Meanwhile, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) published a list of 138 securities eligible for margin loans under the revised rules. Market insiders said the revised rules appeared more market-friendly and helped ease the uncertainty that had weighed on investor sentiment in recent sessions.

Against this backdrop, DSEX, the benchmark index of the DSE, gained 32 points, or 0.55 per cent, to reach 5,801 at 11:00 am, when the report was filed.

The DS30 index, comprising blue-chip stocks, advanced 6 points to 2,168, while the Shariah-based DSES index rose 6 points to 1,156.

Trading activity, however, remained slow, with turnover on the premier bourse reaching Tk 1.68 billion during the first hour of trading.

Market breadth was strongly positive, with 300 issues advancing against only 36 declining, while 45 remained unchanged, reflecting broad-based buying interest.

Techno Drugs emerged as the most-traded issue, with shares worth Tk 113 million changing hands during the first hour.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also opened higher. Its All Share Price Index (CASPI) gained 34 points to 15,528, while the CSE Selective Categories Index (CSCX) rose 22 points to 9,467 at 11:00 am.

Market operators said the ongoing energy crisis, regulatory uncertainty and heightened geopolitical tensions continued to weigh on investor sentiment and risk appetite.

A leading stockbroker said fresh challenges to the country's macroeconomic outlook arising from the energy crisis were discouraging investors from committing new funds to equities.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global fuel shipments, remains virtually closed, while energy prices have started rising again after easing earlier.

Investors are particularly worried that persistently high energy costs could fuel inflationary pressure in the coming quarter and weigh on corporate earnings.

"These concerns prompted many investors to stay on the sidelines," the stockbroker said.

The market began the week on a cautious note as investors awaited the final margin-loan regulations. Selling pressure intensified in subsequent sessions as uncertainty persisted.

At the same time, the unresolved national gas crisis raised concerns over corporate earnings, particularly for gas-dependent industries, further weakening investors' risk appetite.

The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) eventually gazetted the revised Margin Rules, 2025 on Tuesday, introducing changes aimed at making margin financing more flexible while strengthening regulatory oversight.

Under the revised rules, only 'A' and 'B' category shares with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of up to 40 will be eligible for margin loans. The rules also relaxed the thresholds for margin calls and forced sales.

The broader market struggled for momentum throughout the week, closing lower in four of the five trading sessions. Although a late-week rebound in the final session trimmed some losses, market operators noted that buying interest remained highly selective.

The benchmark DSEX index settled the week 98 points, or 1.66 per cent, lower at 5,786 points, after gaining 23 points in the previous week.

The decline came despite renewed buying interest in a number of selective stocks towards the end of the week, indicating that investors remained highly selective rather than returning to the market with broad-based confidence.

EBL Securities said the stock market witnessed acute selling pressure during the week as investors remained cautious amid regulatory developments and persistent domestic uncertainties, which weighed heavily on overall risk appetite.

Despite the long-awaited clarification on margin regulations, market momentum failed to recover as persistent rumours of some stringent measures induced further caution among investors, the stockbroker said.

The DS30 Index, which tracks the country's blue-chip stocks, plunged 30 points to 2,162, while the Shariah-based DSES Index dropped 21 points to 1,156.

Falls in the prices of several large-cap stocks, including BRAC Bank, Sharp Industries, Dominage Steel, Islami Bank and LafargeHolcim, accounted for more than 28 points of the benchmark index's weekly decline.

Trading activity also remained subdued, with total turnover falling to Tk 45.3 billion from Tk 49.9 billion in the previous week.

Consequently, average daily turnover declined more than 9 per cent to Tk 9.06 billion from Tk 9.97 billion in the preceding week.

The decline in average turnover indicated that investors remained selective and preferred to stay cautious amid uncertainties surrounding the market outlook.

The textile sector accounted for the largest share of the week's total turnover at 21.2 per cent, followed by general insurance at 17.9 per cent and engineering at 9.6 per cent.

Market breadth remained strongly negative, with 314 issues declining against only 52 advancing, while 18 remained unchanged on the DSE.

IPDC Finance emerged as the most-traded stock of the week, with shares worth Tk 1.4 billion changing hands, followed by Dominage Steel, Beximco, Malek Spinning Mills and Sharp Industries.

Most sectors ended lower during the week. Non-bank financial institutions suffered the highest loss of 2.4 per cent, followed by engineering, power, telecommunications, banking and pharmaceuticals.

The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) also ended the week sharply lower. Its All Share Price Index (CASPI) plunged 312 points to close at 15,491, while the Selective Categories Index (CSCX) lost 197 points to 9,431.

The country's premier bourse returned to a bearish phase last week as the benchmark index plummeted by nearly 100 points, driven by acute selling pressure.

A combination of persistent industrial energy shortages and broader macroeconomic concerns triggered a wave of cautiousness, leading investors to offload shares across the board.

The benchmark DSEX index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) shed 97 points, or 1.65%, to close the week at 5,786. The blue-chip DS30 index followed a similar downward trajectory, falling 30 points to close at 2,162.

The market breadth was overwhelmingly negative, with 314 issues declining against only 52 that advanced, while 18 remained unchanged.

The fall in share prices wiped Tk3,800 crore from the DSE's total market capitalisation by the end of the week.

Trading activity also saw a contraction, with the daily average turnover dropping by 9.2% to Tk905 crore, down from the previous week's Tk997 crore.

According to EBL Securities' weekly market review, the capital bourse faced persistent downward pressure as investors remained wary of evolving regulatory developments.

The week began with cautious positioning as participants awaited the finalisation of amended margin rules. Although the long-awaited clarification on these regulations was eventually announced, market momentum failed to recover as persistent rumours regarding potentially stringent enforcement measures induced further panic.

"The unresolved national gas crisis has significantly raised concerns over future corporate earnings," EBL Securities noted. "This prompted many investors to reduce their equity exposure, keeping confidence fragile despite a brief late-session rebound toward the end of the week."

Sheltech Brokerage Limited echoed these sentiments, identifying the energy crisis as a primary shaper of market sentiment. The firm noted that even though margin lending rule amendments were finalised midweek, selling pressure persisted.

The pressure was further intensified by media reports suggesting aggressive regulatory action against market manipulators. Although the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) issued a clarification denying such reports, the "surveillance ghost" continued to dominate the trading floor.

Sector-wise, the textile sector remained the most active, accounting for 21.2% of the total weekly turnover, followed by general insurance at 17.9% and the engineering sector at 9.6%.

Performance across almost all sectors was weak. The jute sector suffered the steepest correction, falling 4.6%, followed by paper and printing, which declined 4.5%, and mutual funds, which fell 4.4%.

Services and real estate was the only sector to record a gain, rising a marginal 0.2% during the week.

On the liquidity front, IPDC Finance, Dominage Steel, and Sharp Industries were the top turnover leaders.

In terms of price movement, Envoy Textile led the gainers' list with a 15.8% surge, followed by Al-Arafah Islami Bank and Reliance One Mutual Fund.

On the flip side, Sharp Industries was the week's worst performer, losing 22.1% of its value. Dominage Steel followed with a 21.1% decline, while ML Dyeing fell 15.3%.

