Bangladesh’s Minister of Industries, Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, informed the 13th National Parliament session on April 2, 2026, that 31 state-owned industrial enterprises are currently operating at a loss. The disclosure came during the question-and-answer session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. The minister detailed that five enterprises under Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC), fourteen under Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC), and twelve under Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) are incurring losses.

Responding to another parliamentary question, the minister added that there are 15 sugar mills in the country, of which six have suspended crushing operations. The information highlights ongoing challenges in the management and profitability of state-owned industries across multiple sectors.

The parliamentary discussion underscores the government’s awareness of financial inefficiencies within key industrial corporations, though no immediate remedial measures or policy responses were mentioned in the session.

Fuel and gas supply across Sylhet Division returned to normal on Thursday afternoon after petrol pump and CNG refueling station owners withdrew their indefinite strike. The decision came following a meeting with local administration officials, where assurances were given that business owners would not face harassment. The strike, initially called late Wednesday night, had disrupted fuel distribution across the region.

The meeting, chaired by Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam, included representatives from the city corporation, police, political leaders, and the owners’ association. The strike had been announced by the Sylhet divisional committee of the Bangladesh Petroleum Dealers, Distribution Agents, and Petroleum Owners Association, citing harassment and extortion complaints. The association’s spokesperson confirmed early Thursday morning that the strike had been officially withdrawn, though communication delays meant some stations resumed operations later.

During the strike, truck and lorry drivers briefly blocked parts of the Dhaka–Sylhet highway in protest against mobile court fines and alleged extortion. Police intervened, and traffic returned to normal around midnight.

NASA has launched four astronauts toward the Moon under the Artemis-2 mission, marking the first crewed lunar journey in over five decades since the Apollo missions. The launch took place on Thursday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at around 6:35 p.m. local time, with a rocket featuring orange and white colors roaring into the sky. The crew includes three Americans and one Canadian astronaut.

Unlike the Apollo missions, the Artemis-2 astronauts will not land on the Moon. During the 10-day mission, they will orbit around the far side of the Moon, flying about 6,400 miles beyond the lunar surface. The astronauts will spend three hours in that region to analyze geological features and capture images. NASA will also monitor their physical and mental conditions after their return to better understand the effects of space travel on humans.

If the mission concludes safely, NASA aims to organize the next lunar landing mission by 2028, paving the way for humans to walk on the Moon again.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Porwar has strongly condemned the government’s decision to increase the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and autogas in the private sector. In a statement issued on Thursday, he expressed deep concern that the move would negatively affect public life and industrial production.

Porwar stated that LPG is an essential household commodity and that the price hike would severely impact the cost of living, particularly for lower- and middle-income groups. He criticized the government for ignoring citizens’ purchasing power and described the decision as against public interest. He warned that higher energy costs would raise production expenses in medium and heavy industries, potentially driving up the prices of daily essentials.

According to the statement, the retail price of LPG has been raised by 32.30 taka per kilogram, setting the new price of a 12-kg cylinder at 1,728 taka, up from 1,341 taka last month. Autogas prices have also increased by 17.94 taka per liter to 79.77 taka. Porwar urged the government to withdraw the decision and take effective measures to boost imports or production instead.

Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir met with Kazuyuki Kataoka, the Country Representative of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), at the minister’s office in Dhaka on Thursday. The meeting focused on expanding trade and investment and strengthening mutual economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan. The minister highlighted opportunities for Japanese investors in special economic zones, infrastructure development, industrialization, and export diversification, emphasizing Bangladesh’s stable economic growth and investment-friendly policies.

Muktadir described the Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) as a milestone for boosting bilateral trade and investment. He noted that the agreement would serve as a reference for Bangladesh’s future EPA negotiations with other countries. The minister said Japanese investment has already contributed to major infrastructure projects such as the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and the metro rail system. Both sides expressed commitment to further enhance economic ties, with JETRO expected to continue supporting trade promotion and market access for Bangladeshi products in Japan.

