The government has decided to keep all CNG filling stations across Bangladesh open 24 hours a day for 13 consecutive days to ensure smooth travel for passengers during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. According to a letter issued by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division to the chairman of Petrobangla, the stations will operate continuously from May 21 to June 2.

The directive means that all filling stations will remain open seven days before and five days after Eid-ul-Azha. The government has also announced a seven-day holiday for the festival, while garment factories will close in phases to accommodate the holiday period.

The decision aims to facilitate uninterrupted fuel supply and ease transportation pressure during one of the country’s busiest travel seasons.

The National Economic Council has approved a record Annual Development Programme (ADP) worth nearly Tk 3 trillion for the 2026–27 fiscal year. The approval came on Monday at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the NEC conference room in Agargaon, Dhaka. The session emphasized government development planning, economic restructuring, social protection, and balanced regional growth.

According to the Planning Commission’s working paper, the total ADP size is set at Tk 3 trillion, with Tk 1.9 trillion from domestic resources and Tk 1.1 trillion from foreign loans and grants. Including self-financed projects by autonomous bodies and corporations, total development expenditure will exceed Tk 3.08 trillion. The plan aligns with a five-year reform and development strategy built on five pillars: state system reform, equitable socioeconomic development, economic reconstruction, regional balance, and social cohesion.

The transport and communication sector receives the highest allocation of Tk 50,092 crore, followed by education, health, power and energy, and housing. A total of 1,121 projects are included, with 1,277 new unapproved projects listed for future consideration. The council directed faster project implementation, financial discipline, and timely completion by June 2027.

Qatar, one of the world’s richest nations, is facing a severe economic crisis as the ongoing Iran war has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, blocking its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports for over two months. The closure has paralyzed the country’s main energy hub at Ras Laffan and halted operations at Hamad Port, cutting off both exports and essential imports. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns that Qatar’s economy could contract by 8.6 percent this year, while tourism and business confidence have sharply declined amid regional instability.

Qatar’s prosperity has long depended on natural gas, which accounts for more than 60 percent of its revenue. Since the 1990s, the country transformed itself through massive LNG exports, funding modern infrastructure and global investments worth $600 billion. However, missile and drone attacks on Ras Laffan have reduced production capacity by 17 percent, and analysts say recovery could take years even if the strait reopens.

Authorities are using subsidies to limit inflation and maintain stability, while S&P Global Ratings notes that Qatar’s large reserves can sustain essential services. Yet, the duration of the Hormuz closure remains the key uncertainty for the nation’s economic future.

A major loan fraud has been uncovered in five merged Islamic banks in Bangladesh, where 75 percent of loans were issued without collateral. The banks—Exim, Social Islami, First Security Islami, Union, and Global Islami—distributed loans without meeting minimum requirements, leading to massive defaults and failure to repay depositors. The government merged the banks into a new entity, Sammilit Islami Bank, after depositors faced losses. Around Tk 4,000 crore has already been paid to customers from the deposit insurance fund.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, as of December, the five banks had total loans of Tk 1.95 trillion, with collateral covering only 24.56 percent. Defaulted loans reached Tk 1.705 trillion, or 87.43 percent of total loans. The S. Alam Group alone took Tk 1.016 trillion, more than half of total loans, mostly without collateral. Former BAB chairman Nazrul Islam Majumder’s firms borrowed Tk 17.96 billion. Officials said bank insiders aided the process by overvaluing collateral.

The interim government formed Sammilit Islami Bank with Tk 35,000 crore paid-up capital, including Tk 20,000 crore from the state. However, uncertainty over the return of previous owners and lack of clear government communication have renewed depositor anxiety.

In West Bengal, India, new cattle slaughter restrictions imposed by the recently formed BJP-led state government have triggered widespread unrest ahead of Eid al-Adha. The directive enforces strict certification requirements under the 1950 West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act and a 2018 High Court order, allowing slaughter only for animals over 14 years old or permanently unfit for work or breeding. Public slaughter is banned, and violations carry fines or jail terms. As a result, cattle markets have emptied, with traders and buyers avoiding legal risks.

The crisis has hit Hindu cattle farmers hardest, many of whom raise cattle year-round on loans expecting Eid sales. With markets frozen, they face mounting debt and losses, some publicly threatening suicide and demanding the government or Prime Minister Narendra Modi buy their unsold cattle. Opposition figures and local legislators have criticized the age-verification rule as impractical, questioning how authorities can determine a cow’s age without birth records.