The bearish sentiment was mirrored at the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), where the Selective Categories' Index (CSCX) ended 2.04% lower at 9,430 and the All Share Price Index (CASPI) dropped 1.97% to settle at 15,491.

A meeting was held between the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and representatives of the World Bank Group to discuss the feasibility of establishing a Mortgage Refinance Company (MRC) in Bangladesh.

The meeting was held at the BSEC headquarters yesterday (19 August), according to a press release issued by the commission today.

The meeting discussed the proposed framework and role of a Mortgage Refinance Company in Bangladesh's housing finance sector.

The initiative aims to expand the country's housing finance sector while deepening the capital market.

Presided over by BSEC Chairman Masud Khan, the meeting was attended, among others, by BSEC Commissioners Tanwir Habib Rahman, Nahid Mahtab, Md. Nafeez Al Tarik, and Hossain Sadat. Representatives of the World Bank Group were also present at the meeting.

According to the press release, the meeting focused on detailed discussions about the potential institutional structure of the MRC and its role in developing housing finance.

Participants explored how the proposed entity could deepen the primary mortgage market by providing long-term refinancing facilities to financial institutions, enabling them to offer more accessible and longer-term mortgage loans.

The discussions also highlighted the MRC's potential role in mobilising capital market resources through instruments such as mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and bonds.

The World Bank Group is currently conducting a feasibility study in response to a formal request from the Financial Institutions Division (FID) of the Ministry of Finance.

Based on the findings of the study, the relevant legal and regulatory frameworks will be formulated to facilitate the company's launch and operations.

In 2024, the government took the initiative to establish a Mortgage Refinance Company (MRC) to boost credit flows, unlock long-term investment and promote affordable housing.

Under the proposed structure, the MRC would operate under the direct supervision of Bangladesh Bank and raise capital through corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities in the stock market.

The company would then use the funds to refinance banks and other lenders, enabling them to extend more mortgage loans to the housing sector.

On July 21, a fire during a ship-to-ship transfer damaged the cabling on one boiler aboard a leased floating terminal off Moheshkhali. That fault removed 450 million cubic feet of gas per day from the grid. Within a fortnight, load shedding was averaging 3,000 megawatts, and CNG queues ran three rows deep.

Commentary has rerun a familiar argument: too little exploration on one side, an unaffordable import bill on the other. Both points have merit, but neither explains why one boiler could do this much damage. It could, because Bangladesh’s entire imported-gas channel floats on two ships. Both were disconnected during Cyclone Mocha in 2023. Cyclone Remal damaged one in 2024, cutting capacity for nearly four months. The July fire is the third systemic outage in four years. The binding constraint is not the molecule; it is the infrastructure that lands it.

The official response has been fast and floating. On July 28, the cabinet committee approved in principle a third FSRU at Kutubjom under a government-to-government arrangement, adding 600 million cubic feet per day, and, by expert estimates, for three to four years. A third ship, built by a Chinese contractor, adds capacity in the same fragile form, exposed to cyclones and single-vessel risk. Floating units were chosen to avoid capital spending. That saving has been repaid several times over in spot cargoes above $21 per million British thermal units and idled factories: the country has paid for a fixed terminal without owning one.

The land-based terminal at Matarbari, discussed since 2014, would bring storage measured in days rather than hours, but the complex and pipeline are the better part of a decade away. The stronger candidate is the gravity-based structure: a concrete terminal resting on the seabed, LNG tanks built inside it, offering the resilience of a fixed terminal in less time. Italy has operated one fifteen kilometres offshore since 2009, supplying 14 percent of Italian gas, financed privately against a 25-year capacity contract. Starting now, a GBS could be delivering gas within this government term. Whether the Bay of Bengal seabed and cyclone loading suit it is a question for engineers. Whether it belongs in the Matarbari feasibility study is not.

Pakistan built its first LNG terminal at Port Qasim for $125 million in 332 days, with debt from the IFC and the Asian Development Bank and a capacity fee from the state gas utility. Tolling is not exotic here; it is how both existing Moheshkhali terminals are already remunerated.

I have arranged investor funding for concentrated gas assets in Europe and the Middle East, where offtake is contractual, and structures are clean. The same could be done for Bangladesh. The World Bank has committed $700 million to guarantee Petrobangla’s LNG import payments through letters of credit and short-term credit lines. That is procurement support, not construction finance. The same guarantee logic, already used for Bangladeshi power projects, can be pointed at terminal steel rather than cargo invoices.

Petrobangla has already invited transaction advisers for the Matarbari land-based terminal; submissions closed on August 10. The structuring choice sits with the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, which could set terms for a project-financed, build-own-operate-transfer structure with take-or-pay tolling and multilateral credit enhancement, with a gravity-based option costed alongside the onshore design. A terminal financed that way costs the exchequer little. The past weeks have shown what the floating alternative costs.

Gold rose as US Treasury yields eased on Wednesday, with investors awaiting minutes of the Federal Reserve’s July meeting for fresh clues on its monetary policy outlook. Spot gold rose 0.6 percent to $4,359.58 per ounce by 0737 GMT, after falling nearly 2 percent in the previous session due to higher Treasury yields, while US gold futures slipped 0.2 percent to $4,413.40.

A global bond selloff on Tuesday saw long-term borrowing costs in major economies edge toward their highest levels in decades, pressuring the non-yielding precious metal.

Reduced expectations for Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and rising fiscal budget concerns are positive factors for gold, said Kelvin Wong, a senior market analyst at OANDA.

The minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee’s July meeting are scheduled for release at 1800 GMT.

Traders are pricing in a 67 percent probability of a Fed hold and a 33 percent chance of a rate hike next month, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. Bets for a hike have declined after a series of soft US economic data.

Lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding gold.

“A sustained break above $4,390 could open the door (for gold) towards $4,505, while a break below $4,300 could expose $4,200 and $4,150,” said Lukman Otunuga, head of market research at FXTM.

On the geopolitical front, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no talks were taking place with Iran and insisted the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting Iran’s assertion that the critical waterway remained shut to shipping.

Oil prices gained for a fourth straight session.

Among other metals, spot silver slipped 0.1 percent to $63.22 per ounce, platinum gained 0.5 percent to $1,720.43, and palladium held steady at $1,290.55.

TD Securities said silver and platinum group metals were expected to benefit from a supportive macroeconomic backdrop in the second half of 2027, with easing inflation risks, a weaker US dollar and lower carry costs likely to drive a stronger price response than gold.

Oil prices hit a three-week high on Wednesday as uncertainty over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing supply disruptions supported the market. Brent crude futures climbed 45 cents, or 0.49 percent, to $91.47 by 0754 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 45 cents, or 0.53 percent, to $85.39 a barrel.

Brent crude hit its highest level since July 30 and WTI reached its highest since July 31.

“Confidence in safe passage remains low, with shipping volumes still running well below normal levels. That persistent uncertainty continues to keep a geopolitical risk premium embedded in the oil price,” KCM chief market analyst Tim Waterer said.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday no talks were taking place with Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz was open, contradicting Iran, which said the waterway remained shut.

A temporary ceasefire agreement expired on Monday and a senior Iranian official told Reuters that his country was moving to a due to the diplomatic stalemate, though there were no reports of strikes by either side on Tuesday.

