Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed optimism that construction of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will be completed within the scheduled time, aiming for inauguration by mid-December this year. He made the remarks during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka with a Japanese delegation led by Japan’s Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Shimada Tomaki, which included the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The meeting discussed progress on several JICA-funded development projects in Bangladesh, including the Matarbari deep seaport, MRT lines, and the airport’s third terminal. Japan responded positively to increasing its energy assistance to Bangladesh from 312 million to 500 million US dollars. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the Bangladesh–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

During the talks, Japan also informed that it would provide five patrol boats to the Bangladesh Navy. The two sides discussed the Rohingya crisis, with the Prime Minister seeking Japan’s continued support for safe and sustainable repatriation. The Japanese delegation invited the Prime Minister to visit Japan, and he expressed hope to do so at a convenient time.

The United States and Iran have reached a preliminary understanding on the release of $3 billion during indirect talks held in Doha, Qatar, according to a report by Saudi-based outlet Al Arabiya citing sources on Wednesday. The discussions were mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, with each side communicating through their respective intermediaries. The Iranian delegation, comprising officials from the foreign ministry, central bank, and agriculture ministry, also attended a tripartite meeting with Qatar’s prime minister.

Sources indicated that Iran conditioned the phased release of the funds on progress achieved in the negotiations. The talks also addressed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, based on a new proposal from Oman. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the main goal of the Doha meeting was to review progress in implementing an interim Tehran-Washington agreement.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the discussions, which began Tuesday night, focused primarily on the release of Iran’s frozen assets and regional maritime security. A diplomatic source told AFP that the Doha talks were proceeding under a memorandum of understanding and followed up on progress made at the Lake Lucerne conference in Switzerland.

Bangladesh Bank announced that the country received a record USD 35.56 billion in remittances during the 2025–26 fiscal year, marking the highest annual inflow in its history. The total remittance through formal channels from July to June stood at USD 3,556.20 crore, up from USD 3,032.90 crore in the previous year—an increase of USD 523.30 crore or 17.3 percent.

Officials attributed the growth to the government’s strict measures against informal money transfers, cash incentives for legal remittance channels, improved banking accessibility, and faster digital transfer options. These factors encouraged more expatriates to use official systems for sending money home.

Although June saw a slight decline with USD 280.06 crore—the lowest in seven months—Bangladesh Bank noted that data from 11 banks were not yet included, suggesting the final figure may rise. The strong remittance and export earnings have also bolstered the country’s foreign exchange reserves, which now stand at USD 37.56 billion gross and USD 32.90 billion in net usable reserves under IMF’s BPM-6 method.

Turkey has increased transit fees for ships passing through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits by about 15 percent, effective July 1, 2026. The country’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure confirmed the adjustment to Russian news agency RIA Novosti, stating that the new rate will be 6.70 US dollars per ton, up from the previous 5.83 dollars set in 2022. The revision is part of the ministry’s annual review process.

The Bosphorus and Dardanelles are among the world’s busiest and most strategically important maritime routes. This latest increase continues a trend of fee adjustments that began in 2022, after nearly four decades of unchanged rates at 80 cents per ton since 1983. In 2022, Turkey raised the fee more than fivefold to 4.8 dollars per ton as part of a policy shift.

According to preliminary estimates by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Turkey expects to earn about 254 million US dollars from ship transits between July 2025 and June 2026, roughly 31 million dollars more than the previous fiscal year.

The house rent allowance for teachers employed in MPO-listed private educational institutions has been raised by 15 percent of their basic salary, effective from Wednesday, July 1, 2026. According to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), the issue of increasing the allowance has been finalized, and teachers and staff will receive the enhanced benefit from July.

Earlier, on October 21, 2025, the Ministry of Finance approved a 15 percent increase in the house rent allowance for MPO-listed teachers and employees of private institutions. The ministry’s approval letter stated that, considering the government’s budget limitations, the allowance would be implemented in two phases: 7.5 percent from November 1, 2025, and an additional 7.5 percent from July 1, 2026, making a total of 15 percent of the basic salary, with a minimum of 2,000 taka.

