The government hiked the price of a 12kg cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Tk 252, an almost 16 percent jump in one go, which was in line with the petrol products' hikes announced earlier. According to a Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission press notification issued the next day, the regulator calculated the October price based on Saudi Aramco's Contract Price (CP) for propane and butane, which stood at $680 and $730 per tonne respectively. The average Saudi CP was therefore set at $712.50 per tonne.

The commission also considered $250 per tonne in shipping and trader premiums and an average exchange rate of Tk123.18 per US dollar while determining the new price. It all meant the price of the 12kg cylinder that is by far the most popular among households, would now be Tk 1837- at least that is what the government has stipulated. In reality, private retailers and the companies themselves tack on a premium on top of the price set by the government.

Point-to-point inflation remained virtually unchanged in September, with BBS reporting it at 8.3 percent, after the August figure was rounded off to 8.3 percent. Nevertheless it does follow two consecutive months of actual easing, although very slight. BBS' own analysis accompanying the report went no further than to suggest higher food costs in September pushed up overall consumer prices. That's from BBS' supplementary findings, that included food inflation increasing from 7 percent to 7.2 percent.

Non-food inflation was practically unchanged, hovering around the same 9.3 percent. Following the fuel price hike in the third week of September, price pressures mounted in both rural and urban areas. Rural households, however, faced higher price increases, with inflation rising to 8.4 percent last month, compared with 8.3 percent in cities. Over the 12-month period to September, the national moving average inflation rate stood at 8.65 percent. Bangladesh Bank is working with a target to pull it down to 7.5 percent for the year.

The government is set to sign a 15-year concession agreement with UAE-based DP World, one of the world's leading ports and logistics firms, to operate and maintain the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram Port. This is for all intents and purposes the very same deal that the Yunus administration, or interim government, had negotiated on behalf of the country, before running into all kinds of opposition anchored in thinking without reason. Even workers were made to issue threats to shut down the port if the deal was signed.

No such bad luck on the part of the elected BNP government however. Suddenly the decision to hold on to Ashik Chowdhury at BIDA makes sense now. He has been leading the negotiations with DP World throughout, and we understand it will be his signature at the bottom of the deal to be signed in Dhaka. Alongside that of DP World Group chairman Essa Kazim, who will be flying in.

Toyota Tsusho Corporation unveiled a plan to establish its first vehicle manufacturing facility in Bangladesh, as a high-level delegation led by vice-chairman Ichiro Kashitani met with prime minister Tarique Rahman at the secretariat on Tuesday. Presenting a development philosophy 'With Bangladesh, For Bangladesh', Toyota plans to begin setting up a Hybrid Electric Vehicle manufacturing plant within one of the country's economic zones in 2027, targeting full-scale commercial production by 2029.

Briefing the prime minister on the long-term project, Toyota representatives highlighted the factory's potential to drive local job creation, accelerate industrialisation, and train young workers through technical and vocational programmes tailored to modern automotive manufacturing. Fairly impressed by the vision laid out for him, PM Tarique Rahman assured the delegation of full policy support, infrastructure facilities, and investment incentives. He noted that the government remains focused on maintaining a stable, competitive, and investor-friendly climate, while also encouraging Toyota to explore additional opportunities in renewable energy and waste-to-energy projects.