SHIPPING UNCERTAINTY PERSISTS IN HORMUZ

The Strait of Hormuz carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the US-Israeli war on Iran began at the end of February. Its disruption remains a central concern for energy markets.

“Commercial shipping through Hormuz continues to face near full disruption while disagreements persist over the conditions governing maritime traffic,” said Ahmad Assiri, research strategist at brokerage Pepperstone.

Shipping through Hormuz slowed, data showed on Wednesday, as most shipowners avoided the waterway because of the uncertainty.

Shipping through Hormuz slowed, data showed on Wednesday, as most shipowners avoided the waterway because of the uncertainty

Iraq’s cabinet approved mechanisms for exporting Iraqi crude through specialised international and local companies and via multiple export outlets, the government said on Tuesday.

The contracts under the new mechanism will run for three months starting September 1, according to a statement issued after the cabinet meeting.

Brent’s move above $91 a barrel suggests traders are pricing in a higher risk premium, with prices potentially returning to three-digit levels, Assiri from Pepperstone added.

US crude oil and distillate inventories fell while gasoline stocks rose last week, market sources said, citing data from the American Petroleum Institute.

Official inventory numbers from the US Energy Information Administration are due at 10:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT). Analysts polled by Reuters expect crude stocks to have fallen by about 600,000 barrels in the week ended August 14.

The United Arab Emirates has said it is suspending all trade and financial dealings with Iran after reporting an Iranian missile attack directed at its ships.

The announcement comes after a period of relative calm in the UAE, with no Iranian missiles aimed at the country since May after it bore the brunt of attacks in the early weeks of the Middle East war.Abu Dhabi has however accused Tehran of repeatedly targeting its tankers at sea in recent weeks.

“In light of regional escalations... all trade, commercial exchanges, and financial transactions with Iran have been halted until further notice," said UAE foreign ministry communications director Afra Al Hameli.

The UAE is home to a sizeable Iranian community and has been a major trading partner for US-sanctioned Iran, at least before the war.

They share deep cultural and historical ties as neighbouring countries across the Gulf, with centuries-old links between coastal communities, trade routes and family networks.

Tuesday's announcement is the latest measure against Iran by the UAE after it recalled its ambassador early in the conflict and shut Iran-linked schools and a hospital.

At the height of the war in March, authorities ordered the closure of an Iranian state-linked hospital in Dubai, three employees at the facility told AFP, with schools and a community centre also ordered closed.

A UAE official told AFP at the time that "certain institutions directly linked to the Iranian regime and IRGC will be closed under targeted measures" after they were found to have violated UAE laws.

Abu Dhabi on Tuesday accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles towards the country, the first such attack since May.

It later said the salvo was directed at shipping, but Tehran denied firing missiles at the UAE.

“UAE air defences detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran towards the country, with the first falling outside the country's territorial waters, while the second fell within the territorial waters," the UAE ministry said in a statement posted to social media.

A second statement released later said the missiles "were targeting maritime navigation and fell into the sea".

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei "categorically rejected the United Arab Emirates' claim that Iran had launched a missile towards that country", calling it harmful to regional trust and security efforts.

The first UAE statement came nearly two hours after a phone alert that warned residents of a "potential missile threat".

It was the first such alert since a false alarm in June and an alert in July for an attack that ultimately did not enter UAE territory.

Before that, the last missile warning came in early May.

However, tankers belonging to the UAE’s state-owned oil company ADNOC have been repeatedly targeted in the past few weeks.

When the Middle East war began on February 28, the UAE bore the brunt of Iran’s attacks, with nearly 3,000 missiles and drones directed at the country -- more than anywhere else in the region.

After a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States came into effect in June, which has since collapsed, the UAE reported no attacks, unlike other Gulf states.

Samsung Electronics has raised prices for some advanced contract chipmaking services by up to 15 percent for new orders, two people familiar with the matter said, as demand for AI chips tightens capacity in a business long dominated by TSMC.

Demand from Chinese customers has been particularly strong, but Samsung has been unable to meet all orders because it must serve US customers and reserve part of its capacity to support its own chip production, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are discussing sensitive commercial matters.
Chinese customers are among those accepting the steepest price increase, one of the sources said, underscoring how US curbs on exports of advanced chipmaking equipment to China have increased local firms’ reliance on overseas foundries.The price hikes mark a turnaround for Samsung’s foundry business, which has been a loss maker since 2022, according to industry estimates.

The division has struggled to narrow the gap with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, even as Samsung reported record profits, driven by soaring prices for memory chips used in AI systems.

Samsung raised prices in July for chips made using its 4-nanometre process, known as SF4, the sources said.

Prices for SF4 customers in China and the US were increased 10 percent to 15 percent from the previous month, while customers in Taiwan, home to TSMC, saw increases of 5 percent to 10 percent, according to one of the sources.

Prices for wafers produced by its 5-nanometre SF5 process rose by 10 percent to 15 percent, while those for its older 8-nanometre technology rose by nearly 10 percent, according to the source.

Samsung declined to comment as the company does not provide details on operational matters.

Samsung produced 7 percent of global foundry revenue in the first quarter of 2026, compared with more than 70 percent for TSMC, according to research firm Counterpoint.

However, demand for AI chips has booked up much of TSMC’s leading-edge capacity.

Samsung expects advanced processes to account for more than half of foundry revenue this year, while AI and high-performance-computing applications would make up more than 30 percent, up from 15 percent to 20 percent in late 2025.

With TSMC’s production taken up, Samsung has more leverage to raise prices.

“As TSMC faces tight capacity and raises prices, customers are shifting to rivals such as Samsung and Intel, prompting Samsung to raise its prices as well,” said Lee Min-hee, a Seoul-based analyst at BNK Investment & Securities.

“If Samsung raises prices from here, its foundry business could potentially become profitable as early as next year, earlier than previously expected,” Lee said.

Samsung’s SF4 production line at its Pyeongtaek, South Korea, plant has been running at full capacity since late last year, said a person familiar with the company’s operations.

The line produces logic chips for customers including Qualcomm as well as base dies used in Samsung’s own multi-layer high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, the person said.

Samsung said in July it expects the foundry unit to return to profit in the near future, helped by higher factory utilization, better production yields and firmer pricing.

It also said then rising sales to major US and Chinese customers, along with demand for HBM base dies, should help lift foundry revenue by more than double-digit percentage points in the second half from a year earlier.

Improvements in production yields have also helped Samsung win customers. Tesla and Apple unveiled chip manufacturing deals with Samsung last year.
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Samsung also announced an AI chip production deal with Broadcom in July, while Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said in March that Samsung would manufacture its new AI inference processor.

Google is also in talks with Samsung to manufacture chips using SF4, said one of the two sources familiar with the price increases. Google did not respond to a request for comment.

NCC Bank is set to scale up its Shariah-compliant operations after receiving in-principle approval from Bangladesh Bank to convert 20 of its conventional branches into full-fledged Islamic banking units.

According to a price-sensitive disclosure filed with the Dhaka Stock Exchange today (19 August), the central bank communicated its approval through a letter dated 17 August 2026.