The DSHE confirmed that the finance ministry’s directive has now come into effect, ensuring that eligible teachers and staff will receive the revised allowance starting this month.

Bakshiganj Municipality in Jamalpur has announced a proposed budget of Tk 30 crore 5 lakh 39 thousand 942 for the 2026–27 fiscal year. The announcement was made on Tuesday afternoon at the municipal office conference room, where municipal administrator and Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Asma Ul Husna presented the budget.

According to the proposal, total income is estimated at Tk 30 crore 5 lakh 39 thousand 942, while total expenditure is set at Tk 28 crore 58 lakh 88 thousand 119. The projected revenue income for the fiscal year stands at Tk 5 crore 77 lakh 75 thousand 823, with revenue expenditure estimated at Tk 4 crore 31 lakh 24 thousand. The revised budget for 2025–26 showed revenue income of Tk 9 crore 33 lakh 6 thousand 666 and expenditure of Tk 7 crore 33 lakh 79 thousand 490.

The budget announcement event was attended by local political leaders, municipal officials, social service officers, journalists, and other dignitaries, reflecting broad community participation in the fiscal planning process.

State Minister for Planning Zunaid Saki emphasized strengthening the institutional capacity of the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA), modernizing the electronic government procurement (e-GP) system, and updating procurement laws and regulations to make public procurement more transparent, competitive, and technology-driven. He made these remarks on Tuesday at a stakeholder consultation workshop titled “e-GP System Development, Mandatory Implementation of e-GP, and Capacity Building of BPPA,” held at the BPPA conference room in the Planning Commission premises.

The workshop was chaired by BPPA Chief Executive Officer S. M. Moin Uddin Ahmed, with IMED Secretary Sirajun Noor Chowdhury as special guest. Participants included representatives from government agencies, business organizations, academia, and the media. Presentations highlighted BPPA’s progress, challenges, and future plans for procurement reform. Discussions also covered the proposed 110-member staffing structure, which participants deemed insufficient for BPPA’s expanding regulatory and training responsibilities.

Officials underscored the need for effective integration of the e-GP platform with other government digital systems and for expanding training to enhance officials’ skills in procurement laws and procedures.

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has expressed concern that Bangladesh’s newly announced contractionary monetary policy could undermine the positive effects of the national budget’s tax and tariff incentives aimed at boosting investment, industrialization, and private sector growth. The business body issued its reaction shortly after Bangladesh Bank unveiled the monetary policy for the next six months.

According to DCCI, private sector credit growth has already slowed to 5 percent, while the policy interest rate remains unchanged at 10 percent, discouraging new investment. Despite four years of tight monetary policy, inflation rose to 9.42 percent in May, the highest in South Asia. The organization also noted that government borrowing from banks has surged by about 26 percent, squeezing liquidity and making credit access harder for private entrepreneurs.

DCCI welcomed the central bank’s Tk 60,000 crore stimulus fund as a positive step but stressed the need for transparent and efficient implementation. It urged better coordination between fiscal and monetary policies to ensure sustainable, private sector–driven growth and effective delivery of incentives to struggling entrepreneurs.

The Premier Bank PLC held its 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday morning at Golf Garden in Dhaka through a hybrid format. The meeting was chaired by the bank’s founder shareholder and chairman, Dr. Arifur Rahman, and attended by directors, senior executives, shareholders, and officials. Company Secretary Mohammad Akram Hossain presented the meeting notice, while the chairman welcomed shareholders and outlined the bank’s overall performance, achievements, and future plans.

Dr. Arifur Rahman stated that the bank is moving forward with honesty and transparency after overcoming past irregularities, aiming to position Premier Bank among the country’s top five banks through restructuring and good governance. Managing Director Md. Monzur Mofiz emphasized that the institution is advancing toward a strong and sustainable future by maintaining depositor confidence and protecting long-term shareholder interests.

The meeting also presented the audited financial statements, the board of directors’ report, and other agenda items for approval. Shareholders shared their opinions and participated in a question-and-answer session.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced an extension for expatriate workers facing work permit issues. The ministry said the deadline to regularize their status has been extended until the end of the current year, according to a report published on Tuesday by Gulf News.