Iraq has opened a new overland energy route to export oil to Europe through Syria, marking a significant shift in regional energy logistics. The Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) Director General Ali Nazar said a deal has been reached to export 50,000 barrels per day of Basra Medium crude via Syria, with plans to increase the volume later. The oil will reach European markets through Syria’s Baniyas port.

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, convoys of fuel trucks have already begun entering Syria through the Al-Tanf border crossing, signaling the country’s reemergence as a key transit hub. The Syrian Petroleum Company stated that the imported oil will first be stored and then transported to Baniyas for export. Communications Director Safwan Sheikh Ahmad said the first convoy includes 299 tankers and described the initiative as an important step in restoring Syria’s role in the regional energy corridor.

The development comes amid ongoing Middle East tensions, potentially reshaping trade and energy supply routes across the region.

A high-level meeting will be held on April 3 at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to finalize the operation and maintenance agreement for the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The process advanced after a Japanese consortium submitted a revised, lower-cost proposal addressing Bangladesh’s concerns over service charges, operational control, and revenue sharing. Officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed that the agreement is now in its final stage.

The Japanese consortium—comprising Japan Airport Terminal Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Sojitz Corporation, and Narita International Airport Corporation—submitted the new proposal following government instructions to restart talks. The terminal, financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at a cost of about Tk 21,398 crore, is 99 percent complete but has remained idle due to unresolved management issues. The new government prioritized resolving these delays after taking office.

If consensus is reached at the April 3 meeting, officials expect the long-delayed terminal to begin operations soon, easing congestion and inefficiencies at the airport and marking a major step in Bangladesh’s aviation expansion.

Bangladesh’s Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, told Parliament that the government is considering revising the power purchase agreement signed with India’s Adani Power Limited. The minister said the previous Awami League government had signed the deal at an abnormally high price. He made the statement on Thursday in response to a question from a member of Parliament during a session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

According to Tuku, the 2017 agreement with Adani Power (Jharkhand) Limited was reviewed by a national committee formed during the interim government, led by a retired Supreme Court judge. The committee included power and energy experts, legal specialists, economists, and chartered accountants, and also sought opinions from an international law firm specializing in international agreements. The committee’s report concluded that the deal was signed at an unusually high rate compared to domestic and international markets.

Based on the committee’s findings, the government is actively considering options such as seeking arbitration in an international court or renegotiating the contract with Adani Power.

Bangladesh currently holds a total of 255,018 tons of fuel oil in reserve, according to information released by the Energy Division on Thursday, April 2, 2026. The division’s latest data details the breakdown of the reserves across several fuel types, including diesel, kerosene, octane, petrol, furnace oil, jet fuel, and marine fuel.

According to the Energy Division, the reserves include 122,660 tons of diesel, 9,378 tons of kerosene, 9,021 tons of octane, 12,194 tons of petrol, 58,736 tons of furnace oil, 41,876 tons of jet fuel, and 1,153 tons of marine fuel. The figures reflect the current national stock levels of key petroleum products.

The report provides an updated snapshot of the country’s fuel inventory, offering insight into the distribution of different fuel types managed under the national energy system.

Rajshahi University’s electric car (e-car) transport service, launched to ease student commuting, has been shut down after only four months of operation. The service, introduced by the Rajshahi University Alumni Association (RUAA) on October 26 last year, faced losses, fare disputes, and mechanical failures. By the last week of March, all e-cars were withdrawn from service.

Initially, five e-cars were deployed, but two soon became inoperative due to mechanical faults. Drivers paid the company a daily fee of Tk 1,500 and kept the remaining income as wages. Passenger numbers declined over time, and disagreements arose over fare rates. The university administration attempted to set fixed stops and fares, but confusion persisted after the student union’s general secretary promised a Tk 5 fare within the campus.

E-car service manager Enayet Kabir Likhon said repeated discussions with RUAA failed to resolve the issues, and the operating company lost interest in continuing. RUAA’s general secretary, Professor Nizam Uddin, cited technical problems and road conditions as key causes but said new vehicles might be purchased soon for free campus transport if the university approves.

