A meeting between Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and representatives of 25 US companies was highly productive and effective, according to Dr Mahdi Amin, an adviser to the prime minister and spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office. He made the remarks after a US-Bangladesh Business Council delegation met at the Prime Minister’s Office at 9:30am on Thursday.

The meeting discussed Bangladesh-US trade relations and their potential, the report said. Amin said Bangladesh was moving toward a future as a self-reliant and prosperous country. He did not provide details of any agreement, investment commitment, or specific project arising from the discussion.

The delegation was led by Oliver Simpson, senior vice president of the Business Council and chief commercial officer of Excelerate Energy, and Atul Keshap, president for South Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce. Former US ambassador Peter Haas, diplomat Nisha Desai and Business Council members also attended. On August 12, the delegation paid a courtesy call on Humayun Kabir, the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser.

Bangladesh has launched its online e-bail bond system in 12 additional districts, bringing the total number of covered districts to 28. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman announced the expansion at a ceremony at the ministry's conference room on Thursday morning, August 13, 2026. The stated aim is to modernise the justice system, reduce hardship for court users and speed the release process for accused persons granted bail.

The newly added districts are Tangail, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Cox's Bazar, Chandpur, Rangamati, Sirajganj, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Habiganj, Thakurgaon and Jamalpur. The system had already operated in 16 districts, where about 120,000 e-bail bonds were filed online over recent months, according to the minister.

Under the new process, filing and completing a bail bond requires two steps instead of 12 under the conventional method. Lawyers can submit bonds online from their chambers or elsewhere using smartphones, while acceptance will be confirmed immediately through OTP. The minister also called for contact with district legal aid offices regarding detainees in compoundable cases and said mediation, legal aid and efforts to reduce cases and raise disposal rates were being prioritised.

Apple is reportedly working on a special glass-focused design for its 2027 iPhone Pro models, marking 20 years since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007. Bloomberg technology journalist Mark Gurman said the company is not foregoing a major anniversary surprise, countering speculation that Apple would not make a significant change. Apple has not officially commented on the reported design plans.

Jefferies analyst Edison Lee had previously said Apple cancelled plans for an entirely glass iPhone for the 20th anniversary. Gurman’s information indicates that the idea has not been fully abandoned, but has shifted toward a design that gives glass greater prominence rather than using it throughout. Gurman said the more ambitious all-glass iPhone concept was dropped at an early stage of the design process.

The reported iPhone Pro models would have glass layers on the front and back extending to the device’s side edges, with a narrow metal ring or band between them. The devices are said to carry the internal codenames V73 and V74. If implemented, the plan could reduce the use of conventional metal frames and increase the use of curved glass, potentially creating a major exterior redesign.

Europe is now about 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than in the pre-industrial era, nearly twice the global average warming rate, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The article says climate change and fossil-fuel emissions are trapping additional heat in the atmosphere, while heatwaves during the current summer have killed thousands of people across Europe.

The report identifies four main factors behind Europe’s faster warming: changing weather patterns, proximity to the Arctic, declining snow cover and reduced air pollution. Shifts in atmospheric circulation have increased the frequency of intense, prolonged summer heatwaves, including a severe heatwave linked to a “heat dome” in June 2026. Europe is also strongly affected by rapid Arctic warming because of its geographic proximity.

Snow loss reduces the reflection of sunlight that helps keep land cool; in March 2025, European snow cover was about 1.3 million square kilometres below its long-term average. Lower air pollution has also reduced the cooling effect of particles that reflect sunlight. Scientists have not yet determined each factor’s precise contribution. UN climate chief Simon Stiell called for emissions cuts, a rapid transition to renewable energy and urgent protection from heatwaves.

Online shopping startup Fia, co-founded by Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, faces allegations of fraud involving “cookie stuffing,” an online advertising and commission scheme. A report published on August 13, 2026 said Fia allegedly used affiliate tracking codes in ways that could direct sales commissions to the company even when users did not buy products directly through it. Launched in 2025, Fia compares product prices across websites and finds discount codes.

According to the allegations, Fia’s browser extension activated affiliate links connected to online stores without users’ knowledge. This could allow Fia to claim commission credit even where another person or company had played the actual role in making a sale. Fia initially described the issue as a technical error, but questions later arose over published information and internal communications. Reports also said there is scrutiny over whether Gates and Kianni knew about the matter for months.

Fia said it removed the disputed feature on July 7. The company said it is reviewing transactions in which commissions were incorrectly attributed to it and is seeking to return money to relevant brands and partners. It also said it plans to hire a compliance officer to prevent similar incidents. The report said no formal criminal charge or sentence against Phoebe Gates has been identified.

Residents of nine villages in Mirzapur Union of Sherpur upazila, Bogura, have faced persistent waterlogging for about five years after mills, factories and blocked culverts disrupted drainage. The report, published on August 13, 2026, said suffering has intensified during the current monsoon, with mosques, homes, schools and rural roads submerged. Many residents have left ancestral homesteads after water entered their houses.

