Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is planning to launch a fresh fundraising round at a valuation of about 500 billion yuan or $74 billion ahead of a potential mainland initial public offering, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
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The plan comes just weeks after the Hangzhou-based company, which drew global attention with its low-cost AI models in 2025, raised about $7.4 billion in June at a post-money valuation of about 450 billion yuan, the people said.

Filings by two Chinese investors later suggested DeepSeek was valued at 350.88 billion yuan, or around $52 billion.

The back-to-back fundraising plans underscore strong investor appetite for one of China's most closely watched AI companies, but also point to the rising costs of competing in AI, which requires large amounts of computing power, data-centre capacity and engineering talent.

DeepSeek is looking to raise as much as 50 billion yuan in the new funding round, according to a third person briefed on the matter.

It has also started early deliberations on a potential IPO on Shanghai's Nasdaq-style STAR Market, the three sources and two other people with knowledge of the plan said.

The company has set an internal target to complete an IPO filing this year, one of them said.

All the people declined to be identified because the information is not public.

The fundraising and IPO plans are at early stages, and terms and timetable may change, they said.

DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A global media first reported on Tuesday that DeepSeek was preparing for a possible IPO filing, while the Financial Times reported that the company was weighing a fresh fundraising round at a valuation of at least 480 billion yuan.

DeepSeek shook global technology markets last year after releasing models that appeared to rival leading US systems at lower training and operating costs.

Soon after its maiden fundraising round in June, DeepSeek said it planned to double staff across departments, including in areas such as data centres and AI agents, systems capable of performing tasks with limited prompting.

Some of those initiatives will require significant capital expenditure.

Reuters reported earlier this month that DeepSeek was looking to develop its own AI inference chip and had discreetly increased hiring of chip-design engineers for the project.

DeepSeek had long stood out in China's AI sector for rejecting outside funding. Founder Liang Wenfeng had largely bankrolled the company using his quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer before its recent external financing, sources previously told Reuters.

But the cost of staying at the frontier of AI has risen sharply, forcing a change in strategy.

DeepSeek has in the past year faced stiff competition at home from tech giants including ByteDance and Alibaba, as well as well-funded AI startups such as Z.ai, Moonshot, and MiniMax.

In the June funding round, DeepSeek founder Liang personally committed 20 billion yuan, while Tencent Holdings and battery giant CATL chipped in 10 billion yuan and 5 billion yuan respectively, to become the largest external shareholders, Reuters reported at the time.

Other investors include China's national AI fund, gaming developer NetEase and e-commerce giant JD.com, as well as investment firms IDG Capital, Loyal Valley Capital, Monolith Management and Shixiang Capital, according to sources and media reports.

The participation of the state-backed AI fund highlighted DeepSeek's strategic importance to Beijing's efforts to build domestic AI champions and reduce reliance on foreign technology.

The Ministry of Commerce has issued a strong reminder to the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) over an inordinate delay in submitting an updated feasibility study report required to push forward a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with MERCOSUR, the South American trade bloc.In an official letter issued recently by the ministry's FTA-4 branch, the BTTC has been directed to submit the long-pending updated report by July 25, 2026.

Official documents show that the commerce ministry initially requested the commission to update and send the feasibility study report on February 2, 2026, to advance formal executions for the high-potential trade pact. However, the ministry received no response or report from the trade watchdog in the intervening five months, prompting the latest official reminder.

Signed by Md. Sirajul Islam, Deputy Controller at the Ministry of Commerce, the urgent notice was forwarded to the Chairman of the BTTC, alongside copies to senior ministry officials, including the Private Secretary to the Commerce Secretary and the personal officers of the Additional Secretary and Joint Secretary overseeing FTA wings.

MERCOSUR-comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay-represents a massive consumer market in South America. Bangladesh has been actively exploring an FTA or a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with the bloc to diversify its export destinations, particularly for ready-made garments (RMG), and to secure competitive access to crucial commodities like soybean oil, sugar, and corn.

Trade analysts note that bureaucratic bottlenecks and delays in conducting critical feasibility assessments often stall Bangladesh's trade integration efforts. As the country prepares for its graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) status, accelerating bilateral and regional trade pacts like the MERCOSUR FTA is widely deemed essential to cushion against the loss of duty-free market access.

The commerce ministry's strict July 25 deadline underlines growing internal urgency to fast-track trade negotiations as global economic shifts demand swifter execution of international trade policies.

Bangladesh has established a strong foothold in the US and European markets, but it continues to struggle in Japan -- one of the world's largest economies.

Export earnings from Japan have remained trapped between $1 billion and $1.5 billion for the past 11 years.

Even the much-anticipated Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan has yet to deliver the expected boost. Instead, exports have declined.

An analysis of the latest Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data shows Bangladesh exported goods worth $1.36 billion to Japan in the fiscal year ending Jun 30, 2026, down 3.65 percent from the previous year and 18.56 percent below the official target.

Of that total, $1.16 billion came from readymade garments.