Critics also highlight a policy contradiction: while small farmers face restrictions, India remains one of the world’s top beef exporters, earning billions annually from corporate meat exports, raising questions about fairness in livestock policy.

Experts at a seminar in Dhaka on Sunday warned that Bangladesh’s power sector is under severe financial pressure due to overcapacity, import dependence, capacity charges, and subsidies. They called for integrated policy reforms, realistic planning, and greater focus on renewable energy to address the long-term energy crisis. The event, titled “Economic Burden of Bangladesh’s Power Sector: Policy Recommendations for Crisis Management,” was organized by the Mechanical Engineering Division of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury said the energy sector is in a “minus position” due to financial constraints and past international agreements that limit new projects. He emphasized the need to expand solar and other renewable sources to reduce import dependence and economic strain. IEB President Mohammad Riazul Islam noted that years of mismanagement and waste have severely affected the gas sector, while Professor M. Rezwan Khan highlighted that excess generation capacity and costly imported fuels have created heavy fiscal burdens.

Speakers agreed that better project evaluation, domestic energy use, and renewable expansion are essential to reduce subsidies and strengthen the sector’s sustainability.

Bangladesh Bank has repaid around Tk 4,000 crore to depositors of five weak banks that were merged to form the new Sammilit Islami Bank. The repayment, made through the central bank’s Deposit Insurance Trust Fund, began in January and has so far reached about 822,000 depositors. The merged institutions include EXIM Bank, Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, and Global Islami Bank.

According to the report, the banks previously operated under the control of two influential business figures and suffered from large-scale loan irregularities, including unsecured lending that led to severe financial distress. The interim government merged the five Shariah-based banks last year to stabilize the sector. The new bank’s paid-up capital has been set at Tk 35,000 crore, with Tk 20,000 crore provided by the government and Tk 15,000 crore in shares allocated to depositors.

Officials said the repayments initially helped restore confidence, but a recent amendment to the Bank Resolution Act allowing former owners to return has renewed withdrawal pressure and deepened trust concerns. The report suggests the government should issue a clear statement to ease the situation.

KY Steel, a subsidiary of KDS Group, has taken multiple social and worker welfare initiatives in Sitakunda, Chattogram. The company prioritizes hiring local residents, supports underprivileged people, and has built a modern foot overbridge on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway to ensure safe crossing for students of the nearby Kumira Residential Girls’ School and College. The bridge, built at a cost of about one crore taka, has reduced road accidents and eased parental concerns.

Workers at KY Steel reported that all employees are covered by insurance, receive regular health checkups, safety training, and personal protective equipment. The company also ensures quick medical response in emergencies and provides benefits through welfare and insurance funds. Regular technical training has improved worker skills and productivity, setting a positive example in the Sitakunda industrial area.

Company officials said that nearly half of the employees at the Joar-Amtal branch are local residents. They emphasized that local recruitment and social development are part of KY Steel’s core values, aiming to ensure that the benefits of industrial growth reach the surrounding community.

Farmers in Madhupur, Tangail, one of Bangladesh’s leading pineapple-producing regions, are not receiving fair prices for their produce due to the absence of modern processing centers. Known as the “capital of pineapples,” the area’s favorable soil and climate yield large harvests each year, yet the sector has not reached its full potential. Local farmers and officials say that establishing a processing industry could enable production of juice, jelly, and biscuits for export, boosting foreign exchange earnings and local employment.

Farmers such as Suruzzaman and retired sergeant Masud Rana emphasized that a government-backed factory and gas connections could reduce transport costs, prevent waste, and protect growers from market syndicates. Madhupur’s Upazila Executive Officer Md. Jubayer Hossain and Agriculture Officer Rokib Al-Rana both supported the need for a processing center, noting that 6,479 hectares are under pineapple cultivation this season, with potential trade worth about Tk 500 crore.

Officials and growers agree that modern marketing systems and processing facilities are essential to fully realize Madhupur’s pineapple industry potential.

New Zealand has expressed its intention to maintain duty-free and preferential market access for Bangladesh even after the country graduates from least developed country (LDC) status. The commitment was conveyed by New Zealand’s non-resident High Commissioner David Pine during a meeting with Bangladesh’s Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Textiles Khandaker Abdul Muktadir at the Secretariat on Sunday. Both sides also discussed strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties and explored the possibility of a comprehensive free trade agreement.

Minister Muktadir emphasized that accelerating investment and job creation is essential for Bangladesh’s successful transition from LDC status. He noted that the country’s export sector is heavily dependent on ready-made garments, making it crucial to sustain competitiveness and ensure preferential market access. He also highlighted Bangladesh’s efforts to improve business facilitation and invited New Zealand investors to explore promising sectors.