The bank stated that the conversion process will be carried out in strict accordance with the "Guidelines for Conversion of a Conventional Bank to an Islamic Bank" and other relevant regulatory frameworks issued by the central bank.
Currently, NCC Bank operates a very limited Islamic banking network, with only four dedicated branches in Dhaka, Chattogram, Feni, and Thakurgaon. The addition of 20 more branches represents a fivefold expansion of its dedicated Shariah-based service points, reflecting the growing demand for Islamic financial products in the country.

Despite the news of a strategic expansion, the bank's shares saw a marginal correction on the premier bourse. NCC Bank's share price edged down by 0.65% to settle at Tk15.20 today.

Meanwhile, the lender reported a consolidated earnings per share of Tk2.08 in the first half of 2026, marking a 12% growth from Tk1.86 in the corresponding period of 2025.

The bank attributed the rise in profitability primarily to an increase in investment income and the recovery of provisions previously kept against shares.

At the end of June 2026, the bank's consolidated Net Asset Value per share stood at Tk26.39, up from Tk26.15 in December 2025.

However, the bank's cash flow position witnessed a decline. The consolidated net operating cash flow per share dropped to Tk6.68 for the first six months of 2026, compared to Tk10.96 in the previous year.

The bank explained that the decline in cash flow was due to a surge in the purchase of government securities for trading, higher loan disbursements, and advance payments for office rents during the reporting period.

Remittances channelled through Islamic banks fell 27 percent year-on-year to $448 million in June 2026, according to a Bangladesh Bank (BB) report.

Islamic banks’ share of total remittances received through the banking system stood at 16 percent that month, down from 22 percent a year earlier. In May, the previous month, the share was 19 percent, the BB said in its monthly Islamic Banking and Finance Statistics report for June.

By contrast, conventional banks’ remittance receipts rose 7.25 percent year-on-year to $2.37 billion in June, even as they recorded a month-on-month fall of 15 percent from $2.78 billion in May.

The BB said that despite Islamic banks’ early-year performance, their inability to retain their share of workers’ remittances helped conventional banks’ remittances grow in contrast. “However, recent experience of Islamic banks losing market share highlights an unstable situation in the Islamic banking sector,” it said.

Workers’ remittance receipts play a vital role in building a bank’s foreign currency reserve base, which ultimately helps in settling foreign currency transactions, and Islamic banks may need to pursue reforms with regard to the factors that influence depositors’ confidence in Islamic banks, the report states.

The month-on-month decrease in workers’ remittances in June 2026 may be due to the exceptionally high remittance inflow recorded in May 2026 ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.

Additionally, geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East, including the Iran crisis, may also have affected remittance inflow patterns, it added.

DEPOSIT, INVESTMENT GROWTH

The BB report said Islamic banks recorded increased deposits in June compared with the same month a year earlier, though deposit growth was much higher at conventional banks in comparison.

As a result, the share of Islamic banks in total banking deposits stood at 21 percent in June 2026, down from over 22 percent a year earlier, while conventional banks’ share increased.

Depositors are gradually shifting towards Islamic banking as they regain confidence, the BB said, following measures taken by the central bank, including increased surveillance in terms of liquidity support, identification of banks’ weaknesses, and recruitment of administrators to improve management capacity.

The share of shariah-based banks in investment remained steady in comparison with conventional banks. At the end of June, conventional banks accounted for three-fourths of total investments, while Islamic banks accounted for the rest.

The report said combined investments by conventional banks stood at Tk 19.25 lakh crore in June this year, registering a 12 percent increase year-on-year.

By contrast, investments by shariah-based banks grew 7 percent year-on-year to Tk 6.12 lakh crore in June 2026.

“The moderate monthly increase reflects a prudent investment strategy, while the year-on-year growth indicates gradual expansion, driven by rising demand for Islamic financing products, particularly profit-and-loss sharing modes,” the BB report said.

The BB said conventional banks were cautious in lending and investment amid macroeconomic challenges, including inflationary pressures, exchange rate volatility, and tighter regulatory oversight in Bangladesh.

According to the BB report, Islamic banks’ share in handling export receipts declined to around 19 percent in June 2026, from 21 percent a year earlier. By contrast, the share of conventional banks in this segment grew, and they accounted for more than 81 percent of export handling.

On the import side, Islamic banks accounted for 15 percent of total import payments processed through the banking system in June 2026, against 85 percent for conventional banks.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase has approved the purchase of a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Aramco Trading Singapore Pte Ltd at $23.93 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) to maintain gas supply in the country.

Aramco will supply the cargo between 1 and 2 September. It will be Bangladesh's 44th LNG cargo in 2026.

The committee meeting chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury approved a total of seven proposals from different ministries and divisions.

On the same day, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave in-principle approval to procure 14 LNG cargoes, two each from seven companies, through direct procurement.

The names of the seven companies and the total cost of the 14 cargoes were not disclosed in the documents.

Fertiliser, railway and edible oil purchases

The purchase committee also approved the import of 1,15,000 tonnes of muriate of potash (MOP) fertiliser under two agriculture ministry proposals.

Of the total, 80,000 tonnes will be imported through the Canadian Commercial Corporation and 35,000 tonnes through Russia's JSC Foreign Economic Corporation (Prodintorg). The price has been set at $377.63 per tonne in both cases.

The committee also approved the import of urea from Saudi Arabia's SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company for FY27 for Tk213,19,40,000, with the price set at $430 per tonne.

A proposal to appoint a consultant for a feasibility study and conceptual design for multimodal transport hubs at Dhaka Airport and Kamalapur stations under Bangladesh Railway's Green Railway Transport Preparatory Technical Assistance Project was also approved. The work will cost Tk53,66,60,788.

The committee approved the purchase of 20,000 tonnes, or 20 million litres, of refined palm olein through an open tender at Tk184.10 per litre. Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries will supply the edible oil.

It also approved a proposal to extend technical services from General Contractor MHI, Japan, for another year to ensure uninterrupted production and maintenance at Ghorashal Palash Fertiliser Company. The contract will cost Tk39,52,55,000.

Other economic affairs committee decisions

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also gave in-principle approval for Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to sign a government-to-government contract with Fertiglobe Distribution Limited of the United Arab Emirates to import urea fertiliser in FY27.

The committee also considered a proposal for final approval of a contract to select private partners to restart Darowani Textile Mill and Magura Textile Mill, both under the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation, through public-private partnerships.

It also gave in-principle approval to procure 40 driving simulators for 40 technical training centres under the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

The proposal to extend MHI Japan's technical services for another year at Ghorashal Palash Fertiliser PLC was also approved at the meeting.

Gas allocation has kept the public-private Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Ltd (Kafco) in operation, while state-owned Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd (CUFL) has remained shut for five and a half months, highlighting the contrasting impact of the ongoing gas shortage on the two fertiliser plants located in the same area of Anwara, Chattogram.

Both plants were shut on 4 March amid the gas crisis, but Kafco resumed production about two months later after receiving gas supply. CUFL, meanwhile, has yet to restart, with the state-owned plant incurring an average daily loss of nearly Tk2 crore.

People familiar with the matter said Kafco has been prioritised for gas allocation because of an agreement guaranteeing uninterrupted supply when the plant was established.Engineer Md Rais Uddin Ahmed, general manager (Marketing-South Division) of Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Ltd, told The Business Standard that Petrobangla and the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) decide which factories receive gas during shortages. Kafco continues to receive gas in line with Petrobangla's instructions.

