Macro
Food inflation drops to single digit in Feb, overall price index edges down to 9.32%
Inflation in Bangladesh continued its downward trend in February, reaching 9.32%, down from 9.94% in January, according to the latest data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) released on 6 March. The general point-to-point inflation at the national level was 9.67% in February last year. This is the second time in five months that inflation has fallen to a single-digit level. The last time inflation was below 10% was in September 2024, when it stood at 9.92%. With February’s decline, overall inflation has hit a 22-month low.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/february-inflation-edges-down-slightly-932-food-inflation-down-924-1086081

Private sector external credit falls below $10b after 4 years
The country’s outstanding private sector short-term foreign debt has fallen below $10 billion for the first time in nearly four years, according to data from the central bank. As of January this year, the outstanding debt stood at $9.8 billion, down from a peak of $16.42 billion in December 2022. The last time the outstanding debt was lower was in December 2020, when it was $9.2 billion. Since then, the private sector’s short-term foreign debt has been increasing steadily. At the end of 2021, it reached $15.46 billion, an increase of approximately $6 billion within a year.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/private-sector-external-credit-falls-below-10b-after-4-years-1086421

Govt’s operating spending rises in first half of FY25
The government of Bangladesh has spent Tk 186,286 crore in operating budget in the first six months of the 2024-25 fiscal year, which accounts for 36.7 percent of the total allocation. This marks an increase from the 31.2 percent utilisation rate recorded during the same period of FY24. Among the key spending areas, interest payments have taken one of the largest shares, amounting to Tk 62,560 crore. The government has also disbursed Tk 35,589 crore in subsidies, bringing the combined spending on these two categories to over half of the total operating expenditure.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/govts-operating-spending-rises-first-half-fy25-3841516

BB to keep a watch on inflation trend before depreciating Taka further
The Bangladesh Bank has decided to keep close watch on the inflation trend before depreciating the Taka further in line with IMF-set conditions, officials said.
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/first-page/bb-to-keep-a-watch-on-inflation-trend-before-depreciating-taka-further-1741371615

Bank
Banks now to borrow at unified repo rate of 10pc
Commercial banks will now borrow funds at a unified rate by using repo instrument as the central bank is eliminating the existing differentials in lending to the lenders. As part of the wrap-up decision, the central bank will only charge the policy or repo rate–now 10 per cent–for the borrowed funds from March 9, whatever the tenure is. The decision comes following a 50-basis-point cut in daily CRR (cash reserve ratio) maintenance requirement for the banks to ease liquidity pressure in the wake of BB’s move to phase out 28-day-tenure repo facility from April 03 next.
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/first-page/banks-now-to-borrow-at-unified-repo-rate-of-10pc-1741371921

Telecommunication
Bangladeshi firms join hands with US telecom giant Starlink
Several Bangladeshi firms have partnered with Starlink to support the setup of ground earth stations in Bangladesh. The firms have signed contracts with Starlink for collaboration, as a team of the US telecommunications service provider is currently visiting Bangladesh, the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing said in a statement on 8 March. The collaboration includes space allocation, construction support, and ongoing infrastructure maintenance. The visit of the Starlink team helped Bangladeshi firms know a few locations of the former’s interest.
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/bangladeshi-firms-join-hands-us-telecom-giant-starlink-1087796

Fuel & Power
MJL Bangladesh to sell 20-year-old ship at $22.7m
MJL Bangladesh PLC, a listed company in the energy and power sector, has decided to sell one of its second-hand oil tankers, MT Omera Legacy, as part of its strategic asset management. The MT Omera Legacy, a 20-year-old vessel with a displacement capacity of 1,07,000 tonnes, will be sold for $22.7 million (approximately Tk272.4 crore). A 3% commission will be deducted from the sale proceeds, resulting in MJL Bangladesh receiving Tk264.22 crore net from the transaction.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/stocks/mjl-bangladesh-sell-20-year-old-ship-227m-1086431

Aramco LNG import planned to cut reliance on spot buys
Bangladesh now looks to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Saudi oil- giant Aramco under an envisaged long-term deal to reduce reliance on volatile spot market for the must-have fuel. Market insiders say the country may import around 1.0-million-tonne-per-year (MTPA) of LNG, to begin with, from this year once the deal is inked. “Aramco has sent a proposal to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) expressing its intention to deliver LNG to Bangladesh,” adviser for the ministry Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told The Financial Express Thursday.
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/first-page/aramco-lng-import-planned-to-cut-reliance-on-spot-buys-1741283400

Tenders issued to buy 2 more spot LNG cargoes this month
Bangladesh’s state-run Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL) intends to buy two more spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes during the second half of the current month before the ensuing Eid-ul-Fitr to meet the mounting demand during Ramadan.
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/last-page/tenders-issued-to-buy-2-more-spot-lng-cargoes-this-month-1741455152

Adani deal: Govt body for renegotiating tax rebate, surcharge, coal price
A government review committee will recommend renegotiating key clauses in the Adani Power deal, citing “one-sided” terms that favour the Indian conglomerate. The 2017 agreement, facilitating electricity exports from India, is under scrutiny for contentious provisions regarding tax rebates, excessive late payment surcharges, and skewed coal pricing.
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/infrastructure/adani-deal-govt-body-renegotiating-tax-rebate-surcharge-coal-price-1087866

Engineering
Plastic exports surge amid rising global demand
The local plastic sector has seen strong export growth in the first eight months of fiscal year (FY) 2024-25, driven by increasing global demand, product diversification, and enhanced production capacity. From July to February in FY25, the sector recorded a 21.25 percent rise in exports compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/plastic-exports-surge-amid-rising-global-demand-3841536

Capital Market
With maturity looming, Beximco’s sukuk repayment uncertain as incomes dry up
The Beximco Green Sukuk, a five-year financial instrument, is set to mature in December 2026, requiring Beximco Limited to repay approximately Tk2,800 crore to investors. However, growing concerns surround the timely repayment as Beximco’s Textile Division, a major revenue source of the group, remains closed, and other revenue sources are minimal, leaving the solar park as the primary income stream.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/maturity-looming-beximcos-sukuk-repayment-uncertain-incomes-dry-1087066

Stock
Pioneer Insurance declares 25% cash dividend for 2024
Pioneer Insurance Company Ltd has proposed a 25% cash dividend for its shareholders for the year ending on 31 December 2024. The announcement was made through the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) on Thursday(6 March). The figure marks a decrease from the previous year’s payout, where the company distributed a 20% cash dividend and a 10% stock dividend for 2023.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/stocks/pioneer-insurance-declares-25-cash-dividend-2024-1086441