Power Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said Bangladesh has no immediate option beyond counting the days and managing load-shedding until repairs to a floating LNG terminal, or FSRU, are completed. He made the remarks while joining an event organised online by the Centre for Policy Dialogue on Thursday.

The minister said engineers are working to fix the FSRU fault. He said that, apart from waiting for the work at the terminal, authorities are trying to manage the situation so that load-shedding can be reduced as much as possible.

Tuku also said the management effort includes supplying gas to industries. He told the event that Bangladesh will install three new floating LNG terminals by 2029.

Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have signed a new memorandum of understanding on air services, increasing authorized weekly passenger flights between the countries from 49 to 84. The Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority chairman, Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq, announced the agreement at a Thursday press conference at the authority’s headquarters. The arrangement also allows 21 weekly cargo flights and includes fifth-freedom traffic rights, code-sharing, co-terminalization and aircraft leasing opportunities.

The additional 35 weekly passenger flights are intended to help meet growing travel demand, according to the chairman. He said about 4 million Bangladeshis living and working in Saudi Arabia would benefit from increased flights and seat capacity. Hajj and Umrah travellers are also expected to benefit, particularly during the Hajj season when passenger pressure and seat shortages can arise. Greater airline competition could give passengers access to more competitive and affordable fares, he said.

The agreement creates scope to expand services from Chattogram and Sylhet to Riyadh, Dammam, Madinah and Jeddah. Cargo provisions could speed exports including garments, fresh vegetables and fruit to Saudi markets. Designated Bangladeshi airlines may also operate cargo services via Saudi Arabia to specified destinations including Spain and Germany.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said Bangladesh’s electricity demand has suddenly increased because of illegal battery-powered auto-rickshaws. Speaking to journalists on Thursday, he said a large number of battery-run auto-rickshaws operate across the country and nearly all are charged at night.

The minister said most electricity connections used to charge these vehicles are illegal. Authorities are conducting drives to disconnect such connections, but face protests during these operations, he said. He also said power department workers have been attacked while carrying out enforcement activities. Tuku urged people not to spread rumours about oil.

He said the government plans to establish three more terminals to increase LNG supply. An order for one terminal was placed 10 to 12 days earlier, he said, while an initiative has also been taken to set up another LNG terminal in the Mongla-Hiron Point area. He said the government is making its utmost effort to resolve electricity and gas problems, and blamed the previous Awami League government for bringing the energy sector to its current crisis situation over 17 years.

German container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd said it suffered a $600 million loss in the second quarter because the Strait of Hormuz remained closed amid conflict in the Middle East. The report, published on August 13, 2026, said the closure created significant financial pressure for one of the world’s leading container shipping companies.

On Thursday, the company said its net profit fell to $83 million from $306 million a year earlier. Hapag-Lloyd said strong exports from Asia and improved demand in the United States partly offset losses caused by instability in the Middle East.

The strait’s closure increased costs for bunker fuel, insurance, storage, rerouting and inland transport. As a result, operating profit in Hapag-Lloyd’s liner shipping division declined to $153 million from $167 million. The source did not state any further company measures or provide a new outlook.

Iran has demanded compensation for pollution accumulated over recent decades in the Persian Gulf and nearby waters. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei made the demand in a post on X on August 13, saying parties that profit from commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have legal and moral responsibility to address environmental damage in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

On Wednesday, a thick black layer of oil washed onto a beach on Iran’s Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz. A CNN video verified through geolocation showed the oil spreading. Baghaei described the incident as only one visible example of pollution, saying the waters and marine ecosystem of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman have suffered extensive and long-term contamination for decades.

Baghaei said damage to Iran’s coastal areas has reached trillions of dollars. He questioned whether compensation should come from countries using cheap energy, shipping insurance companies, or countries and allies he said had turned the two waterways into sites for military operations and tests of weapons of mass destruction. Oman’s environmental authority said oil from a sanctioned tanker carrying Russian crude had also reached beaches in Ras Madrakah.

A meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and representatives of 25 US companies was highly productive and effective, according to Dr Mahdi Amin, an adviser to the prime minister and spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office. He made the remarks after a US-Bangladesh Business Council delegation met at the Prime Minister’s Office at 9:30am on Thursday.

The meeting discussed Bangladesh-US trade relations and their potential, the report said. Amin said Bangladesh was moving toward a future as a self-reliant and prosperous country. He did not provide details of any agreement, investment commitment, or specific project arising from the discussion.