In FY2024-25, exports to Japan stood at $1.41 billion, while the interim government had targeted $1.67 billion for FY2025-26.

Bangladesh recorded its highest-ever export earnings from Japan in FY2022-23, when shipments reached $1.45 billion, up 7.1 percent year-on-year. Garments accounted for $1.25 billion of that figure.

Despite repeated government and industry initiatives, exporters have failed to unlock Japan's vast market, where annual apparel demand alone is estimated at $25 billion. Bangladesh supplies only about 5 percent of that market.

A stronger presence in Japan, exporters say, would reinforce Bangladesh's position in global trade.

Muhammad Yunus, who led the interim government after the fall of the Awami League, discussed expanding exports during his visit to Japan in May last year.

That momentum led to Bangladesh signing its first-ever EPA with another country on Feb 6, five days before the national election.

The agreement was signed in Tokyo by then Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin and Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Horii Iwao.

The deal grants duty-free access to 7,379 Bangladeshi products, yet exports have failed to gain momentum. Ironically, Japan remains Bangladesh's largest bilateral development partner.

Former BKMEA president Fazlul Haque told bdnews24.com, "To be honest, we focused far more on the US and European markets. Despite Japan being a huge market, we never gave it enough attention. That failure belongs to both the government and exporters. Had we acted together, exports could have reached $5 billion. Instead, we haven't even crossed $1.5 billion."

Fazlul, also managing director of Plummy Fashions and JCX Knitwears, believes the EPA alone will not transform exports because garments already enjoyed duty-free access.

"The real additional benefit is the single-stage transformation rule," he said.

"Exports won't grow if we sit idle. We must identify what went wrong and redesign our strategy."

BKMEA Executive President Fazlee Shamim Ehsan said Bangladesh must diversify its product basket.

"Japan has strong demand for sportswear. We cannot rely on the same products we sell in Europe and America. We need to supply what Japanese consumers actually want," he said, adding that Japan's quality-conscious fashion market could open new opportunities.

Trade expert Mustafizur Rahman of CPD said the EPA remains strategically important beyond tariffs, covering services, investment and technology.

He said the new single-stage rules of origin would significantly benefit garment exporters, while urging Bangladesh to expand supply capacity, diversify exports and improve competitiveness to maximise duty-free access.

Mustafizur called for a joint public-private strategy to raise exports to $5 billion within five years, including leveraging the Japanese Economic Zone in Araihazar.

RAPID Chairman MA Razzak said the EPA also protects Bangladesh after its graduation from least developed country status, preventing a 10 percent tariff on products currently enjoying duty-free access, while strengthening Bangladesh's trade credentials with other countries.

A big backing comes from the European Union (EU) and the Group of 77 and China (G77) to Bangladesh in its try for smooth, sustainable and irreversible graduation from the least- developed country (LDC) category with extended time.

According to a government news release issued Friday, the assurances came during separate meetings at the United Nations Headquarters between Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and Head of the European Union Delegation to the United Nations Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, and Chair of the Group of 77 and China and Permanent Representative of Uruguay to the United Nations Ambassador Laura Dupuy Lasserre.

The minister was accompanied by State Minister for Planning Zonayed Saki, Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Bangladesh Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Footwear, Leathergoods and Accessories Exporters' Association of Bangladesh (LFMEAB) President Syed Nasim Manzur and Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan.

During the meetings, the commerce minister explained the rationale behind Bangladesh's request for a three-year extension of the LDC-graduation-preparatory period, citing the country's ongoing economic and political transition, global economic uncertainty, energy challenges and the need to consolidate structural reforms.

He reiterated the government's commitment to strengthening governance, reforming the financial sector, improving infrastructure, enhancing domestic resource mobilisation and creating a more investment-friendly business environment.

"The additional time would help consolidate reforms, remove infrastructure bottlenecks, strengthen industrial competitiveness and ensure that Bangladesh's graduation remains smooth, sustainable and irreversible," the minister was quoted as saying.

Ambassador Lambrinidis has welcomed the government's commitment to good governance and sustainable development and expressed the EU's continued support for Bangladesh's graduation process.

He also welcomed the launch of discussions on a Bangladesh-European Union Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) and stressed the importance of stronger public-private cooperation to facilitate the transition, according to the press release.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Lasserre acknowledged the strength of Bangladesh's case for extending the preparatory period and praised the government's pragmatic reform agenda.

She reaffirmed the G77's support for Bangladesh and proposed a dedicated briefing for G77 member- states on the country's graduation strategy, a proposal welcomed by the Bangladesh delegation.

Following the meetings, the ERD Secretary, Shahriar Kader Siddiky, described the discussions with the EU delegation as "productive", saying that the bloc reiterated its continued support for Bangladesh's smooth, sustainable and irreversible graduation from the world's poor-country club.

The European Union must have bigger banks if the 27-nation bloc wants to catch up with rivals in the United States, Brussels said Friday.

