United News of Bangladesh

The American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) has pledged to help facilitate and mobilise US$5 billion in investment over the next five years through its existing members and prospective US companies eyeing investment in Bangladesh. The commitment came when an AmCham Executive Committee, led by its President Syed Mohammad Kamal, met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat on Tuesday. During the meeting, AmCham highlighted its long-standing role, since 1996, in strengthening Bangladesh-US economic and commercial ties and promoting a transparent, predictable, competitive and investment-friendly business environment. AmCham said its member companies have already invested more than US$5 billion in Bangladesh, with considerable scope for further investment. It also said the member companies collectively contribute more than 20% to the country’s tax exchequer, underscoring the significant contribution of the AmCham business community to Bangladesh’s economy. AmCham sought the Prime Minister’s leadership and the government’s partnership in creating an enabling environment to achieve the investment target, according to a media release. It acknowledged the government’s progress in improving Bangladesh’s investment and business climate, particularly its shift towards practical investment facilitation under the fiscal year 2026-27 reform package. The delegation welcomed measures such as time-bound approvals and licensing, implementation of the single window, digital tax and VAT administration, reduced compliance burdens, improved capital and profit repatriation processes, and simplified customs procedures. AmCham also stressed the need for greater long-term policy predictability in priority sectors to boost investor confidence and support long-term investment decisions. On digital governance, it welcomed the enactment of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and National Data Governance Act (NDGA), while emphasising effective implementation, AI readiness, cybersecurity resilience, regulatory clarity and continued public-private collaboration. The delegation also described the US-Bangladesh Reciprocal Trade Agreement framework as a strategic opportunity to deepen bilateral economic engagement and strengthen Bangladesh’s position in global value chains. AmCham called for moving beyond market access towards a broader strategic economic partnership covering technology, AI and digital innovation, cloud computing and cybersecurity, healthcare and life sciences, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and financial-sector modernisation. It stressed that effective implementation of reforms and sustained competitiveness should remain priorities, including predictable tax and customs administration, reliable infrastructure and energy, and stronger institutionalised public-private collaboration. The chamber proposed establishing a Digital Economy Advisory Forum/Task Force and a Public-Private Competitiveness Council, with representation from the government, business community, foreign investors and AmCham, to identify bottlenecks, support implementation and strengthen investor confidence. It reaffirmed its readiness to work with the government not only as an advocate but also as a strategic partner by providing investor intelligence and practical business feedback, supporting policy collaboration, connecting Bangladesh with US corporate decision-makers, promoting the country’s reforms and investment opportunities internationally, and strengthening business-to-business engagement. The delegation also invited the Prime Minister to attend the opening ceremony of the 30th US Trade Show as the chief guest. The event will be jointly hosted by AmCham Bangladesh and the US Embassy in Bangladesh. During the meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed AmCham’s continued engagement and acknowledged its important role in Bangladesh’s economic development. The AmCham delegation included Ala Uddin Ahmad, Vice President, AmCham and CEO, MetLife Bangladesh; Reza Ur Rahman Mahmud, Treasurer, AmCham and Managing Director, Philip Morris Bangladesh Ltd; Mohammad Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan, EC Member and Country Manager, Excelerate Energy Bangladesh Limited; Mohammad Rashel Al Mamun, EC Member and Country Manager and Managing Director, NATco Bangladesh; Mohammad Sazzad Hossain, EC Member and General Manager, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Avery Dennison; Ataur Rahim Chowdhury, EC Member and CEO, ShopUp Limited; and Chowdhury Kaiser Mohammad Riyadh, Executive Director, AmCham.      

Bangladesh Bank on Tuesday granted a licence to NEO PSP Limited, a subsidiary of Banglalink Digital Communications Ltd, to operate as a Payment Service Provider (PSP) in Bangladesh. The licence was issued under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2024, subject to the conditions set out in the central bank's letter dated August 11, 2026, according to a Bangladesh Bank notification. The licence will allow NEO PSP to offer payment-related services in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and conditions prescribed by the central bank. With the addition of NEO PSP, 10 companies are now licensed to operate as payment service providers or e-wallet operators in Bangladesh. The other nine licensed PSPs are iPay Systems Ltd, D Money Bangladesh Ltd, Recursion FinTech Ltd, Green & Red Technologies Ltd, Progoti Systems Ltd, ABG Technologies Limited, Digital Payments Limited, Sheba Fintech Limited, and Shamadhan Services Limited.