The delegation was led by Oliver Simpson, senior vice president of the Business Council and chief commercial officer of Excelerate Energy, and Atul Keshap, president for South Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce. Former US ambassador Peter Haas, diplomat Nisha Desai and Business Council members also attended. On August 12, the delegation paid a courtesy call on Humayun Kabir, the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser.

Bangladesh has launched its online e-bail bond system in 12 additional districts, bringing the total number of covered districts to 28. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman announced the expansion at a ceremony at the ministry's conference room on Thursday morning, August 13, 2026. The stated aim is to modernise the justice system, reduce hardship for court users and speed the release process for accused persons granted bail.

The newly added districts are Tangail, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Cox's Bazar, Chandpur, Rangamati, Sirajganj, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Habiganj, Thakurgaon and Jamalpur. The system had already operated in 16 districts, where about 120,000 e-bail bonds were filed online over recent months, according to the minister.

Under the new process, filing and completing a bail bond requires two steps instead of 12 under the conventional method. Lawyers can submit bonds online from their chambers or elsewhere using smartphones, while acceptance will be confirmed immediately through OTP. The minister also called for contact with district legal aid offices regarding detainees in compoundable cases and said mediation, legal aid and efforts to reduce cases and raise disposal rates were being prioritised.

Apple is reportedly working on a special glass-focused design for its 2027 iPhone Pro models, marking 20 years since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007. Bloomberg technology journalist Mark Gurman said the company is not foregoing a major anniversary surprise, countering speculation that Apple would not make a significant change. Apple has not officially commented on the reported design plans.

Jefferies analyst Edison Lee had previously said Apple cancelled plans for an entirely glass iPhone for the 20th anniversary. Gurman’s information indicates that the idea has not been fully abandoned, but has shifted toward a design that gives glass greater prominence rather than using it throughout. Gurman said the more ambitious all-glass iPhone concept was dropped at an early stage of the design process.

The reported iPhone Pro models would have glass layers on the front and back extending to the device’s side edges, with a narrow metal ring or band between them. The devices are said to carry the internal codenames V73 and V74. If implemented, the plan could reduce the use of conventional metal frames and increase the use of curved glass, potentially creating a major exterior redesign.

Europe is now about 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than in the pre-industrial era, nearly twice the global average warming rate, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The article says climate change and fossil-fuel emissions are trapping additional heat in the atmosphere, while heatwaves during the current summer have killed thousands of people across Europe.

The report identifies four main factors behind Europe’s faster warming: changing weather patterns, proximity to the Arctic, declining snow cover and reduced air pollution. Shifts in atmospheric circulation have increased the frequency of intense, prolonged summer heatwaves, including a severe heatwave linked to a “heat dome” in June 2026. Europe is also strongly affected by rapid Arctic warming because of its geographic proximity.

Snow loss reduces the reflection of sunlight that helps keep land cool; in March 2025, European snow cover was about 1.3 million square kilometres below its long-term average. Lower air pollution has also reduced the cooling effect of particles that reflect sunlight. Scientists have not yet determined each factor’s precise contribution. UN climate chief Simon Stiell called for emissions cuts, a rapid transition to renewable energy and urgent protection from heatwaves.

Online shopping startup Fia, co-founded by Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, faces allegations of fraud involving “cookie stuffing,” an online advertising and commission scheme. A report published on August 13, 2026 said Fia allegedly used affiliate tracking codes in ways that could direct sales commissions to the company even when users did not buy products directly through it. Launched in 2025, Fia compares product prices across websites and finds discount codes.

According to the allegations, Fia’s browser extension activated affiliate links connected to online stores without users’ knowledge. This could allow Fia to claim commission credit even where another person or company had played the actual role in making a sale. Fia initially described the issue as a technical error, but questions later arose over published information and internal communications. Reports also said there is scrutiny over whether Gates and Kianni knew about the matter for months.

Fia said it removed the disputed feature on July 7. The company said it is reviewing transactions in which commissions were incorrectly attributed to it and is seeking to return money to relevant brands and partners. It also said it plans to hire a compliance officer to prevent similar incidents. The report said no formal criminal charge or sentence against Phoebe Gates has been identified.

Residents of nine villages in Mirzapur Union of Sherpur upazila, Bogura, have faced persistent waterlogging for about five years after mills, factories and blocked culverts disrupted drainage. The report, published on August 13, 2026, said suffering has intensified during the current monsoon, with mosques, homes, schools and rural roads submerged. Many residents have left ancestral homesteads after water entered their houses.