Kafco requires around 50 million cubic feet (mmcf) of gas a day, compared with CUFL's requirement of 45 mmcf, he said.

CUFL normally produces 1,000-1,200 tonnes of urea and 800 tonnes of ammonia a day, while Kafco has a daily capacity of around 2,000 tonnes of urea and 1,500 tonnes of ammonia, according to officials.

The ammonia produced by both plants is also supplied to the nearby DAP Fertiliser Company Ltd (DAPFCL), which uses it to produce diammonium phosphate (DAP).

Mizanur Rahman, managing director of CUFL, told TBS that the plant has remained shut since 4 March due to the gas crisis.

"Our plant is ready to resume production. The Karnaphuli Gas authorities have said they will start supplying gas from 2 September. However, we have requested them to bring the date forward to 22-23 August," he said.

Kafco Chief Operating Officer Abdullah Faruk said the plant remained shut for about two months from 4 March and resumed production in May. After operating for 15 days, however, a technical problem forced another shutdown lasting around one and a half months.

"The plant is currently operating. It normally runs at a maximum 116% load, but we have reduced it to 106%. We are currently receiving 48 million cubic feet of gas a day," he said.

Attempts to contact Md Moniruzzaman, director (Commercial, Production and Research) of BCIC, and Abu Saleh Md Mosleh Uddin, managing director and divisional head (Production), were unsuccessful.

CUFL was established in 1987 with technical assistance from Japan. Kafco was registered as an international joint venture in 1981 and began full commercial production in late 1994. Its shareholders include Bangladesh, Denmark, the Netherlands and Japan.

Bangladesh's annual fertiliser demand is around 6.9 million tonnes, with imports meeting about 80% of total demand.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) today (19 August) approved 10 projects involving a total cost of Tk9,333.58 crore.

These included six new and four revised projects.

Of the total project cost, Tk8,488.71 crore will come from the government's own funds, while Tk936.36 crore will be financed through project loans.

The approval came at an Ecnec meeting held at the NEC Conference Room at the Planning Commission, with Prime Minister and Ecnec Chairperson Tarique Rahman in the chair.

The approved projects include two under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

These are the replacement and reconstruction of unusable structures at Dhaka Medical College and construction of 19 modern hostel buildings for students of 10 medical colleges.

The Roads and Highways Department's project titled "Capacity Development for Smart Maintenance Technology of Bridges under Roads and Highways Department in Bangladesh" was also approved.

Two projects under the Ministry of Water Resources involve protecting Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila from erosion along the right bank of the Dharla River and strengthening the coastal embankment at Bashbaria ferry ghat in Sitakunda, Chattogram, and the stretch from the ferry ghat to Kumira ghat.

The Ecnec also approved a project for rehabilitation and strengthening of rural roads under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

A project for strengthening the capacity of the Department of Livestock Services was approved under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

Two power sector projects were also approved: construction of a 100 MW solar power plant at Madarganj in Jamalpur and expansion and strengthening of electrical infrastructure in the Desco area of Dhaka.

The Ecnec further approved an infrastructure development project for Ramu Cantonment under the Ministry of Defence.

Meanwhile, the meeting was informed of nine projects costing less than Tk50 crore that have already been approved by the planning minister.

The projects include a feasibility study for establishing a BSL-3 laboratory and enhancing vaccine and biologics research capacity, the Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST) project, and the Sundarbans Protection Project.

Besides, expansion of the south-western transmission grid, construction of a 132/33/11 kV underground grid substation in Gulshan, improvement of the electricity distribution system under DPDC, expansion and strengthening of mosque libraries, optimal use of new media for public service delivery, and improvement of pre-primary and primary education in Cox's Bazar district and Bhahashan Char of Noakhali district

The government has set out a five-year plan to clean up the banking sector, with a focus on recovering bad loans, tightening supervision, improving governance and restoring depositor confidence.

The plan comes as banks grapple with record non-performing loans (NPLs), weak governance, political interference and lending to politically connected businesses. These problems have eroded both capital and profitability of many banks, with state-owned lenders particularly exposed.

By December last year, NPLs in the country’s banking sector reached Tk 5.57 lakh crore, equivalent to 30.6 percent of total loans, according to official data.

Over the same period, banks’ return on equity fell from 9.42 percent in 2016 to minus 16.11 percent in 2025.

The five-year framework, titled “Five-Year Strategic Framework for Reform and Development (July 2026-June 2031)”, was prepared by the General Economics Division of the Planning Ministry and approved by the National Economic Council on May 18. It was released yesterday.

The government will roll out the reforms in three overlapping phases.

Those are containing immediate risks in the first year, rebuilding banks over the next two years and pursuing deeper reforms in years three to five.

FIRST YEAR: CONTAIN THE DAMAGE

The first year will focus on high-risk banks, bad loans and depositor protection.

Operational autonomy of the Bangladesh Bank will be enforced on an interim basis, while high-risk banks will face stricter supervision and regulatory action.

The central bank will identify willful defaulters and take legal action against them. It will also enforce stricter loan classification and provisioning rules to prevent bad loans from piling up.

The government will apply fit-and-proper criteria to bank boards and senior management and restructure boards that fail to meet the requirements.

The Deposit Protection Fund will be made operational. The government will strengthen the capital position of merged banks and begin reimbursing depositors, while interim arrangements will be introduced to repay depositors of distressed banks.

The immediate priority will be to enforce rules, address governance failures, recover bad loans, protect depositors and maintain liquidity.

NEXT, REBUILDING BANKS

Over the next two years, the government plans to strengthen governance, risk management and loan recovery while building stronger financial safety nets.

The central bank will receive full operational autonomy, with risk-based supervision and stress testing introduced.

Loan rescheduling will be tightened, large borrowers will face closer monitoring, and banks will have to comply more strictly with lending rules. Board appointment procedures will also be standardised, with limits on board tenure and family representation.

Banks will have to disclose financial data at the individual bank level and follow reporting standards aligned with Basel III -- a global regulatory framework.

DEEPER REFORMS IN FINAL PHASE

The final phase will focus on making banks more efficient and competitive while reducing risks to the wider financial system.

The plan calls for stronger governance, greater transparency, better data systems and stronger supervisory capacity at the Bangladesh Bank. Legal and institutional changes will also be introduced to strengthen its operational independence and bring regulations closer to international standards.

The government plans to improve the recovery of bad loans through specialised financial tribunals, stronger legal enforcement and faster resolution mechanisms.

The plan also proposes a fully functioning deposit protection system, including the pay-box model, to protect depositors and strengthen market discipline.

BANKS MUST FIX THEIR BALANCE SHEETS

The framework makes clear that simply increasing credit will not solve the banking sector’s problems.

Banks must first repair their balance sheets through restructuring, disciplined write-offs and faster recovery of defaulted loans. Then they can expand lending safely to small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture and productive industries.

The plan also identifies political interference as a major problem.

Weak board oversight, preferential lending and limited accountability have contributed to poor risk management and the buildup of bad loans, it says.

WHO WILL OVERSEE THE REFORMS?

