Chief Editor's Pages Archive - The Oniket Bulletin

Macroeconomic impact analysis of Bangladesh Bank’s Export Cash Incentive Scheme 2026

Bangladesh Bank has decided to maintain its export cash incentive scheme for FY2026-27, keeping all 43 product categories and their existing rates (ranging from 0.30 percent to 10 percent) unchanged. This has been framed as a deliberate policy of continuity, meant to sustain export momentum amid shifting global demand. Yet when examined through the lenses…

Flood Disaster Management in Bangladesh: Lessons from Cox’s Bazar

The gradual recession of floodwaters across Cox’s Bazar, following eight consecutive days of intense rainfall, represents only a temporary respite rather than a definitive resolution of the crisis. Although water levels in the district’s two principal rivers, the Matamuhuri and the Bakkhali, are returning to normal, and meteorological forecasts indicate no immediate prospect of prolonged…

Simplifying and Improving Financial Inclusion in Rural Bangladesh

According to World Bank statistics, 21% of adults worldwide have no banking inclusion, meaning they do not use any bank account and conduct all transactions using cash or unsafe methods. This population essentially has no financial literacy. The challenge is even more complex in Bangladesh. Only 36% of adult women and 65% of adult men…

Bangladesh-Malaysia Economic Benefits: Explorable or just Potential?

The recent official visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Malaysia carries weight far beyond diplomatic courtesy. As his first foreign destination since assuming office in February 2026, the choice of Kuala Lumpur sends a deliberate signal: Bangladesh views Malaysia as a priority economic partner. Over two days of engagements, the Prime Minister is…

Water, Power, and the Contract Design Problem: India-Bangladesh Treaty

The relationship between India and Bangladesh concerning shared river waters is among the most consequential and most unresolved bilateral arrangements in South Asia. The relationship is characterized by geographic disparities, political interdependence, and a persistent inability to translate goodwill into legally binding commitments. When examined through the framework of contract design in economic theory, the…

Academic and Applied Research in Bangladesh Universities

Bangladesh has made significant progress in economic development over the past two decades. However, the country’s universities continue to perform poorly in global academic rankings. The discrepancy between the nation’s developmental aspirations and the state of its university research indicates a systemic challenge that necessitates thorough examination and a strategic shift toward applied research. The…

A Critical Review of Bangladesh’s New IMF Request and Its Economic Consequences

Sheikh Selim The formal request made by Bangladesh to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in early June for a new financial arrangement (accepted by the IMF on June 4) is a pivotal and consequential moment in the country’s recent economic history. Government officials have characterized the move as a proactive step toward macroeconomic stability and…

Why Bangladesh’s Forthcoming Budget Must Confront Tariff and Trade Tax Reform

Bangladesh’s forthcoming budget arrives at a decisive juncture. With LDC graduation scheduled for November 2026, the country can no longer afford the comfort of a tariff regime designed for a different era. Trade taxes and restrictions that were previously utilized as protective measures for emerging industries have become entrenched as structural impediments to export diversification,…

Tobacco Industry in Bangladesh and the Path to Sustainable Balance

Bangladesh finds itself at a critical juncture, confronted with one of its most economically significant and socially destructive industries. Tobacco occupies a paradoxical position in the national economy. On the one hand, it generates billions in revenue. Conversely, it imposes an even more substantial burden of death, environmental destruction, and social harm on the very…

Cards on the Table: Bangladesh’s Farmer Card, Family Card, and the Politics of Subsidy

Recently, the Bangladesh government has introduced two flagship social protection instruments, namely. the Farmer Card and the Family Card. These are framed as transformative tools for delivering targeted subsidies to the rural poor and agricultural communities. On the surface, these initiatives represent a rational modernisation of the country’s subsidy architecture, moving away from blanket support…