Bangladesh Bank has removed inter-institution fees on all Bangla QR transactions to promote digital payments, meaning customers will face no fee or service charge. The central bank also introduced incentives for small-value transactions under a circular issued Monday. Both measures will take effect on October 1.

For each Bangla QR payment of up to Tk2,000 at small merchants and service providers, a total incentive of 0.3 percent will be available. The bank or mobile financial service app used by the customer will receive 0.2 percent, while the bank or payment institution providing the QR code through which the merchant receives payment will receive 0.1 percent.

Transactions cannot be split into multiple smaller payments, or conducted through other artificial means, to obtain incentives. Failed, cancelled, refunded, chargeback, disputed, or subsequently cancelled payments will not qualify. Bangladesh Bank may inspect transaction records, merchant information and supporting documents, recover wrongly paid incentives, or adjust them against future incentives. Acquiring institutions must monitor unusual merchant transactions and take action where artificial splitting, cash-out activity, or other irregularities are found.

Bangladesh Bank has allowed the use of international cards to pay tuition fees and other education-related expenses for higher education abroad. In a circular issued on Monday, the central bank said authorised dealer banks may issue debit, credit or prepaid cards in the name of a student or the person bearing the student’s education costs. The report was published on August 10, 2026.

The decision follows growing demand for card-based payments to foreign universities and international admission platforms. Bangladesh Bank said transactions made through such cards for overseas education will be considered separately. These expenses will not be counted under existing travel quotas or other foreign-exchange facilities.

Under the circular, authorised dealer banks must complete all required regulatory formalities before issuing the cards. They must also ensure within the specified period that cards are used only for approved education-related payments. Banks have been instructed to maintain proper records of these transactions and regularly report them to Bangladesh Bank using the designated purpose code.

Bangladesh has launched an initiative to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties with New Zealand, focusing on agriculture technology, dairy, green energy, pharmaceuticals, leather, jute, sustainable textiles and information technology. At a meeting with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Bangladesh highlighted opportunities for joint investment, business connections and export expansion. The Commerce Ministry disclosed the information in a Monday statement. Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman led Bangladesh’s delegation, while Rachel McGakian, NZTE’s market manager for Southeast and East Asia, took part in the discussion.

Annual trade between the two countries currently stands at about $450 million. Bangladesh imports significant dairy and metal products from New Zealand, while its exports to New Zealand total about $147 million and are largely ready-made garments. Bangladesh sought NZTE support to diversify trade by expanding non-garment exports, particularly pharmaceuticals, environmentally friendly jute products, leather goods, sustainable textiles and IT services.

Bangladesh invited New Zealand companies to invest in its special economic zones in dairy processing, cold-chain logistics, agriculture technology, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and environmentally friendly technology. It proposed direct contact between BIDA and NZTE, virtual business-to-business meetings involving Bangladeshi pharmaceutical, IT and leather exporters and New Zealand buyers, and coordination with New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministry. Both sides also agreed to establish a bilateral business council and arrange or participate in trade fairs.

Bangladesh lawmaker Sachinpru Jery called for increased tree planting to protect environmental balance and reduce landslide risks in Bandarban. Speaking as chief guest at a tree-planting and sapling-distribution event organised by the Bandarban Timber Traders Association in Ruma upazila on Monday morning, he linked heavier rainfall and landslides to climate change.

Jery said the declining number of trees is increasing soil erosion and the risk of landslides. He stressed that planting trees alone would not be sufficient and that regular care of planted trees must also be ensured. He described the traders association’s initiative as commendable in implementing the government’s election manifesto on environmental protection.

The event was attended by Ruma Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tajmin Alam Tuli, Bandarban Forest Department Divisional Forest Officer Md Toufiqul Islam, Pulpwood Plantation Division Forest Officer Abu Yusuf, and leaders of the district timber traders association. Local residents and students from different educational institutions also participated. After the discussion, guests distributed fruit and forest saplings of different species among local communities and students.

Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit has identified 42 loan-defaulting groups suspected of laundering bank-borrowed money abroad, according to a report published on August 10, 2026. Their combined defaulted loans total $2.549 billion, or about Tk31,557 crore at Tk123.80 per dollar. Authorities identified nearly $221.9 million allegedly laundered by four companies and said related banks have begun efforts to recover funds and assets.

The listed groups include SB Exim, Habib, Yasir, AWR, Liberty, Premier, Laskar and Saad Musa. Reported identified amounts include $26.8 million for SB Exim, $134.1 million for Habib, about $40 million for Yasir and about $20 million for AWR. The 42 entities were identified in a second phase using Bangladesh Bank Credit Information Bureau data covering institutions with more than Tk200 crore in defaulted loans.