The Bangladesh Bank will lead regulatory and supervisory reforms, while the Financial Institutions Division will coordinate legal and policy changes involving state-owned banks and other government-owned financial institutions.

Progress will be measured against indicators covering capital adequacy, asset quality, liquidity, governance, depositor confidence and transparency.

The central bank will conduct annual reviews, with a mid-term assessment in FY2028 to measure progress and recommend changes.

The government says the reforms are urgent as Bangladesh prepares for LDC graduation, which could reduce access to concessional financing and external liquidity support and increase reliance on the domestic financial system.

The bigger challenge, however, will be implementation.

The Bangladesh Bank has allowed state-owned Rupali Bank to release nearly $3.2 million in remaining syndicated foreign-currency loans and open a new letter of credit (LC) for SS Power-1 Limited, a power plant owned by the controversial S Alam Group.

The central bank issued the instruction today (19 August), granting the exemption under Section 121 of the Bank Company Act, 1991. The directive was sent to all banks in the country.

According to the Bangladesh Bank circular, Rupali Bank has been authorised to release $ $3,197,561.28 from the remaining portion of the syndicated foreign-currency loan approved for SS Power-1 and open an import LC for the company.

The central bank has also exempted the facility from the provisions of Section 27Ka(3) of the Bank Company Act, which restricts banks from providing certain facilities to loan-defaulter companies.

The latest approval follows another Bangladesh Bank directive issued on 16 August, which allowed Rupali Bank to open import LCs for SS Power-1 against a 100% cash margin. The facility is set to remain in force until December 2027.

However, Bangladesh Bank imposed a specific condition on the latest facility.

The central bank said it would bear no liability arising from the loan facility, while Rupali Bank would not be allowed to seek any financial assistance from Bangladesh Bank in the future in connection with it.

According to Bangladesh Bank officials, SS Power-1 is currently operational and supplying electricity to the national grid. A shortage of raw materials could disrupt generation, prompting the central bank to allow the company to open LCs despite its status as a loan defaulter. Similar facilities have previously been provided to companies to keep production and employment running.

SS Power-1 operates a 1,320MW coal-fired power plant in Gandamara of Banshkhali, Chattogram. The plant was built as a joint venture between S Alam Group and two Chinese companies, with its two units each having a generation capacity of 660MW.

The plant began commercial generation in September 2023 and supplies electricity to the national grid.

S Alam Group owns 70% of SS Power-1, while China's SEPCO III and HTG Development Group hold the remaining 30%.

The Bangladesh Bank data shows loans taken by various S Alam Group entities, both directly and through other entities, exceed Tk2.25 lakh crore, with a significant portion already classified as defaulted.

LNG supply from the Excelerate Energy-operated floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at Maheshkhali stopped this afternoon (19 August) as the terminal ran out of LNG, further worsening Bangladesh's gas crisis.

Several Petrobangla and Energy Division sources told The Business Standard that the terminal stopped supplying gas to the national grid around 3pm due to a shortage of fresh LNG cargo.

With Excelerate offline, national gas supply fell to around 2,185 million cubic feet (mmcf) a day, leaving an average shortfall of about 500 mmcf.

At around 8pm, LNG-based gas supply stood at 561 mmcf, all of it from Summit's FSRU, now the country's only operating LNG terminal. The remaining 1,624 mmcf came from domestic gas fields.

The latest disruption came just four days after Excelerate resumed partial operations following a 25-day shutdown caused by a fire on 21 July. The terminal had gradually cut supply since Monday as its remaining LNG stock dwindled.

Bangladesh has two FSRUs at Maheshkhali – Excelerate's terminal has a regasification capacity of 600 mmcf a day, while Summit's can handle 500 mmcf.

No fresh cargoes in pipeline

Petrobangla oversees LNG imports with approval from the Energy Division, while its subsidiary Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Limited (RPGCL) handles procurement.

Sources at Petrobangla and RPGCL said several LNG cargoes had been procured through direct purchases outside the regular procurement process to secure supplies at lower prices. Four such cargoes were scheduled to arrive this month, but none have arrived yet.

As a result, Excelerate's terminal, despite being operationally ready, has been unable to resume supply.

An LNG cargo is expected to arrive tomorrow and may be connected to Summit's terminal. A source said a cargo for Excelerate could arrive on 23-24 August, meaning the terminal may remain out of operation for several more days.

The latest shutdown reduced LNG-based gas supply from around 660 mmcf on Tuesday to about 550-561 mmcf today, while total national supply fell to roughly 2,180-2,185 mmcf.

Qatar will extend all possible support to Bangladesh in ensuring energy security, particularly amid the country's current challenges, the country's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has assured.

He made the assurance when Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman called on him at his office in Doha today (19 August), according to a press release from Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, Khalilur conveyed Prime Minister (PM) Tarique Rahman's greetings to the Qatari leadership.

The Bangladesh foreign minister also expressed solidarity with Qatar and commended its "constructive and responsible" role in promoting peace, security and stability in the region.

Sheikh Mohammed described Bangladesh as a "brotherly country" and assured Khalilur Rahman of Qatar's support for Bangladesh's energy security.

The two sides also discussed bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual interest.

Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Khalilur Rahman on his election as president of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and reiterated Qatar's commitment to supporting him in carrying out his responsibilities successfully.

Khalilur invited the Qatari prime minister to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.

Later, the foreign minister met Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi and discussed issues of mutual interest.

PM's Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir and senior officials from both countries were present during the meetings.

Mobile phone users at a public hearing yesterday raised concerns about high call rates, weak network coverage, data expiry and carry-forward facilities, SMS delays and mobile network disruptions during power outages.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) held the hearing, titled “Telecommunication Services and Regulatory Agency Activities”, at its headquarters at Agargaon in the capital. A total of 2,990 customers registered online to participate in the hearing. They included 1,047 professionals, 638 students and 172 women.

At the hearing, Rakib Raihan, a customer from Jamalpur, asked whether mobile operators would reduce call rates and whether state-owned operator Teletalk would expand its network in rural areas.

The BTRC said the current tariff for voice calls, set by the commission, ranges from Tk 0.45 to Tk 2. It said the process is underway to reduce the floor price of voice calls.

On Teletalk’s network expansion, Brig Gen Shafiul Azam Parvez, director general of the BTRC’s Engineering and Operations Department, said the state-owned operator is fulfilling its nationwide network rollout obligations through various projects.

From Gazipur, Towhid Hasan complained that customers receive many SMS messages without sender identification, making it difficult to tell whether a message is spam or genuine. He also said foreign OTP messages are sometimes delayed.

The BTRC said work was underway to gradually ensure that all SMS messages clearly identify their senders. It said delays in receiving foreign OTP messages could be caused by technical problems.

Another customer, Fuad Hasan Khan, asked about data carry-forward and radiation from mobile towers.

On radiation, the BTRC’s Engineering and Operations Department said it regularly measures electromagnetic field radiation from mobile towers in different parts of the country. The measurements showed that radiation levels are well below prescribed international and national safety standards.

Therefore, it said, the existing level of radiation is not harmful to the environment or public health.

On data carry-forward, the BTRC’s Systems and Services Department said data packages are not similar to ordinary consumable goods or services covered by warranties or guarantees.

