Economics

Solving the Problem of Insolvent Banks

Unless we bail out bank depositors, we might experience bank runs, which could lead to economic collapse.

The $30 Billion Nobody Had to Ask For

Bangladesh’s workers abroad now send home three and a half times what all the world’s donors disburse with no conditions, no consultants, and no debt to repay. It is time to say plainly which model is working.

Two Weeks to Sharpen Bangladesh’s AI Budget

The budget should tie its connectivity targets to affordability so that rural and low-income citizens can actually use what is being built, not just live within range of it.

What Is Preventing Bangladesh from Becoming Cashless?

Fragmented payment systems, inconsistent fees, and weak interoperability are slowing Bangladesh’s transition to a truly cashless economy

Rethinking the Path to Revive Shuttered Industries

Liquidity is a necessary condition for industrial revival, but it is not sufficient.

Why Bangladesh Must Build, Not Just Code

The foundations of a prosperous nation are not built in the cloud. They are built on the ground, in plants and workshops and export zones, by people who make things the world needs. It is past time to look down from the screen and begin.

Shifting the Gear on the Economy

What good economic policies actually look like -- and how to tell when they are missing

A Dangerous Corporate Trend

Corporate success is increasingly measured by size rather than substance.

Assessing the Real Impact of the New Stimulus Package

Injecting fresh credit into such entities risks creating 'zombie firms' -- businesses that survive on subsidized finance but fail to generate sustainable returns.

Regulatory Flexibility In Banking: Growth Support or Risk Build-Up?

In structural terms, the policy reflects an ongoing evolution in Bangladesh’s financial regulatory framework -- from rigid quantitative controls toward more dynamic, risk-sensitive calibration.

The Cost of Anti-Export Bias

When the domestic market offers higher returns with lower risks, firms naturally prioritize domestic sales over exports.

Can Government Run Without Taxes?

When citizens pay taxes, they demand services, transparency, and governance in return. This creates a feedback loop between the state and its people

A Day’s Trade, A Night’s Debt

Financial inclusion cannot be measured solely by account ownership. It must be judged by whether a vendor can access 10,000 taka at 2 AM at a known cost, without humiliation or hidden charges, and with a pathway to better finance.

Competitiveness, Consumption, and Currency

Exchange rate changes are often misunderstood, leading to exaggerated expectations. Policymakers need to clearly explain that depreciation does not fully translate into inflation or export gains.

A Rational Break, Not a Rebellion

Leaving OPEC was a symbolic declaration to the Gulf that Abu Dhabi can no longer stay a passenger in the oil vehicle supplying the world.

Bangladesh's Next Budget

The immediate steps are neither mysterious nor technically complex: Broadening the VAT base by reducing exemptions, strengthening the Large Taxpayer Unit to capture income from professionals and the informal wealthy, and automating tax administration to reduce discretion and corruption.