Bangladesh Bank has announced a temporary relaxation in loan regulations for the leather sector ahead of Eid-ul-Azha 2026. According to a circular issued on Tuesday, businesses that previously rescheduled their loans will now be able to access new financing without paying the earlier required compromise amount. The relaxation will remain effective until June 30, 2026, allowing more traders to secure working capital for rawhide collection, preservation, and marketing during the festival season.

The central bank emphasized that the leather industry is a key export-oriented sector based on domestic raw materials, contributing significantly to national growth, employment, and foreign exchange earnings. As nearly half of the annual rawhide supply comes from sacrificial animals during Eid-ul-Azha, the circular directed banks to ensure adequate financing and to distribute loans effectively to grassroots traders.

Banks have also been instructed to set loan disbursement targets for 2026 that are not lower than the previous year’s levels and to submit related data to Bangladesh Bank by July 31, 2026.

Bangladesh Bank has increased the maximum loan limit for purchasing cars under consumer loans from Tk 6 million to Tk 8 million. The central bank issued a circular on Tuesday to all commercial bank chief executives, stating that buyers can now receive loans covering up to 80 percent of a car’s price, particularly for hybrid and electric vehicles. Consumers will need to pay the remaining 20 percent themselves.

The circular explained that the decision reflects the growing demand for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient vehicles in Bangladesh. It also aims to align loan limits with current automobile market prices and encourage consumers to adopt hybrid and electric cars. Previously, banks could finance only 60 percent of a car’s price, requiring buyers to cover 40 percent.

Additionally, the central bank raised the ceiling for personal loans. Individuals can now borrow up to Tk 1 million without collateral, and up to Tk 4 million with adequate security. Banks have been instructed to ensure that consumer loan growth does not exceed their overall loan growth rate.

The mango harvesting season has officially begun in Satkhira following the district administration’s fixed mango calendar. The inauguration took place on Tuesday morning, led by Acting Deputy Commissioner Bishnupad Pal. According to the agriculture department, due to favorable soil, water, and climate, mangoes in Satkhira ripen earlier than in other districts. The first phase includes harvesting of local varieties such as Gobindobhog, Gopalbhog, and Golapkhas.

Despite adverse weather earlier in the season, the agriculture office reported that yields are expected to exceed production targets. Mango cultivation covers 4,140 hectares across 5,350 orchards, with a production target of 70,380 metric tons. However, farmers and traders expressed dissatisfaction over market management, claiming that the absence of designated mango markets forces them to sell at Sultanpur Boro Bazar, where a syndicate allegedly controls prices.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Bishnupad Pal stated that regular monitoring led by executive magistrates will be conducted to break the syndicate and urged growers not to market immature mangoes for higher profit.

Airbus Vice President Edward Delahaye met with Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanom in Dhaka on Tuesday, just four days after Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a deal to purchase 14 Boeing aircraft. The meeting was also attended by State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat and Biman’s Managing Director Kaiser Sohel Ahmed. Airbus representatives expressed hope that their aircraft would join Biman’s fleet alongside Boeing models and briefed the ministry on mixed fleet operations.

According to a ministry statement, Airbus reiterated its interest in contributing to a mixed fleet for Biman, while the minister and state minister affirmed their willingness to work closely with the European manufacturer. The discussion follows earlier plans from 2024, when Biman’s board had approved the purchase of four Airbus aircraft at around 180 million dollars each, though that deal was halted after a change in government.

The current government later finalized a Boeing deal due to U.S. tariff adjustments, but Airbus has renewed its engagement with Bangladesh’s aviation authorities.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu announced that short, medium, and long-term plans have been taken to assist farmers affected by flooding in the haor areas of Sunamganj. He said accurate lists of affected farmers will be prepared to ensure proper financial support, with members of parliament serving as advisers in the related committees. The minister made these remarks on Tuesday at a meeting with district officials at the Sunamganj Circuit House.

He noted that Sunamganj’s single-crop boro fields face recurring losses due to flooding, and called for research on sustainable embankment construction. Dulu also mentioned plans to explore methods for harvesting submerged paddy and drying wet rice. Farmers who lost crops entirely will receive three months of financial aid, with priority given to those most affected. The minister added that the current budget runs until June but may be extended.

