Rupali Bank has moved to auction nearly 26 acres of mortgaged land and property belonging to Beximco Limited in Gazipur and Narayanganj to recover defaulted loans. A notice issued by the bank’s head office and reported on August 16, 2026 said the relevant outstanding amount from Beximco Textile was Tk 190.92 crore, excluding unpaid interest. The bank said the scheduled movable and immovable assets would be sold in their existing condition to recover its dues, related costs and court interest.

The notice names Bangladesh Export Import Company Limited as the borrower; the company was previously known as Bextex Limited. Padma Textile Mills and Beximco Knitting have merged with Beximco Limited. Listed properties include land in several Gazipur areas, including Sarabo, and in Tarabo and Jatramura mouzas of Narayanganj. The schedules describe 25.96 acres in total, including 17.41 acres in Narayanganj and 8.55 acres in Gazipur.

Beximco company secretary Asad Ullah said he was unaware of the auction and argued that repayment was difficult while the company remained closed. Bids must be submitted by 2 pm on September 14 and will be opened five minutes later. Economist Abu Ahmed said a negotiated settlement between the bank and borrower would be preferable.

The 1,320-megawatt Bangladesh-India jointly owned Rampal coal-fired power plant has reportedly shut down 30 times over the past year, including 27 times because of technical faults, according to an August 16, 2026 report by Amar Desh. Power Division sources cited in the report said equipment at the plant has deteriorated within three years, repeatedly failing again soon after repairs and requiring substantial maintenance spending.

The report said the project was developed by Bangladesh Power Development Board and India’s state-owned NTPC through the Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company. It said Bangladesh now carries the burden of a $1.6 billion loan from India’s Exim Bank. Power Division officials told the newspaper that although ownership is split equally, Indian parties controlled installation and operations. The report also alleged that nine Indian officials left on January 24 after an Anti-Corruption Commission inquiry began.

Plant spokesperson Anwarul Azim said locally appointed engineers have gradually restored operations following the departure of Indian officials. He said faults had been relatively limited over the past month and that the plant’s two units were now supplying 800 to 900 megawatts daily to the national grid. Power Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said Bangladesh had raised the technical faults and financial losses with India.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed US sanctions for rising prices in Iran, saying the measures have disrupted goods imports through the country’s ports. In remarks published Friday, he said shipments that previously arrived by sea must now take longer routes to reach Iran, increasing the cost of finished goods and the cost of living.

Pezeshkian said the increase in prices was therefore natural, according to his remarks. He also said Iran’s income had declined because it could no longer sell oil as it had previously. The president linked the country’s financial pressures both to disrupted trade and to reduced oil-sale revenue.

He further said several industrial factories had been destroyed in bomb attacks, reducing the government’s ability to collect taxes from them at previous levels. Emphasizing the need to keep the country functioning despite these pressures, Pezeshkian said Iran’s economic wheel must continue turning.

Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh may need about two years to build the infrastructure required for a lasting exit from its ongoing gas crisis. Speaking to journalists after a workshop in Sylhet on Saturday afternoon, he acknowledged that gas shortages are disrupting production at industrial factories and said infrastructure development was essential for a permanent solution.

Muktadir said mills and factories across the country were suffering from the gas shortage and that the situation could not be denied. He said the current government had inherited the crisis rather than created it. According to the minister, the government is working beyond conventional approaches to address the energy shortage, while seeking time to establish the necessary infrastructure.

He said the government was also working on emergency measures alongside long-term construction. On possible LNG imports from Malaysia, Muktadir said Malaysia's smaller ships were currently deployed elsewhere, limiting the ability to bring gas quickly. He said the government was nevertheless trying to determine whether temporary steps could bring some improvement to the situation.

Fish farmer Abul Kalam Kala of Bagmara village in Boxmahmud Union, Parshuram, Feni, has built a successful aquaculture operation by using feed he prepares himself. The report, published on August 15, 2026, says the locally made feed helps him control production costs while creating an opportunity to produce comparatively healthier fish.

Kalam began fish farming about 13 years ago after leasing a small pond in his village for Tk1,500. His farm now includes 19 small and large ponds covering about 5.66 hectares in Jamiargaon, Bagmara and Teteshwar villages. Rather than hybrid fish, he raises rohu, mrigal, kalibaush, catla, carpu, sarputi and grass carp. His feed includes oilcake, bran, husk, fishmeal and molasses.

Kalam says he sells fish fry of different species worth Tk3 million to Tk4 million each year. He said flooding in 2024 washed away fish from all his ponds, causing losses of about Tk6 million, but he resumed farming and recovered. Upazila fisheries officer Syed Mostafa Zaman said Kalam had set an example through skill, hard work and proper guidance.

