The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has announced a Tk8.71 per litre cut in the price of furnace oil in Bangladesh. Under the new rate, furnace oil supplied by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will cost Tk100.39 per litre, down from Tk109.10. BERC issued the related notification on Thursday, with the revised price taking effect from midnight on July 30.

BERC said the new price was set based on international furnace oil prices and the free-on-board, or FOB, price of imported crude oil. The notification did not provide further details on fuel supply, demand, or other factors behind the adjustment beyond those pricing references.

The revised rate will apply to the Bangladesh Power Development Board, public and private power plants, industrial factories, and other customers. BERC said the new price will remain in force until further instructions are issued. The announcement specifies the BPC-supplied furnace oil rate and identifies the customer groups covered by the change.

Bangladesh Bank has updated its consolidated foreign-exchange management instructions to better align the country’s export trade with international standards. The circular, issued on Thursday, adds provisions to promote paperless trade, digital trade documents, alternative trade finance, and service- and e-commerce-based exports. It will apply to export-related foreign-exchange transactions for the next year.

The central bank said the revisions reflect changes in international trade systems, the expansion of digital commerce, and the development of new export sectors. It has also brought all instructions on export-related foreign-exchange management under a consolidated framework. The circular allows export documents to be presented electronically under documentary collection arrangements.

Bangladesh Bank has directed the launch of a pilot framework for processing digital trade documents in documentary collection and letter-of-credit systems through approved trade corridors. A separate framework has been included for alternative trade finance, including supply chain finance. For the first time, the instructions contain a dedicated chapter on foreign-exchange transactions for freelancers and individual service exporters, which the central bank says will help them bring export earnings earned through digital payment channels into the country more quickly and easily.

The Sreemangal Upazila administration in Moulvibazar returned Tk 12,290,301 in unspent funds to the state treasury after the Aliachhara canal re-excavation project in Bhunabir Union was not completed on time. The project had a total allocation of Tk 12,878,537, of which Tk 500,000 was spent. Moulvibazar-4 lawmaker Alhaj Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury inaugurated the project on April 17, and work began the following day.

The plan included re-excavating 2,750 metres of canal, reinforcing both banks, planting trees and installing RCC ring pipes. The work was scheduled to finish by June 30, but adverse weather and heavy rainfall allowed completion of only 640 metres, or 23.27 percent, within the deadline. The expenditure included Tk 58,824 in VAT and Tk 29,412 in income tax, along with costs for clearing vegetation, labour, excavator use and transport.

Local farmers said the canal has remained filled for about 40 years, leaving roughly 4,000 acres of farmland in five mouzas uncultivated because of waterlogging. PIO Plabon Pal said similar projects are planned for the dry season in the future. UNO Md Ziaur Rahman said the unused funds were returned to ensure transparent and accountable use of public money.

Hilsa-laden trawlers are arriving at 19 coastal fish landing stations in Sitakunda, Chattogram, but much of the catch is not reaching local markets, according to a report published on July 30, 2026. Fish are being loaded from auction houses onto trucks for Dhaka, Jashore, Sylhet and other districts, while traders say some are exported abroad. Reduced local supply has pushed retail hilsa prices to Tk2,000 to Tk2,700 per kilogram, putting the fish beyond many residents’ purchasing power.

The report alleges that advance-loan-based fish trading, auction-house syndicates and control by outside wholesalers have created an artificial local shortage. Sitakunda has 5,418 registered and unregistered fishers, most of whom lack their own capital and take advances for fuel, ice, net repairs and food. Under those terms, they must sell all catches through designated auction houses, limiting their ability to benefit from higher market prices.

Auction prices range from Tk16,000 to Tk107,000 per maund depending on size. A local trader and the upazila executive officer proposed halting shipments outside the area at least one day a week for direct local sales. The fisheries officer said allegations of extortion from about 1,500 fishing boats using his name require investigation.

Bangladesh has approved the import of one cargo of liquefied natural gas from Singapore to maintain normal gas supplies and meet rising energy demand. The government procurement-related Cabinet Committee approved the proposal at a meeting at the Secretariat chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on July 30, 2026. The total cost for the cargo is Tk949 crore, 43 lakh, 12 thousand and 184, including advance income tax.

Under a proposal from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the LNG will be purchased through an international quotation process under Rule 105, sub-rule (3), clause (a) of the Public Procurement Rules, 2025. The shipment is scheduled for delivery between August 15 and 16 and will be the country’s 42nd LNG cargo.

Singapore-based Vitol Asia Private Limited was selected as the lowest bidder. The company will supply LNG at $22.35 per MMBtu. The proposal received final approval following the recommendation of the government procurement-related Cabinet Committee. The import is intended to keep supplies continuing for industrial, power and other sectors amid the existing gas supply situation.