The EU published a report looking at the banking sector as part of its efforts to boost the European economy by unlocking more money for different industries.
Brussels said it wanted to ease rules for the European banking sector including lower capital requirements.In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007-2008, a top international banking supervisory authority -- known as the Basel Committee -- set new global standards to ensure banking system stability.But European banks have long criticised the EU’s overzealous application of the rules, which they say put them at a disadvantage compared to foreign banks since they had the rules on top of national regulations.The banks argued this hindered their ability to finance the European economy. US regulators also proposed loosening some capital rules earlier this year.

A senior European official said the EU did not want to weaken the rules, but wanted to apply them “in a way that optimises the benefits for the EU economy”.

“European banks need the opportunity to scale up in their domestic market like the US have,” the official said.

NGO Finance Watch said the EU had the “right diagnosis, wrong remedy”. “Cutting capital requirements would give banks one-time room on their balance sheets. But this does not mean more productive investment in the economy, it means undermining banks’ lending capacity in the future,” Julia Symon of Finance Watch said in a statement.

EU financial services commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque told journalists the European banking sector was “still too fragmented across national lines”, which “prevents banks from reaching the scale needed to compete globally”.

The report appeared to criticise German objections this year to Italian lender UniCredit’s hostile takeover of Commerzbank.

“Unjustified interventions at the national level too often hinder the ability of EU banks to consolidate,” the EU said without naming any country.

“As a result, those banks are prevented from scaling up at the EU level.”

The EU executive will propose new banking rules in the first half of 2027.

Gold rose on Friday but was on track for its biggest weekly loss in six. This came as escalating US-Iran tensions drove energy prices higher. The situation fuelled inflation fears and reinforced expectations of US interest rate hikes.

Spot gold was up 1 percent at 4,011.29 dollars per ounce by 2:20 p.m. EDT. Prices touched their lowest level since June 30 earlier in the session. They were down around 2.6 percent so far for the week.

US gold futures for August delivery settled 0.7 percent higher at 4,018.80 dollars. The US dollar rose for a second straight session. This made bullion more expensive for overseas buyers.

Chris Gaffney, president of world markets at EverBank, commented on the trend. He said the main drivers of the selloff in gold have been a stronger US dollar and higher global inflation fears.

He added that these factors have sent global interest rates higher. The US escalated its renewed bombing campaign on Iran on Friday. It hit bridges and an airport.

Tehran responded with strikes on US bases across the Middle East. Brent crude oil prices were up around 16 percent for the week following the attacks. Bullion has fallen about 25 percent since the US-backed war began.

The war with Iran started in late February. It has pressured gold by raising expectations that war-driven inflation could keep interest rates higher for longer. While gold is a hedge against inflation, higher rates typically weigh on it.

The non-yielding metal faces pressure from climbing global interest rates. Gaffney said recent data decreased the probability of a rate hike at the next FOMC meeting. However, global interest rates continue to climb.

He noted the recent increase in oil prices could drive the Federal Reserve to take a more hawkish stance on US interest rate policy. Traders see about a 58 percent chance of a US interest rate hike in September.

This calculation is according to the CME FedWatch Tool. On Thursday, Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson suggested he would be open to raising rates. This would happen if there was no near-term improvement in inflation.

Goldman Sachs said in a note that gold’s share in private portfolios remains low. It added that recent geopolitical developments, including Iran and broader tensions, may accelerate diversification.

Boeing projected Friday a global commercial fleet of 50,000 planes in 2045, more than 90 percent of which will be more fuel-efficient “new-generation” aircraft.

That compares with today’s global fleet of 28,000 airplanes, reflecting higher long-term demand due to economic growth and additional travel routes. Plane manufacturers must build nearly 44,000 new planes over the next two decades to meet new growth and replace older planes, according to Boeing’s new annual forecast.The figures, released ahead of next week’s Farnborough Air Show in Britain, are similar to those in Boeing’s 2025 outlook, which also highlighted favorable travel demand dynamics in light of rising GDP.In 2045, an estimated 92 percent of the fleet will have the environmental benefits of the newer fleet, estimated to use about 20 percent less fuel. About 32 percent of today’s fleet is composed of new-generation aircraft.

This year “isn’t going commercially from an industry airline perspective like I think a lot of us expected coming into 2026,” Boeing Vice President of Commercial Marketing Darren Hulst said at a briefing.

“However ... the fundamentals for air travel and demand for air travel are completely intact,” he added.

Hulst now expects 2026 travel demand to be “about half or even a little bit less” than what was expected heading into the year.

Boeing was surprised at how quickly airlines rerouted traffic from the Middle East to other markets due to the conflict, Hulst said.

“We saw, for example, passengers using hubs in Europe or Asia, or in some cases even North America, to transit their long-haul travel patterns,” said Hulst.

Between 2026 and 2045, Boeing’s forecast projects four percent annual passenger traffic growth and 2.5 percent global economic growth.

As with last year, Boeing’s outlook highlights the gap between new plane production and demand in light of supply chain difficulties since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hulst said this “deficit” will probably not clear for single-aisle planes until the end of the 2020s and will go into the early 2030s for widebody jets.

