The current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the global economy hard, causing significant damage to every aspect of the global banking system, and Bangladesh is no exception. For that reason, its performance and profitability have been affected. In this study, we investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the financial performance and profitability of the listed private commercial banks in Bangladesh. We initially compute each bank’s financial performance index (FPI) to determine the position according to their financial performance individually before and the current period of COVID-19 by the standardized CAMELS rating system. After assessing the position, the fixed-effect regression model is used to explore the impact of the bank’s specific variables and macroeconomic variables along with the banks’ variables on the banks’ profitability. The banks that performed better during the pre-pandemic period of COVID-19 also performed better during the pandemic period of COVID-19. The performance of AIBL, EBL, and BBL was almost autonomously higher during both periods. In the case of bank profitability, our paper discovered that during the pandemic period of COVID-19, high non-performing loan rates, holding more liquid assets, a high amount of hedging capital, and inappropriate bank size lessened the banks’ profitability. In contrast, a low leverage position and inflation rate enhanced the bank’s profitability during this period. The outcome of this study will help bank authorities detect the loopholes and take preventive measures that can improve their profitability during a crisis period like COVID-19. The investors and depositors who invest money in banks can precisely decide their portfolios.

The purpose of this study is to analyze significant variables that permit us to ascertain the profitability of Bangladeshi Shariah-based banks. In doing so, two profitability measurements, namely, return on asset (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), have been used as dependent variables, while capital adequacy, asset management quality, operational efficiency, credit risk, liquidity, and the size of the bank have been considered as bank-specific independent variables. In addition, the rate of interest, inflation, and GDP growth rate have also been taken as macroeconomic independent variables. This study examined panel data of eight Shariah-based Islamic banks over a thirteen-year period spanning from 2010 to 2022, applying different kinds of linear regression models, including pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed effects, and random effects. Subsequently, the generalized method of moments (GMM) approach is also applied to assess the robustness of the findings. The results revealed that the profitability of Bangladeshi Shariah-based Islamic banks is positively associated with asset management quality, liquidity, and credit risk. In contrast, capital adequacy, operational efficiency, and bank size are negatively correlated with the bank’s profitability. Concerning the macroeconomic factors, the findings indicated a notable positive correlation between the profitability of Shariah-based banks in Bangladesh and both the inflation rate and the interest rate spread. However, this study has also found that the profitability of the sample banks of Bangladesh is not significantly influenced by GDP growth. By providing fresh empirical data, the current research aimed to close a significant vacuum in the body of knowledge on banks and provide important insights for policymakers, managers, and other stakeholders by focusing on particular bank-specific and macroeconomic aspects that influence the profitability of Shariah-based Islamic banks in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a developing country. The vital role of banking sector in permanent, sustainable and continuous economic growth is undeniable. Bangladeshi banking sectors consist of private commercial banks, specialized banks, Islamic banks and public sector banks. Covering the period of 50 years banking sector Bangladesh has apparent serious changes in terms of growth of profitability and development which is the main concern of this study. The main objective of this research is to determine the factors affecting profitability in the banking sector of Bangladesh. The study attempts to investigate firms' specific factors and macroeconomics factors' impact on the profitability in the Bangladeshi banking sector. In this regard, 32 banks have been considered as sample and the scenario of these banks over the last 10 years has been observed (2011-2020). In this case, panel data research methodology has been used. OLS regression model is used to analyze data. Moreover, a general to specific modeling approach is used in this case. The result of this study reveals that both firms' specific variables (i.e. Equity to Asset Ratio, Deposit to Asset ratio, Debt to Equity Ratio, Loan to Deposit Ratio) and macroeconomic variable (GDP growth rate) have statistically significant impact on the profitability, represented by Return on Asset (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE). All the research findings are very useful to the investors, shareholders, bank's authority, policy makers, and government for the improvement of the performance in the banking sector of Bangladesh.

Current literature conveys that in spite of multiple studies being conducted to explore the influences of various macroeconomic factors both geographical and non-geographical on the CO2 emissions in different parts of the world, there is a scarcity of the same analyses from oil-producing countries. In this study, we reveal a new dimension by investigating the dynamic linkage of climate change, economic growth, energy use, and agricultural and rural development to the CO2 emissions of oil-producing countries around the world. In doing so, we apply Pedroni and Kao panel cointegration test, vector error correction model (VECM), pairwise Granger causality test, impulse response function (IRF), and some supportive models such as-generalized method of moments (GMM), and fixed-effect models. Our primary VAR-based models’ evidence that energy use (EUE), foreign direct investment (FDI), and trade to GDP (TPR) rate have both short-run and long-run casual consequences in CO2 emissions, while only long-run Granger causality is running from agricultural land ratio (ALR), forest area ratio (FAR), gross domestic product (GDP), population growth rate (PGR), renewable energy consumption (REC), and rural population rate (RPR) to CO2 emissions. However, bidirectional associations are observed between CO2 to foreign direct investment and trade percentage rate; EUE to renewable energy consumption and TPR; and TPR to FDI and gross domestic product. To demonstrate the significant impact, our secondary analysis tools GMM and fixed-effect regressions’ results disclose that high energy use and more domestic products significantly contaminate the environmental condition by increasing CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Hence, our research provides great implications for the authorities of government, producers, businessmen, and general public in the oil-producing countries to ensure a sustainable environment by reducing energy use or alternating with renewable energies and emphasizing environmentally friendly products production over the long-run rather than conventional products production in the short-run.