Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the government assumed responsibility for running the country amid a fragile economy and wants to build a taxpayer-friendly revenue structure. Speaking as chief guest at Revenue Conference 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital on Tuesday, he said the National Board of Revenue must become an institution of trust rather than fear. He urged NBR officials to meet taxpayers’ expectations through efficient and sustainable revenue management.

Rahman said the government opposes relying solely on foreign assistance and burdening future generations with excessive debt. He called for expanding domestic income sources and said the government had adopted a people-oriented production policy to increase investment, trade, industrialisation, incomes, employment and public services. He also said the NBR has an essential role in these areas.

The prime minister said the tax-to-GDP ratio remains below potential, the tax base is narrow and a large part of the economy is informal. He called for simpler, online, corruption- and harassment-free tax procedures and a modern data-based tax administration. He said revenue officers need knowledge of the digital economy, e-commerce, international taxation, financial crime, money laundering, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the government wants to build a taxpayer-friendly revenue structure and transform the National Board of Revenue, or NBR, into an institution trusted rather than feared. He made the remarks as chief guest at the Revenue Conference 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital on Tuesday. He said efficient and sustainable revenue management was necessary to meet taxpayers’ expectations and build public confidence.

Rahman said the government opposed relying solely on foreign assistance while placing additional debt burdens on future generations. He called for expanding domestic income sources through a people-oriented production policy, which he said would raise investment, trade, industrialisation, incomes and employment. He also urged revenue officials to develop broad skills in areas including the digital economy, e-commerce, international taxation, financial crime, money laundering, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

He called for simpler, online-based tax payment systems free from corruption and harassment. Noting that the tax-to-GDP ratio remains low, the tax base is narrow and much of the economy is informal, he urged authorities to identify tax-capable people rather than repeatedly increasing burdens on existing taxpayers. He said revenue collection showed a positive trend from mid-February through late June.

Meta is set to face a jury trial over allegations brought by 30 US states that it harmed children’s mental health and violated their privacy. Proceedings are due to begin in a California federal court before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. The lawsuit alleges that the technology company violated federal and state child-protection laws through its Facebook and Instagram operations.

The plaintiffs are seeking more than $1 trillion in damages and major changes to how Facebook and Instagram operate. The states allege that Meta’s algorithms and platform design keep children and teenagers on its apps for long periods and foster addiction. Their proposed changes include ending like counts, disabling infinite scrolling and automatic video playback, and removing filters that create unrealistic images.

Other demands include preventing minors from opening multiple accounts, eliminating features that disappear after a set time such as Instagram Stories, and requiring parental verification for children’s accounts. Meta has denied the allegations, saying it has long worked on safety and support for younger users and will present its position in court. A New Mexico court has already fined Meta $942 million in a child-safety case.

Disney has released the first footage from “Frozen 3,” the third installment of the popular animated franchise, with a theatrical release planned for November 24, 2027. The preview was shown recently at Disney’s D23 fan event, attended by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, the voices of Anna and Elsa. Bell said the two sisters will embark on the biggest adventure of their lives in the new film.

A central attraction of the story will be the long-awaited royal wedding of Anna and Kristoff, bringing a festive atmosphere to Arendelle. The footage also hints at the possibility of romance in Olaf’s life. But the celebration is disrupted when a mysterious new character appears on the way to the wedding in a snow-covered, rugged mountain area.

The character tells the sisters, “The two sisters of Arendelle, at last we meet,” signaling a new conflict. Menzel, Bell, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff return as Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff. The film was initially planned for release in 2026 but was delayed by a year. Gad said the filmmakers do not want to rush and aim to preserve the story and emotion of the first two films.

The theatre group Swapnadal has organized the three-day “Natyacharya Selim Al Deen Birth Festival 2026” to mark the 77th birth anniversary of playwright Selim Al Deen. The festival is scheduled for August 18 and August 20-21 at Jahangirnagar University and the Studio Theatre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Its stated slogan highlights the Bengali theatre tradition and the paths of Rabindranath Tagore and Selim Al Deen.

On August 18, a remembrance procession will leave the old arts building at Jahangirnagar University at 10 a.m., followed by floral tributes at the dramatist’s grave. On August 20, the Studio Theatre will host the 124th and 125th performances of Tagore’s verse drama “Chitrangada.” The closing day, August 21, will feature the 52nd and 53rd performances of Selim Al Deen’s “Hargaj.”

Both productions were directed by Zahid Ripon and created through a laboratory method in a traditional Bengali theatrical style. “Chitrangada” explores tensions in male-female psychological and physical relations and crises of self-identity. “Hargaj” draws on the devastating 1989 Manikganj tornado. Selim Al Deen was born on August 18, 1949, and died on January 14, 2008. The event is Swapnadal’s 34th festival.

