Barishal’s Port Road hilsa wholesale market is receiving far less fish than expected during the peak season, according to a report published on August 23, 2026. While more than 1,000 maunds would normally arrive daily in peak season, current average arrivals are reported at no more than 100 maunds a day. Traders and workers at the market say the shortage has left the major hilsa trading centre largely empty.

Traders and fishers allege that increased tolls charged by leaseholders have encouraged sellers and wholesale buyers to bypass the market. Fishers are said to be selling catches at river mouths and other convenient locations, while buyers send hilsa to Chandpur, Jashore and northern districts. Leaseholder Kamal Hossain said the toll was raised from 280 to 380 taka per maund after a request to cover operating losses, denying that it was imposed forcibly or that anyone was assaulted over the issue.

Fish trader Nasir Uddin said up to 100 maunds arrived on Friday, with prices ranging from 800-900 taka per kilogram for jatka to 2,850 taka for 1.2-kilogram hilsa. District fisheries officer Md Hadiuzzaman said hilsa availability in rivers and estuaries is somewhat lower, citing submerged sandbars and banned nets as factors affecting fish movement, growth and production.

About 560 families in remote hill villages of wards 1, 2 and 3 of Kaptai Union No. 4 in Kaptai, Rangamati, have remained without electricity for 55 years, according to local representatives and residents. The affected areas include Golabarudchhara, Bhaijyatali and Harinchhara, despite Kaptai Hydroelectric Centre supplying power to a large part of the country. The report was published on August 23, 2026.

The villages are near Kaptai উপজেলা headquarters and surrounding areas but are geographically isolated by hills and forests. Uneven mountain routes make conventional electricity connections risky and expensive, leaving residents without a basic modern service. Local people say the lack of power affects household lighting, children’s studies, mobile communication, healthcare and safe-water management.

Reserved woman union parishad member Bhanumati Chakma said she has raised the issue with relevant people and authorities for three years without a permanent solution. Union chairman engineer Abdul Latif said education, healthcare, electricity and clean water are crucial for residents. Locals have called for government-funded household solar systems or a solar power project, saying it could provide electricity more quickly and sustainably than extending the central grid.

A severe gas shortage has forced factories in several Bangladeshi industrial areas to suspend production, declare worker leave or operate at reduced capacity. Talha Tex Pro Limited in Panchdona Union, Narsingdi, extended a shutdown until Tuesday after insufficient gas pressure prevented its planned reopening on Saturday. On Thursday, 20 factories in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka industrial zone also declared leave for workers because production was badly disrupted.

The shortage intensified after a fire at Accelerate Energy’s LNG terminal on July 21, which cut a major share of national gas supply, according to the report. Entrepreneurs said more than 100 factories had temporarily closed during the past month, while a similar number sent workers on leave. Areas affected include Ashulia, Savar, Gazipur, Kaliakair, Mymensingh, Narsingdi, Narayanganj and Habiganj.

BKMEA has sought permission to pay gas and electricity bills in 12 equal instalments, citing higher costs for diesel, LPG and other alternative fuels. Talha Tex said it halted production at least 15 times in a month, disrupting 60 percent of output. BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem said factories need three to four PSI gas pressure, while some sites received zero or one PSI.

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission has formed two separate investigation committees to examine alleged financial mismanagement, governance failures, recruitment irregularities, conflicts of interest and dismissals of officials at the Dhaka Stock Exchange. The inquiry, described as the first major investigation of the country’s main stock exchange, follows allegations involving senior DSE officials. The committees have met relevant DSE department officials and requested information from Managing Director Nuzhat Anwar by August 23, 2026.

The allegations include illegal recruitment and promotions, insider share trading, concealed purchases of stakeholder interests, misuse of price-sensitive information, leaks of confidential investor portfolio data, sexual harassment allegations and irregular dismissal of 28 officials. Former DSE chairman Ahmed Iqbal Hasan said he believed the exchange lacked governance and was controlled by a powerful syndicate, adding that the BSEC initiative was positive for the stock market.

A three-member committee formed on August 10 requested audited financial statements, management letters and internal and external audit reports for fiscal years 2023 to 2025. It also sought board meeting minutes from January 2020, recruitment records since January 2024 and committee documents. The BSEC instructed DSE to preserve all related records and emails without alteration, deletion or overwriting until the inquiry ends.

Bangladesh’s two floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali resumed operating at or near full capacity on Saturday, August 22, after a new LNG cargo supplied by BP Singapore docked at the Excelerate Energy terminal. Excelerate restarted gas delivery after a three-day halt, while Summit LNG was already supplying above its capacity. The increased supply raised power generation, eased load-shedding and improved gas pressure for households, factories and CNG stations.

