Prices of essential goods have risen sharply in Chattogram for several weeks, with flooding cited as a reason, according to a report published on August 8. Vegetables, fish, meat, eggs and chicken were described as increasingly unaffordable for ordinary consumers. On Friday, retail markets were selling eggs at Tk150 per dozen and broiler chicken at up to Tk210 per kilogram, compared with Tk185 a week earlier.

Vegetable prices rose by Tk20 to Tk30 per kilogram amid lower supply. At Karnaphuli Market near No. 2 Gate, ridge gourd and okra sold for Tk80 per kilogram, teasel gourd for Tk100, and green chilies for Tk240 to Tk250. Prices of rohu, catla, pabda and tilapia were also Tk50 to Tk100 higher than the previous week. Traders attributed the increases to flood damage to vegetable fields, stronger demand for chicken and eggs, and higher fishing costs.

Onions, garlic and ginger also became more expensive. At Khatunganj, onions sold for Tk43, ginger for Tk95 and garlic for Tk115 per kilogram, while retail ginger prices reached Tk120 to Tk130. Consumer Anwar Hossain called for regular market monitoring. CAB vice-president SM Nazer Hossain alleged that traders had raised prices of other goods by using flooding as an excuse.

Farmers across Khansama upazila in Dinajpur are actively transplanting aman rice after enduring persistent rain and flooding, according to a report published on August 8. Seedlings are being lifted from nursery beds and planted in muddy fields in Alokjhari, Bhabki, Bherbheri, Goaldihi, Angarpara, Khamarpara and nearby areas. Many farmers are working with family members to complete cultivation within the scheduled period.

The Department of Agricultural Extension has set a target of cultivating transplanted aman rice on 13,760 hectares in Khansama this season. Transplanting has already been completed on 11,950 hectares, while work on the remaining land is progressing rapidly. Despite a shortage of labourers, farmers have continued planting because they expect timely transplantation to support a satisfactory yield.

Farmer Jabed Ali said timely rainfall reduced irrigation costs and kept soil moisture adequate, although higher fertilizer and labour costs remain a concern. Under an incentive programme, 3,500 farmers received five kilograms of rice seed, 10 kilograms of DAP fertilizer and 10 kilograms of MOP fertilizer free of charge. Agriculture officer Yasmin Akhtar said the upazila expects about 71,697 tonnes of aman rice if weather conditions remain favourable.

Waterlogging has returned to the Bhobdah area of Abhaynagar upazila in Jashore after persistent rain, flooding wide areas and homes, according to a report published on August 8, 2026. Houses, educational institutions, roads, seedbed fields and fish enclosures have been inundated, renewing concern among local residents.

Residents of Bhobdah spend about six months waterlogged each year, the report said. River and canal re-excavation had begun under army supervision this year, raising hopes of a permanent solution, but heavy rainfall at the start of the monsoon quickly raised water levels. Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer Lipton Sardar said 220 fish enclosures were damaged, with preliminary losses estimated at about Tk17 crore.

Bhobdah Water Drainage Struggle Committee leader Iqbal Jahid said tidal river management implementation was also necessary, alongside river excavation. Jashore Water Development Board Executive Engineer Palash Banerjee said delayed dredging in Khornia caused temporary drainage problems. Nine sluice gates are open, he said, and water levels have fallen by about five to five-and-a-half inches. He expects significant improvement within 10 to 15 days if all gates are operating.

Severe gas and power shortages have nearly halted operations at hundreds of textile, dyeing, ceramic and other medium-to-heavy factories, as well as CNG stations, in Bangladesh's Narsingdi industrial area. The report, published on August 8, 2026, attributes the prolonged energy shortage to an accident at the LNG terminal in Maheshkhali, leaving pipeline gas pressure too low for production.

Narsingdi has more than 3,000 textile, dyeing and spinning mills and supplies a large share of the country's cloth demand. Business leaders said nearly 80 percent of mills in the Narsingdi and Madhabdi areas have shut down. Local industrial owners and business representatives estimated average daily losses across the industrial zone at Tk400 crore to Tk500 crore as dyeing, printing, textile and spinning output has become almost fully stalled.

Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan of Bhuiyan Textile and Calender Mills said his factory has been almost closed for two weeks, receiving only one to two PSI of gas pressure against a minimum requirement of 10 PSI. Entrepreneurs said halted production and sales have made monthly wage payments difficult. BTMA spokesperson Abdullah Al Mamun warned that continued energy shortages could trigger public anger.

Guava growers in Nesarabad, Pirojpur, say they are losing crores of taka worth of produce each year because there is no cold storage facility. The floating guava market, located near the canal confluence along the Nesarabad and Jhalakathi border, is busy during the monsoon season, particularly from July to September, drawing domestic and foreign visitors. Farmers say low prices, a lack of business-friendly conditions and the halt in exports have reduced their profits.

