Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku said expanded research is essential to producing safer food in Bangladesh. He made the remarks on Saturday as chief guest at the opening of the 32nd annual scientific conference of the Bangladesh Society for Veterinary Education and Research at Bangladesh Agricultural University’s Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium.

Tuku said people now place strong importance on food safety and that animals consumed as food must be disease-free, healthy and suitable for human consumption. He said the livestock sector must be further developed to meet protein demand, while research, disease prevention for animals and birds, and expanded modern treatment services are needed. Livestock, fisheries and agriculture play important roles in the country’s economy and food security, he added.

The minister said veterinary hospitals are mainly Dhaka-centered and that authorities are considering at least one specialized veterinary hospital in every division. The three-day conference has about 650 researchers, teachers, students and veterinarians from Bangladesh and abroad. Its two main days will feature 318 research papers, including 116 oral presentations and 202 poster presentations.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said beneficiaries of fascism remain active across the state, politics and administration, alleging that a group is trying to destabilize Bangladesh’s energy and power sectors. He made the remarks at a doctors’ gathering in the capital on Saturday marking the 37th anniversary of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh. He said the government inherited a weak economy, divided administration, and fragile education and health systems.

Rahman said the group seeking to unsettle the power and energy sectors was presenting misleading statements in different ways. He said political awareness or organization among students, teachers and professionals was not unreasonable in a democratic state, because political decisions affect nearly all activities. However, he cautioned that excessive political involvement should not obstruct professional duties.

On health policy, Rahman said the government plans to recruit 100,000 additional health workers to promote primary healthcare awareness, with doctors expected to lead their training. He said health had received the country’s second-highest budget allocation, with a plan to raise it to 5 percent of GDP within five years. Work has begun to introduce e-health cards, while every upazila hospital is to be upgraded to 101 beds. He said doctors’ proposals would be reviewed gradually.

Prime Minister Tarque Rahman said healthcare standards cannot improve without a mindset of service, addressing doctors at the 37th anniversary programme of DAB on Saturday afternoon. He urged medical professionals to ensure that political involvement does not disrupt their professionalism. He also said a group was active in trying to destabilise the energy sector and that the government was making various plans to address energy problems.

Rahman said a key goal of the government’s health policy was to give greater importance to prevention alongside treatment after illness occurs. He said early awareness of disease causes, prevention and healthy lifestyles could reduce the prevalence of many illnesses. Referring to a statement attributed to Thomas Edison, he highlighted patient care, diet and awareness of causes and prevention as important parts of medical practice.

The government has initiated plans to recruit another 100,000 health workers focused on disease prevention, Rahman said. They will raise public awareness about primary healthcare, prevention and health consciousness, while doctors should lead their proper training. He inaugurated the doctors’ gathering, planted a neem sapling, and Dr Zubaida Rahman also planted a sapling.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended a doctors’ gathering marking the 37th founding anniversary of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh, or DAB. The event was held at the LD Hall of the National Parliament on Saturday, beginning around 9:30am. The report was published and updated on August 8, 2026.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was among those present at the anniversary gathering. The prime minister’s spouse, Dr Zubaida Rahman, also attended. DAB President Professor Dr Harun Al Rashid and the organisation’s Secretary General Dr Jahirul Islam Shakil were listed among the attendees.

The brief report did not provide details of any remarks by the prime minister, announcements, or programmes from the event. It identified the gathering as a doctors’ assembly organised to mark DAB’s 37th anniversary and said it took place at the National Parliament’s LD Hall.

A report published on August 8, 2026 warns that food adulteration, chemical contamination and microplastics are creating long-term public health risks in Bangladesh. It cites nationwide inspections by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate that found stale food storage, raw and cooked foods kept together, repeated use of oil, unhygienic kitchens and expired ingredients at restaurants. It also notes allegations that expiry dates on imported products were altered at some supermarkets.

The report says chemically ripened fruit, harmful preservatives in fish and meat, and industrial dyes or adulterants in powdered spices are repeatedly reported. A study in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis found microplastics in 95 percent of tested sugar samples, ranging from 210 to 508 particles per kilogram. It also cites research detecting PFAS, pesticide residues and pharmaceutical chemicals in Dhaka WASA water samples.

