Oman has announced that expatriate workers aged over 60 will no longer receive new work permits or renewals of existing permits. Several expatriates said employers’ renewal applications had been rejected in recent weeks, while a senior official confirmed that permits are currently not being issued to foreign workers above the age threshold.

The decision has created uncertainty for many expatriates who have worked in Oman for a long time. In January 2022, the Omani government had allowed work permits for expatriates to be renewed after they turned 60, with retaining experienced and skilled workers among the stated aims of that policy.

The latest move effectively reverses that earlier approach. Although Oman’s Labour Ministry website continues to offer a work-permit renewal service for expatriate workers, it currently provides no clear information about an age limit. The report cited Gulf News as its source.

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said Bangladesh’s economy has seen some positive changes during the new government’s first six months, but negative trends remain more pronounced overall. At a Monday media dialogue titled “The New Government’s First Six Months: An Economic Review,” CPD projected a revenue shortfall of Tk130,000 crore to Tk140,000 crore in the current fiscal year. It also reported that 95 factories permanently closed in three major industrial zones between January and August 2026, costing 61,881 jobs.

CPD distinguished fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya said the government took office amid structural economic problems and an unfavourable global environment. He said the absence of a consolidated, data-based document on the economy inherited by the government makes it difficult to assess official claims and progress. CPD said expectations of economic recovery, inflation control, investment growth, job creation and improved governance have faced some discomfort.

The report said the Tk695,000 crore revenue target requires nearly 42 percent growth, while NBR revenue growth fell to 11.1 percent. Total tax revenue growth declined to 4.9 percent, government reliance on bank borrowing rose to 53.8 percent, and net foreign aid fell to $734.3 million. Industrial and manufacturing growth both fell to zero.

Chattogram Customs House will begin an online auction this August to sell goods from 442 unclaimed and auctionable containers, according to a National Board of Revenue notice issued on Monday. Special e-auction No. 9/2026 will cover goods in 152 containers, while special e-auction No. 10/2026 will cover 290 containers. The auction also includes 86 old empty containers.

Items listed for sale include chemicals, machinery and parts, PVC flex banners, plastic waste or scrap, chest freezers, pipes, yarn, fabric, solar modules, air-conditioner parts, tiles, stainless-steel coils, scanners, badminton rackets, elevators, salt, paper and household products.

Participants must register through Chattogram Customs' e-auction portal. Bids for auction No. 9/2026 will be accepted from August 27 to September 16, while bids for No. 10/2026 will be accepted until 3pm on September 17. A scanned copy of a security deposit worth at least 10 percent of the proposed bid must be uploaded. The NBR said the initiative should improve port capacity, reduce container congestion, protect assets and prevent waste of state resources.

Bangladesh and India discussed steps to deepen bilateral trade, including reopening closed border markets, operating land ports at full capacity and lifting restrictions on yarn imports by land. The issues were raised on Monday at a Secretariat meeting between Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi. The minister said the two countries currently conduct about $13 billion in bilateral trade.

Muktadir said trade activities had slowed somewhat because of obstacles that emerged over the past year and a half. He described India as Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner after China and said the meeting examined ways to identify problems and make future commerce easier and more effective. Discussions also emphasized reviving border markets and fully activating land ports.

A proposal was made to establish a joint task force for greater business cooperation and to improve digital infrastructure, with the aim of creating investment opportunities and expanding commercial ties. Trivedi said the countries should work together on the basis of equality and stressed joint investment and production. He said India could support Bangladesh’s garment sector by supplying inputs including zippers, buttons and machinery.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen assured cooperation in Bangladesh’s infrastructure and renewable energy sectors during a courtesy meeting at the Secretariat on Monday with newly appointed Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan. The discussion also covered prospects for US investment in these areas, according to State Minister Mir Shahe Alam.

Shahe Alam said Bangladesh proposed investment in several specific sectors under a public-private partnership model. Water supply and improved water management were among the priorities for which US cooperation was sought. The two sides also discussed opportunities for investment and cooperation in urban waste collection and management.

Renewable energy discussions placed particular emphasis on waste-to-energy projects, including the potential for investment in generating electricity from waste. Shahe Alam said the ambassador expressed satisfaction with several public welfare policies of the current government. Both sides agreed to deepen existing Bangladesh-US relations and advance them further, while the US representative welcomed the new cabinet and pledged that the two countries would work together.

