Global oil prices dropped sharply on April 17, 2026, after Iran announced that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz was now fully open for commercial shipping. Following the declaration by Iran’s foreign minister, Brent crude fell below $90 per barrel, down from over $98 earlier in the day. The U.S. benchmark, Nymex Light Sweet Crude, also saw a notable decline.

Before recent conflicts, Brent crude traded below $70 per barrel, but prices had surged past $100 in early March and peaked at $119 later that month. The latest announcement reversed part of that upward trend, signaling relief in global energy markets.

Stock markets in Europe and the United States responded positively to the news. Paris’s CAC and Frankfurt’s DAX indices each rose by more than two percent, while London’s FTSE also gained modestly. In early U.S. trading, the Dow Jones increased by 1.3 percent and the S&P by 0.7 percent, reflecting renewed investor optimism.

A severe cyclone accompanied by intense hailstorm struck the Char Bagdohra area of Noheli Union in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur on Friday night, destroying more than 100 houses. The storm, which began around 1 a.m., caused extensive damage in wards 7, 8, and 2, leaving hundreds of families homeless and struggling under open skies. Many houses lost their tin roofs or were completely destroyed as large hailstones pierced through the structures.

Local residents described the sudden storm as devastating, with several families including those of Suja Mia, Rafiqul, Suman, Jahanur, and others suffering severe losses. Many said their homes are now uninhabitable due to holes in the roofs and water damage. Residents expressed despair over losing their homes overnight and uncertainty about rebuilding without assistance.

Union Parishad member Rezaul Haque Bullet confirmed that a list of affected families is being prepared, while Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jesmin Akter stated that relief distribution will begin soon and further measures will be taken for those most severely affected.

A severe fuel shortage has gripped Chattogram, mirroring the nationwide crisis triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East. Many petrol pumps across the city have run dry, forcing drivers to wait in lines stretching up to a kilometer. Some motorists have waited four to five hours without receiving fuel, leading to frustration and occasional scuffles at filling stations. The Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation reported that Chattogram Division has 383 petrol pumps, with 46 located in the city.

Most city pumps are out of octane, and those still operating are rationing fuel, causing traffic congestion around the stations. Several major pumps, including those in Katalganj, New Para, Baluchhara, and Oxygen areas, remained closed due to lack of supply from depots. Only a few stations, such as QC Petrol Pump in Gani Bakery area, continued limited operations.

Officials and station managers attributed the crisis to reduced depot supply and panic buying by consumers. They warned that unless supply normalizes soon, the situation in Chattogram could deteriorate further, disrupting transportation and goods movement.

The Power Development Board (PDB) has announced that electricity supply will remain suspended for eight consecutive hours across large parts of Sylhet city on Saturday, April 18, due to urgent repair and development works. The outage will last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to a notice signed by Abdur Razzak, Executive Engineer of the Sales and Distribution Division-2 of the Sylhet PDB.

The suspension will affect areas under the 11 kV feeder, including Chalibandar, Kastoghar, Sobhanighat, Bishwaroad, Zailroad, Bandar Bazar, Amjad Ali Road, Kalighat, Chararpar, Machimpur, Mahajanpotti, Hawkers Market, Laldighirpar, Dakbangla Road, Burhan Uddin Mazar area, Shaplabag, Kushighat, Mendibag, Mirapara, Noagaon, Sadatikor, Mirerchak, Muktirchak, Muradpur, Tultikor, and Pirerchak.

The PDB stated that power supply will be restored as soon as the maintenance work is completed and apologized to consumers for the temporary inconvenience, requesting public cooperation during the repair period.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid stated that empowering farmers is essential to reducing poverty and strengthening the national economy. He made the remarks on Friday morning at a program in Bibirbazar High School and College field in Jagannathpur Union of Cumilla’s Adarsha Sadar upazila, where agricultural cards were distributed to local farmers. The minister emphasized that around 70 percent of the population is directly or indirectly involved in agriculture, and improving their economic condition would benefit the entire country.

He added that former presidents and the current prime minister have all supported farmer-friendly policies. Since taking office, he has implemented initiatives such as strengthening agricultural loan waivers and introducing the “Agriculture Card” program, part of the government’s 31-point election pledge. He also urged farmers to use fertilizers and pesticides in consultation with agricultural supervisors to ensure better yields.

According to the Agriculture Department, 1,458 farmers in Cumilla received agricultural cards under a pre-piloting initiative aimed at building a unified farmer database to facilitate subsidies and services. The government is also expanding support programs like the “Family Card,” which has already benefited many farming families.