In Bangladesh’s parliament on Thursday, NCP lawmaker Abul Hasnat (Hasnat Abdullah) questioned the government over reported fuel shortages at petrol pumps across the country. He said that despite earlier assurances from the power and energy minister that there was no crisis, many pumps were closing, including in Sylhet, where long queues of vehicles were seen. Hasnat accused the government of ignoring the issue and urged the minister to acknowledge the problem and provide a timeline for resolving it.

In response, Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud stated that the government was supplying the usual daily amount of fuel to all pumps. He explained that since an incident in Iran, fuel sales had suddenly increased, causing stocks that previously lasted more than a day to sell out within hours. The minister attributed the visible queues to panic buying rather than a supply shortage, insisting that petrol deliveries continued daily.

The exchange highlighted growing public concern over fuel availability and the government’s efforts to reassure citizens about stable supply conditions.

After more than five decades, humans have once again embarked on a journey to the Moon. On Wednesday, April 1, a NASA rocket carrying four astronauts lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 6:35 p.m. local time. The mission, named Artemis-2, includes three American astronauts and one Canadian.

Reid Wiseman, a former U.S. Navy pilot and test pilot who spent 165 days aboard the International Space Station in 2014, is commanding the mission. Pilot Victor Glover, who previously served on the SpaceX Crew-1 mission, becomes the first Black astronaut to join a lunar mission. Mission specialist Christina Koch, known for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, will become the first woman to travel around the Moon. Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, also a mission specialist, is the first from his country to take part in a lunar mission.

The Artemis-2 mission marks a major milestone in NASA’s renewed lunar exploration program, paving the way for future human landings on the Moon.

Iran approved safe passage for six Bangladeshi fuel-carrying ships through the Hormuz Strait based on information provided by Bangladesh. However, five of those shipments have already been canceled by global suppliers. Petrobangla officials said the list sent to Tehran was prepared using outdated plans and documents that did not account for force majeure declarations by QatarEnergy and Oman’s OQ Trading. Both companies suspended all supplies in early March following the start of the Iran war.

The energy division’s list had included five LNG cargoes scheduled for April—four from QatarEnergy and one from Excelerate Energy. Petrobangla Chairman Arfanul Haque confirmed that these shipments are no longer valid, as suppliers extended their suspensions until at least May 8. He questioned why the canceled shipments were still listed for Iranian clearance.

An energy division official admitted that the outdated data was sent because the duration of the force majeure was unknown. The division’s joint secretary, Monir Hossain Chowdhury, said crude oil shipments were unaffected and that Petrobangla was instructed to explore whether LNG deliveries could still proceed.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has increased the retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for April, raising the cost of a 12-kilogram cylinder by Tk 387. The new price, announced on Thursday, April 2, 2026, sets the 12kg cylinder at Tk 1,728, up from the previous Tk 1,341. The adjustment applies to all cylinder sizes, with corresponding new rates published by the regulator.

According to the BERC announcement, the revised prices include Tk 792 for a 5.5kg cylinder, Tk 1,801 for a 12.5kg cylinder, Tk 2,161 for a 15kg cylinder, Tk 2,305 for a 16kg cylinder, Tk 2,593 for an 18kg cylinder, and Tk 2,881 for a 20kg cylinder. Larger cylinders now range from Tk 3,169 for 22kg to Tk 6,428 for 45kg. Additionally, the consumer price of autogas has been set at Tk 79.77 per liter, inclusive of VAT.

The new rates take effect immediately for April, reflecting BERC’s monthly price adjustment mechanism for LPG products in the domestic market.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu announced that 445 shelters have been identified across Dhaka North and South City Corporations to prepare for potential earthquakes. He shared the information on Thursday afternoon after a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Secretariat.

The minister stated that the government is considering including earthquake awareness in the national education curriculum as part of broader preparedness efforts. Teachers will also be brought under training programs to enhance their capacity in disaster response. In addition, a draft list of 145,000 volunteers from various organizations has been prepared to assist in managing post-earthquake situations.

These initiatives reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen disaster readiness and community resilience in the capital city.