The country's premier bourse maintained its robust recovery for another week as the benchmark index successfully reclaimed the psychological 5,900-point threshold for the first time in 22 months.

Driven by high expectations of market-friendly regulatory reforms and a significant spike in liquidity, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) saw its market capitalisation swell by Tk7,000 crore over the last five trading sessions.

The benchmark DSEX index gained 96 points, or 1.65%, to settle the week at 5,900. This marks the highest closing for the broad index since August 2024. The blue-chip DS30 index also mirrored the bullish trend, advancing by 49 points to close at 2,227.Market breadth remained in favour of the bulls, with 216 issues posting gains against 155 decliners, while 18 scrips remained unchanged.

According to the weekly market review by EBL Securities, the rally was underpinned by sustained investor confidence in a series of capital market development initiatives and a constructive near-term outlook. The week opened on a strong note, fueled by optimism over potential revisions to margin loan rules and measures to enhance market velocity through faster trade settlement cycles and the introduction of scrip netting (intraday trading) facilities. These factors pushed the daily turnover above the Tk1,600 crore mark during the peak of the week's trading.

Market participation saw a healthy rise, with the daily average turnover increasing by 6.58% to reach Tk1,474 crore, compared to Tk1,383 crore in the previous week.

Analysts at Sheltech Brokerage Limited noted that the performance was primarily dictated by investors' continued buying interest, particularly in blue-chip stocks. Although a bout of profit-taking emerged during the final session of the week, it only served to moderate the gains rather than derail the recovery momentum, as buying conviction remained resilient across the floor.

On the sectoral front, trading activity was most concentrated in the general insurance and textile sectors, each accounting for 13.3% of the total weekly turnover, followed by the pharmaceutical sector at 10.6%.

In terms of returns, the cement sector emerged as the star performer with a 7.1% gain, followed by mutual funds and the tannery sector, both rising by 5%.

Conversely, the information technology sector faced a correction of 2.0%, while the paper and travel sectors also saw marginal declines.

Individual stock performance was highlighted by Renwick Jajneswar, which led the gainers' list with a 27.3% price surge, followed by Sharp Industries and Golden Jubilee Mutual Fund.

On the liquidity front, Lovello Ice-cream, Malek Spinning, Bangladesh Shipping Corporation, BRAC Bank, and LafargeHolcim Bangladesh were the most sought-after stocks of the week.

On the losing side, Sunlife Insurance faced the steepest decline, shedding 13.5%, followed by Shurwid Industries and Sonargaon Textile.

The Middle East conflict may push 1.2 million more people into poverty in Bangladesh, according to a new report of UNICEF on Thursday. L

Up to 23.4 million additional children could fall into monetary poverty by the end of the year, as ongoing tensions in the Middle East and related shipping disruptions continue to have a damaging and potentially irreversible impact on children, it added.

"Across Bangladesh, the rising cost of staple foods such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, vegetables, fish and poultry, is putting increasing pressure on families, and an estimated 1.2 million more people could fall into poverty," said the UN agency.

The impact of the war in the Middle East on children in monetarily poor households draws on data from over 167 countries and highlights how rising food and energy prices, and broader economic shocks resulting from escalating hostilities - including disruptions linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - are eroding what households can afford to buy. Children in the poorest households are disproportionately affected.

"Children are paying the price for the escalating conflict in the Middle East, including children far beyond the region," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

"The longer this continues, the worse the consequences will be. Rapidly rising costs are making food and education unaffordable for many families. For children already living in poverty, these shocks deepen deprivation and can cause harm that lasts a lifetime," Russell continued.

The report examined two possible scenarios: adverse and severe poverty.

The adverse scenario reflects a moderate economic shock that could push an additional 18.3 million children into monetary poverty, while the severe scenario assumes stronger, more prolonged disruptions to prices and economic activity and projects that 23.4 million additional children could be pushed into monetary poverty if the war continues.

The analysis showed that child monetary poverty is highly sensitive to macroeconomic shocks. Increasing food and energy costs, combined with limited fiscal space in many countries, are directly reducing families' ability to meet basic needs.

The largest proportions of the global increase in monetary poverty are in Asia and Africa, with the two regions accounting for around 80 per cent of the total increase. Both continents reflect high baseline poverty rates and high vulnerability to external shocks.

UNICEF is calling on national governments, donor governments, and international financial institutions to protect children from the worst impacts of the crisis.

Shares of Al-Arafah Islami Bank and Peoples Leasing and Financial Services rose sharply today (16 July) as investors reacted positively to news of board restructurings, which many hope will restore operational efficiency and improve governance.

Defying a broader market correction, Al-Arafah gained 7.45% to close at Tk17.3, while Peoples Leasing climbed 8.33% to Tk1.3 on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE).

The rally in Al-Arafah Islami Bank shares followed a major decision by Bangladesh Bank. On Wednesday, the central bank appointed 14 new directors to the bank's board, expanding it from five to 19 members.

