In June 2026, Bangladesh's non-performing loans climbed to 32.78% of all bank loans of Tk 606,555 crore, or roughly $49.3 billion, the highest such rate in the world, surpassing even Ukraine, a nation grappling with war. Two months later, in August 2026, the government moved ahead regardless: the cabinet approved the Ninth National Pay Scale, raising government salaries by up to 142%, and finalized a draft $2.302 billion deal to purchase 20 Chinese J-10CE fighter jets, pending final cabin...