Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU) has launched a pilot Starlink internet connection to address persistent connectivity problems on campus. The initiative began on Sunday, February 1, with JAKSU Vice President Md. Riazul Islam announcing the start of the trial and General Secretary Abdul Alim Arif confirming its successful activation later that night. The project aims to improve internet access for academic, research, and online learning activities.

According to Arif, slow internet speeds have become a major obstacle for students, and the pilot program seeks a sustainable long-term solution. Riazul Islam explained that although the university currently has a contract with another provider, Starlink is being tested for one to two months to evaluate its performance. The university’s existing Wi-Fi service is provided through a contract with BdREN, and JAKSU plans to compare costs, service quality, and long-term benefits before making a final decision.

If Starlink proves to deliver better service, JAKSU intends to propose its expansion across all university rooms and laboratories in consultation with the administration.

Bangladesh and the United States are expected to sign a bilateral trade agreement in Washington on February 9 aimed at reducing U.S. counter-tariffs on Bangladeshi goods and expanding trade benefits. Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said the draft of the agreement has been prepared and submitted for approval. He confirmed that the signing schedule has been set for February 9, pending final authorization.

The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump had initially imposed 37 percent counter-tariffs on Bangladeshi products, later reducing them to 20 percent after several negotiation rounds, though no formal agreement was signed at that time. The upcoming deal is expected to further lower tariffs and secure duty-free access for garments made with U.S. cotton. To obtain these benefits, Bangladesh has pledged to reduce its trade deficit with the U.S. by increasing imports of Boeing aircraft, fuel, LNG, wheat, and cotton.

The commerce secretary clarified that military items such as fighter jets are not part of the trade deal. He added that Bangladesh is also advancing free trade agreements with Japan, South Korea, and other partners to strengthen its post-LDC graduation trade position.

Bangladesh Bank has asked all banks in the country to provide detailed information on agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000. The request followed a query from board member and Dhaka University professor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir. The central bank’s Agricultural Credit Department sent an email after office hours on Thursday, instructing banks to submit the data by noon on Sunday. Executive Director and spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan confirmed the directive.

According to the letter, banks were told to report the total principal, interest or profit, and outstanding balance of loans and investments in the agriculture and rural sectors up to Tk 10,000 as of December 31 of the previous year. The reason for the sudden request was not disclosed, and the spokesperson said he was unaware of the purpose behind it. The report notes that the data collection was not discussed at any board meeting or through the usual internal approval process.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year, banks disbursed Tk 21,000 crore in agricultural loans, marking a 29 percent increase from the same period last year.

Bangladesh Bank reported that remittance inflows rose sharply in January 2026, reaching USD 3.17 billion, a 45.10 percent increase compared to USD 2.185 billion in January 2025. Sector insiders attributed the surge to funds sent ahead of the upcoming national election and Ramadan, as many candidates and families transferred money from abroad. The data was published in the central bank’s latest report.

From July 2025 to January 2026, total remittances amounted to USD 19.43 billion, up 21.80 percent from the same period of the previous fiscal year. Bankers explained that the decline in money laundering and increased use of formal channels have boosted remittance inflows, improving dollar supply and strengthening foreign exchange reserves. Bangladesh Bank has purchased USD 3.93 billion since July to maintain market balance.

As of January 29, 2026, the country’s foreign exchange reserves stood at USD 33.18 billion, or USD 28.68 billion under BPM-6 standards. The central bank noted that higher remittance inflows and dollar purchases have contributed to the recent rise in reserves.

India’s new fiscal year budget has increased grant assistance to Bangladesh by 74 percent, allocating 600 million rupees for the 2027 financial year. According to The Hindu Business Line, citing India’s central budget documents, this marks a significant rise from the revised figure of 344.8 million rupees in the previous year. The report noted that despite domestic discussions about anti-India sentiment, New Delhi expanded its allocation to Dhaka.

The budget also shows India halting all grants to Iran’s Chabahar Port, which previously received 4 billion rupees, reportedly due to U.S. sanctions pressure. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s grant rose by 50 percent to 1.5 billion rupees, and Bhutan remains the largest recipient with a total of 22.88 billion rupees. In contrast, allocations for Nepal, the Maldives, and Mauritius were reduced, with Mauritius facing the steepest cut of about 33 percent.