Around 4,000 guava growers operate in nearly 24 villages across areas bordering Nesarabad, Banaripara and Jhalakathi. According to the Barishal divisional agriculture office, 3,220 guava orchards cover 878 hectares in 23 villages of three upazilas, with about 16,000 workers involved from orchard care to fruit sales. Growers describe guava cultivation as their main source of income but say maintenance costs are high and have sought bank loans on easy terms.

Farmer Binoy Haldar said several crores of taka worth of guavas spoil annually without cold storage. Exports stopped in 2020 amid storage constraints, alleged non-cooperation from the agriculture department, the effects of Covid-19 and other challenges. Upazila agriculture officer Mahafuzur Rahman said he would inform senior officials about constructing a government cold storage facility.

Japanese authorities ordered about 260,000 residents in the Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures to move to safe locations as powerful Typhoon No. 13 threatened the country’s southwest. More than 500 flights were cancelled on Friday because of adverse weather conditions. The report was published on August 7, 2026.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the Category 1 typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 144 kilometres per hour and gusts reaching 198 kilometres per hour. It was moving toward island chains between the Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture, bringing risks of strong winds, heavy rain and rough seas.

Toyota temporarily suspended production at nine factories on Friday for safety reasons. The weather agency warned that the storm could retain its strength as it moved toward Okinawa, potentially damaging or collapsing buildings and other structures. It also warned that linear rain bands could produce extremely heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and a heightened risk of flash flooding. Temperatures in some areas could reach 36 degrees Celsius, prompting a heatstroke warning.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanom said Natore will be developed into a tourist hub with a world-class tourism system. She made the remarks after visiting Uttara Ganabhaban on Friday afternoon, August 7. The minister said the district’s tourism potential would be used to build facilities for visitors and strengthen Natore’s profile as a destination.

Khanom cited Uttara Ganabhaban, Rajbari, Halti Beel and Chalan Beel as sites demonstrating Natore’s substantial tourism potential. She said accommodation and tourism facilities have not developed sufficiently in the area, while many people still do not know detailed information about Natore. She pledged improvements to necessary infrastructure and transport links, along with facilities for tourists’ residence and stays.

Member of Parliament and parliamentary whip Advocate M Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu, District Commissioner Asma Shaheen and Additional Superintendent of Police Mohammad Ifte Khayer Alam were among officials present during the visit. After later visiting Halti Beel, Dulu told a local public meeting that thousands of tourists visit Natore from across the country each year, but inadequate lodging and dining arrangements have discouraged many visitors.

Bangladesh has launched its first food assistance programme for registered fishers dependent on the Sundarbans during the annual June-to-August ban on catching fish and other aquatic resources. Rice is being distributed to eligible fishers in Sundarbans-adjacent areas, including Mongla in Bagerhat, as the government enforces the three-month closure to protect fisheries, biodiversity and wildlife.

The breeding-season restriction covers rivers, canals and forest-adjacent waters of the Sundarbans and leaves thousands of forest-dependent fishers without work. Beneficiaries said the assistance has eased hardship for their families while fishing is prohibited, although they also called for alternative employment opportunities in the future.

Member of Parliament and State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam said 6,662 tonnes of rice had been allocated for 8,271 registered fishers in Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat and Mongla. A fisheries official said food assistance should encourage compliance with the ban. Forest, fisheries and administrative authorities are conducting regular patrols and operations to prevent illegal fishing and crab collection.

About Tk60 lakh in unspent funds from a 10-kilometre canal excavation project in Guthia ইউনিয়ন of Uzirpur upazila, Barishal, has been returned to the government treasury. The project was completed under the overall supervision of Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ali Suja, according to a report published on August 7, 2026.

The government had allocated Tk2.57 crore for the canal excavation, the upazila administration said. The work was implemented by Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Mosharraf Hossain under Suja’s supervision. After the work was completed and accounts were settled, approximately Tk60 lakh remained unspent and was deposited in the treasury.

Suja said the allocation represented taxpayers’ money and that proper use and preservation of such funds were a moral duty for public officials. He said the returned money could be used by the government for other development work. Local informed groups described the return of unspent funds, following completion of the specified work, as a positive example of sound public financial management and accountability.

Millions of camels now roam remote desert and grassland areas of Australia, far from their original Arab desert habitat. British colonizers brought camels to Australia for transport in the 19th century, but many were released when vehicles reduced their usefulness. Australia’s camel population is estimated at between 300,000 and one million, according to the report.

Many of the animals have become feral, and authorities say they create problems in desert areas. They compete with livestock for food, damage fences, contaminate water sources and harm cultural sites of Indigenous communities. At the same time, trained and domesticated camels have created a limited export market, with farmers selling camel milk and sometimes exporting live animals.