The move effectively allows Al-Arafah's founding shareholders to regain control after nearly a year under a board dominated by five independent directors appointed in August 2024 following a political transition and regulatory intervention.

At the same time, Peoples Leasing informed the bourses that its board had given in-principle approval to a proposal to bring back its original sponsors.

During its board meeting, the company noted it had received expressions of interest (EOIs) from certain sponsor shareholders willing to be included in the board.

The management has decided to forward the matter to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court for final consideration and appropriate orders, a step viewed by the market as a potential move toward stabilising the scam-hit institution.

Despite the gains in the two financial stocks, the broader market ended lower as the benchmark DSEX index fell 25 points to close at 5,900, snapping a five-day winning streak. The blue-chip DS30 index also dropped 15 points to finish at 2,227.

Market analysts from EBL Securities noted that the capital bourse retraced into a corrective phase as persistent intraday selling across major scrips exerted sustained downward pressure. While the market opened with some volatility, profit-taking in recently appreciated stocks gathered momentum throughout the session, dragging the majority of scrips into negative territory.

Market participation also saw a significant contraction, with daily turnover dropping by 26% to stand at Tk1,118 crore.

The market breadth remained bearish, with 240 issues declining compared to 103 that advanced, while 52 remained unchanged.

On the liquidity front, Techno Drugs emerged as the most traded stock, followed by Summit Alliance Port and Malek Spinning.

Among individual stocks, Techno Drugs and Global Heavy Chemical were also among the day's top gainers, alongside the rallying financial institutions. Usmania Glass and Zeal Bangla Sugar, meanwhile, ranked among the session's biggest losers.

The DSE brokers association of Bangladesh (DBA) has welcomed the steps of the capital market regulator to amend the margin rules, 2025, calling it a realistic and market-friendly move for the country's capital market.

In a press release today (18 July), the association said under the leadership of BSEC Chairman Masud Khan, the regulatory body is actively pursuing updates to the policy, drawing praise from capital market stakeholders.

The DBA believes that the amended margin rules will help establish a balanced, modern, and forward-looking regulatory framework, which will play a crucial role in the orderly, transparent, and sustainable development of Bangladesh's capital market.
The DBA expressed hope that the draft of the amended margin rules will soon be published for public opinion. After reviewing the draft, the DBA will submit its detailed feedback and recommendations to the Commission if necessary.DBA President Saiful Islam stated that the DBA fully supports the reform activities undertaken by the BSEC to make Bangladesh's capital market stronger, more modern, and investor-friendly.

"The DBA remains ready to work closely with the BSEC in all necessary reform activities for the development of the country's capital market in the future," he said.

In an official statement, the DBA expressed deep appreciation for a stakeholders' meeting organised by the BSEC on 13 July. The meeting brought together representatives from both the DBA and the Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA).

Capital market leaders praised the chairman and the BSEC commissioners for listening to their proposals, suggestions, and operational concerns regarding the draft framework.

According to the DBA, the market regulator's reassurance that stakeholder feedback will be integrated into the reform process signals a highly positive, market-friendly approach. The association believes that the upcoming revised Margin Rules will pave the way for a modern, balanced, and sustainable regulatory framework, crucial for ensuring long-term transparency and orderly development in Bangladesh's capital market.

On 14 July, the BSEC approved draft amendments to the Margin Rules, 2025, relaxing several restrictive provisions introduced last November to improve market liquidity and make margin lending more accessible.

The volume of foreign grants received by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Bangladesh hit a seven-year high of US$838.25 million in the last fiscal year (FY) 2025-26.

The amount was 5.46-percent higher than that of the previous fiscal, according to the NGO Affairs Bureau data.

Previously, NGOs operating in the country received $955.35 million worth of grant in FY2018-19, the highest annual disbursement in recent years, according to the data, which was sent to the Economic Relations Division (ERD) by the Bureau.

Meanwhile, the volume of fresh grant commitments through NGOs surged 44.62 per cent year-on-year to a record $1.15 billion in FY 2025-26, the highest ever annual commitment since the bureau began maintaining records.

In contrast, the availability of inward foreign grants for government-implemented development projects showed a downward trend in recent years, with both its disbursements and commitments showing lower than that of NGOs, the official data revealed.

The ERD secured foreign grant commitments amounting to $158.78 million during the first 11 months of FY 2025-26, reflecting a 58.32 per cent fall from that of $380.98 million in the matching period of the previous fiscal year.

Although the disbursements of grants for government projects rose 14.31 per cent year-on-year to $433.81 million during the July-May period, the amount was nearly half of the $838.25 million released in the entire fiscal year 2024-25.

The trend in the inward foreign grant reflected a major shift of channelising grants from government projects to NGO-run ones in the past decade.

Foreign grants received by the government-run projects were nearly double that of NGOs in consecutive three fiscal years starting from 2001, official figures showed.

The government projects maintained their dominance in the receipts of foreign grants until FY2013, while NGOs became the dominant channel from FY2014.

