Meghna Group Invests Tk 1,300 Crore in Tyre Manufacturing

In 2024, Bangladesh’s vehicle market shrank to its lowest in a decade amid soaring costs, strict foreign currency controls, and declining purchasing power. Only 308,000 vehicles were registered, a sharp drop from previous years.

Bangladesh has registered only 396 electric vehicles (EVs) since allowing registration in 2020, with most being motorcycles (243), followed by 94 hard jeeps, 54 private cars, three microbuses, and one delivery van and auto-rickshaw each.

Sales of heavy-duty trucks and covered vans rebounded in 2024, driven by pent-up demand and fleet replacement cycles, despite economic uncertainties. According to BRTA data, covered van registrations increased by 57% to 2,949 in 2024 from 1,874 in 2023, while truck registrations grew 16.5% to 2,671 from 2,292.

TRANSFORM, an impact accelerator led by Unilever, the UK Government, and EY, announced grants of up to BDT 10 million each for two Bangladeshi SMEs focused on climate resilience.

A proposed hike in gas prices by Petrobangla has sparked major concerns among industrialists in Bangladesh, fearing economic harm. Industrial leaders argue that the increase, if approved, could lead to factory closures, job losses, and reduced industrial output, harming economic growth and potentially causing social unrest.

In FY 2023-24, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) faced operating losses due to reduced trading, fewer IPOs, and increased costs. The DSE's core revenue of Tk 125 crore fell short of expenses, causing a Tk 20 crore loss, while the CSE incurred a Tk 10 crore loss with Tk 31 crore in core revenue.