At least 5,000 people are waterbound in Mirzapur, Ramcharanmukund, Darimukund, Kanaikandar, Rajbari, Hatigara, Arangshail, Madanpur and Krishnapur. Children have stopped going to school, while stagnant dirty water has been linked to skin and waterborne diseases. About 5,000 bighas of farmland remain uncultivated; the land previously produced 20 to 25 maunds of boro rice per bigha.

Local farmers said 60 bighas of their land have remained underwater for four years, causing annual losses of about Tk25 lakh. Union Parishad chairman Jahidul Islam acknowledged blocked water flow. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saiduzzaman said officials inspected the area and would take effective steps, including through a government project, to address the waterlogging.

Import and export operations at Dhanua Kamalpur Land Port in Bakshiganj, Jamalpur, remain closed for much of the year, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The port, shut for seven days during the Eid-ul-Azha holiday, had not reopened nearly three months later. The closure is depriving the government of potential revenue worth crores of taka and has left about 8,000 workers and traders dependent on the port in severe difficulty.

Stone imports have been halted for a long period, leaving the port area largely empty and hundreds of stone-crushing machines idle. Traders cite duties on soil and sand arriving with stones, additional charges, poor roads on the Indian side and internal disputes among importers and exporters as reasons for mounting losses. Customs officials say traders have repeatedly been asked to resume imports, but they are avoiding stone shipments over fears of losses.

Land Customs Station and port sources said operations were closed for about five months in fiscal year 2024-25 and about six months in fiscal year 2025-26. Activity has also remained suspended so far in fiscal year 2026-27. Revenue officer Md Abul Hossain Akand said repairs are underway on damaged roads on the Indian side, while disagreement among traders over losses has also kept imports halted.

Two elephants, including Raju Bahadur, died at Gazipur Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur. Park acting officer Tarek Rahman confirmed the deaths on the evening of August 12. Raju Bahadur died on the morning of August 7 after about two and a half months of treatment. Another adult elephant, which had been ill for a long time after bacterial infection, died a day earlier on August 6.

According to park authorities, Raju Bahadur was seriously injured on May 24 when another elephant attacked him while he was chained in the elephant shed. He fell to the ground, and examinations found one broken leg and severe injuries to another leg. Treatment began under domestic and foreign specialist doctors. As his condition became critical, specialist wildlife veterinarians were brought from Thailand on June 4, while several medical boards also advised on his care.

Samples from both dead elephants have been sent to a laboratory for testing. With Forest Department permission, the animals were buried inside the park. Forest Department and park sources said Raju Bahadur was rescued in January 2025 from Narayanganj, where he was allegedly used to collect extortion money from people on roads and in markets. The park now has eight elephants.

Chattogram’s gas crisis has intensified, with the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited saying the region is receiving 54.29 percent of demand, leaving a 45.71 percent shortfall. In a report published on August 13, the company said it was receiving 190 million cubic feet of gas daily against an allocation of 246 million cubic feet from the national grid. The shortage has disrupted household cooking, CNG stations and gas-based power generation, while load-shedding has increased.

Gas-sector sources said Chattogram depends on floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali for supply. The crisis began after a fire incident at Exelerate Energy’s terminal on July 21. One boiler was partially restarted on August 6 after nearly two weeks of closure, but repairs to damaged electrical control and instrument systems, as well as replacement of required parts, are continuing.

The report said output at rod, garment, shipbreaking and steel-structure factories has fallen to 40 percent. Several 210-megawatt power-generation units, including at Raozan and Anwara, are shut. BSRM said its factory had been fully closed since Wednesday and it had not received gas at the desired rate for 20 days. Long queues were reported at CNG stations, some of which suspend service when gas pressure falls.

Bangladesh Bank’s liquidity support to weak banks, funded by money creation, has exceeded Tk85,000 crore as of August 13, 2026, according to the report. The central bank provided nearly Tk17,000 crore more over the past three months to address severe liquidity shortages at 13 banks. Despite the support, the banks have not repaid the large outstanding loans over a long period.

The report says widespread looting at more than a dozen banks during the Awami League government left them financially weak, with some unable to return depositors’ money. In late 2022, five Shariah-based banks were allowed to conduct transactions despite negative current-account balances. When those facilities were later stopped, the banks struggled to repay customers and instability emerged at branches.

Islami Bank Bangladesh received the largest amount, Tk17,000 crore, followed by First Security Islami Bank with Tk15,810 crore and EXIM Bank with Tk12,010 crore. Bangladesh Bank spokesperson and Executive Director Arif Hossain Khan said such support should not continue, but the central bank is compelled to provide it because failure to return depositors’ funds could undermine confidence in the banking sector and deepen the crisis.