Gold prices have risen again, with the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) increasing the price of 22-carat gold jewellery by Tk 1,108 per bhori (11.664 grams). BAJUS announced the revised prices on Tuesday, with the new rates coming into effect from 10am. Under the new rates, the price of one bhori of 22-carat gold jewellery, including VAT, has been set at Tk 235,146, up from Tk 234,038. BAJUS said the latest price hike was driven by an increase in the price of locally sourced Tejabi gold. The association had last raised the price of 22-carat gold by Tk 4,374 on August 8, just three days before the latest adjustment. The price of 21-carat gold jewellery has been increased by Tk 1,049 to Tk 224,590 per bhori, while 18-carat gold has become Tk 933 costlier at Tk 192,864 per bhori. Meanwhile, the price of sanatani gold jewellery has been raised by Tk 700 to Tk 157,522 per bhori. Alongside gold, BAJUS has also raised silver jewellery prices. The price of 22-carat silver has been increased by Tk 175 to Tk 5,074 per bhori, while 21-carat silver has risen by the same amount to Tk 4,841. The price of 18-carat silver has also gone up by Tk 175 to Tk 4,199 per bhori, while silver jewellery under the traditional system has increased by Tk 116 to Tk 3,159 per bhori.

Tour operators will now be able to sell foreign travel packages in Bangladeshi Taka to resident Bangladeshi citizens, under new directives issued by Bangladesh Bank. The central bank issued a circular on Sunday (August 9) permitting members of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) to collect package fees in local currency and remit the equivalent foreign currency to service providers abroad. Under the guidelines, TOAB members who have formal agreements or commercial understandings with foreign tour operators, hotels, or destination management companies will be eligible for this facility. Authorized Dealer (AD) banks have been permitted to send foreign currency overseas to pay for actual travel-related services, including accommodation and transportation. Under the new arrangement, up to US $3,000 US per traveler per calendar year can be remitted outside the regular annual travel quota. To avail of this facility, tour operators must maintain full transaction records linked to the traveler's passport number. Additionally, operators must obtain a formal declaration from the traveler confirming that the annual limit has not been exceeded through any other tour operator. The circular also retains provisions allowing for the remittance of amounts exceeding the $3,000 threshold under specified conditions.

Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) on Saturday raised the price of gold by Tk 4,374 per bhori, setting the price of 22-carat gold, including VAT, at Tk 234,038 per bhori. BAJUS announced the new rate in a notice issued on Saturday morning, saying it will take effect from 10am the same day. The trade body said the price adjustment was made in view of the rising price of pure gold in the local market. According to the new rate, 21-carat gold will now cost Tk 223,541 per bhori, 18-carat gold Tk 191,931 per bhori, and traditional gold Tk 156,822 per bhori, all inclusive of VAT. BAJUS said the new prices will remain effective at all jewellery outlets across the country until further notice, though making charges will vary depending on the design of ornaments. Since VAT is already included in the selling price of gold and silver ornaments, it cannot be charged separately from customers, the notice added. Existing BAJUS rules on ornament exchange and purchase, excluding specified VAT, making charges and stone costs will remain unchanged. The previous price adjustment was made on the morning of August 7, when BAJUS cut the price of 22-carat gold by Tk 3,266 per bhori to Tk 229,664, including VAT. At that time, 21-carat gold was priced at Tk 219,342, 18-carat at Tk 188,374, and traditional gold at Tk 153,848 per bhori, effective from 10am that day. With Saturday's revision, the price of gold has been adjusted 100 times in the local market so far this year, with 49 increases, 50 decreases, and one VAT-related adjustment. While gold prices went up, the price of silver remained unchanged in the domestic market. Currently, 22-carat silver, including VAT, is being sold at Tk 4,899 per bhori. Silver of 21-carat, 18-carat and traditional grades are being sold at Tk 4,666, Tk 4,024 and Tk 3,033 per bhori, respectively. Silver prices have been adjusted 61 times so far this year, with 31 increases and 30 decreases, according to BAJUS.

