Bangladesh’s economy is facing mounting pressure from persistent inflation, weakening investment, energy shortages and declining employment opportunities, business leaders and economists warned at a seminar organized by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) in Dhaka on Saturday.

The seminar, titled “Economic Position Index (EPI): Quarterly Macroeconomic State of Dhaka,” introduced a new quarterly index developed by DCCI to provide a more real-time picture of the country’s economic condition amid growing concerns over the limitations of conventional macroeconomic indicators.

Speaking at the event, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed said Bangladesh is currently passing through a difficult economic phase marked by high inflation, pressure on foreign exchange reserves, sluggish private investment, uncertainty in energy supply and rising production costs.

He noted that these factors are exerting significant stress on the overall macroeconomy.

DCCI Secretary General (Acting) Dr. A.K.M. Asaduzzaman Patwari presented the keynote paper and explained that the EPI was developed to bridge information gaps in business, trade, investment planning and economic forecasting.

The research was conducted in Dhaka using data collected from 762 respondents from the manufacturing and service sectors during the first two quarters of FY2025-26.

The survey findings revealed that climate change is hurting agricultural production, energy shortages are slowing industrial output and falling purchasing power is affecting the growth of the service sector.

The report recommended market price stabilization, uninterrupted energy supply, low-interest loans for CMSMEs, improved infrastructure and faster trade-related services to ease business operations.

Prominent economist Dr. Zaidi Sattar said the effectiveness of the index would increase significantly if it is expanded nationwide, adding that such data could help businesses assess economic risks more accurately.

Officials and experts at the seminar also expressed concern over Bangladesh’s post-LDC graduation challenges, fragile banking conditions and weak capital market performance.

Several speakers stressed the need for institutional reforms, business-friendly policies, greater digitalization of public services and increased foreign direct investment to sustain economic growth.

Experts further warned that without urgent reforms and policy support, the country’s private sector could face deeper uncertainty amid global economic instability and climate-related risks.

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