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UK Government - Bangladesh – UK Trade and Investment Dialogue 2023

The second Bangladesh – UK Trade and Investment Dialogue was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 19 February 2023.
The UK and Bangladesh discussed cooperation in areas such as LDC graduation, investment cooperation, pharmaceuticals, ease of doing business, financial sector development, higher education provision, taxation issues and intellectual property protection.
His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for South Asia said, “The UK and Bangladesh relationship is underpinned by the potential of our trade and investment relationship that will help both of our economies to grow.”

Reuters: In Bangladesh, new school textbook features transgender people

On January 1, new textbooks were rolled out for millions of schoolchildren between the age of 11 and 13 featuring a segment on transgenders.
The textbook contains images of transgenders in respectable jobs, including a beautician, a development worker and an elected mayor, and the fictional story of a child who transitions, takes a female name and goes to live with a transgender community.

The Financial Express: British businesses keen to invest in Bangladesh

British businesses are interested to invest in the financial, aviation and education sectors of Bangladesh as the country offers an environment where good firms can do good business.
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson conveyed the willingness of his country's investors at an event in the capital on Wednesday, and said they are receiving more private sector interest in Bangladesh that will ultimately deliver economic growth.

The Business Standard: ShopUp wins 'Best Startup Innovation' Award at Bangladesh Innovation Award 2023

ShopUp, the largest full-stack B2B commerce platform in Bangladesh, has been awarded "Best Startup Innovation" at the 4th edition of Bangladesh Innovation Award, organised by Bangladesh Innovation Conclave.
ShopUp's commerce platform Mokam, which partners with manufacturers, brands, and mills to streamline the distribution of food and household necessities to small shops, has become a game-changer for the country's small business sector. Currently, 20 million people in Bangladesh access food and essentials through Mokam's network of shops.

The Business Standard: Country partnership agreement inked to attract investment in solar projects

The government has signed a country partnership agreement with the International Solar Alliance in order to facilitate enhanced solar energy development in Bangladesh.
The agreement will be implemented by December 2026, with the aim of leading Bangladesh into creating a pipeline of bankable solar projects and attracting investments.

The Business Standard:

Faster services, lower fees: Bangladesh improves in business investment climate

The World Bank survey also shows informality persists in Bangladesh as only 61.4% of firms were formally registered when they started operations
Bangladesh has made significant progress in the investment arena by offering quicker services at cheaper rates, according to a recent World Bank Group survey, which highlights the fact that business registration has undergone a drastic change, reducing the time from 56.5 days in 2009 to just 2 days in 2020.

The Financial Express: Frameworks for green transition in Bangladesh

With its geographical location sandwiched between the Himalayas in the North and the Bay of Bengal in the South, Bangladesh can be regarded as the ground zero of vulnerability to the increasing impacts of climate change.
Recurring climate disasters like floods, cyclones, sea level rise, and salinity intrusion cause huge losses and damages every year in Bangladesh. A country with an area 66 times smaller than the United States (US) houses exactly half of the US population.

The Business Standard: Bangladesh becomes almost self-reliant in treating heart diseases: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government has made healthcare services more affordable and brought it at every doorstep alongside making Bangladesh almost self-reliant in treating cardiovascular diseases.

The Business Standard: Another RMG

factory in Bangladesh recognised as green with platinum rating

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has recognised another readymade garment factory in Bangladesh as green.
With this, the total number of environment-friendly establishments in the apparel sector has risen to 188.
According to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Ananta Companies in Ashulia, Savar, received the platinum-rated certification from the USGBC.

The Financial Express: Bangladesh Business Summit 2023 to be held in March

Bangladesh Business Summit, 2023 will be held in Dhaka in March, with the aim to attract global investment in the country.
The Business Summit-2023 will be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on March 11-13.
The government will organise the event in cooperation with FBCC, marking 50 years of the apex trade body.

Bloomberg: Bangladesh Utilities Seek $1 Billion for Fuel to Avert Blackouts

Private power producers in Bangladesh have sought $1 billion of foreign currency from the country’s central bank to import heavy fuel oil to avert a looming energy crisis this summer.
The companies are seeking the greenback supply to banks to allow opening letters of credit for purchasing the fuel from overseas, the Bangladesh Independent Power Producers’ Association, the industry lobbying group, said in a letter to the central bank Monday.

UN: New Swedish contribution to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

At the end of a two-days visit to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh, Alexandra Berg von Linde, announced her country’s latest contribution of SEK 79 million, equivalent to USD 7.6 million for the energy and environment programme of the Rohingya response.
The contribution will support the provision of cleaner cooking energy to Rohingya refugees, the continued rehabilitation of ecosystems and the facilitation of enhanced skills development for refugees and Bangladeshi host communities.

BBC: Women's T20 World Cup: South Africa beat Bangladesh to set up England semi-final

South Africa will play England in the Women's T20 World Cup semi-final after a 10-wicket win against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh managed just seven fours throughout their entire innings, seemingly content to push through ones and twos on their way to a below-par total.

Financial Times: Gautam Adani’s ties with India’s Narendra Modi spur scrutiny of overseas deals

Officials in Bangladesh now also want to revisit its power deal with Adani. The project, which is due to launch this year, imports power from the 1,600-megawatt Godda power plant in India’s eastern Jharkhand state, generated by burning coal expected to be brought by sea from Adani’s Australian Carmichael mine..

The Guardian: Bangladesh shuts down main opposition newspaper

Campaigners fear media crackdown under PM Sheikh Hasina after suspension order upheld.
The only newspaper of Bangladesh’s main opposition party has stopped publishing after a government suspension order was upheld, stoking fears about media freedom in the south Asian nation.
Campaigners and foreign governments including the US have long expressed worries about efforts by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to silence criticism and what they see as creeping authoritarianism.

Reuters: Bangladesh banks' profits to be pressured by high funding costs - Moody's

Bangladesh banks will be forced to borrow at higher costs as they are likely to face persistent liquidity pressures this year due to high inflation, hurting their net interest margins and profitability, Moody's Investors Service said on Wednesday.

Reuters: Analysis: Gas shortage exposes fragile South Asian economies to more pain

Fear in the retail sector highlights how a shortage of imported gas has cut power output and hit the economy in Pakistan, just as it reels from soaring inflation and a sliding currency. Bangladesh faces the same issues.
Both countries are scrambling to avoid a repeat of massive power cuts they faced last year, but industry officials and analysts say the crisis is likely to worsen this year because of a sharp drop in imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Aljazeera: Severe dollar crisis hobbles Bangladesh businesses

The import-dependent nation is facing economic hardship in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as prices shoot up.
The South Asian nation has been facing severe economic hardship since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a year ago. In its import-dependent economy, rising global fuel oil and other commodity prices have caused nearly double-digit inflation and depleted foreign reserves.

Human Rights Watch: Food Crisis in Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh

Now the World Food Programme (WFP) has announced it is going to cut the monthly food ration for Rohingya in refugee camps in Bangladesh from $12 vouchers to $10. The vouchers are used to purchase 13 kilos of rice per person, as well as other food products. Having received “only a small portion of the required funding for 2023,” WFP said they had to reduce the entitlements “or we will have no funds left very soon.”

UN OHCHR: UN experts urge Bangladesh to end judicial harassment of journalists

UN experts urged the Bangladesh government to drop the charges against investigative journalist Rozina Islam and end the practice of protracted prosecution of journalists and human rights defenders.

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