David Pine underscored the importance of trade diversification for both exports and imports and reaffirmed New Zealand’s focus on ensuring uninterrupted market benefits for Bangladesh post-graduation. He added that New Zealand seeks a stable, long-term trade framework with Bangladesh.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said the government is prioritizing the enhancement of export capacity and encouraging meat exports to foreign markets. He made the remarks on Sunday while speaking to journalists after visiting the Bengal Meat processing plant in Pabna.

The minister stated that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is working to make marginal communities and farmers economically self-reliant. The government is emphasizing the export of domestically produced goods and farm-based products to earn foreign currency while meeting local demand. Tuku noted that Bangladesh has abundant resources and that the government aims to strengthen the economy by utilizing them, particularly to benefit farmers and increase employment opportunities.

During the visit, Tuku inspected the plant’s production activities, hygienic meat processing, quality control, and storage systems. He also visited the Milk Vita dairy factory at Baghabari Ghat to review milk collection, processing, production, and marketing operations, accompanied by senior officials from the ministry and related agencies.

Dubai Taxi Company will recruit 6,000 skilled drivers from Bangladesh this year, according to information shared during a courtesy meeting between the company’s delegation and Bangladesh’s Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ariful Haque Chowdhury, in Dhaka on Sunday. Interviews for driver recruitment will begin tomorrow at the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Center.

During the meeting, the minister thanked the delegation for prioritizing Bangladeshi drivers and assured full cooperation from the ministry. He urged the company to provide salaries and allowances during the training period in Dubai and requested that doctors, nurses, and other professionals also be recruited from Bangladesh. The company representatives said they currently employ about 15,000 drivers from 27 countries, including around 8,000 Bangladeshis, and plan to screen 1,500 candidates in the initial phase.

State Minister Md. Nurul Haque called for reducing migration costs to within 100,000 taka, noting that many drivers take loans to work abroad. Representatives from Al Anas Overseas, an approved recruiting agency, expressed interest in hiring cleaners, technicians, and mechanics from Bangladesh as well.

The US Treasury Department has withdrawn the temporary waiver that allowed limited purchases of Russian crude oil after the expiry of its one-month term. The waiver had permitted the purchase of Russian oil stranded at sea, but that special allowance has now ended. The measure was originally introduced to stabilize the global energy market amid severe supply disruptions caused by war-related shocks.

According to reports, following US and Israeli attacks that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, global energy prices surged sharply. Major buyers, including India, used the stranded Russian oil to ease the crisis. With the waiver now lifted, analysts warn that global oil supplies could tighten further, potentially pushing international prices higher.

Experts suggest that the end of this waiver may increase pressure on fuel prices in the United States, where gasoline is already near $4.50 per gallon. India, which had been importing around 2.3 million barrels of Russian oil daily during the waiver period, will now need to seek alternative sources.

At a daylong training workshop held on Saturday at the YWCA training center in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, speakers said that road safety in Bangladesh is no longer just a transport issue but a critical development concern tied to public health, urban management, rule of law, economy, social security, and citizens’ rights. They emphasized that deaths, injuries, disabilities, and financial losses from road accidents are undermining both family stability and national development.

The event, titled “Role and Partnership of Media in the Draft Integrated Road Safety Act,” was organized by the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC). Speakers highlighted that Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.6 aims to halve global road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030, while SDG 11.2 stresses safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport for all, particularly for women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable groups.

They further noted that ensuring road safety requires coordinated efforts across transport, health, police, education, local government, infrastructure, and media sectors. A comprehensive road safety law could bring these sectors under a unified framework to ensure responsibility, coordination, and accountability.

Labour and Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury has called on citizens to become self-reliant by engaging in productive activities rather than depending solely on government assistance or family cards. He made the remarks on Saturday at the second phase of the family card distribution ceremony held at the Jaintapur Upazila auditorium, presided over by District Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam. A total of 465 women from Nijpat Union received family cards during the event, which was also connected online to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s family card distribution program in Chandpur.

The minister emphasized the importance of agricultural work, poultry farming, and cattle rearing to improve living standards and stated that the government is taking various initiatives to develop skilled manpower. He also announced that a special expatriate card distribution program will begin within two months to help expatriates access government services more easily.

Earlier in the day, the minister inaugurated a flood shelter construction project at Towakul College and launched canal re-excavation work from Piyain Natar Khal Isti Bridge to Sakerpokar Khal in Gowainghat Upazila.