[🇧🇩] Monitoring Bangladesh's Economy

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High-level IMF delegation arrives in Dhaka Sunday on five-day visit to discuss new loan programme

A high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (July 12) on a crucial five-day visit. The visit will focus on the feasibility and size of a new financial assistance package and evaluating vital macroeconomic structural reforms prop

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

High-level IMF delegation arrives in Dhaka Sunday on five-day visit to discuss new loan programme

A high-level delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow (July 12) on a crucial five-day visit.

The visit will focus on the feasibility and size of a new financial assistance package and evaluating vital macroeconomic structural reforms proposed by the government.

The mission comes at a critical juncture as the newly formed government has practically moved away from the previous IMF facility and requested a fresh three-year loan program tailored to current macroeconomic realities. The primary goal of the tour is not to finalise a credit arrangement immediately, but rather to evaluate the current macroeconomic conditions, the government's policy priorities, and its capacity to execute necessary reforms.

According to Ministry of Finance sources, the IMF delegation will hold a series of meetings with the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Bank, the National Revenue Board (NRB), and other relevant stakeholders.

The team will review a broad spectrum of the economy, including the current status of Bangladesh's macroeconomic indicators. the roadmap for rebuilding the banking sector and curbing non-performing loans, progress in revenue collection and tax administration reforms, the position of the country's foreign exchange reserves and public debt management, and the structure and volume of the proposed new loan program.

Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, former IMF official and former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, stated that the principal objective of this five-day visit is to physically evaluate the government’s sincerity and commitment toward implementing deep economic overhauls.

He noted that several crucial reforms under the previous program stalled as they were left unimplemented. Consequently, if Bangladesh intends to secure a fresh IMF facility, the delegation will place utmost emphasis on the new strategic roadmap designed by the administration.

Dr. Mansur highlighted that the overhauling of the NBR, eliminating vulnerabilities in the banking sector, and fully materializing a market-driven foreign exchange rate will dominate the discussions.

Furthermore, following the announcement of the national budget, the delegation will hold detailed talks on the financial viability and funding sources of the proposed 9th National Pay Scale.

Ultimately, the IMF mission intends to gauge both the administrative and political readiness of the state to handle structural adjustive measures in the days ahead.​

 

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https://www.newagebd.net/post/economy/305819/creative-economy-can-drive-bangladesh-growth-experts

Creative economy can drive Bangladesh growth: experts

Ensuring right policies emphasised

Staff Correspondent 12 July, 2026, 01:21

Bangladesh’s creative economy has the potential to emerge as one of the country’s next major drivers of growth, employment, and exports, but only if long-standing policy, taxation, and regulatory barriers are removed, experts said on Saturday.

They argued that despite abundant creative talent in the country, sectors such as film, OTT platforms, publishing, theatre, music, design, and handicrafts had remained underdeveloped because they had largely been treated as cultural pursuits rather than economic industries deserving strategic policy support.

The observations came at the latest episode of Ajker Agenda, organised by the Power and Participation Research Centre, titled ‘Creative Economy: Slogan or Untapped Potential?’ The episode was moderated by PPRC executive chairman Hossain Zillur Rahman.

The discussion came as the government, for the first time, included a Tk 800 crore work plan for the creative economy in the FY2026-27 national budget, comprising a direct allocation of Tk 300 crore and another Tk 500 crore through Bangladesh Bank’s corporate social responsibility fund.

The initiative is aimed to increase the sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product, generate employment for nearly five lakh people, and globally promote a ‘Made in Bangladesh’ brand.

Filmmaker Tanim Noor said that Bangladesh’s film industry could attract substantial investment if the government introduced sector-specific tax incentives.

‘A 50 per cent tax exemption for the film industry could significantly increase investment in Bangladeshi cinema, making the sector more lucrative to both existing and new investors,’ he said.

The country’s film industry, Tanim pointed out, employed around two lakh people during its peak in the 1970s and 1980s.

With the expansion of OTT platforms, modern production technologies, post-production services, and visual effects, the sector now has the potential to create employment for as many as 10 lakh people.

He estimated that the industry’s market size could reach between Tk 5,000 crore and Tk 10,000 crore, enabling the government to earn Tk 500 crore to Tk 1,000 crore in annual revenue, provided that appropriate policy support and state patronage are ensured.

According to Chorki chief executive officer Redwan Rony, domestic OTT platforms are operating at a competitive disadvantage because they are taxed under the general corporate tax structure, while foreign streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon continue to earn revenue from Bangladeshi audiences without facing similar tax obligations.

Producing OTT content worth Tk 1 crore currently, he added, requires paying around Tk 27 lakh in taxes.

Rony also pointed to the absence of a dedicated registration system and sector-specific policy framework for OTT platforms, observing that these gaps had created an uneven playing field for local companies.

Bengal Foundation director general Luva Nahid Choudhury said that Bangladesh possessed creative talent across the country, but lacked an institutional ecosystem necessary to nurture, commercialise, and sustain the talent.

She urged the government to undertake structural reforms while extending support not only to artistes but also to the wider workforce employed throughout the creative value chain.

According to Bakar Bakul, the playwright, actor, and creative director of theatre ‘Tarua’, theatre has long been viewed as a voluntary cultural activity rather than an industry capable of generating economic value.

‘As long as theatre depends primarily on unpaid work, it will remain difficult to build the activity as a professional, financially sustainable sector,’ he said, adding that state patronage had too often been used for political purposes instead of developing the arts as an industry.

UPL managing director Mahrukh Mohiuddin described publishing as one of Bangladesh’s most neglected industries, citing the absence of an updated national book policy and weak enforcement of copyright laws.

Widespread digital and print piracy, she viewed, continues to undermine the sector while limiting its international growth prospects.

Classical Handmade Products managing director Md Tauhid Bin Abdus Salam observed that quality certification, compliance, and strong branding were essential for expanding handicraft exports and achieving sustainable growth.

Hossain Zillur Rahman said that Bangladesh now needed a comprehensive policy ecosystem to unlock the creative economy’s full potential.

He called for reforms in taxation, copyright protection, royalty sharing and licensing, alongside quality infrastructure supported through public-private partnership.

Zillur Rahman also urged stakeholders in the sector to form a broad coalition to develop a strategic road map, saying coordinated action between the government and the industry would be essential for translating policy ambitions into sustainable economic outcomes.​