At least 5,000 people are waterbound in Mirzapur, Ramcharanmukund, Darimukund, Kanaikandar, Rajbari, Hatigara, Arangshail, Madanpur and Krishnapur. Children have stopped going to school, while stagnant dirty water has been linked to skin and waterborne diseases. About 5,000 bighas of farmland remain uncultivated; the land previously produced 20 to 25 maunds of boro rice per bigha.

Local farmers said 60 bighas of their land have remained underwater for four years, causing annual losses of about Tk25 lakh. Union Parishad chairman Jahidul Islam acknowledged blocked water flow. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saiduzzaman said officials inspected the area and would take effective steps, including through a government project, to address the waterlogging.

Import and export operations at Dhanua Kamalpur Land Port in Bakshiganj, Jamalpur, remain closed for much of the year, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The port, shut for seven days during the Eid-ul-Azha holiday, had not reopened nearly three months later. The closure is depriving the government of potential revenue worth crores of taka and has left about 8,000 workers and traders dependent on the port in severe difficulty.

Stone imports have been halted for a long period, leaving the port area largely empty and hundreds of stone-crushing machines idle. Traders cite duties on soil and sand arriving with stones, additional charges, poor roads on the Indian side and internal disputes among importers and exporters as reasons for mounting losses. Customs officials say traders have repeatedly been asked to resume imports, but they are avoiding stone shipments over fears of losses.

Land Customs Station and port sources said operations were closed for about five months in fiscal year 2024-25 and about six months in fiscal year 2025-26. Activity has also remained suspended so far in fiscal year 2026-27. Revenue officer Md Abul Hossain Akand said repairs are underway on damaged roads on the Indian side, while disagreement among traders over losses has also kept imports halted.

Two elephants, including Raju Bahadur, died at Gazipur Safari Park in Sreepur, Gazipur. Park acting officer Tarek Rahman confirmed the deaths on the evening of August 12. Raju Bahadur died on the morning of August 7 after about two and a half months of treatment. Another adult elephant, which had been ill for a long time after bacterial infection, died a day earlier on August 6.

According to park authorities, Raju Bahadur was seriously injured on May 24 when another elephant attacked him while he was chained in the elephant shed. He fell to the ground, and examinations found one broken leg and severe injuries to another leg. Treatment began under domestic and foreign specialist doctors. As his condition became critical, specialist wildlife veterinarians were brought from Thailand on June 4, while several medical boards also advised on his care.

Samples from both dead elephants have been sent to a laboratory for testing. With Forest Department permission, the animals were buried inside the park. Forest Department and park sources said Raju Bahadur was rescued in January 2025 from Narayanganj, where he was allegedly used to collect extortion money from people on roads and in markets. The park now has eight elephants.

Chattogram’s gas crisis has intensified, with the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited saying the region is receiving 54.29 percent of demand, leaving a 45.71 percent shortfall. In a report published on August 13, the company said it was receiving 190 million cubic feet of gas daily against an allocation of 246 million cubic feet from the national grid. The shortage has disrupted household cooking, CNG stations and gas-based power generation, while load-shedding has increased.

Gas-sector sources said Chattogram depends on floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali for supply. The crisis began after a fire incident at Exelerate Energy’s terminal on July 21. One boiler was partially restarted on August 6 after nearly two weeks of closure, but repairs to damaged electrical control and instrument systems, as well as replacement of required parts, are continuing.

The report said output at rod, garment, shipbreaking and steel-structure factories has fallen to 40 percent. Several 210-megawatt power-generation units, including at Raozan and Anwara, are shut. BSRM said its factory had been fully closed since Wednesday and it had not received gas at the desired rate for 20 days. Long queues were reported at CNG stations, some of which suspend service when gas pressure falls.

Bangladesh Bank’s liquidity support to weak banks, funded by money creation, has exceeded Tk85,000 crore as of August 13, 2026, according to the report. The central bank provided nearly Tk17,000 crore more over the past three months to address severe liquidity shortages at 13 banks. Despite the support, the banks have not repaid the large outstanding loans over a long period.

The report says widespread looting at more than a dozen banks during the Awami League government left them financially weak, with some unable to return depositors’ money. In late 2022, five Shariah-based banks were allowed to conduct transactions despite negative current-account balances. When those facilities were later stopped, the banks struggled to repay customers and instability emerged at branches.

Islami Bank Bangladesh received the largest amount, Tk17,000 crore, followed by First Security Islami Bank with Tk15,810 crore and EXIM Bank with Tk12,010 crore. Bangladesh Bank spokesperson and Executive Director Arif Hossain Khan said such support should not continue, but the central bank is compelled to provide it because failure to return depositors’ funds could undermine confidence in the banking sector and deepen the crisis.