However, their gap started widening sharply in FY2018-19 and FY 2019-20 when NGO receipts were more than three times higher than that of government projects, according to the data.

Although the amounts of grants received by the government projects exceeded NGOs' receipts in FY2023-24 and FY 2024-25, the trend reversed in FY 2025-26, with the grants received by NGOs reaching $838.25 million during the first 11 months of the fiscal year.

The government projects received nearly $433.81 million worth of grants during the July-November period of last fiscal, according to the data.

Huarun Tex Co Ltd, a Chinese company, will invest $30 million to build a textile manufacturing plant at the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) Economic Zone in Mirsharai, Chattogram.

The factory will be built on a 36,000-square-metre site, according to a press release.

Once operational, it will produce 24,000 tonnes of yarn and 20 million metres of grey woven fabric each year, creating jobs for 580 Bangladeshi nationals.

Bepza and Huarun Tex signed a land lease agreement on July 16 at the Bepza Complex in Dhaka.

The agreement was signed by Md Tanvir Hossain, member (investment promotion) of Bepza, and Bin Wang, managing director of Huarun Tex, on behalf of their respective organisations.

Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, executive chairman of Bepza, thanked Huarun Tex for choosing Bangladesh, particularly the Bepza Economic Zone, for its investment.

He said Bepza is committed to providing a safe, modern and business-friendly environment for investors and assured the company of full support to ensure smooth operations.

Senior Bepza officials, including Abdullah Al Mamun, member (engineering), and ANM Foyzul Haque, member (finance), attended the signing ceremony along with representatives of Huarun Tex.

Bengal Biscuits Limited, listed on the SME board of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, has recommended a 10% cash dividend for all shareholders for the financial year ended 30 June 2025.

The decision was approved during a board meeting held on 15 July, where the company finalised its audited financial statements for the fiscal year 2024-2025.

According to the disclosed financial statements on the Dhaka bourse, the company's net profit after tax rose to Tk2.24 crore, up from Tk2.07 crore recorded in FY24. Concurrently, its earnings per share (EPS) increased to Tk2.83, compared to Tk2.61 in FY24.

The company's net asset value (NAV) per share also improved significantly, reaching Tk15.90 by the end of June 2025, up from Tk 4.07 in the prior year. However, its net operating cash flow per share (NOCFPS) witnessed a decline, dropping to Tk4.48 in FY25 from Tk5.94 in FY24.

Bengal Biscuits has set 6 August, as the record date for the entitlement of the recommended dividend. The company's annual general meeting (AGM) is scheduled to take place on 3 September.

The company got listed on the SME platform in 2021 from the over the counter (OTC). Its shares closed 4.63% lower at Tk82 on Thursday.

According to the shareholding report as of June, sponsors and directors hold 29.64% shares in the company, while 9.36% by the institutional investors and the remaining 61% held by public shareholders.

The second session of the 13th Parliament and the 2026-27 budget session have ended.

Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal read out President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s prorogation order on Wednesday evening, formally closing the session.

The session began on Jun 7 and ran for 26 working days. The budget was presented on Jun 11 and passed on Jun 30.

General discussions on the budget lasted 14 working days, with 316 lawmakers taking part in 48 hours and 51 minutes of debate.

Ten government bills were passed during the session.

A total of 715 notices were submitted under Rule 71, with 24 accepted and discussions held on 22. Lawmakers also discussed 125 notices under Rule 71(A).

Eleven committees, including a special committee on constitutional amendments, were formed.

Entrepreneurs have proposed amending the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Public Offer of Equity Securities) Rules, 2025 to allow companies to use more than 70% of funds raised through initial public offerings (IPOs) or repeat public offerings (RPOs) to repay long-term loans.The proposal was placed at a stakeholder consultation organised by the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) yesterday to discuss possible amendments to the Rules.Riyad Mahmud, president of the association representing listed companies, confirmed to The Business Standard that the organisation had submitted several recommendations during the meeting.
Under the existing Public Offer of Equity Securities Rules, 2025, companies are allowed to use up to 30% of IPO or RPO proceeds to repay existing debt. However, the facility is limited to long-term loans taken for projects or BMRE (Balancing, Modernisation, Rehabilitation and Expansion) purposes. The loans must not be classified or rescheduled, while companies are also required to submit an auditor's certification, a bank certificate and detailed disclosures in the prospectus regarding the proposed utilisation of proceeds.

Mahmud said the existing 30% cap is not practical for many industrial companies, particularly those that have borrowed heavily to establish or expand manufacturing facilities.

"Many countries do not impose any ceiling on using IPO proceeds for debt repayment. In practice, companies can use almost all of the proceeds for that purpose if necessary. We are not asking for a 100% allowance, but at least more than 70% of IPO proceeds should be allowed for repaying long-term loans," he said.

According to him, raising the limit would reduce interest expenses, strengthen companies' financial positions and enable them to focus more on production expansion and business growth after listing.

He also said relaxing the restriction would encourage more manufacturing companies to enter the capital market and raise equity capital instead of relying heavily on bank financing.

