Bangladesh Bank has launched a Tk 100 billion refinancing scheme to expand financing for agriculture and rural sectors, completing participation agreements with 42 banks. The central bank disclosed the development in a press release on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The scheme runs for three years from June 8, with the customer-level lending interest rate set at 8 percent.

Loans under the scheme are available for crops, agricultural machinery, livestock, fisheries, and rural income-generating activities. A customer may receive up to Tk 3 million for crops, Tk 1.5 million for income-generating activities and other rural loans, Tk 2 million for agricultural machinery, and up to Tk 10 million for fisheries and livestock.

Small, marginal and sharecroppers may obtain collateral-free individual loans of up to Tk 500,000 for crop cultivation, using only crop lien arrangements. Bangladesh Bank said the initiative will widen agricultural financing, support agricultural production and rural income, create employment opportunities, and contribute to ensuring the country’s food security.

Barishal City Corporation distributed 20,000 tree saplings for students at educational institutions across Barishal. The distribution programme was inaugurated on Thursday afternoon at the Barishal Auditorium by BCC Administrator Advocate Bilkis Akhtar Jahan Shirin. The initiative was described as part of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s announced plan to plant 250 million saplings nationwide over five years.

A total of 145 educational institutions received the saplings. The event was attended by Pirojpur District Council Administrator Principal Alamgir Hossain, Barishal Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board Chairman Professor Abu Taher Mohammad Rashedul Islam, and BCC Secretary Rumpa Shikdar.

Officials from the BCC forestry branch and teachers from colleges, secondary schools and higher secondary schools in Barishal city were also present. In her speech as chief guest, Shirin said the city corporation was actively working to implement the national plantation plan. She called on every educational institution and city resident to join the social forestry programme to maintain environmental balance and build a greener city. Representatives of educational institutions received fruit, forest and medicinal plant saplings after the event.

Bangladesh Bank has issued a policy to enlist mediation institutions for resolving disputes involving defaulted loans of banks and financial institutions. The Banking Regulation and Policy Department-2 issued the policy on Thursday, aiming to strengthen loan recovery and reduce the number of related cases pending before courts. Under the alternative dispute resolution, or ADR, framework, lenders and borrowers may choose any institution enlisted by the central bank before filing a case or while a case is ongoing.

Applicants must be registered under specified laws, hold an updated trade licence and tax identification number, and have at least three years of business or professional experience. They must also submit three years of audited financial statements and conduct all financial transactions through one or more separate bank accounts. Institutions, board members, or chief executives linked to bankruptcy, loan default, fraud, corruption, embezzlement, money laundering, or serious criminal convictions are ineligible.

Each enlisted institution must maintain one or more mediation panels with at least five mediators, including an accountant and a legal expert. Mediators need at least 10 years of relevant experience, while politically influential persons are barred. Enlistment will last three years, subject to renewal, monitoring, annual reporting, and possible suspension or cancellation for violations.

Bangladesh’s government plans to raise farmers’ awareness and provide training to control pesticide use, Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said on Thursday. Speaking at the sixth meeting of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council governing body, he said excessive pesticide use is increasing risks of cancer and other serious health and physical complications among farmers.

The minister said proper use of natural or organic fertiliser could help keep soil, the environment, water and fish safe. He also called for research into whether groundwater, fertilisers or pesticides are contributing to rising heavy-metal levels in soil. Soil acidity was described as a concern, with pH levels between 4.5 and 5 in many areas, while a level above 6.5 was said to be needed for good crop production.

He said the Agriculture Ministry is working on improving soil pH and stressed regular follow-up on decisions made at the meeting. He also urged wider use of the Khmari mobile app to bring crop-related services and advice to farmers and other beneficiaries. Co-chair Abdul Awal Mintu praised public research institutions and said private-sector innovations should also be considered for national benefit.

Bangladesh’s Forest Department says intensified patrols, smart monitoring and drone surveillance are improving protection in the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest. In the three-month entry ban period of June, July and August this year, officials reported no recoveries of deer meat, skins or dead deer, indicating a marked reduction in deer poaching compared with the same period last year.

Forest officials seized 14,381 feet of nylon traps, 110 snap traps, 86 feet of hata traps and 69 bhoya traps during the period. They also detained two boats and three trawlers used illegally. In the corresponding period last year, the East Sundarbans Division filed 20 cases, arrested 12 alleged poachers and recovered 156.5 kilograms of deer meat, five heads, eight legs, two skins and two dead deer.

Officials also say the use of poison for fishing, which harms aquatic species and the forest food chain, has declined. Patrols now include foot, boat and smart patrols alongside day-and-night operations and drones. Stakeholders have called for filling vacant ranger posts, adding fast vessels and drones, and bringing boats used by fishers and forest-dependent communities under GPS tracking.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said young people’s drive to develop skills should not be confined to individual employment or securing jobs, but should be linked to national interests and economic potential. He made the remarks on Thursday at the “From Skill to Opportunity” job fair at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre. The event was organised by the Eco-Social Development Organization, with support from ChildFund Korea and Educo.