Bangladesh Jewellers Association (Bajus) has raised the price of gold in the domestic market by a significant margin, fixing the price of 22-karat gold at Tk 232,930 per bhori, including VAT, with an increase of Tk 9,856. The new price came into effect from 10 am on Thursday, according to a notification issued by the association. Bajus said the decision was taken in line with the rising price of pure gold in the local market, which prompted the overall price adjustment. Under the new rate, 21-karat gold will now cost Tk 222,491 per bhori, 18-karat gold Tk 191,056 per bhori, and traditional gold Tk 156,064 per bhori, all inclusive of VAT, the notification said. The revised prices will remain effective at all jewellery outlets until further notice, Bajus said, adding that making charges will apply separately depending on the design of the ornament. Since VAT is already included in the sale price of gold and silver jewellery, it cannot be collected separately from customers, the association said. The existing Bajus rules for exchange and purchase of ornaments, excluding specified VAT, making charges and stone costs, will remain unchanged. The previous adjustment was made on July 31, when the price of 22-karat gold was increased by Tk 2,216 per bhori to Tk 223,074, including VAT. At the time, 21-karat gold was priced at Tk 213,043 per bhori, 18-karat at Tk 182,950, and traditional gold at Tk 149,474 per bhori, effective from 10:30 am that day. With Thursday's revision, the price of gold has been adjusted 98 times so far this year in the domestic market, with 48 upward revisions, 49 downward revisions, and one VAT-related adjustment, according to Bajus data. Alongside gold, the price of silver was also raised. The price of 22-karat silver was increased by Tk 292 per bhori to Tk 4,899, including VAT. The price of 21-karat silver was set at Tk 4,666 per bhori, 18-karat at Tk 4,024, and traditional silver at Tk 3,033 per bhori. So far this year, the price of silver has been adjusted 61 times, with 31 increases and 30 decreases, Bajus said.

City Bank PLC has now connected with 50 major banks in 17 countries in live transactions in both sending and receiving roles under SWIFT's new retail cross-border payment scheme. As a result, remitters can send remittances directly to Bangladesh, and e-commerce entrepreneurs can receive their product payments from 17 countries directly to their accounts. But when sending payments abroad, some rules and regulations of the Bangladesh Bank must be followed. City Bank has become the first bank in Bangladesh and globally to successfully validate and execute live transactions. The milestone was achieved within five months of City Bank joining the initiative in February 2026. The bank completed its first outgoing transaction in one minute and subsequent transfers in just 57 seconds on June 22, 2026. On June 23, acting as a recipient, City Bank coordinated with India’s HDFC Bank to clear and route an incoming transfer from India to another local bank in Bangladesh. The global framework, introduced by SWIFT to align with G20 objectives for cross-border payments, addresses traditional delays, high costs, and hidden intermediary fees in international remittances. Over 50 major banks across 17 countries, including the US, the UK, China, India, Germany, Australia, Spain, Thailand, Canada, and the Middle East, have committed to adopting the system. City Bank is currently the sole participant from Bangladesh. The new scheme offers guaranteed full-value transfers without deductions, upfront fee transparency, end-to-end tracking, faster settlement, and 24/7 gateway availability for retail customers and small businesses. City Bank’s global achievement has recently been recognised at an event titled "Streamlining inward remittances and enhancing operational efficiency across Bangladesh's financial sector," jointly organised by SWIFT and the Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB).  

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has removed the long-standing caps on loan disbursements across five crucial corporate branches of state-owned Sonali Bank PLC, allowing them to resume lending to large and eligible borrowers upon thorough scrutiny. The central bank’s decision fully eliminates loan disbursement ceilings for Sonali Bank's Local Office, Foreign Exchange Corporate branch, Shilpa Bhaban Corporate branch and Shaheed Abrar Fahad Avenue Corporate branch in Dhaka, and the Laldighi Corporate branch in Chattogram. Following a recent application, the central bank has withdrawn the embargo. Before this directive, these branches faced strict credit restrictions, with loan caps ranging between Tk 5 crore and Tk 20 crore depending on the branch. Following the removal of these barriers, all branches under the state-owned lender are now empowered to process and issue loans to qualified clients in accordance with standard risk-assessment guidelines. According to sources, Sonali Bank had formally requested Bangladesh Bank to withdraw the restrictions to boost credit flow to the private sector and better cater to major corporate clients. The bank explained in its application that while most of its high-value, reputable clients maintain accounts with these five key branches, the credit ceilings prevented the bank from meeting their financial requirements. The central bank subsequently approved the request. However, Bangladesh Bank instructed the commercial lender to strictly enforce proper due diligence during new loan approvals and maintain strong caution against controversial or high-risk borrowers. A senior official at Sonali Bank noted that the credit caps previously forced the bank to turn away many creditworthy clients. With the limitations lifted, the bank can now process loans for eligible applicants through standard procedures. The lending restrictions were originally imposed on these key branches several years ago as part of a state-owned bank reform programme supported by the World Bank. Surveillance and credit controls were further tightened in the wake of the landmark Hall-Mark loan scam. Earlier in June, Bangladesh Bank relaxed the ceiling for the Local Office branch, raising its lending limit from Tk 5 crore to Tk 20 crore. Following a subsequent request submitted by Sonali Bank in July, the central bank decided to lift all remaining restrictions across the five branches.