The decision applies to expatriates whose work permits expired more than a year ago or who have not received a permit within six months of joining a company. The ministry stated that the move aims to ensure strict enforcement of labor laws, protect the rights of all contractual parties, and allow both employers and employees additional time to complete necessary legal and regulatory procedures.

Authorities have warned that failure to issue or renew work permits within the extended period will result in strict legal action. Additionally, the government has limited the number of immediate work visas available to new companies to a maximum of five.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Mostakur Rahman announced that Islami Bank has so far received Tk 13,000 crore in liquidity support. He disclosed this information on Tuesday during the presentation of the monetary policy for the first half of the 2026–27 fiscal year.

According to the governor, banks received Tk 17,000 crore in liquidity support during the Awami League government and Tk 51,000 crore during the interim government. He added that no funds were provided in the first four months after the current administration took office, but the liquidity assistance was extended to Islami Bank due to its financial crisis.

The announcement highlights the central bank’s intervention to stabilize Islami Bank’s liquidity position as part of broader monetary management efforts for the new fiscal year.

Bangladesh Bank has announced the monetary policy for the first half of the 2026–27 fiscal year, setting the private sector credit growth target at 6.8 percent through December. The policy was published on the central bank’s website on Tuesday afternoon, outlining the revised target as part of its updated monetary framework.

According to the information released, private sector credit growth stood at 5 percent in May of the previous fiscal year, while the full-year target for 2025–26 had been set at 8.5 percent. The new target represents a reduction compared to that earlier goal. Meanwhile, the target for domestic credit growth has been fixed at 10.5 percent.

The announcement reflects Bangladesh Bank’s continued efforts to manage credit expansion and align monetary policy with current economic conditions for the upcoming fiscal period.

Bangladesh Bank has announced the monetary policy for the first half of the next fiscal year (July–December 2026), keeping the policy interest rates unchanged due to inflation not yet reaching the desired level. The announcement was made on Tuesday at the central bank’s headquarters by Deputy Governor Habibur Rahman, in the presence of Governor Mostakur Rahman, Deputy Governor Nurun Nahar, and other senior officials.

According to the new policy, the central bank has maintained the repo rate at 10 percent, which is the rate at which banks borrow short-term funds from the central bank against government securities. The Standing Lending Facility (SLF) rate remains at 11.50 percent, while the Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate stays at 7.50 percent, applicable when banks deposit funds with the central bank.

The monetary policy statement projects that inflation will decline to 7.5 percent in the upcoming fiscal year, reflecting the central bank’s expectation of gradual price stabilization.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf announced that Tehran has begun to see results from its recently signed memorandum of understanding with the United States. He stated that in less than two weeks since the lifting of sanctions, Iran exported 40 million barrels of oil. Ghalibaf shared this information in an interview with state media, describing the development as a sign of the agreement’s effectiveness.

According to Ghalibaf, under the memorandum’s fourth clause, the United States was required to begin lifting sanctions immediately after signing and complete the process within 30 days. However, the sanctions were removed well before the deadline, which he described as a diplomatic success for Iran. He characterized the outcome as proof of both Iran’s military and diplomatic strength.

Ghalibaf also emphasized that Iran considers the Strait of Hormuz a key strategic asset and will not retreat from its sovereign rights over the waterway. He clarified that the memorandum only temporarily exempts the United States from paying maritime service fees in the strait, without altering Iran’s sovereignty stance.

All scheduled banks across Bangladesh will suspend customer-level transactions on Wednesday, July 1, in observance of the annual bank holiday. The suspension also extends to trading activities at the country’s stock exchanges. However, the head offices of Bangladesh Bank and other scheduled banks, along with a few key branches, will remain open on a limited scale to handle administrative and accounting tasks only.

According to Bangladesh Bank regulations, July 1 and December 31 are designated as bank holidays each year. On these days, banks halt customer transactions to complete internal accounting, financial reporting, and administrative work. The observance ensures that institutions can finalize their mid-year and year-end financial statements without disruption from regular operations.

The temporary closure is a routine measure and part of the banking sector’s annual schedule, aimed at maintaining financial transparency and operational efficiency across the system.