To reduce lightning-related deaths and livestock losses, he announced that lightning-protected sheds equipped with sirens will be built across the haor region. After the meeting, relief materials were distributed among 400 affected farmers in Bishwambharpur upazila.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, stated that there is currently no load shedding anywhere in the country. Speaking at a press briefing following a session with district commissioners at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, he explained that the recent power disruptions were temporary and caused by mechanical problems. He said two machines had broken down but were repaired within a week, restoring full power supply.

The minister clarified that any local power outages now are due to line faults, not generation shortages. He emphasized that the country’s current generation capacity is sufficient to maintain an uninterrupted power supply. Addressing questions from journalists, he added that rural areas might experience delays in power restoration because of long distribution lines, but these are promptly fixed once faults are located.

Tuku also dismissed concerns about fuel shortages, asserting that load shedding has never occurred due to a lack of fuel. He said Bangladesh has sufficient fuel stock and continues to make regular purchases. On the issue of capacity charges, he noted that discussions are ongoing to find a solution.

Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) announced that the country experienced no load-shedding for a full week from April 27 to May 3, 2026, as electricity generation matched demand nationwide. Analysis of data from Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) confirmed that during this period, daily peak-hour demand ranging between 10,462 and 12,793 megawatts was fully met. The improvement was attributed to sufficient rainfall reducing irrigation needs and stable power plant operations.

BPDB Chairman Md. Rezaul Karim stated that earlier production shortfalls caused by small plant issues had been resolved, allowing supply to meet demand. He emphasized ensuring coal supply as a key priority to sustain uninterrupted generation, noting that one unit of the RNPL coal-based power plant in Patuakhali had begun commercial production and another would join soon. Government measures to conserve electricity, such as limiting decorative lighting and regulating air conditioner use, also contributed to the improvement.

Officials added that continued imports from Adani Power in Jharkhand, India, and increased LNG, HFO, and coal imports helped maintain generation stability. Consumers in Dhaka reported no outages during the week, though brief local interruptions may still occur for maintenance or technical reasons.

Elon Musk has agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to settle a lawsuit accusing him of failing to disclose his Twitter (now X) share purchases on time. The case, filed in January 2025 just before President Donald Trump took office, alleged that Musk misled investors by delaying disclosure of acquiring more than 5% of Twitter’s shares in 2022, before taking ownership of the social media platform. A filing on Monday revealed that a Musk trust will pay the fine, though Musk has not admitted any wrongdoing. The settlement will be finalized once approved by the court.

The SEC had initially sought more than $200 million in penalties, claiming that Musk’s delay deprived ordinary investors of over $150 million in potential gains. Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, described the fine as minor and said it resolves all issues related to filing delays during the Twitter acquisition. An SEC spokesperson noted that if approved, this would mark the largest penalty ever imposed by the agency for failure to disclose share ownership on time.

Despite the settlement, Musk still faces a separate class-action lawsuit from investors over the same issue.

Thailand’s cabinet has approved an emergency loan package worth 12.2 billion US dollars to address the economic fallout from the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. The decision, announced on May 5, 2026, marks one of the country’s largest borrowing plans in decades, aimed at stabilizing the economy amid external shocks.

According to Thai lawmakers, the funds will be used to boost domestic spending and ease financial hardship among citizens. The Ministry of Finance recently revised its GDP growth forecast downward from 2.4 percent to 1.6 percent, reflecting the strain on the economy. The government stated that the emergency loan will be utilized between June and September under the “Thais Help Thais” program, which will provide direct support to over 20 million low-income residents.

Officials expect the initiative to help reduce living costs and sustain household consumption during the period of global economic uncertainty triggered by the Middle East crisis.

Farmers in Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj are struggling to find laborers even by offering the equivalent of two maunds of paddy, while harvesters provided under government subsidy are reportedly charging higher-than-approved rents. The situation has left local farmers in severe difficulty during the ongoing Boro season. According to the agriculture office, paddy was cultivated on 12,850 hectares in the upazila, but about 585 hectares have been affected by heavy rainfall.

Previously, a worker could be hired for one maund or less of paddy, but now even two maunds are not enough. The current market price of raw paddy is between Tk 650 and Tk 700 per maund, while daily labor wages have risen to around Tk 1,300. Farmers are spending about Tk 22,000 per bigha to produce paddy but earning only Tk 17,500 from sales, resulting in a loss of Tk 4,000–5,000 per bigha.