Swapan said skills development is important, but producing workers only for existing jobs is insufficient. He stressed the equal importance of creating new jobs and expanding the labour market, saying these depend on economic, industrial and production policies as well as political leadership and policymaking.

He cited an initiative during the rule of martyred President Ziaur Rahman that connected Bangladesh’s workforce with modern garment-sector skills through knowledge and technology from South Korea. The minister called for coordinated efforts by the state, entrepreneurs, industries, banks and policymakers to create employment fields. He also urged institutions to include ethics, philosophy and awareness of political and social realities in skills and employment-oriented curricula.

From February to August this year, 225,336 people completed employment-oriented technical training under Bangladesh’s education ministry, aimed at building skilled workers for the production and service sectors and meeting labour-market demand. The training was delivered through the Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation, or ASSET, project.

Under enterprise-based training, 203,634 participants completed courses, while 21,702 completed 360-hour institutional short courses. Women accounted for 130,470 trainees, or 57.90% of the total. The programme also included small ethnic communities and persons with disabilities as part of efforts to ensure social inclusion.

Project officials said Industry Skills Councils, industry associations and chambers of commerce were involved to align training with industrial demand. The National Skills Development Authority evaluates each batch and issues certificates under national standards. The World Bank approved an 18-month extension and restructuring of the project on July 29, extending its term until June 30, 2028. The extended period will include stronger digital tracking and data-based monitoring systems.

Fishers in Talatali, Barguna, say hilsa catches in the Payra River remain poor despite the peak fishing season, leaving about 8,000 coastal fishing families in severe hardship. The report, published on August 20, 2026, says the usual hilsa season spans Ashar, Shraban, Bhadra and Ashwin, when fishers typically earn enough to cover annual expenses. Yet little hilsa has been caught even after two months of the season.

Fishers blame submerged sandbars at the sea estuary and alleged discharge of warm water and chemical waste from the Isotec thermal power plant. The Baraia submerged shoal extends about 20 kilometres across the Payra-Bishkhali estuary, while Nalbunia, Padma and Kumirmara shoals also lie near the river entrance. They become walkable at low tide and create strong currents and rough waves during high tide.

Aquaculture specialist Mir Mohammad Ali said shallow water, navigability problems, warm water and waste could hinder hilsa movement and breeding. Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Victor Bain also cited reduced navigability and weaker tidal currents. Local fishers have demanded dredging of the submerged shoals and controls on power-plant waste.

Ahil Petroleum Limited in Kalipur, Bhairab town of Kishoreganj is producing diesel, petrol, octane and gas from discarded polythene and plastic. Entrepreneur Yusuf Ahmed Galib said work on the project began in August 2018, following a Thailand-based Sepco company pattern and guidance from Bangladesh’s Access to Information, or a2i. The facility currently processes 1,000 kilograms of waste polythene daily and collects about 500 litres of fuel oil.

The initiative has drawn support from local residents and the upazila administration because polythene waste is described as a major environmental threat. The report says discarded bags and packets do not decompose easily and can damage rivers, canals, wetlands, drainage systems and soil fertility. Visitors are reportedly gathering daily at the new factory to observe the fuel and gas production process.

Gas generated at the plant is currently used as factory fuel rather than collected separately. The facility also collects ash or black carbon, which is intended for making printer ink. Citing Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research testing, the report says the fuel has a quality rating of 93.56 and 1.56 percent higher fuel efficiency than normal fuel. Bhairab Upazila নির্বাহী Officer K M Mamunur Rashid welcomed the initiative and promised administrative support.

Bangladesh has set a $63.4 billion export earnings target for fiscal year 2026-27, but an intensifying gas and power shortage is casting doubt on whether it can be achieved. The target includes $55.2 billion from merchandise exports and $8.2 billion from services, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir recently announced. It is about 15 percent above earnings in the outgoing fiscal year, with readymade garments expected to contribute $44.5 billion.

Export earnings during February-July 2026 reached about $24.30 billion, compared with $24.08 billion in the same six months of 2025, a rise of only about 0.9 percent, according to the Export Promotion Bureau. Monthly results were volatile: earnings fell in February, March and May, but rose sharply in April and June. July earnings stood at $4.72 billion, down 0.9 percent year on year, while garment exports declined 1.92 percent.

BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem welcomed measures allowing certain exporters to import raw materials duty-free against bank guarantees and cited tax-policy changes. He said gas and electricity shortages, unresolved banking problems and a deterioration in overall law and order remain major challenges. Merchandise export earnings in 2025-26 were about $48 billion, down 0.58 percent from the previous fiscal year.

