Jagaran Chakma

Bangladesh and the UAE will at last sign a 15-year deal today for the operation and maintenance of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) and its overflow container yard at Chattogram Port.

The Maitree Express train connecting Dhaka in Bangladesh to Kolkata in West Bengal may resume only after India makes a formal request through diplomatic channels, according to a senior Bangladesh Railway official, as the new service would take a shorter route via Padma Bridge instead of the previous lengthy route across the Jamuna river.

The resumption of public infrastructure projects has raised hopes of a recovery among steelmakers, who have been struggling with weak demand, rising costs and financial pressure. However, a lasting recovery will depend on whether renewed construction activity translates into stronger steel sales.

Deli ACI Bangladesh Ltd, a joint venture between Chinese stationery maker Deli Group and ACI Bangladesh, plans to start manufacturing stationery products locally by the end of 2027.

The country's remittances, energy and fertiliser imports, and exports face fresh risks as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis fire ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia.

Annual domestic steel consumption has fallen to an estimated 40 lakh tonnes from around 70 lakh tonnes previously

Motorcycle sales in Bangladesh fell 1.3 percent year-on-year to 34,887 units in September, as higher fuel prices added to ownership costs and weighed on demand, particularly for commuter bikes.

Japanese companies could invest in manufacturing cars and parts in Bangladesh for the local market, which currently relies entirely on imports for Japanese brands such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

The government is looking to secure $1 billion in budget support from South Korea to help manage the economic fallout from prolonged unrest in the Middle East, as rising energy costs put pressure on public finances and foreign exchange reserves.

Businesses ordered fewer machines from abroad and paid for less equipment already shipped in the July-September quarter than a year earlier, as a severe LNG and power crisis brought production lines in key industrial areas across the country to a standstill.