Fashion
Inflation may fall below 7% by Jun 2026: Bangladesh’s interim govt
The assessment was made at a recent meeting chaired by chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, who reviewed the country’s overall economic performance and budgetary outlook with senior policymakers.
Inflation has already shown signs of easing after a prolonged period of pressure driven by currency weakness, supply disruptions and global price shocks.
Bangladesh’s inflation may drop below 7 per cent by next June amid contractionary monetary policy, fiscal restraint and improving balance across primary economic indicators, the government feels.
Inflation has already shown signs of easing after a prolonged period of pressure.
The government believes if inflation continues to fall while wage growth remains steady, purchasing power could recover further.
Tighter monetary conditions and fiscal discipline were beginning to yield results, with policymakers expressing confidence that inflation would continue to moderate over the coming months, domestic media outlets reported citing the minutes of the meeting.
Based on a 12-month average, overall inflation fell below 9 per cent in November this year for the first time since June 2023.
Point-to-point inflation had crossed the 9-per cent threshold in March 2023, peaking at 9.33 per cent.
However, it dropped below 9 per cent again in June 2025 and declined further to 8.29 per cent in November 2025.
One of the most politically sensitive issues discussed was the long-standing gap between inflation and wage growth, which has eroded real incomes in recent years. For much of the past decade, rising prices have outpaced wage increases, leaving households poorer despite nominal income gains.
The government believes that if inflation continues to fall while wage growth remains steady, purchasing power could recover further during the current fiscal.
The meeting was informed about a marked improvement in Bangladesh’s external position. As of December 18, gross foreign exchange reserves stood at $32.57 billion—up sharply from about $25 billion in August 2024.
The increase was attributed to a more stable exchange rate, stronger remittance inflows and higher interest rates in the domestic financial sector, which have helped curb capital flight and encourage formal inflows. Reserves are expected to rise further in the coming months.
The current account, which had recorded persistent deficits from fiscal 2016-17 to fiscal 2023-24, has also shown signs of stabilisation.
Remittance inflows have been bright. Import growth has also revived after prolonged restrictions imposed to conserve foreign exchange.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
By
Reuters
Published
December 26, 2025
Silver hit $75 for the first time on Friday, with gold and platinum too striking record highs, as speculative bets, expectations for more US rate cuts, and rising geopolitical tensions powered precious metals.
Spot gold rose 0.8% to $4,515.73 per ounce, as of 0818 GMT, after touching a record $4,530.60 earlier. US gold futures for February delivery climbed 0.9% to $4,545.10. Spot silver jumped 3.8% to $74.68 per ounce, after touching an all-time high of $75.14.
“Momentum-driven and speculative players have been powering the rally in gold and silver since early December, with thin year-end liquidity, expectations of prolonged US rate cuts, a weaker dollar, and a flare-up in geopolitical risks combining to push precious metals to fresh record highs,” said Kelvin Wong, senior market analyst at OANDA.
“Looking ahead into the first half of 2026, gold could move towards the $5,000 level, while silver has the potential to reach around $90,” said Wong.
Gold staged a strong rally this year, recording its biggest annual gain since 1979, fuelled by Federal Reserve policy easing, geopolitical uncertainty, strong central bank demand, rising ETF holdings, and ongoing de-dollarisation. Meanwhile, gold discounts in India hit a more than six-month high as record prices curbed retail buying, while China’s discounts retreated from last week’s five-year peak.
Silver soared 158% year-to-date, outpacing gold’s nearly 72% gain, on structural deficits, its listing as a US critical mineral, and robust industrial demand. With traders pricing in two US rate cuts next year, non-yielding assets like gold are likely to remain well-supported in a low-interest-rate environment.
On the geopolitical front, the US is focusing on enforcing a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil for the next two months. On Thursday, it struck Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria over attacks on local Christian communities.
Spot platinum rose 5.8% to $2,349.65 per ounce, after touching an all-time high of $2,448.25 earlier, while palladium climbed 7% to $1,801.25, following a three-year high in the previous session. All precious metals were headed for weekly gains.
Platinum and palladium, widely used in automotive catalytic converters, have surged on tight supply, tariff uncertainty, and rotation from gold investment demand, with platinum up roughly 160% and palladium more than 90% year-to-date. “Platinum prices are being supported by strong industrial demand, and stockists in the US have been covering positions amid sanctions-related concerns, which is helping keep prices elevated,” said Jigar Trivedi, senior research analyst at Reliance Securities, based in Mumbai.
© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.
Published
December 26, 2025
Expect consumer spending on Boxing Day to possibly fall short of the sales event’s previous two years as concerns over the cost of living weigh heavily on decision-making, says to the Barclays Consumer Spend report.