So far in 2026, Australia has exported 68 camels to Malaysia and Indonesia. Trade data showed Australian camel meat exports exceeded $3.9 million in 2024. Warwick Hill, owner of Humpalicious farm in Robe, South Australia, sells camel milk for 20 Australian dollars per litre but says high labour costs and relatively low milk output keep prices high. The annual Marree Camel Cup is held in the remote town of Marree, about 600 kilometres north of Adelaide.

Several Chinese and Indian oil refineries are seeking vessels to transport discounted Iraqi crude through the Strait of Hormuz from Iraq’s Basra Oil Terminal, according to multiple shipping-industry sources cited by Reuters. The effort was reported this week, but no vessel charter agreement has yet been finalized because of security risks in the strait.

The sources said Iraq’s state oil marketing company SOMO is offering discounts of up to about $30 per barrel on Basra Heavy and Basra Medium crude for August delivery. The large price reductions are driving refinery interest in purchasing the Iraqi oil.

Shipowners are reluctant to send vessels through the Strait of Hormuz because of concerns about security conditions. Kpler data showed that only six crude oil tankers exited the strait this week, while 21 vessels entered it, most using Iranian waterways. Iran closed the strait when the US-Israel war began on February 28. Before that closure, an average of 130 to 140 ships used the important sea route each day.

Most teenagers in the United Kingdom do not want the government’s proposed overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, according to a Censuswide survey published Friday. The plan, announced in mid-July under former prime minister Keir Starmer’s government, would introduce default overnight limits on teenagers’ social media accounts. Among respondents aged 16 to 18, 85% said the restriction should be scrapped.

Under the proposal, users aged 16 and 17 would be unable to use social media platforms between midnight and 6 a.m., although they could turn off the setting. Nearly half of surveyed teenagers said they would disable the feature to communicate with friends and family, while 37% said they would opt out to watch online content. The measure is intended to complement a ban announced in June for users under 16 on platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Liane Proctor, head of regulation at the Online Responsibility Network, said a curfew alone was unlikely to prevent online harms. Of 1,000 teenagers surveyed, 2% said they avoid social media or short videos at night during school periods, while more than 18% said they watch content until 1 a.m. or later. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said changes to the voluntary approach would be considered if many teenagers disable the default setting.

Bangladesh received $602 million in remittances during the first five days of August in fiscal year 2026-27, according to the latest updated data from Bangladesh Bank. The amount was 83.7 percent higher than remittance inflows recorded during the same period of the previous fiscal year. The report said the upward trend in expatriate income continued into August, following the first month of the fiscal year.

Expatriates sent $196 million to the country on August 4 and 5 alone. From July 1, the start of the current fiscal year, through August 5, total remittance inflows reached $3.461 billion. During the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, the amount was $2.806 billion.

Total remittance inflows up to August 5 in fiscal year 2026-27 rose by 23.3 percent year on year. Bangladesh Bank said the continued tendency to send expatriate income through formal banking channels is strengthening the country’s foreign currency inflow. According to the central bank’s data, this is playing a positive role in foreign exchange reserves and the broader macroeconomy.

Bangladesh Bank will appoint administrators on Sunday as it moves to close five weak non-bank financial institutions, according to sources cited by Amar Desh. The government has already given final approval for the closures. The institutions are Peoples Leasing and Financial Services, International Leasing and Financial Services, Aviva Finance, FAS Finance and Investment, and Fareast Finance and Investment. Their existing boards will be suspended and managing directors’ contracts cancelled when administrators are appointed.

Administrators are initially expected at four institutions, excluding Peoples Leasing because of pending litigation and the absence of a court order. A Bangladesh Bank spokesperson, Arif Hossain Khan, said the closure process was under way and administrators would be appointed soon. At the end of last December, non-performing loan ratios at the five institutions ranged from 93 percent to nearly 100 percent.

The five institutions hold total deposits of Tk16,076 crore, including about Tk2,700 crore in individual deposits. Individual depositors are to receive priority repayment of up to Tk10 lakh. Four other institutions have been given three months to recover; if they fail, they will automatically enter the resolution process.

Europe’s Rhine River, a major transport route for industry and trade, is facing severe drought and record-low water levels, disrupting cargo movement and raising costs. The report, published on August 7, 2026, said water levels fell this week to their lowest since official measurements began in 1880. Large vessels are carrying less freight, while cargo is being shifted in some places to smaller boats, trucks and rail, adding pressure to German industrial production.

The roughly 800-mile Rhine runs from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea through six countries and carries about 300 million tons of goods annually. In parts near Duisburg, water is only slightly more than four feet deep, forcing some ships to unload up to two-thirds of their cargo. The 564-foot W. D. Beijers Senior, which normally carries 5,000 tons of iron ore, is currently limited to 1,200 tons.

Low water has also affected the Danube, raising concerns over water used to cool nuclear reactors in Hungary and Romania. Research cited by the report estimates that a month of low-water conditions could cut German industrial output by about 1 percent. Companies have expanded storage and other preparations, but only a few of roughly 8,000 cargo ships on the Rhine are specially designed for shallow water.