The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, or BKMEA, has sought special payment relief for garment factories facing financial losses amid severe gas and power shortages. In a letter to Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem requested that gas and electricity bills for July and August be paid in 12 equal instalments instead of a lump sum.

BKMEA said production at most garment factories was seriously disrupted during July and August because of shortages of gas and electricity. It said the suspension of natural-gas supplies to industries through open cylinders or cascade cylinders prevented many factories from maintaining normal production. To keep operations running, factories had to rely on alternative fuels.

According to the association, many firms purchased diesel, LPG and other fuels at higher prices with cash, increasing production costs and straining cash flow. BKMEA said lower output and additional fuel expenses have caused significant financial losses, making one-time bill payments difficult. It urged relevant ministries and agencies to issue necessary instructions, saying instalment facilities could ease financial pressure and help maintain production and export operations.

Pineapple growers in Naogaon and Rangamatia unions of Fulbaria upazila in Mymensingh expect bumper production and sales this season. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, farmers may earn more than Tk125.64 crore by selling Jaldubi, Calendar and Honeyqueen pineapples. The area, adjacent to Madhupur upazila, relies heavily on pineapple cultivation as a source of farmers’ income.

The upazila agriculture office recorded pineapple cultivation on 750 hectares this season: 315 hectares of Jaldubi, 425 hectares of Calendar and 10 hectares of Honeyqueen. Jaldubi cultivation rose by 65 hectares from last year. Farmers are increasingly choosing Jaldubi because it requires less time, land and production cost while offering higher returns. It produces a full crop within one year, compared with about one and a half years for Calendar and Honeyqueen varieties.

Production from 315 hectares of Jaldubi is projected at about 25.2 million fruits, valued at Tk63 crore at an average Tk25 each. Calendar pineapple sales could generate Tk61.2 crore, while Honeyqueen and other varieties may bring Tk1.44 crore. Farmer Solman Sarker said he sold Tk11 lakh worth of fruit from three acres planted with 60,000 seedlings.

Farmers and potato traders in Kalai upazila of Joypurhat are facing losses as weak demand and lower-than-expected prices discourage them from releasing potatoes stored in cold facilities. As of the second week of August, potatoes sold at cold-storage gates for Tk920 to Tk960 per 60-kilogram sack, against an estimated production, transport, sorting and storage cost of about Tk1,400. The average loss is about Tk460 per sack.

According to the district Department of Agricultural Extension, only about 22 percent of potatoes kept in cold storage had been released by the second week of August, while around 78 percent remained stored. At the same time last year, about 45 percent had been released. This year, potatoes were cultivated on 39,330 hectares in Joypurhat, producing about 930,000 tonnes. The district’s 22 cold storages hold about 215,982 tonnes.

Farmers need funds for land preparation, seedlings, fertiliser and labour during the aman rice season, but say their capital remains tied up in storage. Traders reported losses of Tk4,000 to Tk5,000 per truck and Tk50 to Tk55 per sack in some cases. Exporter Md Sujaul Islam said overseas demand was also weak. An agricultural official said higher-than-needed production had lowered prices and authorities were coordinating to improve the market.

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the country may take about two years to build the infrastructure needed to address its gas shortage. Speaking in Sylhet on August 15 after a workshop, he said conditions would become largely normal within the next two years once the required infrastructure is completed. He described the hardship facing industrial factories because of gas shortages as a long-standing inherited problem.

Muktadir said resolving the crisis requires increasing the capacity for gas imports and supply infrastructure. He said initiatives are being taken to raise liquefied natural gas imports. According to the minister, the coming two years are important for the industrial sector, and the government is also examining whether solutions beyond emergency and conventional arrangements can be used.

He cited a possible initiative involving Malaysia’s state energy company Petronas, under which LNG could be brought on large vessels and transferred at sea to smaller ships to increase supplies. The remarks followed a workshop on preparing district-level annual work plans for fiscal year 2026-27 and evaluating the previous year’s implementation under an agricultural development project using modern technology. Agricultural Department officials at different levels attended.

Gas supplies have been fully shut off to 171 industrial factories in Habiganj, Bangladesh, halting production and leaving more than 150,000 workers idle, the report said. Supplies had been limited for the previous 20 days before being cut completely from Wednesday. The disruption is causing reported daily losses of more than Tk1,000 crore, while foreign orders are being cancelled or face cancellation because export shipments cannot be completed on time.

Managers at Jamuna Industrial Park, Badsha Pioneer, SM Spinning, Sayham Group, Habiganj Industrial Park and Square Denim said their factories had stopped operating after gas supplies ended. Several companies are fully export-oriented and rely on captive power systems for electricity, meaning production and internal power generation have both been affected. Officials cited idle workers, stopped output and risks to existing orders.

Jalalabad Gas T&D System Limited Deputy General Manager Md Ruhul Karim Chowdhury said the shortage is a national problem that began in late July. He said gas supply to power-generation centres was increased to maintain electricity production, forcing supplies to industries to be curtailed. He said the problem could be resolved within three to four days.

