United News of Bangladesh

The October reading of the Bangladesh Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) gained 2.7 points from the previous month to post a faster expansion rate at 61.8. This latest PMI reading was attributed to a faster expansion rate for all the key sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, construction and services. “The latest PMI readings indicate that the overall Bangladesh economy continued to expand, primarily driven by favourable crop conditions and expectations of a good harvest in the agricultural sector,” said Dr M Masrur Reaz, Chairman and CEO, Policy Exchange Bangladesh.                                                                                        Other sectors of the economy also posted faster expansion rates, going into the final quarter of the year, with monthly growth in exports and inflation gradually waning, he said on Sunday (9th November 2025). Read more: Economic Affairs Committee okays import of crude oil Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka and Policy Exchange Bangladesh (PEB) released the Bangladesh Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) October report on Sunday. The PMI is a pioneering initiative that aims to offer timely and accurate insights into the country's economic health to help businesses, investors and policy makers make informed decisions. It was developed by MCCI and Policy Exchange, with support from the UK Government and technical support from Singapore Institute of Purchasing & Materials Management (SIPMM). The agriculture sector posted its 2nd month of expansion, and at a faster rate. The sector posted faster expansion readings for the indexes of new business, business activity, and input costs, and the employment index reverted to an expansion reading. The order, however, backlogs index posted a faster contraction rate. Read more: Govt laid foundation for promising new chapter in Bangladesh-US relations: Shafiqul Alam The manufacturing sector posted its 14th month of expansion, and at a faster rate. The sector posted expansion readings for the indexes of new orders, new exports, factory output, input purchases, finished goods, imports, input prices, employment, and supplier deliveries. The order backlogs index recorded a more rapid decline. The construction sector posted its 2nd month of expansion, and at a faster rate. The sector posted expansion readings for the indexes of new business, construction activity, employment, and input costs. The order backlogs index posted a slower contraction rate. The services sector posted its 13th month of expansion, and at a faster rate. The sector posted expansion readings for the indexes of new business, business activity, employment, and input costs. The order backlogs index reverted to an expansion reading after recording 2 months of contraction readings. In terms of the future business index, slower expansion rates were recorded for all key sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, construction and services. Read more: Economy must move beyond narrow wealth accumulation: Prof Yunus

Bangladesh’s overall Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped by 5.8 points in June compared to May, reaching 53.1, signalling a slower pace of expansion across key sectors of the economy. The decline marks a notable shift in economic momentum, driven largely by the first-time contraction in the construction sector, while the agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors all registered slower expansion rates. Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka and Policy Exchange Bangladesh (PEB) released the Bangladesh Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) June report today (Monday). The PMI is a pioneering initiative that aims to offer timely and accurate insights into the country's economic health to help businesses, investors and policy-makers make informed decisions. It was developed by MCCI and Policy Exchange, with support from the UK government and technical support from Singapore Institute of Purchasing & Materials Management (SIPMM). Bangladesh’s PMI drops 8.8 points in April, settles at 52.9 According to the latest PMI data, the agriculture sector continued its expansion for the ninth consecutive month, albeit at a reduced pace. The sector reported its first-ever contraction in the employment index. However, it saw faster expansion in new business, business activity, input costs, and order backlogs. The manufacturing sector marked its tenth straight month of expansion, but also at a slower rate. It reported contraction in input purchases, finished goods, imports, and employment. Meanwhile, new orders, export orders, factory output, input prices and supplier deliveries all recorded slower expansion rates. Notably, order backlogs posted an expansion after 10 months of contraction. After six months of growth, the construction sector experienced a reversal, entering contraction territory in June. The sector posted declines in new business, construction activity, employment and order backlogs, while input costs rose at a slower pace. The services sector maintained its expansion for the ninth month in a row but with reduced strength. The sector posted contraction readings in new business, business activity and order backlogs. On the other hand, employment and input costs saw a faster pace of expansion. Bangladesh’s PMI jumps to 58.9 in May In terms of business outlook, the future business index reflected mixed sentiment. Slower expansion expectations were reported in manufacturing and construction, while agriculture and services showed improved optimism for the coming months. Despite the June downturn, the overall PMI figure above the 50 mark still indicates expansion—though at a more subdued pace—highlighting the need for close monitoring of sectoral dynamics amid shifting economic conditions.