Collection of important news, policy update and industry insights in relation to impact on SMEs/businesses in Bangladesh due to Covid-19 situation.
Coronavirus outbreak: IMF projects 2pc GDP growth for Bangladesh this year
After World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also projected Bangladesh's low economic growth for this year as a result of the virus outbreak.
The Daily Star | Bangladesh / Economy
Direct cash transfer for 1.5cr poor during Ramadan
The government is set to transfer Tk 2,000 in cash to each of about 40 lakh families whose breadwinners have lost jobs because of lockdown, as part of its efforts to keep the most vulnerable segment of the society at home to tackle the deadly virus.
The Daily Star | Bangladesh / Tackling Epidemic
Sweets industry at stake due to Covid-19
Dhaka-based sweet manufacturers alone have already faced a loss of minimum Tk30 crore
The Business Standard | Bangladesh / Industry Impact
Amex is tweaking rewards to accommodate changes in shopping habits amid the pandemic
The major US issuer is offering cardholders new perks and benefits amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a broader update about its coronavirus-related plans. The pandemic is causing consumer spending to plummet as unemployment spikes and nonessential retailers close throughout the world.
Business Insider | Global / Business
Oil prices slump as market faces lowest demand in 25 years
US oil prices tumbled to 18-year lows of $19.20 a barrel on Wednesday morning and the benchmark price for Brent crude dropped by 5% to $28 a barrel amid gloomy forecasts for demand during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Guardian | Global / Economy
Coronavirus 'Great Lockdown' to shrink global economy by 3% in 2020: IMF
The global economy is expected to shrink by 3.0% during 2020 in a stunning coronavirus-driven collapse of activity that will mark the steepest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.
Live Mint | Global / Economy
Japan stocks jump more than 3%; China’s dollar-denominated exports fall less than expected
Stocks in Asia rose on Tuesday as Chinese exports for March fell less-than-expected.
CNBC | Asia / Economy
Samsung's supply chain woes highlight the unpredictability of disruptions from the coronavirus
Vietnamese authorities shut down a unit within a Samsung Display factory after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Reuters. As a precautionary response, 44 additional workers from the unit were quarantined, and the factory and buses for worker transportation were disinfected.
Business Insider | Asia / Business
Case Update
| Region | Confirmed Cases | Confirmed Death |
| Bangladesh | 1,231 (+219) |
50 (+4) |
| World Wide | 2,023,285 | 128,841 |
