The article highlights the growing importance of the blue economy in the 21st century as a foundation for sustainable economic growth, employment generation, and improved livelihoods through the responsible use of ocean resources. It notes that Bangladesh gained 118,813 square kilometers of maritime area following international court rulings in 2012 and 2014, marking a major step toward developing its sea-based economy centered on the Bay of Bengal.

The Bay of Bengal hosts rich biodiversity, including hundreds of species of fish, shrimp, and marine plants, supporting the livelihoods of about 30 million people and contributing roughly three percent to Bangladesh’s GDP. The article emphasizes the need for training, technology, and modern fishing tools to increase marine harvests sustainably. It also warns that overfishing, unregulated mineral extraction, and marine pollution threaten ecological balance.

The report concludes that proper management of Bangladesh’s blue economy could significantly boost national development, with opportunities in tourism, renewable energy, and marine industries, while maintaining environmental sustainability.

Severe nor’wester storms and hail on Sunday night caused widespread damage to crops and homes in several parts of Bangladesh, particularly in Naogaon and Sherpur districts. In Naogaon, the storm lasted about 30 minutes, damaging 731.5 hectares of farmland, including banana, maize, wheat, potato, and vegetables. The Department of Agricultural Extension reported that 225 hectares of banana, 216 hectares of maize, and 216 hectares of wheat were affected, with banana and maize losses valued at over Tk 172 crore. Many banana and papaya trees were uprooted or broken just before harvest.

In Sherpur’s Nalitabari upazila, Saturday night’s storm and hail destroyed homes and trees, leaving around 35 families homeless. The worst-hit area was Singuarpara village in Rupnarayankura union, where 30–35 houses were completely destroyed. Power supply was disrupted in several areas, and many residents were forced to stay under the open sky. Local officials visited the affected sites and informed higher authorities for assistance.

Agricultural officials advised farmers to prepare for recovery and future disaster resilience, while weather observers recorded wind speeds up to 50 km per hour and 29 millimeters of rainfall during the storm.

The 'Zia Canal' in Shayestaganj, Habiganj, once linked to late President Ziaur Rahman’s canal excavation program, is now on the verge of extinction due to encroachment, pollution and lack of maintenance. Locals say the canal, dug during Ziaur Rahman’s 1978 visit to the area, once played a vital role in irrigation and flood control but has since deteriorated severely.

Elderly residents recall that before the canal’s excavation, farmers in the region suffered from water shortages during dry months and severe flooding during monsoon. The canal had provided relief by improving irrigation and drainage. Local leaders, including former municipal BNP president Korom Ali and former vice-chairman A S M Afzal Ali, emphasized the canal’s historical and agricultural importance and urged for its immediate restoration.

Habiganj-3 MP and Parliament Whip G K Gaus pledged to prioritize the canal’s dredging, citing both public demand and the site’s association with Ziaur Rahman’s legacy.

Bangladesh’s export trade has been severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict centered on Iran involving the United States and Israel. The closure of airspace, instability in the Strait of Hormuz, and rising international shipping charges have hindered cargo transport. Exporters of agricultural goods, ready-made garments, and frozen foods are facing losses, with officials warning that prolonged conflict could exert major pressure on foreign trade.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh exported about 80 million dollars’ worth of goods to Middle Eastern countries in fiscal year 2024–25, including vegetables, garments, and processed foods. Exports to Iran totaled roughly 539,000 dollars, limited by sanctions and banking restrictions. The war has halted air shipments, leaving 80 tons of vegetables grounded in a single day. The Middle East accounts for about 60 percent of Bangladesh’s vegetable exports, and the suspension of flights has nearly frozen this trade.

Garment industry leaders report rising production costs due to fuel shortages and shipping delays. The Export Promotion Bureau notes exports have fallen 3.15 percent in the first eight months of 2025–26. Stakeholders warn that unless transport routes normalize soon, Bangladesh’s export sector faces escalating risks.

Islamic banks in Bangladesh experienced a decline in key financial indicators in January 2026, according to the latest Bangladesh Bank report. Deposits in the sector fell by about Tk 2,569 crore, while investments dropped by Tk 176 crore. At the end of January, total deposits stood at Tk 4,73,657 crore, down 0.57 percent from December. Despite the monthly fall, deposits were 9.34 percent higher than a year earlier.

