Bangladesh Financial News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. “Venezuela is under my control and soon we’ll get Greenland. It’s necessary for the US." This is not a threat issued by a 16th century tyrant but a chilling statement by US President Donald Trump.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The New Year started with a bang. Three days into 2026 came the extraordinary news that the US had captured Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

2026 is poised to be a year of monumental moments, marked by a summer of Assembly elections in India, an intensifying global space race, and major sporting events — notably the FIFA World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.The year also marks the US completing 250 years of independence, Bangladesh heading to the polls for the first time since former PM Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, India hosting the 18th Brics Summit, Apple turning 50, and the long-awaited release of GTA VI, the open-world action-adventure franchise. All of these set the stage for a packed year ahead.

India’s exports are heavily dependent on the US, and are currently under threat due to high tariffs. But hidden in numbers is another simple story: the region that could boost Indian exports is not across the Pacific, but across its borders.

India’s merchandise exports rose to $38 billion in November, posting year-on-year growth of 19.36%—the strongest since June 2022. Notably, the US shifted from being a drag in recent months to a key contributor, with shipments rebounding after two consecutive months of decline despite higher tariffs remaining in place. Exports to the US grew 22.6% during the month.

Earlier this month, the Delhi high court, in separate judgements, allowed Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries to manufacture and export generic semaglutide to non-patent-holding countries. However, both companies cannot sell the drug domestically until innovator Novo Nordisk loses its patent-exclusivity rights in the country in March 2026.While experts said the move by Dr Reddy’s and Sun Pharma is to grab an early-mover advantage in selling the blockbuster weight-loss drug, the companies won’t be the first to enter non-patented markets.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. It is shaping up to be another difficult year for India’s tourism industry. Foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) have struggled in the first nine months of the year and may once again fall short of pre-pandemic levels.

A mobility agreement allowing Indian blue-collar workers, such as those in construction, to seek employment in Russia.A naval training pact under which Russia will train Indian sailors for operations along the Arctic route. This is particularly significant, as the melting of Arctic ice opens up new shipping lanes.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The Indian rupee's recent slide beyond the 90-per-dollar mark offers little relief to its exporters, most of which are struggling under the weight of crippling tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration. The only clear winners from the depreciation are the country's dominant information technology (IT) companies, while sectors with high import content grapple with surging production costs.

The Starlink service will be unveiled at a government-backed investment summit that opens in Dhaka on Monday. «We granted them approval,» Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud, chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, told reporters on Sunday. Mahmud said it was granted on March 28, several days before US President Donald Trump unveiled his wide-ranging tariff programme that sent global markets into a tailspin. The new tariff on Bangladesh goods was set at 37 percent, hiking duties from the previous 16 percent on cotton.

Indian toy industry is ready to take advantage of the high tariffs imposed by the US on competitors such as China and Vietnam, and the domestic players have already begun work on expanding capacity and forming joint ventures with global firms, exporters said on Sunday. They added that India has emerged as a winner in the recent US tariff hikes, as the exporters are better positioned to absorb the impact compared to competitor countries that are facing higher import duties in America. While the US has imposed an additional 26 per cent import duty on India, its competitor Vietnam is facing 46 per cent tariff, Bangladesh 37 per cent, China 54 per cent, Indonesia 32 per cent, and Thailand 36 per cent. «Huge opportunities are there for our exporters now. Vietnam's exports are about USD 6 billion and China's are USD 80 billion. Now their items will face higher duties in the US than that of Indian toys. All big toy firms are exploring opportunities to set up plants in India,» the CEO of Playgro Toys India, Manu Gupta, said. India's toy exports are hovering in the range of USD 326 million to USD 348 million for the last three years, according to the industry. He said that early conclusion of a bilateral trade agreement with the US will also help Indian toy players to increase shipments.

reciprocal tariffs by the US on other competing nations raises the possibility of increased dumping by those nations in India, as well as in other export markets, which could negatively impact certain sectors, CareEdge Ratings said in a report. According to the report ' Sectoral Impact of US Reciprocal Tariff: Neutral to Negative, ' the expected direct impact of US reciprocal tariffs would vary, with no impact expected on pharmaceuticals since they are exempt from reciprocal tariffs for now. According to the rating agency, the impact is expected to be largely neutral for electronics, textiles, agricultural products, chemicals, and automobiles and parts. At the same time, it would be negative for gems and jewellery. During 2023-24, India's aggregate merchandise exports to the US stood at USD 77.5 billion compared to its imports from the US at USD 42.2 billion. Out of India's total exports to the US, the sectors in descending order of value are electronics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, gems and jewellery, agricultural products, chemicals and automobiles and parts.