But fashion does remain the top shoppers’ choice with beauty not far behind.
Some 69% say cost pressures will impact their spending this year, up from 47% in 2024.
UK consumers are expecting to spend £3.6 billion this time, lower than the £4.6 billion predicted in 2024 and £4.7 billion in 2023. The good news is that the average shopper intends to increase their budget by £17 compared to 2024. That said, there’ll be fewer consumers taking part at 26% down from 28% a year ago.
As mentioned, clothes, footwear and accessories all remain top this year, chosen by 37% after the category saw subdued spending in 2025.
Third is beauty products (20%), behind food and drink (27%), but ahead of homewares (20%) and discounted Christmas items (19%) ranked next.
Meanwhile, nearly half (44% ) say they plan to shop at some point during the Christmas sales period, and for this group, the January sales are the most popular time to do so, chosen by 89%.
The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is now having an increasing influence with shoppers embracing AI and other smart tools in their hunt for deals.
And AI’s also having an influence on where consumers shop, with the report noting its use “demonstrates a renewed enthusiasm for the experience of shopping in-store”.
Demand for in-store shopping remains strong, continuing to be a Boxing Day tradition for many sales fans, as 49% of those who will browse the Boxing Day sales plan to visit shops in-person.
Those hitting the high street say they prefer to see and touch items before they buy (42%), that they like the human interaction (27%) and that they view the sales as a nice Christmas activity (26%.
People also say they would be even more inclined to visit the shops if they were offered in-store-only discounts (29%), easier access (24%), or free items with purchases (21%).
As for shopping digitally, the survey says that convenience is key with online shopping now being supported by the use of AI tools.
Online shopping remains the preference for 40%, and AI is “transforming how people seek out deals online”. Some 37% say they use AI and/or smart tools when shopping, rising to 53% for those aged 18-34.
These shoppers are turning to AI and smart tools to research products (43%), compare prices and deals (34%), generate gift ideas (31%) and set up personalised alerts (25%).
For many, the technology “provides reassurance and efficiency” with 72% saying it saves time by narrowing down the best deals, while two thirds (65%) trust AI to help find discounts. However, 50% do worry that AI tools may encourage overspending.
However, in light of growing cost-of-living concerns, a quarter (25% will only buy what they consider to be essentials in the sales. For those shopping for beauty and skincare specifically, 45% will use the sales to pick up their go-to products at lower prices, while 33% will be searching for premium beauty brands at a discount.
Karen Johnson, head of Retail at Barclays, said: “Boxing Day is still a pivotal moment for retailers, fuelled by Christmas nostalgia, but it has evolved to reflect modern consumer demands. This year, we’re likely to see a balanced blend of online convenience, experiential retail and increasingly mindful purchasing.”
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Eurasian economies are set to expand by as much as 9.3 per cent in 2026, supported by resilient domestic demand and investment activity, according to the latest Macroeconomic Outlook for 2026–2028 released by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB).
Globally, the EDB expects the economy to grow at a slightly slower pace than in 2024–2025 as countries adjust to new trade restrictions. US GDP growth is forecast at around 1.6 per cent in 2026, while the eurozone economy is expected to expand by 1.1 per cent. China is projected to grow 4.6 per cent, underpinned by measures to stimulate domestic demand.
The Bank projects aggregate GDP growth of 2.3 per cent across its seven member states in 2026, despite slower global economic expansion and persistently high interest rates. Growth is forecast at 5.3 per cent in Armenia, 1.8 per cent in Belarus, 5.5 per cent in Kazakhstan, 9.3 per cent in the Kyrgyz Republic, 1.4 per cent in Russia, 8.1 per cent in Tajikistan and 6.8 per cent in Uzbekistan.
Commodity markets are expected to show mixed trends. Lower oil prices may constrain export revenues in energy-producing economies such as Kazakhstan and Russia, while benefiting oil-importing countries by improving terms of trade and moderating inflation, EDB said in a release.
The EDB expects the region’s economic growth to stabilise after slowing to 1.9 per cent in 2025 from 4.5 per cent in 2024. Inflation across the region is forecast to ease gradually to 6.3 per cent in 2026, reflecting prudent monetary policies and the absence of major external shocks.
Eurasian economies are expected to record growth of up to 9.3 per cent in 2026, led by strong investment and domestic demand, according to the Eurasian Development Bank.
While global growth remains moderate and interest rates stay elevated, Central Asian countries are projected to outperform.
Regional GDP growth is forecast at 2.3 per cent, with inflation gradually easing.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
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