It said data carry-forward is essentially a subscription-based service, with prices depending on the services included in a package. If a customer renews the same data package within the specified period, unused data from the previous package is carried forward to the next validity period.

The BTRC also said operators send customers reminders or notifications before their data validity expires.

Another customer, Anwar Sadat, complained that mobile operators sell separate bandwidth for different platforms. He also said mobile networks often do not remain operational during power outages.

The BTRC said operators offer internet access and access to various OTT platforms through different data packages to meet varying customer needs. To ensure transparency, the commission has already instructed operators to clearly state the facilities, conditions and limitations included in each package.

Regarding network disruptions during power outages, the BTRC said it has developed a platform to monitor the condition of mobile networks across the country.

The platform can identify which mobile towers are operational or not, as well as the location and time of any disruption. The BTRC said it uses the platform to monitor network conditions and issue instructions to mobile operators to keep services running.

The commission said customers can lodge complaints through its call centre on 100, the Grievance Redress System (GRS) and the BTRC’s web box.

Anyone can also submit questions or complaints in writing under the Right to Information Act.

From July 2025 to June 2026, the BTRC received 13,009 complaints. Of these, 11,279 complaints, or 86 percent, were resolved during the period.

The commission said it is not fully satisfied with the current rate of complaint resolution and is working to resolve 100 percent of customer complaints quickly and effectively.

The BTRC said it has issued guidelines on quality of service and its methodology. Besides, the commission has developed a benchmark in line with international telecommunications guidelines. It would publish monthly quality of service data on its website soon.

The hearing was chaired by Mahmud Hossain, commissioner of the BTRC’s Spectrum Division, while Brig Gen Shahzad Pervez Mohiuddin, director general of the Systems and Services Department, moderated the session.

Brig Gen Mohiuddin said customers have raised 1,756 questions, opinions and complaints at the 2025 public hearing on service quality, high prices, weak network coverage, transparency and SIM management, among other issues. The highest number of complaints concerned tariffs, data validity, data carry-forward, network coverage, SIM registration, the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR), licensing and service quality.

এলএনজি নিয়ে গত দুই সপ্তাহের বেশি সময় ধরে চলমান সংকটে বিদ্যুৎ, শিল্প-কারখানা থেকে শুরু করে আবাসিক খাত ভোগান্তিতে পড়েছে। পাশাপাশি ভাবিয়ে তুলেছে স্থানীয় গ্যাসের উৎপাদন হ্রাস। বিশেষ করে দেশের সবচেয়ে বড় গ্যাস ফিল্ড বিবিয়ানার উৎপাদন কমে যাওয়াকে উদ্বেগের বলে মনে করেন পেট্রোবাংলা ও জ্বালানি খাতসংশ্লিষ্টরা।

জানা গেছে, দেশে উৎপাদনে থাকা সবচেয়ে বড় গ্যাস ফিল্ড বিবিয়ানা। এ ফিল্ড স্থানীয় গ্যাসের ৪৫ শতাংশ জোগান দিচ্ছে। তবে ধারাবাহিকভাবে ফিল্ডটি থেকে গ্যাসের উৎপাদন হ্রাস পাচ্ছে। দেশের অন্য কোনো গ্যাস ফিল্ড থেকে বড় আকারে জোগান বাড়ছে না। তাই বিবিয়ানার উৎপাদন হ্রাস দেশের সামগ্রিক গ্যাস সরবরাহে বড় প্রভাব ফেলছে।

বিবিয়ানা গ্যাস ফিল্ড পরিচালনা করছে মার্কিন বহুজাতিক কোম্পানি শেভরন। তাদের আওতায় মৌলভীবাজার ও জালালাবাদসহ মোট তিনটি গ্যাস ফিল্ড রয়েছে।

পেট্রোবাংলার তথ্য-উপাত্ত থেকে জানা গেছে, বিবিয়ানা ফিল্ডের বর্তমান উৎপাদন দৈনিক ৭৪০ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুট (১৮ আগস্ট হিসাব অনুসারে), যা চলতি বছরের মার্চেও ছিল কম-বেশি ৮২০ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুটের কিছু বেশি। এপ্রিলের অর্ধেক সময়জুড়ে উৎপাদন কম-বেশি ৮০৫-৮১০ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুটের মধ্যে নেমে যায়। গত সাড়ে পাঁচ মাসের ব্যবধানে ফিল্ডটির উৎপাদন হ্রাস পেয়েছে ৮০ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুটের মতো।

দেশে রাষ্ট্রায়ত্ত কোম্পানিগুলোর আওতায় মোট ১৭টি গ্যাস ফিল্ড রয়েছে। এসব গ্যাস ফিল্ডের মধ্যে তিতাস, হবিগঞ্জ, রশিদপুর, শাহবাজপুর বড় আকারে গ্যাস সরবরাহ দিচ্ছে। বাকি ফিল্ডগুলোর উৎপাদন নামমাত্র। কোনোটির উৎপাদন শূন্যতেও নেমে এসেছে।

জ্বালানি বিভাগ ও পেট্রোবাংলার দুজন কর্মকর্তা নাম অপ্রকাশিত রাখার শর্তে বণিক বার্তাকে বলেন, বিবিয়ানা গ্যাস ফিল্ড স্থানীয় গ্যাসের বড় সরবরাহকারী। প্রতি মাসে এ ফিল্ড থেকে গড়ে ১২ থেকে ১৫ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুট গ্যাস কম পাওয়া যাচ্ছে। যেহেতু স্থানীয় তিন-চারটি গ্যাস ফিল্ড ছাড়া বাকিগুলোর উৎপাদন সীমিত, তাই বিবিয়ানার গ্যাস হ্রাস পাওয়া কিছুটা উদ্বেগের।

দেশের গ্যাস খাতে দৈনিক চাহিদা ৩ হাজার ৮০০ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুট। এর মধ্যে স্বাভাবিক সময়ে গ্যাসের সরবরাহ থাকে ২ হাজার ৬৬০ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুটের মতো। যদিও এখন তা কমে ২ হাজার ১৭৫ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুটে নেমেছে (গতকালের হিসাবে)। গ্যাস সরবরাহ কমে যাওয়ায় বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র, শিল্প খাত, সার কারখানা, সিএনজি ও আবাসিক খাত বড় ধরনের সংকটে পড়েছে।

দেশে এলএনজি সরবরাহে দুটি টার্মিনাল রয়েছে। টানা ২৫ দিনের গ্যাস-সংকটের পর গত শনিবার সামিটের টার্মিনাল পুরোদমে এবং এক্সিলারেটের টার্মিনাল আংশিক চালু হলে সরবরাহ বাড়ে। তবে নতুন কার্গো না থাকায় এক্সিলারেটের টার্মিনাল থেকে তিনদিন ধরে সরবরাহ কমছে। গতকাল বেলা ৩টায় এক্সিলারেটের টার্মিনাল থেকে গ্যাস সরবরাহ পুরোপুরি বন্ধ হয়ে গেছে। জানা গেছে, এলএনজি সরবরাহের জন্য কার্গো না থাকায় টার্মিনাল বন্ধ হয়ে গেছে। নতুন কার্গো টার্মিনালে পৌঁছালে পুনরায় এলএনজি সরবরাহ শুরু হবে।