Eight international legal and professional advisory firms have been contracted to identify and recover overseas assets on a no-win, no-pay basis. Preliminary information points to possible laundering in countries including the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Canada and Singapore. Bangladesh Bank officials said identified assets would first be frozen or seized under relevant foreign laws before legal steps are taken to return proceeds to Bangladesh.

Commercial banks in Bangladesh are increasingly directing investments toward government Treasury bills and bonds rather than productive private-sector financing, according to the report published on August 10, 2026. At the end of March, government securities accounted for 91.32 percent of banks’ total investments, while other sectors received 8.68 percent. Bangladesh Bank Governor Mostaqur Rahman recently instructed banks in a meeting to increase new lending.

During the March quarter, bank investment in government securities rose 10 percent, while investment in other sectors fell 0.83 percent and loan growth was only 0.37 percent. BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem said entrepreneurs were reluctant to borrow because gas and electricity shortages put investments at risk. Bangladesh Steel Mills Association founding president Sheikh Masadul Alam said banks were focusing more on recovering existing loans than issuing new ones.

In 2025, government securities represented 67.46 percent of banks’ investments. Banks recorded a Tk12,537 crore loss in net interest income that year, while non-interest income from Treasury operations and investments rose to Tk83,171 crore. The government plans to borrow Tk1.12 lakh crore from the banking system in the current fiscal year to finance the budget deficit.

Bangladesh’s trade deficit climbed to its highest level in three years in fiscal year 2025-26, as import spending rose sharply while export earnings declined. Latest Bangladesh Bank data put the deficit at $27.28 billion in the fiscal year that has just ended, up 34 percent from $20.39 billion in fiscal year 2024-25.

Merchandise exports totalled $43.85 billion in 2025-26, a 1 percent decline from the previous year. Import expenditure rose 10.5 percent to $71.14 billion, the fastest annual import growth rate since fiscal year 2021-22. Sector representatives attributed the wider gap mainly to global conditions, including higher fuel prices, tariffs imposed by the Trump administration in the United States, high inflation in Western countries, and war-related disruptions to global supply systems.

Record remittance inflows of $35.58 billion helped limit the current-account deficit to about $1.6 billion. The financial account posted a $7.89 billion surplus, supported by foreign direct investment, foreign grants and foreign loans, while the overall balance of payments showed a $6.6 billion surplus. Economists said reducing reliance on remittances requires export diversification, stronger production capacity and improved competitiveness.

British Columbia has declared a state of emergency as the rapidly spreading Bald Range wildfire forced thousands of people from their homes in western Canada. First detected on Friday, the fire quickly doubled in size and spread across more than 136 square kilometres around Summerland, Peachland and nearby communities, according to the provincial wildfire authority. The report was published on August 10, 2026.

Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said residents must prepare for the worst. Premier David Eby said homes and property had been lost, while some people became trapped as conditions changed rapidly and needed rescue. Officials said flames rose so high that they generated lightning in the area, increasing the risk of further fire spread. Summerland residents were evacuated, while residents in some parts of Peachland were also told to leave.

The emergency declaration allows the provincial government to restrict movement, secure supplies, prevent price gouging and deploy additional resources for firefighting and rescue operations. Officials said more than 20,000 people have left homes across the province. Hundreds of people in care facilities, including seniors’ housing, are being moved to safer locations, though the number of destroyed homes and structures has not yet been confirmed.

A program featuring transplanted Aman rice seedlings using a rice transplanter and the distribution of tree saplings was held at Shopnoneer Agro BD farm in the Sijkandi area of Purbadhala, Netrokona, on Sunday morning. The initiative aimed to expand modern agricultural technology, reduce production costs and labour, and support environmental protection. Netrokona-5 member of parliament Masum Mostafa inaugurated the event.

The programme was organized under the overall supervision of the উপজেলা Agricultural Extension Department and chaired by Agricultural Extension Officer Rakibur Rahman. Mostafa said wider use of modern farm machinery such as rice transplanters, instead of traditional methods, could reduce both farmers' production costs and labour. He added that greater use of technology in agriculture could strengthen food security and improve farmers' living standards.

Shopnoneer Agro BD entrepreneur Sajjatun Nur Niloy said the farm uses modern machinery at different stages of farming, including cultivation and threshing, to save time and labour and popularize technology among farmers. Environment-friendly saplings of different species were later distributed among local farmers. Mostafa also planted a sapling on the farm premises, while local farmers and residents viewed the initiative positively.

Oil prices rose on the first trading day in Asia as uncertainty persisted over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The report, published on August 10, 2026, said Brent crude futures gained 91 cents, or 1.09%, to $84.46 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 61 cents, or 0.78%, to $78.79 a barrel.