Bangladesh Bank has withdrawn the administrator from EXIM Bank, one of five banks merged into Sammilito Islami Bank. The move means EXIM Bank’s operations will now be run through Sammilito Islami Bank’s board of directors and managing director. Administrator Shawkatul Alam and his representatives were withdrawn on Thursday, according to a report published on July 30.

During the interim government period, EXIM Bank, Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank and Global Islami Bank were merged to form Sammilito Islami Bank. The boards of the banks were dissolved and their managing directors were removed. Bangladesh Bank subsequently appointed administrators to oversee the banks’ operations.

In June, the government appointed Kazi Shayrul Hasan as chairman of Sammilito Islami Bank’s board and Abedur Rahman Shikdar as managing director. After the new board and management assumed responsibility, Bangladesh Bank decided to withdraw administrators in stages. Relevant central bank officials said administrators would also be withdrawn from the remaining four merged banks by August.

Residents of Panishwar union in Sarail, Brahmanbaria, say recurring Meghna River erosion has destroyed homes, rice mills, mosques, businesses and farmland for more than three decades without a permanent riverbank protection embankment. The report, published July 30, said erosion is continuing along roughly three kilometres in Palpara, Sakhaiti, Dewbaria and Layarhati, with hundreds of people facing renewed losses during each monsoon.

Local residents said the river takes more land every year and warned that remaining villages could disappear without durable protection. Acting union chairman Md Touhid Mia said several hundred families in Palpara, Sakhaiti, Sholabari and Dewbaria are directly at risk. He said about 20 rice mills and more than 100 homes have already been lost to the river.

Bangladesh Water Development Board official Mohsin Kabir Shihab said a proposal for 1,350 metres of riverbank protection work in Panishwar has been sent to the Water Resources Ministry under an integrated water resources management project. Geobags have been placed at several locations as an emergency measure. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Saiful Islam said the situation is highly concerning and that alleged illegal sand extraction is being examined; legal action will follow if allegations are verified.

Bangladesh’s Land Ministry has issued 10 directives to strengthen cybersecurity and improve the performance of computers, networks and other ICT devices used in upazila land offices, revenue circle offices and union land offices. The measures are intended to keep automated land-service operations secure, uninterrupted and effective. The ministry has instructed the Land Reform Board to take necessary steps to implement the directives, according to a report published on July 30, 2026.

The ministry recently sent a letter on the matter to the chairman of the Land Reform Board. It called for licensed, up-to-date antivirus software on all computers and the use of designated secure browsers, including current versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Offices were also asked to avoid outdated or insecure browsers and review hardware capacity, including RAM, storage and processors, for possible upgrades.

Other requirements include updated network-device firmware, strong passwords and replacement of default usernames and passwords. The directives also cover software updates, removal of unnecessary programs, data backups, multi-factor authentication where needed, physical security for ICT devices and virus scanning of portable storage devices. Staff awareness must be improved, while technical or security problems in digital land-service systems should be reported promptly to relevant technical authorities.

Authorities in Sataria, Manikganj, have returned Tk 12,202,156 in unspent funds to the state treasury after completing a 6.9-kilometre re-excavation of Chandrakhali Canal. The project ran from the source of the Gazikhali River to Baliati Khalilabad and had an allocation of Tk 28,327,623. The report, published on July 30, 2026, said the work was completed while maintaining the specified quality standards.

According to the upazila administration, the project covered the full planned length of the canal. It also included an initiative to plant various species of trees along both banks to protect water bodies and maintain environmental balance. Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Khalilur Rahman said canal banks had to be repaired several times because of rain, and trees were planted on both sides.

Sujan Manikganj district general secretary Jahangir Alam Biswas described the return of unused funds as a positive step that ensured transparency in project implementation. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kazi Anik Islam said the canal had become nearly unusable after long-term encroachment and filling. He said varying widths along the canal allowed the work to be completed below the estimated cost.

Foreign banks operating in Bangladesh more than doubled their transfers of profit and income abroad in the second half of 2025 while sharply cutting reinvestment in the country. Bangladesh Bank data showed they sent Tk1,314.60 crore overseas during July-December 2025, up about 128% from Tk577.30 crore in the same period of 2024. They also remitted Tk562.70 crore as dividends, compared with Tk476.80 crore a year earlier.

Reinvested earnings fell from Tk4,594.80 crore in the second half of 2024 to Tk2,096.40 crore a year later. Sector sources said lower reinvestment and the resumption of dividend payments contributed to higher overseas profit transfers. Foreign banks' net profit after tax rose to Tk3,738.70 crore in July-December 2025 from Tk3,557.60 crore in the corresponding period of 2024.