Bangladesh’s night sky will feature a striking celestial display from Friday, April 17, through April 30, as the Lyrid meteor shower becomes visible along with noticeable planetary movements. The Lyrids, one of the most captivating annual meteor events, occur when Earth passes through dust left behind by Comet Thatcher.

The meteor shower will be most visible from the night of April 22 to the early hours of April 23, with observers potentially seeing 10 to 20 meteors per hour under clear skies. The Lyrid meteors are known for their brightness and often leave long-lasting trails of light. During this period, Venus will remain bright in the western sky but gradually move lower toward the horizon, while Mars will appear prominently with its reddish hue in the evening sky.

Toward the end of April, Saturn will rise high in the eastern sky about two hours before sunrise, with Neptune positioned nearby. However, viewing Neptune will require a powerful telescope.

Bus and minibus operations under the Kushtia District Bus-Minibus Owners’ Group have been suspended indefinitely following a strike by transport workers. The suspension began early Friday, April 17, 2026, halting all passenger services on major routes including Kushtia-Meherpur, Kushtia-Pragpur, Kushtia-Khulna-Jashore, and others. Only long-distance buses to Dhaka and vehicles from other districts continue to operate, leaving passengers on local routes stranded. The strike was announced Thursday evening by the district motor workers’ union.

Union president Mahabul Alam said the dispute arose because one of the union’s two buses, affiliated with the owners’ group, was denied the same facilities as other owners’ vehicles. After two meetings failed to resolve the issue, workers set an April 15 deadline for their demands, which went unmet. The union, supported by the owners’ association workers, then enforced the indefinite suspension.

Owners’ group secretary Rafiqul Islam confirmed that workers had demanded equal benefits with owners and permission for a union-owned bus to operate on the Kushtia-Khulna route. As these demands were not met, the strike was launched, affecting all local routes.

The White House has confirmed that it is reviewing reports concerning the mysterious disappearances and deaths of at least ten American scientists. Many of these individuals had access to classified information related to nuclear or space research. Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt stated at a Wednesday briefing that she had not yet spoken with relevant agencies but indicated that the administration believes a formal investigation may be necessary.

The list of missing persons includes senior researchers and contractors from some of the country’s most sensitive scientific institutions. Among them are Monica Jacinto Reza, a senior aerospace engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who disappeared in June 2025 while hiking in California, and Steven Garcia, a government contractor from the Kansas City National Security Campus who went missing in August 2025. Former Los Alamos National Laboratory employee Anthony Chavez and retired Air Force Major General William ‘Neil’ McCasland also vanished between 2025 and early 2026.

Reports also mention the unexplained deaths of several prominent scientists, including NASA’s Frank Maiwald in 2024 and Michael David Hicks in 2023, both from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with causes of death not publicly disclosed.

Bangladesh’s domestic borrowing has increased significantly over the past year, reaching Tk 10.94 trillion by the end of January 2026, up from Tk 9.42 trillion a year earlier. According to a Bangladesh Bank report released on Thursday, the government borrowed Tk 726.47 billion from domestic sources between July and January of the current fiscal year, compared with Tk 401.44 billion during the same period of the previous year.

The report shows that Tk 649.23 billion was borrowed from the banking sector and Tk 77.23 billion from non-bank sources during the first seven months of the fiscal year. Sector insiders said the borrowing occurred under the interim government to cover election expenses, new bank investments, and operational costs, as revenue collection fell short of targets. The government’s budget deficit for the fiscal year was set at Tk 2.21 trillion, or 3.5% of GDP, with plans to borrow Tk 1.25 trillion domestically.

By March 30, 2026, the government had already borrowed Tk 1.06 trillion, surpassing its full-year domestic borrowing target, with most loans sourced from the banking system.

YouTube has introduced a new update allowing users to completely turn off the Shorts feed on its mobile app. The platform now lets users set the 'Shorts Feed Limit' to zero minutes, effectively removing short-form videos from their feed. This change expands on a feature first launched in October of the previous year, when the minimum limit was 15 minutes and users were prompted to take breaks after reaching that duration.

According to YouTube, the feature was initially part of parental controls but is now available to all users. When the setting is changed, some users may still see individual Shorts even if scrolling is paused. To activate the feature, users must go to Settings > Time Management > Daily Limit > Shorts Feed Limit and select zero minutes. The update also allows users to set a maximum viewing limit of up to two hours.