Excelerate initially supplied about 100 million cubic feet of gas daily and was expected to reach its full 600 million cubic feet capacity overnight. Summit supplied 558 million cubic feet on Saturday. Excelerate had stopped deliveries completely on August 19 after an LNG vessel from Saudi Aramco was turned away over security concerns; the terminal had also remained out of service for a prolonged period following a July 21 fire during ship-to-ship LNG transfer.

Petrobangla said daily gas demand is about 3,800 million cubic feet, against supply that had fallen to 2,700 million cubic feet. Authorities expect supplies to improve further in coming days, although industrial gas pressure may take longer to normalize. The government plans three additional floating LNG terminals by 2029.

Barishal’s Port Road hilsa market is receiving far fewer fish than expected during the peak season, according to traders and fishers cited in a report published on August 22, 2026. The market, described as the city’s largest hilsa trading hub, normally receives more than 1,000 maunds daily in peak season but is currently averaging no more than 100 maunds a day. Fishers are reportedly selling their catches at river mouths and other convenient locations instead of bringing them to the market.

Traders and fishers alleged that higher tolls imposed by leaseholders have pushed sellers and wholesale buyers away. They said fish caught in rivers and at sea is being sent to Chandpur, Jashore and northern districts through other points. A trader said 100 maunds was the highest quantity landed at the market on Friday, while hilsa prices ranged from Tk800-900 for jatka to Tk2,850 per kilogram for 1.2-kilogram fish.

Leaseholder Kamal Hossain rejected claims that tolls were raised forcibly or that anyone was assaulted over the issue. He said the charge rose from Tk280 to Tk380 per maund after traders were consulted because operating the ghat caused losses. District Fisheries Officer Md Hadiuzzaman said hilsa availability was somewhat lower, citing submerged sandbars and banned nets as factors affecting fish movement, growth and production.

In the United States, many Generation Z adults are prioritizing retirement accounts, stock-market investments and high-yield savings over saving specifically to buy homes. Rising home prices and high mortgage interest rates are making homeownership harder, reshaping how younger people view long-term financial security. The article was published on August 22, 2026.

A June Pew Research Center survey found that 89 percent of adults under 40 believe buying a home is more difficult for young people than it was for their parents’ generation. A Fidelity analysis released earlier this year found Gen Z contributions to retirement savings rose 65 percent in one year, more than twice the growth rate for millennials. Stanford researcher Roberta Katz said the generation places greater value on financial flexibility amid uncertainty and change.

Examples include Kana Cummings, who saves through a Roth IRA, a 401(k), a money-market fund and an investment portfolio, without currently saving separately for a home. In Bend, Oregon, Jeff Sharp has moved investments toward index funds while contributing to retirement and college savings plans. Gallup found 81 percent of Gen Z adults seek personal-finance advice, with 75 percent obtaining such information online.

The United States has announced a 50 percent tariff on nearly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods after three days of trade negotiations in Washington, DC failed to produce a final agreement. The announcement came after a deadline set by President Donald Trump expired at 12:01 a.m. last Friday, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

The new tariff is expected to affect about 5 percent of Canada’s total exports to the United States, including electronics, industrial machinery and dairy products. It adds to existing US tariffs on steel, lumber and automobiles. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned of “dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory measures and said his government would introduce steps in the coming days to support workers and businesses.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer blamed Canada for the collapse, saying it declined to finalize an agreement under terms accepted earlier in the week and introduced new demands. The report said the countries have remained in a trade dispute since Trump imposed tariffs on major Canadian imports early in his second term, prompting retaliatory action from Ottawa.

More than 300 garment factories across Bangladesh have closed amid a prolonged gas crisis, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Mohammad Hatem said on Saturday, August 22, after a meeting with businesspeople at the BKMEA office. He said disrupted production had damaged exports by 40 to 50 percent and that European buyers were moving export orders to neighbouring countries.

Hatem said gas shortages had affected different areas for a month, forcing production to halt at many factories. The Energy Ministry had assured businesses that conditions would normalize after August 10, he said, but supplies improved only slightly for two days before the situation worsened. He said a major European order was being considered for cancellation and relocation to a neighbouring country.

Business leaders presented six demands to the government. They sought permission to pay June and July gas and electricity bills in instalments over 12 months without disconnection for non-payment during that period. They also requested weekly government briefings, suspension of CNG supply to public transport, disconnection of illegal gas lines, and restraint on loan-installment collection by the government and Bangladesh Bank.

Malaysia has published the names of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies on its Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS), signalling that recruitment of Bangladeshi workers may resume in the long-closed labour market. The list was posted on Friday, while Bangladesh’s expatriates’ welfare minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said an official announcement on reopening was expected within the week.