Bangladesh’s Agriculture Ministry says it has achieved three major commitments under the government’s first 180-day priority plan: farmer cards, canal excavation and re-excavation, and tree planting. The report, published on August 20, 2026, said about 1.25 million farmers have been added to a database, while 20,748 farmer cards have been issued during the pre-pilot phase. The ministry aims to bring about 25 million farmers under the programme over the next three years.

For canal works, the ministry had targeted 475 kilometres under the 180-day plan and says nearly 483 kilometres have been completed, exceeding the target by eight kilometres. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation is carrying out canal excavation and re-excavation in different areas to improve irrigation, drainage and reduce waterlogging. The ministry also says it met its six-month goal of planting 2.5 million saplings.

Agriculture Secretary Selim Khan said the ministry had achieved its assigned targets for farmer cards, tree planting and canal excavation. The ministry also highlighted expansion of BRRI dhan-118 in haor areas, revisions to fertiliser policy, and targets to reduce imported seed dependence, including jute seed self-sufficiency by 2029.

Bangladesh plans to launch a special Probashi Card for overseas workers as part of a government election pledge, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expected to inaugurate distribution in the final week of August 2026. The ceremony is planned at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka. Workers travelling to Jordan through BOESL are expected to receive the first cards, while travellers to Malaysia and Brunei may also be included.

The government aims to distribute 200,000 cards in three stages by June 2027. The first phase will cover 5,000 people, including 500 on the launch day; 50,000 are targeted by December, followed by 150,000 by June 2027. The Wage Earners’ Welfare Board will bear the card cost. The Expatriates’ Welfare Ministry and Janata Bank signed an agreement on August 10, and Tk10 crore was approved for training, software development and publicity.

Cardholders are promised 10% off Biman tickets, 41% hotel-booking discounts, health-service discounts and remittance incentives of 3% to 3.5%. Initially issued as five-year debit cards through Janata Bank, the cards are intended to later support credit, prepaid and virtual functions. Experts urged trial monitoring, user training and awareness campaigns.

India has approved construction of a fourth railway line through the strategically important “Chicken’s Neck,” or Siliguri Corridor, according to Northeast Frontier Railway General Manager Chetan Kumar Srivastava. The announcement was made at a press conference reported on August 20, 2026. The Malda–New Jalpaiguri route was described as a crucial rail corridor linking India’s northeast with the rest of the country.

Srivastava said approval for the fourth line follows an earlier proposal for a third line, reflecting the corridor’s strategic importance. He also highlighted a proposed double-line underground railway project of about 29 kilometres from Tinmai Ghat to Bagdogra as an important infrastructure initiative.

The Chicken’s Neck is described as a 20–22 kilometre-wide and 60-kilometre-long stretch in northern West Bengal on which transport to the entire northeast depends. Track doubling is under way in the Barsoi section, while rail infrastructure is being expanded across the Katihar division to handle rising passenger and freight demand. Plans also include local trains from Jogbani, Radhikapur and Balurghat, and Vande Bharat services to Tinsukia and Agartala. NFR said its network is fully electrified.

US government debt has exceeded $40 trillion for the first time, according to US Treasury Department data cited by the Associated Press. The milestone was reported on August 20, 2026, as federal spending continues to rise on defence, social programmes and interest payments tied to budget deficits.

The debt reached $39 trillion only five months earlier, in March, meaning it grew faster than forecasts had anticipated. The report said lower revenue from Trump administration tariffs that were cancelled was among the factors accelerating borrowing, as expected revenue worth several billion dollars did not materialise.

The increase highlights tensions among Trump administration priorities, including higher defence spending and efforts to reduce energy and food prices. Defence spending is also required for Trump’s continuing war against Iran, adding pressure on the government’s wider finances. AP said US government debt has more than doubled in less than a decade, during which Donald Trump and Joe Biden both served as president, and has quadrupled in less than 20 years.

A commentary published by Amar Desh on August 20, 2026, questioned the delayed commissioning and operations tender for Bangladesh’s Single Point Mooring (SPM) project off Maheshkhali-Matarbari. The article says the offshore facility is intended to transfer oil from large tankers through pipelines to storage at Maheshkhali and then to Chattogram’s Eastern Refinery. It argues that the project remains uncommissioned after unsuccessful testing and calls for government intervention.

According to the article, the project was contracted in 2015 for about Tk4,936 crore and was due for completion by 2018. After three extensions, its cost reportedly rose to about Tk8,341 crore. The writer says a June 24, 2024 test involving roughly 82,000 tonnes of Saudi crude encountered a pipeline leak, spilling oil at sea. The article states that successful testing, commissioning and the project completion report have not been finalized.

The commentary alleges that the December 2025 operations and maintenance tender was restrictive, leaving one technically responsive bidder from three submissions. It urges a full independent test run, defect assessment, determination of prior contractor liabilities, review under procurement rules and, if needed, an open international retender for an experienced operator.