Thailand declined to an over three-year low this week due to U.S. President Donald Trump's move to impose import tariffs and an existing market surplus, while India's export prices neared a two-year low on subdued demand. A flat 26% tariff was imposed on all goods being exported by India to the U.S., while Thailand's exports to the U.S. will attract 36%, Bangladesh 37% and Vietnam 46%. Thailand's 5% broken rice fell to $395-$400 per metric ton, its lowest since January 2022.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: India will refrain from taking retaliatory action against the US’ reciprocal tariffs or making sharp public responses against Washington, keeping trade diplomacy at the centre of its strategy, a senior government official said. As a global tariff war unfolds in response to US President Donald Trump’s additional tariffs on more than 60 nations, India is taking a calm and measured approach, positioning itself as a balanced negotiator, the official said.

Yunus following talks between PM Narendra Modi and Chief Adviser claiming that the Indian leader undermined former PM Sheikh Hasina and stated that he has no negative views about her extradition call into question both the seriousness and the good faith of the interim government. With regard to remarks by the Press Secretary to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, sources dismissed the account as mischievous and politically motivated. Modi spoke of the progress in bilateral relationship since 2014 and characterized it as a deep friendship between our societies and people. Sources noted that the characterisation of Modi's remarks regarding the relationship between Yunus and the previous government was also inaccurate. Modi also mentioned the importance of elections as the basis of legitimacy in any democracy. A continued procrastination in this regard would damage the Chief Advisor’s reputation.

Bangladesh Chief Advisor about the meeting of the Bangladesh leader Muhammad Yunus with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources have dismissed the account as mischievous and politically motivated. Sources said on Saturday that the characterisation of PM Modi's remarks regarding the relationship between Yunus and the previous government was also inaccurate. The sources said underlined that PM Modi spoke of the progress in our bilateral relationship since 2014 and characterized it as a deep friendship between our societies and peoples. They said PM Modi also mentioned the importance of elections as the basis of legitimacy in any democracy. «A continued procrastination in this regard would damage the Chief Advisor's reputation. The Bangladeshi contention that attacks on minorities were a social media concoction was dismissed as being in contradiction of facts on the ground,» a source said.

Communist Party of China (CPC) has said in a message to the CPI(M), extending wishes for the party congress underway in Madurai. According to a document shared by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), 34 Left parties from across the world have sent it messages wishing success to its 24th party congress. Besides the CPC, they include Workers' Party of Korea, Communist Party of Vietnam, Communist Party of Cuba, Communist Party of Australia, Workers' Party of Belgium, Palestinian People's Party, besides communist parties from the US, France and Germany among others. Communist Party of Bangladesh, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Nepal (United Socialist), Awami Workers' Party, Pakistan, Communist Party of Pakistan and Communist Party of Burma also sent messages wishing success to the CPI(M) congress. The CPC in its message said in the present international landscape, an improving China-India relationship serves the common interest of both countries and the region. «The international landscape and world order are now in a new round of transformation. An improving China-India relationship serves the common interests of both countries and the region,» CPC said.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. US President Donald Trump is showing America’s trading partners no mercy. If they export a lot to the US, it will tariff them back—by half.

Mahesh Patil, CIO, ABSL AMC, says from an India standpoint, the impact of the reciprocal tariffs is there for a few sectors including large exporters like IT and pharma, because of the slowdown in the US. But the overall impact compared with the US trade, the impact on GDP, will not be more than 20 basis points. The reaction has also not been very big and it should probably settle down. Patil says he does not see a major downgrade to our earnings for next year, except for one or two sectors. Any dip because of this correction could be a good buying opportunity. It is easy to turn bearish in this market, but should one really turn bearish? If yes, why? If no, why not? Mahesh Patil: Clearly, the Trump tariffs that have come out are slightly worse than expectations. But if you look at it from an India standpoint, I would not be too bearish. While the tariffs have been imposed across the various countries, relatively if you look at India, tariffs are much lower than some of these other partners on the global front – be it China, Vietnam, or Bangladesh. In that sense, we will not be competitively worse off over there.

So, shares of textile makers stood out Thursday, surging as much as 18%, as the 26% tariffs were on home furnishings and readymade garments from India paled in comparison with 54% levies on China, 46% for Vietnam, 37% for Bangladesh, and 30% for Pakistan.

Automobile and ancillaries