Withdrawals outpaced investments in the first half of FY23

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports that loan contract awards for development projects fell short of expectations in both 2021 and 2022, and that all agencies must make more efforts to speed up the procurement and implementation process. With expected rates of 38.9% and 96.2%, respectively, ADB's loan contract awards aim for 2023 is $886.9 million, while its disbursement target is $1,339.4 million.

To achieve gender equality, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad called for the country's information technology industry to have a gender-specific budget. The demand was made during a debate on the "National Budget: Women's Access to Information Technology and Readiness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution."

To deliver liquefied natural gas, the government has chosen to construct two floating terminals at Cox's Bazar. The terminals, which have a daily capacity of one billion cubic feet, are designed to import additional LNG from other countries in order to address the gas issue. One of the terminals is being built by Accelerate Energy, and the inaugural contract will be signed in a month.

During the month of Ramadan, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited has launched an Iftar distribution program in front of its head office in Dilkusha, Dhaka. According to a news release, Mohammed Monirul Moula, the bank's managing director and CEO, inaugurated the event as the program's chief guest on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Under this program, the bank will distribute Iftar items among more than one lac pedestrian fasting Muslims at 12 traffic points in Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna City during the month of Ramadan.

The Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD), a private research institute, held a press conference in the capital city of Dhanmondi to discuss their concerns about the rising prices of daily necessities. The CPD believes that the prices of essential goods have become unaffordable for many due to several internal factors, including the manipulation of a small number of influential institutions in the market and a lack of proper control systems.

Due to the high cost of fuel on the international market, the government is debating its coal policy, but it is not anticipated to increase coal. Choices will be made to guarantee the wellbeing of the nation and its citizens. The Energy Department has been issued orders by the Cabinet Department to complete the coal strategy, which is being mined from Barapukuria by underground mining, but only 10% of the stored coal is being lifted.