Dollar prices are declining in Bangladesh as supply exceeds demand, with the interbank rate falling by Tk1.24 over the past two weeks. On Monday, dollars traded at Tk122.56 in the interbank market, while banks sold cash dollars at Tk124. Money changers, however, said they want to buy each dollar at Tk125.50 and sell it at Tk126.50.

The Money Changers Association of Bangladesh made the request for this rate at a press conference on Monday. Association president MS Zaman said money changers mainly obtain dollars from returning expatriates and people bringing foreign currency from abroad. He said neither the central bank nor commercial banks supply foreign currency to money changers.

Zaman said money changers are blamed for market instability whenever the dollar rate rises, although they do not have the authority to control the foreign-exchange market. He also alleged that Bangladesh Bank treats them unfairly. According to him, Bangladeshis abroad can easily learn international dollar rates, making it unrealistic to expect them to sell their hard-earned foreign currency at lower prices.

Prime Bank PLC organized a seminar at Central Women’s University (CWU) to raise student awareness of financial inclusion, financial literacy, responsible money management, career development and women’s financial empowerment. Held under the bank’s PrimeAcademia initiative, the event was titled “Financial Inclusion: Engaging and Inspiring Youth in Banking” and was arranged with support from the Central Women’s University Business Club.

Prime Bank Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Liability and Women Banking Shaila Abedin said women’s financial inclusion involves financial independence, confidence, decision-making ability and leadership development, not only access to banking services. She urged students to develop financial knowledge alongside academic and professional skills. Senior Vice President and Head of Financial Inclusion and School Banking M M Mahbub Hasan discussed balancing income and expenses, regular savings, informed decisions and long-term financial discipline.

Hasan also described the bank’s sign-language video-call service and Braille books and accessible banking materials for visually impaired customers. CWU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Parveen Hasan praised the initiative and stressed practical financial and career skills. The programme included student questions, group discussions and awards for participating high-achieving students.

India’s High Commissioner to Dhaka, Dinesh Trivedi, said political tensions between Bangladesh and India would persist but would not affect the economy. He made the remarks to journalists after a meeting with Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir at about 11am on Monday. Trivedi said relations between the two countries would improve further in the future.

The high commissioner said politics would follow its own course, while Bangladesh and India must continue advancing their relationship. He described the people of both countries as highly talented and said young people in Bangladesh and India have many aspirations. He said it is everyone’s responsibility to do what is necessary to help fulfil those aspirations.

Trivedi said Bangladesh and India are two independent and sovereign countries, with neither being larger nor smaller than the other. He said both sides are equal and should continue working on the basis of that equality. The source did not provide details of the discussions held with the commerce minister or specify any economic initiatives arising from the meeting.

Iran’s rial fell to a record low in the open market on Sunday, with the price of one US dollar surpassing two million rials for the first time. The rate was also described as exceeding 200,000 tomans per dollar. The report said the rial had lost more than 7 percent against the dollar in less than a week amid war and sanctions involving the United States.

Market concern has increased over the prospect of new US sanctions and the stalled state of diplomatic talks with Washington. Uncertainty has emerged around Iran’s oil exports, foreign-exchange reserves and international financial transactions. The open-market depreciation could raise prices for imported food, medicine, industrial raw materials and machinery.

As inflationary pressure grows, people are turning toward assets such as US dollars and gold, according to the report. The Iranian government is also considering raising fuel prices to address economic pressure. Such a move could further increase living costs and create renewed public dissatisfaction in the country.

Thousands of people have converged on Cheporor village in Kenya’s West Pokot County after reports of gold found in river sand triggered a two-week rush. The surge followed a discovery by 33-year-old goat herder Manase Lomacha, who found a three-gram piece of gold while searching for lost goats and later sold it for 36,000 Kenyan shillings. The report was published on 24 August 2026.

Local authorities said the village’s population of prospectors peaked at about 10,000, including people from other parts of Kenya and neighbouring Uganda. Deputy Commissioner Samuel Kiari said a group of young people first found a significant amount of gold, followed by another large discovery by women the next day. Small gold traders reportedly receive about 100 sellers daily.

Authorities have not confirmed that the shiny material being recovered is gold, nor has the existence of a specific or large gold deposit in the area been proven. More than 200 temporary shops selling food, water and basic goods have opened, creating income opportunities. However, the influx has strained local infrastructure, causing severe drinking-water shortages and growing health risks due to inadequate sanitation.

Six months after taking office, Bangladesh’s BNP government has yet to show visible progress toward its election pledge of creating 10 million jobs over five years, according to the report published on August 24, 2026. Government plans prioritize jobs in Chinese and Japanese economic zones, reopening jute mills, and a proposed nationwide Employment Exchange, but officials said these initiatives remain at discussion and planning stages.