The new option aims to give users more control over their viewing habits and time management within the YouTube app.

International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol has said that energy production across the Middle East, heavily damaged by the ongoing Iran war and subsequent attacks, could take about two years to return to normal levels. Speaking to a Swiss media outlet, Birol explained that the recovery timeline will vary by country, with some nations requiring more time than others to restore their energy infrastructure.

Birol noted that Iraq, for example, will need significantly more time than Saudi Arabia to resume pre-war production levels. He emphasized that, overall, the region’s energy output is expected to take roughly two years to reach the levels seen before the conflict began.

The IEA’s assessment highlights the scale of disruption caused by the conflict and underscores the challenges facing regional energy recovery efforts.

Bangladesh currently has the highest fuel reserves in its history, according to State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit. During a visit to the Eastern Refinery in Patenga, Chattogram on Friday, he said the existing stock of refined fuel is sufficient to meet national demand for April and May. He added that the government is actively managing supply amid global concerns over fuel availability caused by conflict in the Middle East.

The minister explained that Bangladesh is sourcing fuel from both traditional and alternative suppliers to ensure stability. The country now has capacity to meet more than six weeks of demand and is working to secure supplies for June. Refining operations at Eastern Refinery have slowed due to reduced crude reserves, prompting the government to focus on importing refined fuel. Maintenance work is underway on two refinery units, which are expected to resume full production once new crude shipments arrive.

Amit also announced that the second unit of Eastern Refinery is scheduled to begin operations in 2029, which he said will further reduce future fuel supply risks.

A severe fuel shortage has caused widespread disruption across Dhaka, with motorists waiting for hours at petrol pumps without getting fuel. Many ride-share drivers have been unable to work, while others have switched to using the metro to avoid the long queues. On Thursday, long lines of motorcycles and private cars stretched up to two kilometers at several filling stations, with many returning empty-handed as supplies ran out. Some stations have closed entirely due to lack of fuel.

Petrol pump owners reported receiving significantly less fuel than usual, forcing them to turn away customers. At some stations, tensions flared as drivers argued and fought over access to fuel, prompting police deployment at multiple locations including Motijheel and Arambagh. The congestion around operating pumps has also caused severe traffic jams in surrounding areas.

The shortage has led to a surge in metro ridership as commuters seek alternatives to private vehicles. Many residents said they preferred public transport to avoid the frustration and time loss of waiting in long lines under the hot weather.

Once a clear and vibrant natural reservoir, Foy’s Lake in Chattogram has become heavily polluted and toxic due to years of environmental mismanagement, encroachment, and industrial activity. The century-old lake, formerly home to at least 50 species of wildlife and a key water source for thousands, now shows signs of severe ecological collapse. Following a 2005 lease agreement between Bangladesh Railway and Concord Group for tourism development, unregulated construction, hill cutting, and motorized boat operations have destroyed the lake’s natural balance.

Field inspections and laboratory tests by Chattogram WASA and Railway labs found alarming levels of chemical contamination, with biological oxygen demand dropping and chemical oxygen demand rising sharply. Experts report that most aquatic plants and animals have vanished, and the lake’s water has turned green-gray with oil layers blocking oxygen flow. Despite a 2017 lease cancellation, Concord continues operations under legal protection, while illegal settlements and waste dumping persist around the lake.

Environmentalists and legal experts warn that the situation poses serious public health risks and call for immediate enforcement of environmental and lease conditions to restore the lake’s ecosystem.

Bangladesh’s domestic debt has reached Tk 10.94 trillion by the end of January 2026, according to a Bangladesh Bank report released on Thursday. The figure stood at Tk 9.42 trillion a year earlier, marking an increase of Tk 1.51 trillion within twelve months. During the first seven months of the current fiscal year, the government borrowed Tk 72,647 crore from domestic sources, up from Tk 40,144 crore in the same period of the previous year.

The report shows that Tk 64,923 crore was borrowed from the banking sector and Tk 7,723 crore from non-bank sources. Sector insiders attributed the rise to borrowing during the interim government period to cover election expenses, new bank investments, and operational costs amid lower-than-expected revenue collection. The interim government’s Tk 7.9 trillion budget projected a deficit of Tk 2.21 trillion, or 3.5 percent of GDP, with plans to borrow Tk 1.25 trillion domestically.

By March 30, 2026, total bank borrowing had already exceeded the annual target, reaching Tk 6.56 trillion. The government’s foreign debt stood at Tk 9.49 trillion as of June 2025.