As part of preparations for trade dialogue with the United States, the 2025-26 budget proposes full import duty waivers on 110 items and reduced tariffs on many more. Economic Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed stated that the proposal includes withdrawing supplementary duties on 9 items and reducing them on 442 others. Exempted goods include various yarns, nuclear reactor parts, boilers, hydraulic turbines, gas turbines, milking machines, and other dairy farm equipment. The move aims to address the nearly $6 billion trade deficit with the US.

The Ministry of Law has announced the transfer of 30 district and sessions judges as per recommendations from the Supreme Court. In a separate directive, 38 additional district judges and 162 assistant and senior assistant judges were also transferred, while 12 officials received promotions. The ministry stated that these changes are in the public interest and will take immediate effect.

At the launch of the Law Reporters Forum’s annual publication Projonmo 24, Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed affirmed that judicial reforms are actively underway. He acknowledged the media's role in supporting these reforms and expressed hope that this cooperation would continue. The event was attended by Supreme Court officials, including Appellate Division Registrar Md. Hasanuzzaman and Special Officer Moazzem Hossain.

The ‘July Unity’ platform has announced a “March to the Secretariat” on Tuesday, protesting the interim government’s failure to remove 44 bureaucrats allegedly loyal to Sheikh Hasina. They accused these officials of opposing legislative reforms and inciting unrest within government institutions. The group claims these actions conflict with the spirit of the July movement and accused external forces, including India, of backing a “civilian coup” strategy.

During the second round of talks between political parties and the National Consensus Commission, Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus said the goal is to reduce divisions and add new elements to the July Charter. Calling the meeting one of his most fulfilling experiences, he said, “Together, we are shaping the true future of Bangladesh.” He praised the political parties for their unexpected and deep engagement in the dialogue process and stressed the importance of capitalizing on this unique opportunity.

Chief Economic Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, in his budget speech, criticized the ruling Awami League for leading the financial sector to near ruin through systemic misgovernance. He revealed that the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio surged from 10.11% in June 2023 to 20.20% by December 2024—nearly doubling in just 18 months. To restore public trust and address structural challenges, the interim government has initiated key reforms, including the drafting of the Bank Resolution Ordinance 2025 and the formation of three task forces aimed at stabilizing the sector.

The High Court has upheld the death sentences for OC Pradeep Kumar Das and SI Liakat Ali in the murder case of retired Major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan. It also maintained life imprisonment for six other convicts and upheld a fine of BDT 50,000 for each. Major Sinha was fatally shot on July 31, 2020, at a police checkpoint on the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive in Shamlapur.

Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Ahsan H. Mansur, formally handed over the designs of six new currency notes to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The handover ceremony was attended by Economic Adviser Saleh Uddin Ahmed, Legal Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul, Hill Tracts Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma, and Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan.

In the proposed national budget for FY 2025–26, the Chief Economic Adviser has recommended increasing duties and VAT on a range of consumer goods, including mobile phones, washing machines, LPG cylinders, and cosmetics such as lipsticks. The VAT exemption benefits for manufacturing items like washing machines, microwave ovens, blenders, juicers, irons, rice cookers, and pressure cookers have been partially reduced. VAT on plastic household items has been doubled to 15%, although environment-friendly alternatives remain exempt. The VAT exemption period for locally produced LPG cylinders has been extended, but the exemption itself has been slightly reduced. Import valuation for cosmetics used on the lips, eyes, and face has been significantly increased, potentially raising their market prices.

Economic Adviser Saleh Uddin Ahmed stated that a marginal increase in VAT on biscuits is unlikely to significantly affect the poor, though he did not justify the hike as entirely reasonable. “Bread affects everyone equally—rich and poor alike,” he said, adding that efforts are being made to keep the VAT on essential items like bread, biscuits, and cakes within tolerable limits. He also noted that the government has imported essential food items like wheat, chickpeas, soybean, and lentils to ensure food security. “When we took office, food reserves were nearly depleted. We are working to bring them to satisfactory levels,” he added. He acknowledged price fluctuations in the global market, including rising fertilizer costs and mixed trends in rice and soybean prices, calling it a significant challenge.

In his budget speech, Economic Adviser Saleh Uddin Ahmed announced that the government has decided not to increase electricity prices for now, in light of ongoing high inflation. He stated that a long-term plan is underway to reduce subsidies in the power sector by lowering overall production costs. Measures include reviewing power purchase agreements and conducting energy audits. He also revealed plans to supply 648 million cubic feet of gas from domestic sources this year, with an additional 1,500 million cubic feet expected by 2028.

The main office and 10 regional offices of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) have remained closed for the past 17 days, crippling essential urban services. With Eid-ul-Adha approaching, the disruption has raised serious concerns over cattle market management and waste disposal. While some emergency services like waste collection are being maintained through ward offices, around 30 services—including street lighting, rainwater drainage, and mosquito control—are severely affected. Commenting on the situation, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that while the right to protest is fundamental, prolonged office closures are unacceptable. He emphasized the need to find alternative forms of protest that do not paralyze public services.

Employee organizations continued their protests today, demanding the repeal of the ‘Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance 2025’. As part of their pre-announced program, the demonstrators submitted a memorandum to Adviser Asif Mahmud and Adviser Mahfuz Alam. The memorandum was received on their behalf by Asif Mahmud’s Public Relations Officer and Mahfuz Alam’s Personal Secretary. Earlier in the day, starting from 11 AM, employees from various ministries and departments staged demonstrations at the Secretariat.

To ease urban traffic congestion, Chattogram will be the first city in Bangladesh to implement a monorail project. The initiative, led by Chattogram City Corporation, has secured collaboration from a German-Egyptian joint venture—Orascom and Arab Contractors Group. A memorandum of understanding was signed Sunday, and feasibility studies are set to begin soon. The estimated investment ranges from Tk 20,000 to 25,000 crore.

The Advisory Council, chaired by Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus, has approved a budget of Tk 7,89,999 crore (7.89 trillion) for the fiscal year 2025–2026. Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed will record the budget speech at Bangladesh Television (BTV). The pre-recorded speech will be broadcast today at 3 PM on BTV and Bangladesh Betar.