Macro
BB expects to bring down inflation to 5% by next year, 7-8% by June
Inflation will come down to 5% by next year, Bangladesh Bank
Governor Ahsan H Mansur said yesterday (10 February). Giving a
presentation on the monetary policy announcement for the second
half of FY2024-25, he also expressed hope that inflation will come
down to 7 to 8% level by June. He also said the central bank hoped to
reduce policy rate by second half of current year.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/bangladesh-bank-unveils
-monetary-policy-keeping-policy-rate-unchanged-10-1065491
GDP to decelerate, but domestic demand rebound expected: BB
Bangladesh’s GDP growth in the current fiscal year (FY25) is expected
to decelerate to 4-5%, largely due to a combination of natural and
industrial disruptions, according to the new monetary policy
announced on Monday for the second half of this fiscal year.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/what-bangladesh-banksays-about-near-term-macroeconomic-issues-challenges-1065521
Govt to expand social safety net with increased allowances,
beneficiaries
The government plans to raise allowance across various categories,
expand the beneficiary base and increase funding for several social
safety net programmes in the next budget. Around 10 types of
allowances – including those for the elderly, widows, women
abandoned or neglected by husbands, and indigent disabled
individuals – are likely to increase by Tk150-200.
https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/govt-expand-social-safety-netincreased-allowances-beneficiaries-1066051
AIIB to lend Bangladesh $400m
Bangladesh is getting US$400 million from the Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB) as budget-support credit to finance policy
actions for infrastructural development in climate-critical sectors,
sources said. The agreed loan will be given under the AIIB’s climate
policy-based financing arrangement (CPBF) in a project titled ‘Climate
Resilient Inclusive Development Programme (Sub-programme 2)’.
The recipe will be co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/first-page/aiib-to-lendbangladesh-400m-1739210581
Exchange rate to remain stable as additional $11-12b inflow expected
in FY25: BB governor
The dollar exchange rate will remain stable as the country expects an
additional $11-12 billion inflow in the current fiscal year, Bangladesh
Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur said yesterday (10 February). “So
far, we have seen about 24% growth in remittances. Remittance
inflow will increase ahead of Eid and Hajj. In the current fiscal year,
we have received $6 billion more in remittances than the previous
fiscal year, and another $5-6 billion is expected due to export
growth,” said the governor while announcing the monetary policy for
the second half of FY2024-25.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/exchange-rate-remainstable-additional-11-12b-inflow-expected-fy25-bb-governor
Dip in industrial output dents FY24 growth to 4.22pc
Industrial output saw a massive plunge from the ousted Sheikh
Hasina government’s doctored statistics in the FY24 revised export
earnings estimation, causing Bangladesh’s overall economic growth to
fall markedly, according to official data released on Monday. The final
economic growth for the last fiscal year was lowered by 1.60
percentage points to only 4.22 per cent as real export earnings were
much lower than the statistics published during the previous regime,
the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data showed.
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/last-page/dip-in-industrialoutput-dents-fy24-growth-to-422pc-1739210912

Banking
NPLs likely to exceed 30% of total outstanding loans by June:
Cenbank
Non-performing loans (NPLs) in Bangladesh’s banking sector are
expected to exceed 30% of the total outstanding loans by June this
year, according to the monetary policy statement released by the
Bangladesh Bank yesterday (10 February). As per the latest available
data from the central bank, NPLs stood at Tk2.84 lakh crore in
September 2024, accounting for nearly 17% of the country’s
outstanding loans of nearly Tk16.83 lakh crore.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/npls-likely-exceed-30-
total-outstanding-loans-june-cenbank-1065681

Stocks
ACI MD to acquire company shares worth Tk38cr
ACI Limited Managing Director Arif Dowla has announced plans to
purchase 25 lakh shares of the company through the block market
within the next 30 days, according to a disclosure on the Dhaka Stock
Exchange (DSE) today. On the day of the announcement, ACI shares
closed at Tk151.60 each, valuing the intended purchase at
approximately Tk38 crore.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/stocks/aci-md-buy-shares-worthtk3750cr-1065426
Africawala to purchase Tk 7cr shares of BSRM
Ali Asghar Badruddin Africawala, a placement shareholder of BSRM
Limited, yesterday informed that he intends to buy more of the
company’s shares. In a disclosure to the Dhaka Stock Exchange
(DSE), the steel producer announced that Africawala—who holds
10.45 percent of its shares—aims to buy 9 lakh shares at the
prevailing market price.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/africawala-purchase-tk7cr-shares-bsrm-3821246
Fixed income drives Padma, Jamuna Oil profits
Non-operating income, primarily from fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) in
banks, has significantly boosted the profits of state-owned oil
distributors Padma Oil Company and Jamuna Oil Company in the first
half of the current fiscal year. During the July to December period of
FY25, Jamuna Oil reported a 29.59% increase in profit, while Padma
Oil saw a 50.60% rise compared to the same period in the previous
fiscal year (FY24), according to their financial statements.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/stocks/fixed-income-drivespadma-jamuna-oil-profits-1065951
Three more cos relegated to junk status
Stock exchanges have downgraded three more companies to the
status of junk stock over their failure to complete the distribution of
approved dividends within the stipulated time. Both the Dhaka and
Chittagong stock exchanges on Monday informed investors through
their websites that ACME Pesticides, SK Trims, Alif Manufacturing
Company, and Advent Pharma had been relegated to Z category from
B category but hours later ACME Pesticides was transferred back to B
category as it submitted a compliance report on dividend distribution.
https://today.thefinancialexpress.com.bd/stock-corporate/three-more
-cos-relegated-to-junk-status-1739206334
Sonali Paper reports strong Q2 profit with increased revenue, share
price surges
Sonali Paper and Board Mills, a concern of Younus Group, reported a
significant profit growth in the second quarter (October-December) of
the current fiscal year, driven by increased revenue and lower
financial losses.
https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/stocks/sonali-paper-reportsstrong-q2-profit-increased-revenue-share-price-surges-1065966