National University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A. S. M. Amanullah has directed affiliated colleges across the country to establish career centers to prepare students for working life. He made the announcement as chief guest at a graduation ceremony on Monday morning at Lalmatia Government Women’s College auditorium in Dhaka. The event was linked to the “Bridging Aspiration to Achievement” career center project under the National University Employability Reform Initiative.

Amanullah said the centers would extend beyond job preparation, incorporating language clubs, cultural activities and programmes supporting students’ skills, creativity and leadership. He said students would be able to identify their interests and abilities, gain needed skills and prepare systematically for future employment. Career planning, communication, language proficiency, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving and other soft skills would also be emphasized.

The vice-chancellor said National University is pursuing initiatives in AI, robotics, data science and hospitality management to make education more current and employment-oriented. He described improving standards and facilities at colleges in rural and remote areas as a major challenge, while reiterating a goal of making the university a center of excellence. He presented certificates to students who completed training.

Rabindra Srijonkola University has awarded actor, director, painter and advertising maker Afzal Hossain the Srijonkola Guni Jon Sommanona 2026 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to creative arts and Bangladesh’s cultural sphere. The award, a new institutional honour introduced by the university this year, was presented with a commemorative crest and certificate at the university auditorium on August 16.

Trustee Board Chairman Robin Khan chaired the ceremony. Retired Lieutenant General Dr Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy, Bir Bikrom, Farzana Rashid Brownia and Monira Parvin attended as special guests, while Professor Dr Md Rafiul Islam, the university’s honorary academic adviser, delivered the welcome address. Khan described Hossain as a multidimensional creative talent whose work has offered audiences joy and helped them see beauty in new ways.

After receiving the honour, Hossain shared experiences from his long creative career and took part in a direct question-and-answer session with students. Students from different university departments also presented cultural performances. The stated purpose of the award programme is to introduce younger generations to indigenous arts and the creative legacy of distinguished cultural figures.

The Asian Development Bank has pledged to support Bangladesh’s ambition to become a trillion-dollar economy and an upper-middle-income country by 2034. ADB Vice-President for South, Central and West Asia Yingming Yang said the bank would work with Bangladesh to build a productive, investment-driven and resilient economy. During a Bangladesh visit from August 9 to 13, Yang met senior government representatives on the next Country Partnership Strategy, reforms, investment priorities and the Integrated Growth Network Development initiative.

Yang said Bangladesh has shown resilience through strong remittance inflows, continued service-sector activity and a dynamic private sector. ADB forecasts GDP growth of 3.7 percent in fiscal year 2026 and 4.5 percent in fiscal year 2027. He said sustaining momentum requires continued structural reforms, including stronger tax administration, improved banking governance, action on non-performing loans, financial discipline and movement toward a market-based exchange-rate system.

The proposed partnership will prioritize private-sector-led diversification and resilience to shocks. Yang said the IGND initiative could reduce transport and logistics costs and expand economic opportunities beyond major cities. He also cited ADB’s recently launched $20 billion Asia-Pacific Digital Highway initiative as an opportunity to expand broadband, digital connectivity, and digital and AI-based skills in Bangladesh.

The number of young people in India who have stopped looking for work out of frustration has risen from 50 million in 2012 to 100 million, development economist Santosh Mehrotra said. The report, published on August 17, 2026, links the employment crisis to youth protests over alleged irregularities in government job examinations in Ranchi and the recent Gen Z protest in Delhi over the NEET question-paper leak.

Government data cited in the report put India’s working-age population at about one billion, with 670 million employed; 80 percent of unemployed people are young. Azim Premji University’s State of Working India 2026 report found unemployment among young graduates as high as 40 percent, while Gen Z unemployment was between 15 and 25 percent. Rathiin Roy said higher education no longer guarantees a good job, citing AI’s impact on information technology jobs and low manufacturing wages.

Experts said GDP growth has not produced jobs at a matching rate. Manufacturing’s share of GDP fell from about 17 percent in 2014-15 to 12 percent by 2024. Mehrotra said India needs about 12.5 million non-agricultural jobs annually but is creating roughly half that number. Of 16 million people trained over the past decade, only 15 percent found work, according to the report.

Robi Axiata PLC has announced that mobile operator brand Airtel will begin a new journey under the name “Circle.” The company formally unveiled the new brand on Monday at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon hotel in the capital. Circle will launch with the brand promise, “Real connection, always active,” according to the announcement.

The company said the change would not alter Airtel customers’ relationship with the operator. All Airtel users will automatically become Circle customers, while their existing 016 numbers, service packages and balances will remain active. Mobile financial services accounts, wallets, transactions and customer information will also remain unchanged.