The publication has raised questions over Bangladesh’s earlier plan to give priority to the state-owned Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited, or BOESL, in the first phase of recruitment. Chowdhury said workers would be sent through BOESL, but all recruiting agencies listed by Bangladesh would have an opportunity to participate. Former BAIRA secretary general Ali Haider Chowdhury said agencies had received no official information and wanted equal work opportunities, worker protection and lower migration costs.

Malaysia closed its labour market to Bangladesh and several other countries at the end of May 2024. Bangladesh had earlier submitted 423 agencies to Malaysia, and the current government later finalised 340 after scrutiny. Bangladesh’s High Commission labour wing in Kuala Lumpur said Malaysian authorities had not yet informed it about the 25-agency list.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Ottawa would impose equivalent retaliatory tariffs on US goods after last-minute trade negotiations with Washington collapsed. Canada decided on the “dollar-for-dollar” approach after the United States began applying new tariffs on Canadian products from midnight Saturday, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

Carney said changes to US-proposed terms in the final stage of negotiations appeared unfair and economically unreasonable to Canada, raising doubts about the reliability of a possible agreement. Talks had continued intensively since July. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer countered that Canada declined to finalize an agreement based on terms both sides had accepted earlier in the week.

The discussions had included reducing US tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 50 percent to 25 percent, and on Canadian vehicles from 25 percent to 15 percent. Ontario Premier Doug Ford backed retaliatory tariffs. The Trump administration is also planning new 50 percent duties on various Canadian goods, while existing tariffs on steel, aluminum, vehicles and lumber would remain.

Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said Bangladesh has no opportunity to resolve its energy crisis quickly, despite the government taking all available initiatives to address it. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon at a seminar in Motijheel, Dhaka, organized by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the biannual economic situation for fiscal year 2026.

The minister said the solution to the energy crisis would come slowly. He also said the economy cannot emerge from its current crisis without investment, and that the government is working to create an investment-friendly environment to increase both domestic and foreign investment.

Chowdhury said the government aims to ensure three months of reserves in every energy sector. He said all possible efforts are being made by the government to meet that objective.

Gas supplies in Chattogram had not returned to normal by Saturday, August 22, 2026, causing severe disruption at CNG stations, households and industries. Long queues of gas-powered vehicles formed across the city, while residents in several areas reported little or no cooking gas. Most factories could not open on Saturday because of the shortage.

Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited said it received only 170.5 million cubic feet of gas in the 24 hours ending at 8am Saturday, roughly the same as Friday. The amount equals 55 percent of daily demand. The company said Chattogram needs 320 million cubic feet daily and normally receives an allocation of 246 million cubic feet from the national grid.

Queues at many CNG stations exceeded two kilometres, with some stations shutting supply because of low pressure. Factory owners said production at garment and steel plants had fallen to 20 percent, while use of diesel and furnace oil raised costs. Officials said supply may take at least another day to improve, with a new LNG cargo expected Sunday.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ended trade negotiations with the United States on Friday night, less than an hour before a deadline for new tariffs to take effect, according to the report published August 22, 2026. Carney said Canada would impose equivalent, dollar-for-dollar tariffs on US goods if Washington levies 50 percent duties on C$2 billion worth of Canadian products. He said he sought the best possible agreement for Canada but would not accept a deal at any price or within any deadline.

The talks collapsed after both sides accused the other of introducing new and unreasonable conditions at the last moment. US President Donald Trump had said on Tuesday that an agreement was nearly complete, while Carney repeatedly maintained that significant work remained. The report says Canada’s economy is deeply connected to the United States and that Ottawa relies heavily on its neighbour in defence, making Carney’s decision risky. He said the government would support Canadian industries and businesses harmed by the tariffs.

Provincial leaders from differing political camps backed Carney, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford and British Columbia Premier David Eby. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith urged a return to negotiations. Carney has sought to reduce Canada’s economic dependence on the United States by building partnerships in Asia and Europe, though the report says it remains uncertain whether those markets can quickly offset disruption in US-Canada trade.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has decided to build a highway on the Rahmatpur–Hizla–Mehendiganj–Bhola route to connect island district Bhola with Bangladesh’s main road network. The decision was made at a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon on Saturday, according to Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu. The report was published on August 22, 2026.

The meeting considered three proposals for direct road links between Bhola, Dhaka and Barishal. It selected the Barishal–Rahmatpur–Hizla–Mehendiganj–Bhola route proposed by the Roads and Highways Department. The prime minister stressed an integrated road system to overcome geographical barriers, ensure uninterrupted connectivity and expand trade opportunities, directing officials to advance the initiative quickly.

Project-related officials said existing roads along the proposed route would need widening, while new roads and three small bridges would also be required. Feasibility and implementation prospects will be examined quickly. Officials expect the project to establish direct road connections with Barishal, Dhaka and other areas, reducing travel time and costs and decreasing Bhola’s long-standing reliance on waterways.