The report showed that ten full-fledged Islamic banks held Tk 4,04,023 crore in deposits, while Islamic branches of conventional banks had Tk 42,623 crore, and Islamic windows held Tk 26,010 crore. The sector’s investment position stood at Tk 5,84,574 crore, slightly lower than December’s Tk 5,84,750 crore, though up by over 11 percent year-on-year. Remittance inflows through Islamic banks fell by about seven percent, and export earnings dropped four percent, while imports rose by more than 16 percent.

Industry sources attributed the deposit decline partly to customer withdrawals following the merger of several Islamic banks, which have begun refunding Tk 2 lakh per depositor.

World Bank South Asia Vice President Johannes Zutt concluded a three-day visit to Bangladesh on Tuesday, during which he met with senior government officials including the finance and planning ministers, the commerce minister, the prime minister’s economic adviser, and the Bangladesh Bank governor. Discussions focused on the government’s development priorities and areas where the World Bank Group could provide support.

Zutt stated that the government is prioritizing large-scale job creation alongside skills development and investment, with the World Bank committed to assisting in these goals. He noted that 14 million young people entered Bangladesh’s labor market in the past decade, but only 8.7 million jobs were created, leaving nearly half of the youth unemployed, particularly women facing greater challenges. He emphasized the need for long-pending macroeconomic and financial sector reforms to sustain growth and employment amid global uncertainty.

The World Bank Group continues to support Bangladesh through investments in physical and human infrastructure, promotion of a business-friendly environment, and mobilization of private capital, having provided over $46 billion in grants and concessional loans since independence.

Bangladesh Bank has directed all banks, mobile financial service (MFS) providers, payment service providers (PSP), and payment system operators (PSO) to establish a dedicated 'Cashless Bangladesh Unit' at their head offices by March 31. The directive, issued by the central bank’s Payment Systems Department, aims to strengthen the country’s transition toward a cashless and digital payment infrastructure.

According to the circular, the initiative is part of a broader government and central bank effort to expand digital transactions nationwide. The use of Bangla QR, internet banking, and point-of-sale (POS) machines has been increasing significantly. To ensure better coordination, each institution must have a designated unit. Under the Cashless Bangladesh initiative, inclusion of Bangla QR transactions has been made mandatory for licensing and renewal of retail merchants.

The circular further specifies that a deputy managing director or equivalent officer will oversee the unit in banks, while a senior officer one rank below the managing director will lead it in MFS, PSP, and PSO organizations. Institutions must submit unit details to Bangladesh Bank by March 31 and provide annual reports on cashless activities by the end of each March.

The Sri Lankan government has announced a four-day workweek to save fuel, designating every Wednesday as a public holiday. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the country must be prepared for difficult times while maintaining hope. Under the new directive, schools and universities will operate four days a week, while essential services such as hospitals, police, and immigration will continue as usual. Wednesday was chosen to avoid a continuous three-day office closure.

The government has also made a national fuel pass mandatory for drivers, setting allocations of 15 liters for private cars and 5 liters for motorcycles. Many citizens have criticized these limits as insufficient. A similar measure was implemented during the 2022 economic crisis. Other Asian countries have also taken steps to address fuel shortages, including Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The global energy crisis has intensified after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in Iran pushed oil prices to nearly 100 dollars per barrel, further straining regional economies.

A Dhaka court has granted a two-day remand for eleven individuals arrested in connection with a violent attack, vandalism, and looting at the Square Shopping cum Commercial Complex in Uttara. The order was issued on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, by Metropolitan Magistrate Kamal Uddin. The accused were presented before the court by the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Md. Suman Mia of Uttara West Police Station, who had sought a seven-day remand for interrogation.

Defense lawyers opposed the remand request, arguing that the accused were not involved in the incident and included rickshaw pullers and day laborers with no proven link to the crime scene. Despite the defense plea for bail, the court approved a two-day remand for each accused. The case was filed by Ariful Islam, an electrician of the complex, following the attack.

According to the case statement, the violence began after an altercation between a rickshaw puller and a security guard, escalating into a large-scale assault and looting that caused an estimated loss of nine crore taka before police and army forces restored order.

The government of Bangladesh has declared March 18 as a public holiday by executive order ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, with the regular Eid holidays beginning on March 19. Despite the general closure of banks during this period, the central bank has issued special instructions to keep certain branches open to facilitate salary, bonus, and allowance payments for garment workers and officials, as well as export bill settlements.