Robi Axiata said Circle was designed in response to changing digital realities and increasingly connected lifestyles. The brand has pledged future-oriented, technology-based features, including artificial intelligence-related services, aimed at younger users and more affordable, modern digital services. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ziad Satara said Circle represents the next stage of Airtel’s 16-year journey with Bangladesh’s youth, while its core commitment will remain unchanged despite the new name.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day remained atop the North American box office in its third week, according to a report published August 17, 2026. The film earned $19 million in the United States and Canada on Friday, and its weekend total was projected to reach about $67 million.

Its third-week revenue was about 53 percent lower than the previous week, but that was still enough to retain first place. With the current weekend’s earnings included, the film’s cumulative North American gross was projected to reach about $783 million.

Warner Bros.’ science-fiction thriller The End of Oak Street ranked second on Friday, earning $8.1 million from 3,446 North American theaters on its opening day. Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie placed third with $7.3 million on Friday. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey also held a strong position, earning $6.5 million on the Friday of its fifth weekend.

An anonymous India-based X account posted an unverified claim about Iran’s nuclear programme on the morning of August 5, saying Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi would not abandon efforts to obtain nuclear weapons while Israel and the United States possessed them. The post included Vahidi’s photograph and an AI-generated mushroom-cloud image. No evidence showed that Vahidi made the statement or that Iran had built nuclear weapons.

According to The New York Times’ fact-checking, the claim originated from an Indian X account with about 175,000 followers. Within two hours, another Indian account with about 82,000 followers published a Hindi translation. Israeli accounts then amplified it, followed by Channel 14, Yair Netanyahu, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Senator Rick Scott and Fox News.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei rejected the viral post as a rumour against the Islamic Republic and blamed Israel without providing evidence. Later, questions arose over the claim’s authenticity, and Waltz’s X post was removed without explanation. The episode showed how a fabricated quotation from an anonymous account could cross borders and languages and influence senior political statements before verification.

US President Donald Trump welcomed a new defence agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, describing it as a “big, bold and important first step.” In remarks on Sunday, Trump said the three countries’ defence cooperation would help strengthen their collective security capabilities in a more effective and meaningful way.

The leaders of the three countries signed the military understanding, called the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, in Mecca on August 7. A central principle of the pact is that an attack on any one member state would be regarded as an attack against all three. The agreement calls for stronger political and military coordination among the participating countries.

The countries also plan joint military exercises across land, naval, air and cyber domains, alongside cooperation on drones, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence and defence technology. Analysts said the agreement carries particular significance amid continuing instability in the Middle East and regional security concerns. Turkey has said the alliance was not formed as an alternative to any existing military alliance. Discussions are also under way about the possible future inclusion of additional countries.

Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam called on the private sector to invest more in startups alongside government financing, saying promising initiatives in Bangladesh should not be halted by lack of funds. He made the remarks on Sunday morning at the launch of the Fund of Funds, organized by Startup Bangladesh Limited at ICT Tower in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The minister said Bangladesh has no shortage of talented entrepreneurs and innovative ideas, and the government wants to create an investment-friendly environment. He said the Fund of Funds would be managed with priority on competence, good governance and professionalism. Startup Bangladesh has already invested about Tk111 crore in 36 technology-based startups.

Prime Minister’s adviser Rehan Asif Asad said venture capital and startups would play an important role in diversifying Bangladesh’s future economic growth. He said startups need mentorship, skills, market connections and technological support as well as financing. The proposed fund is intended to bring more private and international capital, help Bangladeshi startups enter international markets, and support investor protections and the repatriation of lawful profits and capital.

India is reducing reliance on foreign and older weapons while building a technology-driven military capability across air, land and sea, according to a report published on August 16, 2026. The report identifies air defence, border forces, rockets, warships, supersonic missiles, combat aircraft and drones as central parts of this expansion. India’s defence structure had largely depended on weapons and equipment inherited from the British era after independence.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation, established in 1958, has worked on missiles, radars, combat aircraft, warships, armoured vehicles and drones. The report cites indigenous air missile systems, MRSAM, S-400, Barak-8, Spyder and QRSAM as elements of layered air defence. It describes BrahMos, developed jointly by India and Russia, as a supersonic cruise missile deployable from land, sea and air platforms.

India is also increasing the use of Pinaka rocket systems, radars, drone-defence systems and electronic warfare technology in its army. Naval capabilities include Barak-8 or LR-SAM and VL-SRSAM systems. Development work is cited on Tapas, Rustom, Archer, Ghatak and Swift drones, while research is expanding in radars, sensors, command and control, artificial intelligence and hypersonic technology.