Both benchmarks had fallen more than 7% last week after hopes emerged that the strait could reopen. Markets had anticipated a possible understanding between Iran and Oman that could allow the key maritime route to resume operations. Before the war began, roughly one-fifth of the world’s total oil was transported through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said an understanding with Oman was close to being finalized, but added that the United States still had to meet several conditions. The timing of any reopening therefore remains uncertain. That unresolved situation has kept volatility in the fuel market continuing, despite the earlier decline in oil prices linked to expectations of progress on the route.

Typhoon Dolphin struck eastern China on Sunday evening, prompting authorities to move more than one million people to safety from Shanghai and other areas. China’s weather authority said the storm first made landfall in Yuhuan, Zhejiang province, at about 5:30 p.m. local time, with maximum winds of 150 kilometres per hour. About an hour later, it made a second landfall in the city of Wenzhou.

Transport across the region was severely disrupted after the typhoon hit the coast. About 1,400 flights were cancelled in Shanghai alone. Authorities had earlier issued the highest-level red alert for Dolphin, but downgraded the warning to a tropical storm on Monday morning.

The storm is moving farther inland, while authorities have maintained warnings through Wednesday over risks of torrential rain, severe flooding and landslides. Heavy rain is forecast on Monday in Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, as well as Shanghai. Local administrations urged residents to stay indoors unless necessary. Parts of Shanghai Disneyland and Legoland, along with several tourist sites and observation platforms in the Bund area, were closed.

Bangladesh Bank has dissolved the boards of four financial institutions undergoing closure and declared their managing director posts vacant. On Sunday, it appointed administrators to Aviva Finance, Far East Finance, FAS Finance and International Leasing, according to a report published on August 9, 2026. Two additional Bangladesh Bank officials have been assigned at each institution to assist the administrators.

Bangladesh Bank Director Alauddin Hossain was appointed administrator of Aviva Finance, while Directors Sadekur Rahman, Ataur Rahman and Mohammad Iqbal Hossain were assigned to Far East Finance, FAS Finance and International Leasing respectively. Peoples Leasing has not yet received an administrator because of litigation-related complications and the absence of a court order. An official said the administrators will advance liquidation and repay individual depositors using government-provided funds.

The five institutions facing closure have non-performing loan rates ranging from 93 percent to nearly 100 percent and total deposits of Tk 16,076 crore. Individual depositors will receive priority, with a maximum repayment of Tk 10 lakh per person. Four other institutions have been given three months to recover; failure to improve could lead to their closure.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department said a new low-pressure area may form over the central Bay of Bengal on August 13 or the following day, potentially bringing heavy to very heavy rain across the country from August 14. Rainfall is expected to increase in the northeast from Monday and shift toward southern areas from Wednesday after several relatively drier days.

Meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir said rain may increase from Monday in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Chattogram divisions before moving southward. Meteorologist Dr Abul Kalam Mallik said rainfall could rise again from August 12 or 13, with heavy to very heavy showers potentially beginning nationwide from August 15 and continuing for several days. Heavy rain is considered unlikely in Dhaka before August 15.

The evening forecast said light to moderate rain or thunderstorms with gusty winds are likely in multiple divisions on Monday and Tuesday, with moderate heavy to heavy falls possible in places. Rangamati recorded 99 millimetres of rain on Sunday, while Rajshahi recorded the highest temperature at 36.0 degrees Celsius. Water at the Fenchuganj station on the Kushiyara River is flowing above the danger level.

Hong Kong recorded a temperature of 36.9 degrees Celsius at 3:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, its highest since weather records began in 1884, according to the Hong Kong Observatory cited by China’s state media Xinhua. The record was reported as a heatwave gripped the city.

The Observatory said the unusual heat was caused by descending airflow associated with Typhoon Dolphin. The temperature reading surpassed all previous records in Hong Kong’s weather history since systematic records were first kept 142 years ago.

Intense heat may continue over the next several days, with temperatures in some areas expected to exceed 37 degrees Celsius, the Observatory said. Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in China’s eastern Zhejiang province on Sunday afternoon.

Germany’s trade deficit with China widened to nearly €55 billion in the first half of 2026, despite China becoming Germany’s top trading partner. Preliminary data from Germany Trade & Invest, reported by Reuters, showed German exports to China fell by more than 12% from January through June to below €37 billion. China has dropped to ninth place as a market for German goods.

Chinese companies have reduced their reliance on European imports, contributing to the decline in German exports. Around 2021, China was Germany’s second-largest export market, when Germany sold €104 billion in goods there despite the effects of the pandemic. In 2026, several smaller economies, including Austria and Switzerland, bought more German goods than China.

German imports from China rose 8.9% to €91.8 billion during the period, taking total bilateral trade above €128 billion, €3 billion more than Germany’s trade with the United States. The deficit was €40 billion in the first half of last year. Germany’s manufacturing sector is also facing pressure from US tariffs and Chinese competition, with major industrial companies such as Volkswagen seeing substantial job cuts.