A column published by Amardesh writer Minar Rashid criticizes a possible amicable settlement with Summit concerning Bangladesh’s cancelled third floating storage and regasification unit, or FSRU, project. According to the column, the interim government finally cancelled the work order for Summit’s third FSRU project, which had been approved without tender, on January 14, 2025. Summit LNG Terminal II Co. Ltd. then filed a writ against the cancellation and sought court directions to discuss an amicable settlement.

The column says the High Court Division heard the application on July 14, 2026, granted it, and observed that the petitioner was free to discuss the matter with the other side for an amicable resolution. The writer questions the ruling’s implications and the role of state lawyers. He alleges that reliance on a small number of business groups, non-tender awards and capacity charges have raised concerns about state interests, transparency and accountability.

The writer also argues that proposals from international firms for alternative FSRU facilities and energy supplies were not properly considered during the past 17 months. He cites offers from Saudi Aramco, Oman’s OQT, Azerbaijan’s SOCAR and the UAE-linked IRH, and calls for an investigation into whether such proposals reached policy-level consideration.

Global crude oil prices declined further by late Thursday night, Bangladesh time. Brent crude fell $1.29, or 1.5%, to $87.69 a barrel by 1 a.m. West Texas Intermediate crude in the United States dropped $1.30, or 1.6%, to $81.97 a barrel, according to an Al Jazeera report.

Analysts believe the war involving the United States and Israel over Iran could reduce oil demand worldwide. Concerns over weaker demand have led to a reduction in the forecast for global oil demand growth in 2026. OPEC, the alliance of oil-producing countries, cut its projection in its monthly oil market report released on Wednesday.

Under OPEC's revised forecast, global oil demand is expected to increase by 580,000 barrels per day in 2026. However, the same conflict could create a potential oil supply crisis. Fears of major supply disruptions are limiting the scope for further declines in oil prices, as possible supply shortages continue to affect market expectations.

Bangladesh’s gas crisis has intensified, pushing pressure in the national transmission line to its lowest level and disrupting industry, households and CNG-powered transport, according to a report published on August 13, 2026. The government attributed the reduced supply to natural hazards and rough seas affecting floating LNG terminals at Maheshkhali. Residents in Dhaka and other areas reported little or no cooking gas for much of the day, while CNG vehicles faced long waits and limited refuelling.

Energy Division and Petrobangla data put daily gas demand at 400 crore cubic feet, although sector experts believe it exceeds 500 crore cubic feet. The government has capacity to supply 270 crore cubic feet to the national grid from domestic production and imports. Supply from the Excelerate-operated terminal fell from 60 crore to 28 crore cubic feet, while the Summit-operated terminal fell from 50 crore to 25 crore cubic feet, a combined reduction of 57 crore cubic feet.

Industrial operators said factories had reduced output, cut shifts or closed temporarily amid gas and power shortages. More than 100 factories in Gazipur and Narsingdi reportedly produced less than 10 percent of capacity on Tuesday and Wednesday. State Minister Anindya Islam Amit said the government was working to resolve the crisis but could not specify when conditions would normalize.

Residents, civil defense workers and environmental groups have accused Israeli forces of deliberately setting fires that are damaging forests, farmland and homes in southern Lebanon. Local officials said Israeli forces fired flares into woodland outside Khiam on Tuesday, after which a fire spread. Nabatieh civil defense chief Hussein Fakih said firefighters responding to blazes had come under drone attack and were forced to withdraw for safety.

Although a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel took effect on June 17, rescue workers and video footage indicate that fires have continued in southern Lebanon. Fakih estimated that about 30 to 40 percent of land near the border and combat zones had been affected, while noting he had no precise figures. He alleged the use of incendiary bombs, small drones dispersing flammable material, white phosphorus shells and illumination flares. The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.

Kfarchouba civil defense chief Samir Hardan said permission restrictions also limited firefighting operations. Environmental advocates warned of long-term damage to biodiversity and livelihoods. Yaroun Mayor Hafez Ghasem said satellite images bought by displaced residents showed 880 of the village's 900 homes had been bulldozed, and alleged that olive and fruit orchards were also set on fire.

The Jhenaidah district administration conducted a mobile court operation against the stockpiling and sale of banned polythene in T Bazar on KPBosu Road in Jhenaidah town on Wednesday afternoon. The operation fined two traders a total of Tk2,000 and seized an estimated 32 kilograms of illegal polythene shopping bags.

Nazneen Sultana, assistant commissioner (land) of Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila and executive magistrate, led the operation. The two traders were found guilty and fined under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, according to the report.

Muntasir Rahman, assistant director of the Jhenaidah district Department of Environment, served as prosecutor during the operation. Assistant Engineer Ahsanul Kabir of the Roads and Highways Department and a team from Jhenaidah district police provided overall assistance.