According to Bangladesh Bank’s directive issued on March 10 by its Department of Off-site Supervision, branches of scheduled banks located in garment industry areas will remain open on March 18 and 19 in a limited capacity. These include branches in Dhaka, Ashulia, Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Valuka, Narayanganj, and Chattogram. Transactions will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with offices operating until 2 p.m., including a short break for prayers.

Banks have also been instructed to provide allowances to employees working during the holidays in accordance with regulations, while ensuring adequate security at all open branches.

The MV Sugandha launch, operating on the Dhaka-Hatia route, became stranded on a river shoal after being caught in a storm early Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The vessel, carrying more than a hundred passengers, has remained stuck for about 15 hours near Charbhairabi area before reaching Ilisha Ghat. Despite the tide rising, low water levels prevented the launch from floating again.

Passengers reported severe hardship and lack of assistance, saying that even after informing the Coast Guard and Navy, no effective rescue measures had been taken by late afternoon. Some passengers described being trapped with small children without food or means to disembark as evening approached. The launch’s master, Mostafizur Rahman, said the vessel anchored to maintain control during the storm but became stuck when the tide receded.

MV Sugandha had started its inaugural journey from Dhaka’s Sadarghat on Monday evening as one of two newly launched government-allocated vessels intended to improve travel on the Dhaka-Hatia route.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) announced on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, that 98 percent of operational garment factories in Dhaka and Chattogram have paid Eid bonuses to their workers. According to the BGMEA statement, out of 2,127 active factories, 2,080 have completed bonus payments, including 1,753 in Dhaka and 327 in Chattogram.

The association also reported that 2,104 factories, representing 98.92 percent, have paid February salaries, while 870 factories, or 40.90 percent, plan to pay advance wages for March. Among these, 840 are located in Dhaka and 30 in Chattogram. The data reflects the overall wage and bonus payment status across the country’s two main industrial hubs.

The BGMEA’s update provides a snapshot of the sector’s compliance with wage and bonus obligations ahead of Eid, indicating strong adherence among most factories in the ready-made garment industry.

World Bank Vice President for South Asia Johannes Zutt concluded a three-day visit to Bangladesh on Tuesday, during which he met with the ministers of finance, planning, and commerce, as well as the prime minister’s economic adviser and the Bangladesh Bank governor. Discussions focused on the government’s development priorities and areas where the World Bank Group could extend support.

Zutt emphasized that the government is prioritizing large-scale job creation alongside skills development and investment, and that the World Bank Group is committed to helping achieve these goals. He noted that 14 million young people entered Bangladesh’s labor market over the past decade, but only 8.7 million jobs were created, leaving nearly half of the youth unemployed, particularly women. He stressed the need for long-pending macroeconomic and financial sector reforms to sustain growth and employment amid global uncertainty.

The World Bank Group supports countries in transforming growth into local employment by investing in physical and human infrastructure, promoting business-friendly environments, and mobilizing private capital. Since Bangladesh’s independence, the World Bank has provided over $46 billion in grants and concessional financing through the International Development Association.

All import and export activities through the Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh will remain suspended for 11 days from Tuesday, March 17, in observance of Eid-ul-Fitr. The announcement was confirmed by Abul Kalam Azad, manager of Banglabandha Land Port Limited. The decision was communicated through a letter signed by Sadequl Islam, general secretary of the Banglabandha C&F Agents Association, following a meeting held on March 10.

According to the association’s letter, the suspension will last from March 17 to March 27, with regular operations scheduled to resume on Saturday, March 28, after the Eid holidays. The closure affects all import and export activities handled by C&F agents at the port’s customs station.

Despite the suspension of trade operations, passenger movement through the port’s immigration facilities will continue as usual during the holiday period, the port manager confirmed.

Roads and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam announced that the government has decided to ensure adequate fuel supply for public transport to facilitate smooth Eid travel. He said the administration is actively working to maintain fuel distribution in phases amid national and international supply challenges. The minister made these remarks on Tuesday morning at Lebukhali in Galachipa, Patuakhali, during the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rabnabad Bridge on the Lebukhali-Bauphal-Galachipa-Amragachia road.

Sheikh Robiul Alam stated that the current 25-day-old government is functioning with collective effort, prioritizing public expectations and aspirations. He emphasized that the construction of the Rabnabad Bridge will ease public suffering, boost the local economy, and improve transport of goods for working people. The bridge is expected to establish uninterrupted connectivity between upazilas, the district, and the capital, marking a significant step in regional development.

The minister reiterated that the government remains committed to overcoming the ongoing fuel crisis with utmost importance to ensure public convenience during the Eid season.