Food and water shortages in the Garo Hills of Mymensingh are pushing wild elephants into settlements, increasing conflict with residents and farmers. Forest Department figures show that from 2014 to 2026, elephant attacks killed 49 people in the Garo Hills and nearby areas. During the same period, 35 wild elephants died in electric traps, poison bait and retaliatory attacks by people.

The report attributes the crisis to forest clearing, hill cutting for settlements and cultivation, illegal occupation and commercial tree felling, which have reduced elephant habitat and food sources. Irregular rainfall and prolonged drought linked to climate change have also prevented new vegetation from growing and dried up streams. Farmers said elephants destroy crops, while compensation is not adequately received.

Sherpur has been the worst affected district, where 30 people and 30 elephants have died in the conflict. The Balijuri Range has about 120 elephants in 8,330 acres of forest, an area experts consider unsuitable for that number. The Forest Department is planting elephant-friendly trees on 115 hectares and has initiated plans for artificial water reservoirs in several forest areas.

Bangladesh’s industrial sector is under severe pressure from energy shortages, high interest rates, dollar-market stress and stalled investment, according to the report published on August 1, 2026. More than 250 industrial establishments have closed over the past year, leaving over 150,000 workers and employees jobless. Factories in Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur and Narayanganj are operating below capacity or halting production for much of the day because of inadequate gas pressure.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data showed significant production declines in several industries in fiscal year 2024-25, including weaving textiles, jute textiles, pharmaceuticals, cement-lime-plaster and fruit processing. Use of diesel generators has raised production costs by 30% to 40%. The government temporarily suspended new industrial gas connections and approved load increases on July 14, followed by an emergency Petrobangla instruction on July 17.

Private investment fell to 21.53% of GDP in fiscal year 2025-26, its lowest level in 14 years. Imports of industrial raw materials and capital machinery also declined, while new foreign equity inflows dropped 70.34% in the first quarter of 2026. BIDA says it is pursuing alternative energy projects and aims to generate 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

Bangladesh will require all public transport vehicles to install and keep Global Positioning System devices active from Saturday, August 1, as part of an effort to strengthen order in the road transport system. From that date, operators seeking new registration, fitness certificates or fitness renewals must show proof that GPS is installed. They must also demonstrate through the relevant mobile application that the device is active.

The government said the measure should enable more effective monitoring of public transport movement, improve route management and reduce disorder on roads. The report cited reckless bus operation amid competition for passengers, boarding and alighting outside designated stops, and vehicles occupying multiple lanes as factors behind severe congestion in the capital and elsewhere.

Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association organising secretary Jahangir Alam Khan said contracts for GPS installation had been completed with different companies, but full implementation across all vehicles would not be possible from August 1. BRTA Chairman Habibur Rahman said the authority is developing a technology-based monitoring system to verify whether GPS devices are installed and functioning. Transport experts welcomed the initiative while stressing the need for oversight, transparency, accountability and longer-term reforms.

Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company said oil production, development and exports continued normally despite wartime conditions, according to its chief executive Hamid Bord. In a report published on July 31, 2026, Iranian state media said an offshore oil platform was successfully installed during the conflict, while oil exports continued without disruption.

Bord said gas production at platforms in the South Pars gas field remained uninterrupted. Major maintenance work was also completed on the platforms, and debris was safely removed from damaged refineries. He said many NIOC activities were not disclosed during the sensitive wartime period, describing this as a deliberate and planned decision aimed at protecting national interests.

Drawing on experience from rebuilding the Phase 14 refinery damaged in a 12-day war, Pars Oil and Gas Company is rapidly advancing reconstruction work at other refineries damaged in the recent conflict, Bord said. He described the continued operation of oil and gas production, operational areas, offshore platforms and energy facilities as evidence of Iran’s oil industry’s crisis-response capacity. Bord also credited industry workers’ dedication and sacrifice with maintaining production, development and sustainable energy supplies.

China has begun commercial production of domestically developed immersion deep ultraviolet, or DUV, lithography machines, Reuters reported. State-owned Shanghai Aisengna Electronic Technology Group is leading the project, developed with engineers from Chinese lithography companies. Chinese researchers also say they are nearing development of homegrown extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, lithography technology, an advance that could mark a major shift in the semiconductor industry.

Lithography is central to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. DUV can produce chips down to 7 nanometres through skilled engineering techniques, while EUV is considered nearly essential for 2, 3 and 5 nanometre processors. Dutch company ASML has long held an effective monopoly in the commercial EUV market. After US export restrictions limited Chinese access to advanced chips, equipment and software, China made semiconductors a national strategic priority and invested tens of billions of dollars in research, manufacturing, equipment, materials and talent.

Analysis found that Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro, launched in 2023, used a 7-nanometre processor made by SMIC. China is investing across chip design, equipment, materials, memory and fabrication, while CXMT and YMTC have expanded their positions. The source says the United States, Taiwan’s TSMC and ASML remain leaders in chip design, manufacturing and EUV technology respectively.

Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has announced plans to clean Tangail city’s DC Lake and develop it into a mini tourism centre. He made the remarks on Friday after inaugurating an operation to remove water hyacinth and accumulated waste to restore the lake’s environment. Tuku said the lake is not only a recreational site but also an important part of Tangail city’s beauty and environment.

He said the entire lake would be cleaned gradually, while the adjoining char area is planned as a larger tourism centre. Necessary initiatives are being taken toward those goals, he added. Tuku said he had previously visited the area with the chairman of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation, who inspected both the char area and the DC Lake area.

The state minister said work was under way to fulfil his pre-election pledge to establish a modern tourism centre in Tangail. He said a cleaner, more usable lake could provide residents with a modern recreation space, while fish farming in the lake would also benefit local people. Tuku inspected sections of the lake, joined the water-hyacinth removal effort and directed those involved to continue regular cleaning. BNP activists, volunteers and local residents joined the campaign.

The Justice and Democracy Party, or JDP, warned that Bangladesh could move toward an economic recession if the ongoing gas crisis is not resolved quickly. JDP convener Naim Ahmad made the warning at a human chain in Shahbagh, Dhaka, on July 31, calling for an end to the severe shortage and adequate gas supplies. He said the public does not have confidence in government assurances and statements on the crisis.

Ahmad described gas as a key driver of industry, agriculture, power generation and the wider economy. He said shortages are disrupting factory output, creating investment uncertainty and threatening employment. He called for interest on bank loans to affected businesses to be waived or suspended, alongside necessary incentives, until gas supplies return to normal.

He also highlighted cooking-gas difficulties faced by low-income women workers in the garment sector. Ahmad said disruptions to irrigation and fertilizer production could threaten food output, food security and inflation. JDP member secretary Advocate Abdul Alim said the government should take effective action before public anger over daily disruptions turns into mass protests.

Bangladesh’s ninth national pay-scale process is in its final stage, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said on July 31 while speaking to media at the Secretariat. He said the process to issue a gazette notification for the new salary structure would begin quickly after cabinet approval. However, no final announcement of the ninth pay scale has yet been made.

Bangladesh has announced eight pay scales for public employees since independence, with the latest introduced in 2015. Under that structure, the minimum basic salary rose 101 percent to Tk8,250 and the maximum salary rose 95 percent to Tk78,000. Since then, employees have received annual increments at a fixed rate, currently five percent, but no new formal salary structure has been announced.

In July 2025, the Ninth National Pay Commission recommended salary increases of 100 to 140 percent, proposing a minimum basic salary of Tk20,000 and a maximum of Tk160,000. After taking office, the new government formed a separate committee on April 21 to review recommendations. The minister also said the new pay structure had no connection with obtaining a new IMF loan.

Bangladesh could capture 12 percent of the projected $375 billion global man-made fiber, or MMF, apparel market by 2030 if policy reforms, increased domestic and foreign investment, and stronger industrial capacity are ensured, according to a Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute study. The report says such a shift could reduce the garment sector's dependence on cotton, diversify exports, and strengthen Bangladesh's position in the global apparel market.

The study says the global apparel industry is rapidly moving from cotton-based products toward synthetic and blended-fiber garments, creating an opportunity for Bangladesh to diversify its export products and improve international competitiveness. Although Bangladesh is described as the world's second-largest apparel exporter, its exports remain mainly dependent on cotton-based goods. The report identifies MMF expansion as an economic necessity for maintaining competitiveness in the post-LDC trade environment.

The roadmap recommends rationalising tariffs on MMF raw materials, speeding foreign direct investment approvals, expanding domestic polyester staple fiber and synthetic yarn production, improving access to finance, and developing skilled workers. It also calls for expanded bonded warehouse facilities, specialised loan programmes, technology transfer incentives, and increased production of higher-value activewear, sportswear, and technical textiles.

Chalan Beel, spanning 1,600 villages in 62 unions across 10 upazilas of Natore, Pabna and Sirajganj, is steadily shrinking because of unplanned development, according to the report published on July 31, 2026. Embankments, national highways, bridges, pond excavation and other infrastructure have reduced the wetland’s flow and depth. Its area, once more than 1,000 square kilometres, is reported at about 368 square kilometres during monsoon and 85 square kilometres in the dry season.

Many of Chalan Beel’s 47 small and large rivers have lost their natural flow because of siltation and navigability problems. Some 177,000 fishers were directly or indirectly linked to fishing in its rivers, canals and waters. Reduced water inflow and illegal China duari and badai nets have pushed native fish toward disappearance, prompting many fishers to change occupations and reducing dried-fish production.

The report says the Baghabari-Tarash flood-control embankment built in 1980 and the Hatikumrul-Banpara highway completed in 2001 obstructed water flow. Natore BADC Executive Engineer Sajjad Hossain cited climate change, untimely rainfall, siltation, reduced navigability, blocked canal mouths and unplanned infrastructure as contributing factors.

Twenty-five plots allotted to Fortune Invention and Technology Limited at the Jhalakathi BSCIC industrial estate have not been cancelled despite Tk 14.4 million in unpaid land installments and the absence of a submitted industrial layout. According to BSCIC sources cited in the report, the company received the plots in 2023, accounting for one-third of the estate’s 79 industrial plots. No industrial facility has been established on the allocated land, which remains vacant.

