connected to the national grid in January 2023 and began supplying power in May of that year.

The project, initially developed under a 2016 agreement between BPDB and SS Power, was later taken over by SEPCO III from Bangladesh’s S. Alam Group, according to officials cited in the report.

China has announced a reduction in import tariffs on several categories of goods starting January 1, 2026. According to a statement from the State Council’s Customs Tariff Commission, the Ministry of Finance’s website detailed that the ‘2026 Tariff Adjustment Plan’ will take effect on the first day of the new year. The plan, guided by Xi Jinping’s socialist thought with Chinese characteristics, aims to optimize tariff classifications, implement preferential rates, and promote high-quality development.

The plan introduces temporary import tariff rates lower than the Most Favored Nation (MFN) rates for 935 products across three categories. These include key industrial components such as CNC hydraulic cushions and composite contact strips, resources like recycled black powder for lithium-ion batteries, and medical products such as artificial blood vessels and diagnostic kits for infectious diseases. However, products like micro motors, printing machines, and sulfuric acid will retain MFN rates in line with China’s WTO commitments.

China will continue reducing tariffs under 24 free trade agreements with 34 partners, adding items like intelligent bionic robots and sustainable aviation fuel to support scientific progress and circular economy goals.

The 30th Dhaka International Trade Fair will begin on January 1 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal. Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus is scheduled to inaugurate the event. The announcement was made by Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman during a press conference held at the exhibition center on Monday afternoon.

According to the Commerce Secretary, this year’s fair has introduced online allocation for various categories of stalls and pavilions. Visitors will be able to purchase tickets both on-site and online, with entry facilitated through QR code scanning. The press conference was attended by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) Vice Chairman Hasan Arif, Additional Secretary (Export) of the Ministry of Commerce Abdur Rahim Khan, and EPB Director General Baby Rani Karmakar.

The fair marks a continuation of Bangladesh’s annual trade promotion efforts, with the new digital ticketing and stall allocation systems aimed at improving accessibility and management for participants and visitors.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman Chowdhury Ashiq Bin Harun stated that the return of BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman to the country serves as a confidence booster for investors. He made the comment in a post on his verified Facebook page on Sunday night, noting that the development signals progress toward a free and fair election, which he said is vital for an investment-friendly environment.

In the same post, Harun highlighted the recent completion of negotiations on the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), describing it as a major step for the country’s economic future. The agreement will provide duty-free access for 7,379 Bangladeshi products to Japan and 1,039 Japanese products to Bangladesh. It is expected to attract Japanese investment in sectors such as ICT, logistics, electronics, renewable energy, and agro-processing, while also enhancing employment and skills among Bangladeshi youth.

Harun added that the government is forming a specialized negotiation team to handle future trade agreements with countries like the United States, South Korea, and Turkey, aiming to strengthen Bangladesh’s trade capacity after LDC graduation.

Mojibur Rahman Shamim, former chairman of Chitalmari Upazila in Bagerhat and owner of Joy Group, received an exit facility from Bangladesh Bank despite his company being declared a willful defaulter by Trust Bank. Joy Group had taken loans from multiple banks but failed to repay them despite having the capacity. The central bank extended the facility under a policy meant for businesses affected by political changes or currency fluctuations, raising questions about the decision.

According to bank data, Joy Group’s eight entities owe a total of Tk 517 crore to four banks, all classified as defaulted. Trust Bank, Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, and Padma Bank hold the loans. The central bank’s policy allows affected businesses to regularize loans with a two percent down payment and up to ten years for repayment, but willful defaulters are not eligible. Bank officials said they were reluctant to extend new facilities but were compelled by Bangladesh Bank’s directive.

Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan stated that willful defaulters are not entitled to such benefits and any irregularities would be investigated. Deputy Governor Zakir Hossain Chowdhury denied allegations of exerting pressure to approve the facility.