The association also proposed easing the mandatory roadshow requirement for companies seeking to go public through the book-building method.

Mahmud said companies are currently required to organise roadshows before receiving BSEC approval for their IPO applications. If the Commission ultimately rejects an application, the expenditure incurred on the roadshow becomes unnecessary.

"Our proposal is to allow companies to hold roadshows after receiving IPO approval from the Commission. That would reduce unnecessary costs and make the IPO process more efficient," he added.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA) also submitted a series of recommendations seeking amendments to the Rules.

A senior merchant banker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Business Standard that the association has proposed removing the provision that limits the post-IPO paid-up capital of companies using the fixed-price method to Tk125 crore.

According to the merchant banker, the cap discourages many fundamentally strong companies from choosing the fixed-price route for listing.

The association has also recommended removing the provision that prevents companies from applying for an IPO within two years if they increase their capital through any share issuance other than bonus shares.

Merchant bankers argue that the restriction unnecessarily delays the listing plans of otherwise eligible companies.

The BMBA has further proposed reviewing the requirement that at least 40 eligible institutional investors participate in the bidding process under the book-building method. According to the association, securing participation from 40 eligible investors is often difficult under prevailing market conditions, resulting in delays in the IPO process.

In addition, merchant bankers recommended simplifying the overall IPO approval process, including streamlining documentation, facilitating bank loan verification procedures and ensuring that statutory auditors complete audits more efficiently and on time.

They believe these measures would shorten approval timelines, reduce documentation requirements and make the listing process faster and more efficient for prospective issuers.

The meeting was attended by the BSEC chairman and commissioners, senior Commission officials, and representatives from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB), Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh (DBA), Bangladesh Association of Publicly Listed Companies (BAPLC), Bangladesh Merchant Bankers Association (BMBA), CFA Society Bangladesh, as well as merchant banks, issue managers and other capital market stakeholders.

Stocks opened higher on Wednesday, extending the previous session's gains as investor confidence strengthened following a series of market-supportive regulatory reforms and fiscal measures.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on Tuesday approved several investor-friendly initiatives, including the introduction of scrip netting for intraday trading and amendments to the Margin Rules aimed at making margin lending more flexible and investor-friendly, which further boosted investor confidence.

By 11:00 am, DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), had gained 54 points, or 0.91 per cent, to 5,965, supported by strong buying in large-cap and fundamentally sound stocks.

Market operators said investor sentiment has remained upbeat following the budgetary measures announced by the government, which include a range of incentives designed to revitalise the country's capital market. They added that the latest regulatory reforms have further reinforced expectations of a more efficient, transparent and liquid market.

Analysts said the fiscal and regulatory measures are expected to make equity investment more attractive, encourage greater participation from both retail and institutional investors, strengthen the mutual fund industry, and enable companies to raise long-term funds more efficiently through the capital market.

Trading activity also remained buoyant. Turnover on the premier bourse reached Tk 5.15 billion within the first hour of trading, reflecting sustained buying interest across major sectors.

Market breadth remained firmly positive, with 237 issues advancing, 105 declining and 43 remaining unchanged by 11:00 am, indicating broad-based gains across the market.

ACI Formulations was the most-traded stock by value till then, with shares worth Tk 210 million changing hands.

Bangladesh’s economy is in crisis due to domestic and external shocks, and graduation from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) this year will worsen the situation due to several risks, according to a government document.

The paper identified the risk of disruptions to oil supplies, higher prices amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, and export losses due to the signing of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) between Bangladesh’s competitors and the European Union and the United Kingdom, two key export destinations.

Ongoing investigations by the US Trade Representative (USTR) targeting Bangladesh on overcapacity and the enforcement of policies restricting imports of products made with child and forced labour may result in additional duties on Bangladesh’s exports in the US market, its single largest export destination, said the paper.

The government prepared the document ahead of the meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) next week.

A team, led by Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, is already in New York to persuade other nations to support Bangladesh’s bid to extend its graduation schedule by another three years to allow more time to prepare for competition in the post-LDC period.

Bangladesh, along with Nepal and Lao PDR, is scheduled to graduate from the LDC category in November. However, due to unprecedented political, macroeconomic, environmental and external shocks, Bangladesh and Nepal have requested a three-year extension of their preparatory period until November 2029.

The UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) had earlier recommended approving Bangladesh’s request to defer its graduation from the least-developed country (LDC) category from November 2026 to November 2029.The recommendation now awaits formal ratification by the UN General Assembly.

The finance ministry report said high inflation, falling exports, and rising energy and fertiliser bills amid the war in the Middle East have heightened risks to the Bangladesh economy, which has been experiencing sluggish growth, rising poverty and mounting bad loans.

At this stage, graduation from the LDC category and the resulting loss of export preferences will deepen economic vulnerability.

According to the report, International Support Measures (ISMs), especially in exports and pharmaceuticals, have played a critical role in Bangladesh’s economic development.

The loss of ISMs after graduation will increase the risk for the country.