No ministry could provide reliable, consolidated data on how many new jobs have been created during the government’s first six months. The report cites at least 20,000 garment-sector workers losing jobs in the first half of the year, while industrial police data show about 457 factories closed between June 2024 and June this year. The textile industry group BTMA said more than 900 textile mills had fully shut because of gas shortages.

Private-sector credit growth fell to 4.47 percent at the end of June, the lowest level in records maintained since 2003, Bangladesh Bank data showed. Officials said an Employment Exchange committee has held four stakeholder meetings and will initially launch the system on a small scale after preparing a concept paper.

Oil prices fell in Asian trading on Monday morning as investors awaited details of possible new US sanctions on Iran. Brent crude futures dropped by more than 1% to $93.45 a barrel, while US crude futures also declined by more than 1% to $86.14 a barrel. The report was published on August 24, 2026.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had previously said an “economic D-Day” was coming for Iran. He was scheduled to hold a news conference on Monday afternoon regarding the announcement of new sanctions against Iran. Investors were watching Washington’s expected announcement closely.

The scope and nature of the potential sanctions had not yet been fully clarified. Their possible effect on Iran’s oil exports and supplies to international markets has become an important issue for the oil market. Market participants were awaiting further information on whether the measures would affect Iranian crude flows and global supply.

Islami Bank Bangladesh’s non-performing loans rose to about Tk98,915 crore at the end of June 2026, equal to 52.14 percent of total loans, according to the report. The bank’s financial condition has deteriorated amid renewed confidence concerns and pressure from deposit withdrawals. Its provision shortfall exceeded Tk82,334 crore, while the actual capital shortfall was about Tk90,188 crore at the end of March. The bank recorded a net loss of Tk1,316.48 crore in the first six months of 2026.

The report says much of the troubled lending is linked directly or indirectly to S Alam Group-related entities. Bank sources said 15 of the top 20 defaulting borrowers were associated with the group and its owner Saiful Alam’s family, accounting for Tk57,175 crore, or about 62 percent, of total defaulted loans. Another five top borrowers owed Tk5,697 crore, with information indicating indirect benefits involving S Alam Group and Nabil Group.

Additional Managing Director Jamal Uddin Majumdar attributed the rise partly to borrowers failing to make scheduled installments, including on previously rescheduled loans. After unrest and increased withdrawals in June, Bangladesh Bank pledged support on June 12 and dissolved the full board on June 14, assigning its powers to Executive Director Zahir Hossain.

Central Depository Bangladesh Limited (CDBL) plans to introduce an e-KYC system to verify investor and nominee information when beneficiary owner, or BO, accounts are opened. The initiative is intended to enable immediate identity checks, prevent national identity card fraud or use of another person’s ID, and support transparency in the capital market. An Election Commission team visited the CDBL office on August 19 to inspect software and preparations.

CDBL Managing Director Abdul Motaleb said the system will allow the institution to confirm the identities of people opening BO accounts in the future. The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission has already issued a no-objection for the rollout. The system will require an application programming interface connection between CDBL’s software and the Election Commission-controlled National ID server.

All BSEC-registered entities, including brokerage houses, asset management firms, merchant banks and custodians, will use the e-KYC system. Information of existing BO account holders will also be verified gradually after launch. CDBL expects the system could begin within the next one or two months. No additional fee will be charged beyond charges for using the Election Commission server and software management.

Bangladesh has decided to replace its long-standing July–June fiscal year with an April–March cycle from fiscal year 2028–29. Fiscal year 2027–28 will serve as a nine-month transition period running from July to March. The government says the change is intended to better align development activities with the country’s weather conditions.

Under the present calendar, the fiscal year’s final three months—April, May and June—coincide with increasing monsoon effects, disrupting road, infrastructure and other development work. The timing can also encourage rushed spending near the fiscal year-end. Policy Exchange of Bangladesh Chairman and Chief Executive Dr M Mashrur Riaz called the change a positive step, though he said a January–December fiscal year would have offered a longer weather-friendly work period.

Analysts said calendar reform alone will not resolve chronic project delays linked to approvals, land acquisition, tender procedures, administrative complications and weak project management. The government is reviewing required adjustments to budgeting, tax collection, accounting, financial-management software and regulations. FBCCI Administrator Md Fazlul Haque said the initiative could reduce waste and save funds in public development projects.