Overall, India proposed 87.92 billion rupees in total foreign grants and loans, down 27 percent from the previous year’s revised figure, signaling a strategic and financial restructuring of its foreign aid program.

Bangladesh’s postal department-backed digital financial service Nagad recorded its highest-ever monthly transaction volume in January 2026, reaching Tk 40,301 crore. This marks the company’s largest single-month transaction since its inception seven years ago. The record-breaking figure came mainly from cash-in, cash-out, money transfers, payments, bill settlements, mobile recharges, and remittances.

Nagad’s administrator, Md. Motasim Billah, congratulated all involved, noting that the company’s customer-centric approach and trust-building efforts have driven continuous growth. He said Nagad, as a digital transaction platform under the Bangladesh Post Office, is enhancing service quality and ensuring greater financial security for users. This has led to rising engagement from both new and existing customers.

Previously, Nagad’s highest monthly transaction was Tk 34,705 crore in October 2025. The company handled Tk 3.8 trillion in total transactions in 2025, up from Tk 3.3 trillion in 2024, reflecting sustained expansion in Bangladesh’s mobile financial services sector.

Interim government Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has called for immediate discussions with the European Union to establish a free trade agreement (FTA). He made the appeal during a meeting with Nuria Lopez, Chairperson of the European Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (EuroCham), at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka. EU Ambassador Michael Miller also attended the meeting, where participants discussed enhancing European investment, improving trade relations, and strengthening a business-friendly environment.

Yunus emphasized that Bangladesh must prepare now to maintain duty-free access for its exports, particularly ready-made garments, after the current trade privileges expire. He noted that Bangladesh recently signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan, granting duty-free access to over 7,300 products, and intends to pursue similar arrangements with the EU. Lopez supported the FTA initiative, warning that Bangladesh could lose existing benefits after graduating from the least developed country category.

EU Ambassador Miller said the nature of Bangladesh-EU trade relations will change after LDC graduation, expected no earlier than 2029, and confirmed plans for an EU-Bangladesh Business Forum in 2026 to promote investment and technology cooperation.

Bangladesh Bank has announced that all banks across the country will remain closed on February 11 and 12 due to the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election and a national referendum. The central bank issued a circular on Sunday stating that the closures follow an executive order declaring public holidays on those dates.

According to the notice, the decision applies to all banks nationwide as part of preparations for the election and referendum. This year’s parliamentary election involves more than 50 political parties and independent candidates, with nearly 2,000 contenders competing for 300 parliamentary seats. Alongside the election, a referendum on the July Reform Charter will also take place on the same day.

The simultaneous scheduling of the election and referendum has prompted the government to ensure administrative readiness, including the temporary suspension of banking operations during the designated holidays.

The three-day 2nd Bangladesh Light Engineering Expo 2026 will begin on February 2 at the Shaheed Abu Sayeed International Convention Center in Dhaka. Organized by the Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association (BAISHIMAS) with support from the Ministry of Commerce and the World Bank-backed Export Competitiveness for Jobs (EC4J) project, the event will run daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The expo aims to enhance the competitiveness and export orientation of the country’s light engineering sector by showcasing the latest technologies, machinery, and innovative products.

BAISHIMAS President Md. Abdur Razzak said the sector supplies backward linkages to agriculture, textiles, construction, power, and automobile industries, contributing about 3 percent to national GDP. Around 50,000 small and medium enterprises employ over 300,000 skilled workers, meeting nearly half of the domestic demand worth USD 8.2 billion. Despite this, Bangladesh holds less than 1 percent of the USD 7 trillion global engineering market. The current export value of USD 795 million could reach USD 12.56 billion by 2030 with proper policy and investment support.

The expo will feature over 50 booths, two seminars, and participation from government officials, business chambers, and international buyers. Organizers expect the event to strengthen domestic industry, attract investment, and expand global market access.

The Additional District Judge Court No. 2 in Dhaka has delivered a final verdict in favor of Unilever Bangladesh in arbitration miscellaneous cases No. 436/2025 and 437/2025 filed by former distributors Masud & Brothers and Agrani Trading Corporation. The distributors had challenged the termination of their distributorships and sought injunctions against the termination notices and the appointment of new distributors in their respective areas. On January 29, 2026, the court dismissed the cases, finding no merit in the distributors’ applications.