জ্বালানি খাতবিষয়ক থিংক ট্যাংক ইনস্টিটিউট ফর এনার্জি ইকোনমিক্স অ্যান্ড ফাইন্যান্সিয়াল অ্যানালাইসিসের (আইইইএফএ) প্রধান জ্বালানি বিশ্লেষক শফিকুল আলম বণিক বার্তাকে বলেন, ‘দেশের গ্যাস ফিল্ডগুলোর উৎপাদন ডিক্লাইন (হ্রাস) করছে। এটা বড় বাস্তবতা। আমরা গত এক দশকে স্থানীয় গ্যাস খাতে খুব বেশি বিনিয়োগ করিনি। যেখানে এলএনজি কিনতে ২০২৫ সালে ৩ দশমিক ৮৮ বিলিয়ন ডলার ব্যয় করেছি। এখনকার যে পরিস্থিতি তাতে চলতি বছরে এ অর্থের পরিমাণ ৬ বিলিয়ন ডলার ছাড়িয়ে যাবে। এই যে বিপুল পরিমাণ অর্থ এলএনজি আমদানিতে ব্যয় করেছি, তার একটা অংশ অন্তত প্রতি বছর দেশীয় গ্যাস অনুসন্ধানে ব্যয় করা দরকার ছিল। সেটা করলে আজকে এমন পরিস্থিতি তৈরি হতো না। বিশেষ করে বছরের পর বছর গ্যাস সঞ্চালন ও বিতরণে যে পরিমাণ অপচয় ও চুরি হয়েছে, সেখানে জ্বালানি দক্ষতা বাড়ানোর উদ্যোগ নেয়ার সুযোগ ছিল। শিল্প খাতে গ্যাসের পরিবর্তে হিট পাম্প ব্যবহার করা যেত। নেপাল ও ভুটানের মতো যদি হাইড্রো পাওয়ারের পাশাপাশি নিজস্ব নবায়নযোগ্য জ্বালানি উৎপাদন বাড়ানো যেত, তাহলে এলএনজির ওপর অতিনির্ভর হতে হতো না।’

পেট্রোবাংলা সূত্রে জানা গেছে, দেশে সবগুলো গ্যাসভিত্তিক বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র চালাতে দৈনিক ২ হাজার ৫২৪ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুট গ্যাসের প্রয়োজন। সেখানে গ্যাস সরবরাহ দেয়া হচ্ছে ৯৪৫ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুট।

গ্যাস সংকটের কারণে অন্তত সাড়ে ছয় হাজার মেগাওয়াট সক্ষমতার বিদ্যুৎ কেন্দ্র বসিয়ে রাখা হয়েছে। আর চাহিদা অনুযায়ী বিদ্যুৎ উৎপাদন করতে না পারায় মফস্বল এলাকায় তীব্র লোডশেডিং হচ্ছে। এ লোডশেডিংয়ের কারণে স্থানীয় ক্ষুদ্র শিল্প, কৃষিজ খামার, চালের উৎপাদনে বড় ব্যাঘাত ঘটছে। হিমাগার পরিচালনাও কঠিন হয়ে পড়েছে। দেশে গ্যাস সংকটের কারণে সার কারখানাগুলো স্বাভাবিকভাবে চালানো যাচ্ছে না।

দেশে গ্যাসের বড় ব্যবহার রয়েছে ক্যাপটিভে। মূলত বস্ত্র খাতের ব্যবসায়ীরা বিতরণ কোম্পানিগুলোর কাছ থেকে গ্যাস সরবরাহ নিয়ে বিদ্যুৎ উৎপাদন করে কারখানা চালান। এ কারখানাগুলো এখন গ্যাসের তীব্র সংকটে পড়েছে। রেশনিং করে কারখানা চালানো যাচ্ছে না বলে জানান ব্যবসায়ীরা।

বাংলাদেশ চেম্বার অব ইন্ডাস্ট্রিজের (বিসিআই) সভাপতি আনোয়ার-উল আলম চৌধুরী পারভেজ বণিক বার্তাকে বলেন, ‘দিনের বেলায় কোনো গ্যাস পাওয়া যায় না, রাতে কিছুটা আসে। এভাবে রেশনিং করে, বিশেষ করে টেক্সটাইল মিল চালানো যায় না। অথচ বিল আসছে, এ বিল সময়মতো দিতে হবে। কর্মীদের বেতনের সময় আসছে, বেতন দিতে হবে, ব্যাংকের পেমেন্ট করতে হবে। এক-দুই-তিনদিন হলে এক বিষয়, কিন্তু পুরো মাস ধরে এভাবে চললে শিল্প বাঁচানোর কোনো সুযোগ থাকে না। রফতানি শিল্পের ক্রেতারাও এখন জানতে পারছেন, বাংলাদেশে গ্যাস সংকট চলছে। যেসব কারখানায় তারা ফ্যাব্রিক তৈরি বা অন্যান্য কাজ করাচ্ছেন, সেসব শিল্প ডেলিভারি দিতে পারছে না। এ ধরনের অনিশ্চয়তা দীর্ঘ হলে ব্যবসা ফিরিয়ে আনার কোনো সুযোগ থাকবে না।’

দেশে স্থানীয় গ্যাসের উৎপাদন কমতে থাকে ২০১৬ সালের পর। এ পরিস্থিতিতে ২০১৮ সাল থেকে এলএনজি আমদানি শুরু হয়। তবে ব্যয়বহুল এ এলএনজি আমদানি দেশের আর্থিক ও সরবরাহ খাতে কঠিন পরিস্থিতি তৈরি করে। ২০২২ সালে বিগত সরকার ৫০টি কূপ খননের উদ্যোগ নেয়। যেখান থেকে ৬১৮ মিলিয়ন ঘনফুট গ্যাস পাওয়ার প্রত্যাশা করা হয়েছিল। কিন্তু ৩০টি কূপ খনন করেও লক্ষ্যমাত্রা অনুযায়ী গ্যাস মিলছে না। বর্তমান বিএনপি সরকার ক্ষমতায় আসার পর নতুন করে ১০০ কূপ খননের উদ্যোগ নিয়েছে।

দেশে স্থানীয় গ্যাসের উৎপাদন ক্রমান্বয়ে কমে যাওয়ার বিষয়টি স্বীকার করেছেন পেট্রোবাংলার কর্মকর্তারা। জানতে চাইলে পেট্রোবাংলার পরিচালক (অপারেশন অ্যান্ড মাইনস) প্রকৌশলী মো. শোয়েব বণিক বার্তাকে বলেন, ‘গ্যাস উৎপাদন হ্রাসকে বিবেচনায় রেখে ১৫০টি কূপ খনন ও ওয়ার্কওভার কার্যক্রম নেয়া হয়েছে। এর মধ্যে ৩০ কূপ খনন ও ওয়ার্কওভার এরই মধ্যে শেষ হয়েছে। আমাদের লক্ষ্য গ্যাসের সরবরাহ বাড়ানো। বিশেষ করে স্থানীয় উৎপাদন কীভাবে ধরে রাখা যায় সে চেষ্টা করা হচ্ছে।’