The government is going to set up four solar power plants to generate 420 megawatts (MW) of electricity for 20 years. The cabinet committee on public purchase approved proposals of Bangladesh Power Development Board in this regard, according to a press release. As per the proposals, a 240 MW plant will be set up in Trishal of Mymensingh through a joint venture of Energon Renewables (BD) Ltd, one of Orion Group's concerns, and PWR Energy Trading LLC. The plant will approximately cost Tk 8,553.60 crore while the unit price will be Tk 10.995 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Another 30 MW solar power plant will be established in Chakaria of Cox's Bazar by a consortium of DH Euro Hitech Co. Ltd of South Korea and NewTech Solar Energy BD Ltd of Bangladesh at an estimated Tk 1,072.80 crore. Its unit price will be Tk 11.03 per kWh. Another 50 MW solar power plant will be set up in Cox's Bazar sadar upazila by Joules Power Ltd at an approximate cost of Tk 1,771.20 crore and unit price of Tk 10.94 per kWh. Apart from that, the consortium of Asian Entech Power Corporation Ltd and Axia Power Holdings B.V. Company will set up a 100 MW solar power plant in Mongla of Bagerhat.

Abu Dhabi (AD) Ports Group has offered to invest $1 billion to construct a multipurpose terminal, one of four under Bay Terminal, in a joint venture with Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), said CPA Chairman Rear Admiral Mohammad Sohail. A deal will be signed to start the construction under a public-private partnership (PPP) by June next year, he told a press conference at the CPA on the port's successes in 2023 and plans for next year.

The Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company has a broad portfolio of major enterprises, which also own and operate 10 ports and terminals, according to its website.

Up until now, Bay Terminal, to be constructed on the coast of Bay of Bengal, is scheduled to have two container terminals, a multipurpose terminal and an oil and gas terminal. A joint venture of South Korean firms Kunhwa Engineering and Consulting Company Ltd and Daeyoung Engineering Company Ltd, has prepared the feasibility study and masterplan.

The signing of the economic partnership agreement with Japan would be completed within the agreed time of December 2025 to continue duty-free access in the market even after the graduation of Bangladesh from the least developed country in 2026, commerce ministry senior secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh said. The commerce secretary made the statement while he revealed the report of the joint study group on the possibility of an economic partnership agreement (EPA) between Bangladesh and Japan at a joint press conference held at the conference room of the ministry in the capital Dhaka.

Tapan Kanti said that following the graduation of Bangladesh from the LDC to a developing one, the country would lose the preferential market access in most of its export destinations.

He said that the signing of EPA would allow duty-free market access of Bangladesh's export goods to Japan and it would uplift the bilateral trade and investment to a new high.

The biennial election of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association for the term 2024-26 will be held on March 9, 2024. BGMEA election board declared the election schedule on December 19 for electing 35 directors of the trade body. According to the schedule, preliminary voter lists will be published on January 18, 2024 while the final one will be published on January 30, 2024. Members' units would have to clear up their subscription and other dues up to the year 2023 and submit voter nominations as per the election schedule.