Their total loans and advances declined 11.3% year-on-year to Tk46,123 crore. During the period, foreign banks brought in $4.12 billion in export earnings and paid $4.29 billion in import bills. Nine foreign commercial banks operate in Bangladesh through 70 branches and five sub-branches.

West Bengal singer Anupam Roy’s solo concert, “One True Sound with Anupam Roy,” has been postponed for a second time. The event had been scheduled for August 1 in Dhaka. Organiser Triple Time Communication announced the postponement before the planned date through a notice posted on its Facebook page on the night of July 29.

The organiser said it had completed all required preparations, approvals and formalities for the concert. However, after those processes were completed, it was instructed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs not to hold the event, citing “unavoidable reasons.” Triple Time Communication said it was accepting the decision out of utmost respect for the state’s decision and the directives of the relevant authorities.

The notice said music fans, ticket holders, the artist, sponsors, partners and others involved were disappointed by the sudden decision. All ticket holders will receive full refunds through the official ticketing platform. The concert had previously been scheduled for June 26 in Dhaka but was postponed at the last moment. August 1 was later announced as the new date, which has now also been deferred.

Seven people were killed when a helicopter crashed in Argentina’s western San Juan province on Wednesday morning while conducting a training exercise ahead of a wildfire response mission. The aircraft went down in Ischigualasto Natural Park after it was preparing to assist efforts against fires that had been burning for several days in a neighboring province.

Contact between the helicopter and the control room was lost at about 10:30 a.m. local time. San Juan Governor Marcelo Orrego said in a post on X that seven people had died in the provincial helicopter accident. He said the victims included firefighters, police officers and Civil Protection Department personnel.

Emergency services said the cause of the crash was under investigation and rescue teams had been deployed to the site. The San Juan provincial government declared three days of mourning. Since the start of the week, multiple wildfires have spread through mountainous areas of La Rioja, where local firefighters reported that hundreds of hectares of forest had burned in only three days.

International crude oil prices edged lower on July 30 despite renewed military tensions between the United States and Iran, as oil tanker traffic continued normally through the tense Middle East. Reuters data showed Brent crude fell by $1.29, or 1.42%, to $89.45 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude declined by 56 cents, or 0.66%, to trade at $83.90 a barrel.

Oil markets have seen sharp swings this week. On the previous trading day, Brent rose 7.91% and WTI gained 6.56%, among the largest price increases during the five-month conflict. Earlier on Tuesday, crude prices dropped about 5% on news of a temporary pause, before subsequent political and military moves pushed prices higher again.

Military tensions remain elevated. On Wednesday night US time, US Central Command launched major air strikes on military and strategic targets inside Iran. Iran's state media outlet Press TV reported loud explosions in several southern provinces and on several islands after the operation. Despite the tense situation, operating shipping routes have kept oil prices moving lower for now.

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, or Bapex, has formally begun drilling the Sundarpur-4 appraisal-cum-development gas well in Senbagh, Noakhali. Bapex Deputy General Manager for Drilling and drilling in-charge Zakir Hossain Khan said the work started on Tuesday afternoon. The well is located in Bara Charigaon village of Nabipur Union in Senbagh.

Project officials said the well was named Sundarpur-4 because it belongs to the same underground gas field. Sundarpur gas field wells 1, 2 and 3 were previously drilled in the Sirajpur area of Companiganj. Although the new well is about 13 kilometres from the Sundarpur-2 well, it is part of the same reservoir.

The target depth is about 1,600 metres, with a possible gas-bearing layer estimated at around 1,361 metres. Bapex aims to complete drilling within two months, followed by a drill stem test requiring another 15 to 20 days. Based on analysis of nearby wells, Bapex expects the well could produce five to seven million cubic feet of gas per day.

Policymakers, economists and business leaders called for energy security, banking-sector reform, a business-friendly environment and policy continuity to make Bangladesh’s transition from least developed country status sustainable and effective. The views emerged at a strategic dialogue organised by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh at its Ruhul Quddus Auditorium in Nilkhet, Dhaka, on Wednesday night.

Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh had qualified for LDC graduation, but the central challenge was ensuring a sustainable transition. He said the end of LDC benefits would create new realities for exports, pharmaceuticals and international trade, making structural reforms necessary before proceeding. The government is working to increase energy supplies, expand LNG infrastructure, restore balance in banking and streamline online business services, he said.

Speakers also stressed governance, infrastructure, political stability, skilled human resources and an investment-friendly climate. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan highlighted value addition, retention, improved energy conditions and low-interest financing. CPD Distinguished Fellow Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman emphasised productivity gains, export diversification and policy reforms while discussing post-graduation competition and reduced tariff preferences.