The upazila agriculture officer said 27 harvesters are ready to address the labor shortage, with additional machines being brought from nearby districts. The maximum approved rent per bigha is Tk 2,500, and authorities will take action if higher rates are charged.

Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir has said there is no reason for concern regarding the Bangladesh–United States trade agreement, emphasizing that such international accords are built on mutual interests. Speaking to reporters after a meeting with US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch at the Commerce Ministry on Tuesday, he described the deal as a ‘win-win’ arrangement designed to benefit both sides.

The minister explained that the current government inherited the agreement as part of state continuity and intends to use it to expand trade and investment. He noted that Bangladesh has sought clarification from the US regarding a recently initiated investigation and has already shared its position in response. Muktadir stressed that Bangladesh does not engage in dumping and that its export sectors, particularly ready-made garments, operate under strict international compliance standards.

He further stated that the agreement includes provisions for amendment or adjustment if any clause contradicts Bangladesh’s interests, describing this as a ‘self-correcting element.’ The meeting also discussed strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties.

The government has announced plans to implement the ninth pay scale in three phases, considering the country’s current economic conditions. A reconstituted committee has already begun preparing recommendations, which will soon be submitted to the government. The proposal suggests that 50 percent of the basic salary could be implemented in the 2026–27 fiscal year, with the Finance Division recommending an additional allocation of 350 to 400 billion taka in the upcoming budget for salaries, allowances, and pensions. The first phase is expected to cover about 33 percent of the new pay scale for government employees.

According to the source, the remaining portions of the basic salary and various allowances will be implemented gradually over the following two fiscal years. Although no final decision has been made in the committee’s first meeting, members reportedly support implementing the announced pay scale due to pressure from government employees. The current budget had allocations for pay scale implementation that were not used, but the next budget is expected to include increased funding for this purpose.

The reconstituted committee may take key decisions after the finance minister returns from the Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting, followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman before final approval.

Japan has received its first shipment of crude oil from Russia since the outbreak of the Iran war, according to multiple media reports. The tanker arrived Monday at the Imabari coast carrying crude produced under the Sakhalin-2 project. Japanese outlets said the cargo was received by Taiyo Oil, though the company has not officially confirmed the delivery. The closure of the Hormuz Strait due to the ongoing Iran conflict has severely disrupted global oil supply.

Japan, which relies on the Middle East for about 95 percent of its oil imports, has been seeking alternative sources since the strait’s closure following the start of the Iran war on February 28. The Sakhalin-2 project remains outside international sanctions imposed on Moscow after the 2022 Ukraine invasion, allowing Japan to import oil from it without restrictions.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during her visit to Australia, said the global oil crisis is having a major impact on the Asia-Pacific region and announced that Japan and Australia will take joint emergency measures to ensure stable energy supply.

TankerTrackers.com, a ship-tracking and oil monitoring organization, stated that U.S. sanctions on Iranian ports will not force Tehran to halt oil production. In a post on social media platform X, the group dismissed claims that Iran’s oil storage would soon reach capacity, compelling the country to stop production.

According to TankerTrackers, Iran has the capacity to refine all of its produced oil for domestic consumption. The organization noted that during the first term of the Trump administration, Iran reduced its oil production to below two million barrels per day, an amount it could fully process to meet internal demand.

The statement, cited by Al Jazeera, challenges prevailing assumptions that sanctions would quickly cripple Iran’s oil sector, suggesting instead that the country’s refining infrastructure provides a buffer against export restrictions.

Global oil markets experienced sharp volatility as Brent crude stabilized at $114 per barrel on Tuesday following a 6 percent surge the previous day. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude traded just below $105. The price spike coincided with escalating tensions between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route, as a one-month Middle East ceasefire faced uncertainty.

According to the US Central Command, American forces repelled an Iranian attack while escorting two US-flagged ships. Simultaneously, reports emerged of drone and missile strikes targeting the Fujairah oil terminal in the United Arab Emirates. The disruptions have rendered the Hormuz Strait nearly impassable, adding a “war premium” to global oil prices. US President Donald Trump warned in an interview that the conflict could persist for two to three more weeks and cautioned Iran against direct attacks on US vessels. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said progress had been made in talks but urged the US and UAE to avoid being trapped again in “quicksand.”

Goldman Sachs noted that while global oil inventories remain above crisis levels, the rate of decline is concerning, with reserves potentially dropping from 101 to 98 days of demand by the end of May.