A cybersecurity drill conducted in June uncovered vulnerabilities in the banking sector that could have led to a major cyber incident, Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman said on Tuesday. He said the country's transition towards a digital economy has kept the authorities in a constant state of concern over cybersecurity. The central bank governor was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the "Cyber Incident Reporting System" and the "National ICT and Cyber Security Rating System" at the BCC Auditorium in Agargaon. He said the central bank took part in a cyber drill in late June to assess the security preparedness of the banking sector. The drill identified one or two vulnerabilities that could have posed serious risks for major banks or institutions, Mostaqur said. "We are moving towards a digital economy, talking about building a cashless society, and expanding transactions through QR codes," he said, expressing hope that the newly launched Cyber Incident Reporting System will play a significant role in generating early warnings for the banking sector. The central bank chief thanked the National Cyber Security Agency for its support in the initiative. He said the country's commercial banks have yet to reach the expected level of cybersecurity preparedness, adding that this shortfall remains a matter of concern for Bangladesh Bank. Speaking at the same event, Prime Minister's Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Rehan Asif Asad said cyberattacks will not decline in the future but rather increase. He said the data security systems of government institutions are still at a primary stage, and called for coordinated efforts between the government and the private sector to strengthen them further.

Bangladesh's distributed energy resource (DER) sector is taking shape after a slow start, with industrial rooftop solar emerging as the single biggest driver of clean energy expansion across the country. Rooftop solar capacity in Bangladesh has grown faster than other distributed resources, helping to achieve a slight reduction in daytime power demand, according to a new briefing note released on Tuesday by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). While official government statistics put the installed rooftop solar capacity at 418.1 megawatts (MW) as of June 2026, IEEFA’s estimates reveal a much larger footprint. The study found that combined capacity across just 239 establishments—including major corporate groups—has already reached 667MW. If smaller units under 0.15MW are factored in, Bangladesh’s actual rooftop solar capacity could already be nearing 1,000MW. "Compared to the grid-scale variable renewable energy capacity of 859MW as of June 2026, the country’s growing rooftop solar capacity provides an encouraging signal for Bangladesh’s power sector," said Shafiqul Alam, Lead Analyst for Bangladesh Energy at IEEFA South Asia and co-author of the briefing note. The report highlighted strong momentum in the sector, noting that engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies currently hold a project pipeline exceeding 500MW. Furthermore, the government’s latest strategy document sets a target of 10,450MW in new renewable capacity between 2026 and 2030, relying on rooftop solar for more than 50 percent (5,500MW) of that goal. Despite the presence of net metering guidelines and low-cost financing options, rising electricity tariffs have become the primary driver for industrial and commercial adoption of rooftop solar. However, high import duties continue to pose a significant barrier. Although the government revised its duty structure, the changes increased the import duty on industrial rooftop solar projects to 17 percent—up from 1 percent under the previous capital machinery provision—while leaving small rural projects unable to meet stringent conditions for duty benefits. Alam emphasized that a complete duty waiver across all rooftop solar projects would significantly enhance affordability and help Bangladesh meet its 2030 targets. Drawing from the successful experiences of Australia and India, the study recommends capital subsidies, duty exemptions, the gradual integration of smart meters, and battery storage alongside rooftop solar. In addition to rooftops, the report underscores the immense potential in Bangladesh’s diesel-reliant agricultural sector. Converting just one-third of the country's diesel-powered irrigation systems to solar power could slash Bangladesh’s annual diesel import bill by roughly US$244 million (Tk 3000 crore). To clear structural bottlenecks, IEEFA recommended that the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources actively monitor online net metering applications to prevent bureaucratic delays that currently hinder progress. Drawing on the experiences of Australia and India, Bangladesh could promote the deployment of battery storage alongside DERs, particularly rooftop solar. “For predictability and better management on the part of utilities, Bangladesh should gradually adopt smart meters with DERs, like rooftop solar,” added Alam.