Before filing these arbitration cases, the distributors had previously filed two declaratory suits and two money suits in an incorrect legal forum, which were dismissed for lack of maintainability. During the hearing on February 28, 2026, Unilever Bangladesh presented its position, demonstrating that the termination was lawful and in accordance with the distributor agreements. The company also informed the court that the distributors had concealed key documents and provided misleading information in earlier proceedings.

The verdict confirms that Unilever Bangladesh lawfully terminated the distributorships and can continue normal business operations through newly appointed distributors.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) will announce new consumer-level prices for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for February 2026 on Monday, February 2. According to a BERC notice issued on Sunday, the updated prices will be declared at a press briefing scheduled for 3 p.m. at the commission’s office in the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in Dhaka. The adjustment will be based on the Saudi Aramco-declared Saudi CP for February.

In January, the price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder was set at 1,306 taka, up from 1,253 taka in December. The upcoming announcement will determine whether the February price increases or decreases compared to January. The new rate will remain effective for one month.

The BERC’s monthly price adjustments are part of its regular process to align domestic LPG prices with international benchmarks, ensuring consistency with global market trends.

Tourist travel to Bangladesh’s only coral-rich island, Saint Martin, has been suspended for nine months following a government decision. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ended the current tourism season last Saturday, and from Sunday, no tourist vessels are allowed to operate to the island. Authorities said the restriction aims to preserve the island’s fragile environmental balance, limiting tourist access to only three months each year.

Typically, tourists are permitted to visit Saint Martin from October 1 to March 31, but this year the period was shortened to January 31 due to environmental risks. Cox’s Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner Imran Hossain Sajib confirmed that Saturday marked the last day for tourist ships to travel to the island. He added that future changes would depend on government decisions.

Saint Martin Union Parishad Chairman Foyezul Islam expressed concern that most island residents depend on tourism for their livelihood. He said the extended closure has caused disappointment among locals and suggested that a longer tourist season would help them sustain their income.

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for Chinese investment in Venezuela’s oil industry, saying Beijing is welcome to make major deals in the sector. He made the remarks aboard Air Force One while speaking to reporters, as Venezuela seeks new foreign investment following the removal of Nicolás Maduro and amid efforts to overcome a deep economic crisis.

Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, recently introduced legal reforms to ease private and foreign investment in its oil sector. Under Maduro, China had been the country’s main oil buyer, but Beijing condemned his January 3 arrest by U.S. forces, creating uncertainty about future ties. Trump also said interim President Delcy Rodríguez reached an energy cooperation agreement with India, which plans to buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian supplies.

Trump indicated that Washington and Caracas will share oil profits and that the U.S. is working closely with Venezuela’s new leadership. He further suggested that the U.S. may pursue a potential deal with Cuba, hinting at possible diplomatic openings.

Meta is developing a new Instagram feature that would let users remove themselves from someone else’s Close Friends list. The company told TechCrunch that the feature remains in an early testing phase and is not yet available to general users. Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi first revealed the change after analyzing app code and sharing screenshots showing that users who leave a Close Friends list will no longer see related stories or content unless re-added.

The Close Friends feature, introduced in 2018, allows users to share stories, reels, or posts with a selected group. Until now, there was no option to voluntarily exit another person’s list. The new control could be welcomed by users seeking more privacy, though some may find it awkward if friends notice their departure. Snapchat already offers a similar option, leaving Instagram comparatively behind in this area.

Meta is also testing subscription-based features across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. While details remain undisclosed, early indications suggest premium tools could include expanded audience lists and enhanced privacy controls. Meta emphasized that core experiences will stay free, with subscriptions aimed at users seeking extra control and features.

The Election Commission (EC) of Bangladesh has denied allegations that personal data of 14,000 journalists were leaked from its website. The EC explained that for a short period, applicant information for journalist and observer accreditation cards was visible on the site but could not be downloaded. The issue arose after complaints surfaced on Saturday, prompting the EC to clarify that the visibility occurred while the site was being worked on, not due to hacking or data theft.

According to EC Public Relations Director Ruhul Mallik, the application portal for journalists was closed on Thursday following objections, and the observer application section was being shut down on Saturday. Some registered users who logged into their dashboards could temporarily view the admin panel, which led to confusion about a data breach. Mallik emphasized that no external party accessed or misused the data.

The EC recently developed the pr.ecs.gov.bd website to process applications for journalists and election observers online for the first time. However, due to technical and information-handling issues, the commission decided to revert to manual applications for the upcoming February 12 referendum and parliamentary elections.