Bangladesh’s reliance on ISMs has been identified as one of its vulnerabilities during and after graduation by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), it said.

The finance ministry said investor confidence has weakened due to political instability in recent years and will take time to restore.

It said more time is required to conclude FTA negotiations with trading partners to reduce the risks of losing preferential market access.

The report also cited the end of the waiver on compliance with intellectual property rights, along with increased poverty caused by persistent inflation, and warned that the prices of life-saving drugs may rise, putting further strain on public health.

“Given the strong role of ISMs in the Gross Domestic Product and employment, graduation under the current uncertainty could further destabilise the macroeconomy, which will impede a smooth and sustainable graduation,” it said.

The finance ministry said Bangladesh’s economy, which grew by over 6 percent annually in the five years before 2021, has since slowed. Inflation has remained above 8 percent since 2022, while poverty is projected to rise in 2025, pushing more people into extreme poverty.

Due to the significant increase in the prices of essential commodities, including oil, in recent years, the import bill for these items has risen substantially, accounting for over 25 percent of total import payments.

The import bill for oil and fertiliser has increased by 72 percent and 44 percent, respectively, during July-May of fiscal year 2025-26, exerting considerable pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

The finance ministry said current circumstances do not show any evidence that the situation will improve before the present graduation timeline.

The report also mentioned record-high non-performing loans in the banking sector and said there was a severe and systemic shortage of funds available for lending and investment.

“Rising international borrowing costs and debt servicing are shrinking fiscal space, limiting public investment in key sectors like infrastructure, health, education and social protection.”

Exports have been declining in recent times despite duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) access due to global trade uncertainty and rising domestic business costs stemming from higher interest rates and energy prices.

Delays in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees have placed additional pressure on government expenditure.

“The government requires at least two years to stabilise the economy and move towards smooth and sustainable graduation within the next three years.”

The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday passed the Invest Bangladesh Bill, 2026, paving the way for the creation of the Invest Bangladesh Authority as the country’s single investment promotion agency.

The bill, moved by Salahuddin Ahmed, minister in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office and minister for home affairs, was passed by voice vote.

The new law will merge the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (Beza), Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority (BHTPA) and the Public-Private Partnership Authority (PPPA) into one statutory body.

The government said the move would simplify investor services, reduce bureaucratic delays and improve coordination among government agencies.

The new law will merge Bida, Beza, PPPA and the Hi-Tech Park Authority into one statutory body

Speaking in parliament, Salahuddin said the law does not introduce a new system but combines existing institutions whose responsibilities have increasingly become overlapping.

“We are not creating a new concept. Different authorities with similar responsibilities have created overlapping functions, and investors are not receiving services through a genuine one-window system. We are simply merging these authorities into one,” he told the House.

He said the government had planned to place the bill before parliament earlier, but Wednesday was the final sitting of the session.

“If there had been any complex legal issue in the bill, I myself would have proposed sending it to the standing committee,” he said.

Responding to concerns from opposition lawmakers, Salahuddin said members could propose amendments verbally as procedural requirements had already been waived. He assured the House that reasonable proposals would be considered and included through future amendments if necessary.

Under the new law, the Invest Bangladesh Authority will become the country’s sole investment promotion agency. It will be responsible for attracting domestic and foreign investment, promoting industrialisation and coordinating approvals among government agencies.

The authority will oversee economic zones, hi-tech parks and public-private partnership projects. It will also approve investment incentives and facilitate major investment proposals.

It will operate a unified digital platform to integrate all investment-related approvals, licences and permits. All relevant government agencies will be required to use the platform, while existing one-stop service systems run by different agencies will gradually be merged into it.

The law allows the authority to recommend visas and work permits for foreign investors and experts, facilitate investment agreements, oversee industrial land allocation and advise the government on the strategic use or disposal of unused state-owned industrial and commercial assets.

It will also set deadlines for key government services linked to approved investment projects, including land allocation, utility connections, customs clearance and environmental approvals.

The authority will be governed by a board chaired by the prime minister or a nominee. The board will include ministers responsible for finance, commerce, industries, energy, foreign affairs, land and law, along with the Bangladesh Bank governor, senior government officials and private sector representatives, including women members.

An executive council headed by an executive chairman will oversee the authority’s day-to-day operations.

The law repeals the Bangladesh Economic Zones Act, 2010, the Bangladesh Public-Private Partnership Act, 2015, the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act, 2016, the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Act and the One Stop Service Act, 2018.

All assets, liabilities, contracts and employees of the four agencies will be transferred to the new authority.

Grameenphone Ltd has announced a 105% interim cash dividend, equivalent to Tk10.50 per share, following the approval of its audited financial results for the first half of 2026.

The decision was approved at the company's board meeting held yesterday (14 July).

For the first half of 2026, the telecom operator reported earnings per share (EPS) of Tk10.52, net operating cash flow per share of Tk22.27 and a net asset value (NAV) per share of Tk41.51.

The record date has been set for 12 August.