The report says the 25 plots cover 117,000 square feet, although BSCIC rules allow allocations of up to 15,000 square feet. BSCIC issued repeated notices seeking payment of the arrears, but the owners have not taken steps to pay, according to the report. It also notes that the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission had fined Fortune Shoes Limited’s chairman, directors and officials over allegations of failing to distribute dividends and pay listing fees.

BSCIC official Al Amin said Fortune had received reminder letters and a final notice, and a decision to cancel the allocation could emerge at the next meeting. Deputy Commissioner Momin Uddin said a final notice had been issued over the unpaid installments and necessary action would be decided at an upcoming meeting. The report says 51 of the estate’s 79 plots, including Fortune’s 25, are vacant.

Women in Ghonirampur village of Taraganj upazila in Rangpur are producing synthetic shoes exported to the United States, Canada, Germany, Poland, Turkey and other countries. Bling Leather Products, an export-oriented shoe manufacturer established in 2017, operates on 9.5 acres beside a highway about four kilometres from the upazila headquarters. Founded with about Tk250 crore in investment by two brothers who returned from abroad, the late Selim and Hasanuzzaman Hasan, the factory now employs about 3,000 people, around 80 percent of them women.

Worker welfare officer Jesmin Ara said the factory has increased employment and changed local social conditions. The company says it provides a safe working environment, maternity leave, medical services and skills-development training. Workers Joyanta Rani, Aduri Rani and Lovely Begum described using their income to support households, education, savings, debt repayment and livestock rearing.

Company officials said at least 510 current workers had previously worked in Dhaka and other parts of the country before returning for local jobs. The factory produces about 10,000 pairs of shoes daily. After expansion, it expects employment to reach about 34,000 people, with women making up 80 percent. Management also plans to raise daily production to 50,000 pairs and expand into Bangladesh's domestic market.

The government has approved a two-year, 528 crore taka agricultural mechanization project aimed at making the country’s farming sector more modern and technology-driven. Approved recently at an ECNEC meeting, the project will establish 60 “mechanized hubs” in 60 upazilas. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, implementation in the field will begin once the DPP is formally signed, while procurement and related work must be completed by next June.

The government-funded project will purchase 2,174 modern agricultural machines, including combine harvesters, rice transplanters, reapers and other equipment used in rice cultivation and crop harvesting. The machinery will be sourced from five countries, including Japan, Vietnam and China. Making the equipment accessible to farmers, lowering production costs and raising agricultural productivity are among the project’s stated objectives.

The hubs will provide machinery demonstrations, operation and maintenance training, and technical assistance to farmers. Local youths and farmers will receive practical training to become operators and mechanics, with plans for local servicing systems. A national agricultural machinery workshop will be built in Gazipur using government land and existing training infrastructure. Allegations involving administrative discipline and internal coordination are under higher-level review, though project authorities say work will move forward quickly within the set timeframe.

Bangladesh’s job market is facing intense competition, with 159 to 235 applications submitted for each vacancy, according to a Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies research report released Thursday at the BIDS Bhaban auditorium in the capital. Professor Atanu Rabbani, research director of the General Economics Division, presented the report, which highlighted particularly strong competition among entry-level jobseekers.

The study used vacancy advertisements and submitted applications from Bdjobs, described as the country’s largest online job portal, covering data from June 28, 2015, to December 28, 2025. Rabbani said Bangladesh’s informal economy accounts for 85 to 89 percent of the economy, while the Bdjobs data represent 2.5 percent of the formal sector. He said the data still reflect part of the country’s employment market.

Before Covid-19, vacancies received an average of 173 applications, rising to 287 in the post-pandemic period. During lockdowns from March to June 2020, job advertisements fell 70.2 percent and vacancies declined 75.2 percent. The report said the market took about 41 weeks to normalize and remained about 21 percent above expected abnormal levels during 2022-2025. It also noted some easing in the final two quarters of 2025.

Bangladesh’s national fish, hilsa, has recorded declining production for two consecutive fiscal years, according to government survey data cited in a report published on July 31, 2026. The Department of Fisheries said output fell from 529,487 tonnes in fiscal year 2023-24 to 500,288 tonnes in 2024-25, a decrease of about 5.5 percent. Officials fear production may decline further in the current fiscal year, with preliminary field information putting output so far near 400,000 tonnes.

Fishers in coastal areas and along routes including the Meghna, Jamuna and Tetulia rivers said catches remain below expectations even during the peak Ashar-Shraban season. Experts cited reduced river navigability, sediment-created shoals, climate change, adverse weather, plastic pollution, excessive harvesting, jatka killing, illegal nets and uncontrolled trawling as combined threats to hilsa stocks and reproduction.

Researchers said fewer large hilsa and a growing presence of small fish in markets signal an imbalance in the species’ population. Sector representatives called for tighter control of industrial trawlers, enforcement of prescribed fishing depths, dredging of rivers and estuaries, plastic-pollution control and coordinated conservation with neighbouring countries.