An LNG-related gas shortage disrupted CNG filling stations, transport services and household cooking gas across Bangladesh on August 15. Supply was limited or suspended at stations in several areas, leaving most stations effectively idle in Narayanganj and all filling stations shut in Brahmanbaria town. Long queues formed at filling stations in Dhaka, while reduced CNG vehicle operations contributed to passenger hardship and allegations that bus fares rose by Tk5 to Tk10 on some routes.

Drivers said they waited hours for limited fuel, while station operators cited inadequate pressure for normal filling. Operators also said they still had to run equipment despite reduced sales, raising electricity costs and financial losses. On the Araihazar-Madanpur route, passengers alleged fares had nearly doubled, with disputes and physical altercations reported amid fewer CNGs and buses.

CNG drivers and workers blocked roads in Chattogram and Sylhet in protest. Jalalabad Gas attributed low pressure to a technical fault at an LNG terminal and asked consumers to limit use to 50 percent. Petrobangla operations director Md Shoaib said winds near Maheshkhali were about 38 knots, preventing an LNG vessel from berthing; he said supply could normalize quickly once weather conditions allow docking.

Bangladesh’s Middle East-bound air ticket market is again facing allegations of syndicate activity as ministry directives on booking transparency and ticket disclosure are reportedly not being enforced. The report, published on August 15, 2026, says tickets often omit travel agency names, licence numbers and actual prices, while magistrate-led monitoring at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka has largely stopped.

A February 11, 2025 circular required bookings to include passengers’ names and passport numbers, and required Middle East group bookings to be confirmed with names within 72 hours. Investigators had found allegations that tickets were blocked indefinitely through unnamed group bookings and later sold at high prices through unauthorised agents. A government investigation reportedly found evidence of misconduct involving 11 international airlines, their GSAs and 30 travel agencies.

The report says the task force created to protect passengers is not visibly active, despite government promises of zero tolerance. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afrosa Khanam Rita said fares are set through dynamic pricing based on demand, time, season, seat availability and market conditions. She said ticket prices, agency names and licence numbers must be displayed, and agencies involved in abnormal charges or syndicates could face strict action, including cancellation of registration.

An Iranian supertanker began loading crude oil at Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, despite a US naval blockade, according to vessel-monitoring firm TankerTrackers. The loading was detected on Friday, the first such case involving an Iranian supertanker at the island since late July. The report was published on August 15, 2026.

TankerTrackers said a Very Large Crude Carrier operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company was loading at the Azarpad jetty on Kharg Island. About 2 million barrels of crude oil were being loaded onto the vessel. Kharg Island normally handles about 90 percent of Iran’s total crude oil exports, making the activity significant for the country’s export operations.

The United States reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in mid-July, creating uncertainty over Iran’s oil exports and maritime traffic. TankerTrackers said Iran’s overall oil production is currently broadly aligned with domestic demand. The firm said Iran may therefore not need to export very large volumes of oil.

International crude oil prices rose by more than $1 a barrel on Friday as fresh tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran heightened supply concerns. Brent crude gained $1.45, or 1.67%, to $88.52 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate rose $1.15, or 1.42%, to $82.40 a barrel.

For the week, Brent was on track to rise about 6%, while WTI was heading for a gain of about 5.4%. On August 14, two UAE oil tankers were hit by drones. No casualties were reported, but both vessels were damaged. The United Arab Emirates blamed Iran for the attack.

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen well below normal levels, increasing concerns over international oil supplies. Analyst Andrew Lipow said the situation could become more serious if transit restrictions persist, noting that about 20% of global oil supplies are transported through the strategic waterway. The strait’s security situation, progress in US-Iran talks and tanker movements are expected to influence the market’s next direction.

Sugarcane harvesting is in full swing in Barura upazila of Cumilla, where farmers report strong yields and higher market prices than last year. The report, published on August 14, 2026, says growers are busy cutting and marketing cane, while interest in cultivation is increasing because farmers see the crop as comparatively profitable with lower costs.

Sugarcane is widely cultivated in Shilmuri North and South, Bhabanipur, Aganagar, Jhalam and Barura municipality. About 350 farmers have planted cane on roughly 147 hectares this season, with a production target of 15,000 to 16,000 metric tonnes. BSR I-47, BSR I-43 and BSR I-46 are the main varieties, with BSR I-47, also known locally as CU-208, most widely grown because of its sweetness and taste.

Wholesale prices now range from Tk65 to Tk70 per cane, while retail prices reach Tk90 to Tk100, depending on size and quality. Upazila agriculture officer Md Zahidul Islam said no special facilities are provided for cane farming, but farmers receive advice on proper use of organic fertilizer and pesticides.