According to World Health Organization figures cited in the report, contaminated food sickens about 600 million people globally each year and causes roughly 420,000 deaths. The article argues that mobile courts and isolated raids are insufficient, calling for technology-based traceability, modern laboratories, oversight across supply chains, and public disclosure of testing results and unsafe products.

In Washington, United States, Todd Montgomery is releasing specially bred male Asian tiger mosquitoes in residential yards instead of using medicine or sprays to control mosquitoes. The males do not bite and carry a natural bacterium called Wolbachia. When they mate with female mosquitoes that lack the bacterium, the females' eggs do not hatch, aiming to stop the birth of new mosquitoes.

The report describes this as the first such initiative for residents of a US residential area. About 600,000 Asian tiger mosquitoes are planned for release across the area by the end of summer. So far, 25 families have taken the service, with 1,500 mosquitoes released at each home every week for up to 16 weeks.

Montgomery's company introduced the service primarily to reduce pesticide use. Many residents are interested because of environmental and family health considerations. Similar mosquito-control methods are used in countries including Singapore, and one study found such an initiative reduced dengue risk by more than 70 percent. Experts said results depend on local environmental conditions, and mosquitoes may arrive from other areas with the wind, meaning some homes could take longer to see the desired outcome.

India deployed a National Response Team on Wednesday after a Chandipura virus outbreak killed 22 children, according to the country’s health ministry. The special team will assist health authorities following outbreaks in the western states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. The report was published on August 5, 2026.

According to the World Health Organization, Chandipura virus spreads during the monsoon season through sandflies, mosquitoes and ticks. The virus can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, and is particularly fatal for children. Several child deaths linked to the virus have been reported in Gujarat.

Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya said blood samples from 184 patients were tested, with Chandipura virus detected in 35 people. Rajasthan also reported the deaths of two children from the virus last month. Health authorities have stepped up surveillance, testing and preventive measures to control the infection.

Hospitals across Bangladesh, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital, faced an overwhelming influx of injured people and bodies during the July-August violence surrounding the anti-discrimination student movement of 2024, according to witnesses, doctors and patients. Emergency departments, corridors and wards were described as crowded with gunshot victims, bloodied patients, grieving relatives and bodies. Former Dhaka Medical intern Dr Abrar Hamim said that on the night of July 19, injured people and bodies arrived continuously at the hospital.

Doctors said many patients suffered injuries from pellet shots, metal pellets and direct bullets affecting their eyes, faces and other parts of the body. Some people avoided hospitals or left after initial treatment because they feared arrest, leaving the actual number of injured undetermined. Dr Al Kaysar Sarkar said Dhaka Medical provided continuous roster-based care in several departments after July 18, and credited doctors, students, interns and volunteers with helping save many lives.

A nurse said Dhaka Medical's permanent and temporary morgues were full on August 3, with some bodies kept outside. Official figures listed 186 deaths there, while doctors claimed the real toll exceeded 300. The National Institute of Ophthalmology admitted 864 injured people, treated about 1,000 more without admission, and performed 650 operations. Sources also reported that Farazi Hospital treated more than 1,000 injured people and Uttara Crescent treated at least 500.

The Bangladesh Jute Department will declare all of its offices 100% tobacco-free and install visible no-smoking signs, Director General and Additional Secretary Syed Md. Nurul Basir said on Tuesday. He made the announcement while chairing a discussion at the department’s meeting room on measures to ensure tobacco-free office environments under the Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) 2026. The event was organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.

The foundation said 35.3% of Bangladesh’s adult population uses tobacco and tobacco-related diseases cause about 200,000 deaths annually, citing Tobacco Atlas. It said around 40 million non-smokers face health risks from secondhand smoke. In 2024, health and environmental losses from tobacco use and production were about Tk87,000 crore, while government revenue was Tk41,000 crore.

Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury said smoke-free offices and public gathering places could protect non-smokers and encourage smokers to quit. Basir said tobacco has no positive aspect and harms users, families, colleagues and future generations. He called for active cooperation from officials and employees to implement tobacco-control law and ensure tobacco-free workplaces.

A homemaker and a child died in separate snakebite incidents in Saltha upazila of Faridpur on Tuesday. The victims were Saraswati Mondal, 42, wife of Premananda Mondal from Pisnail village, and Sakiba Akhtar, 3, daughter of Saidul Mollah from Sonatandi village.

According to local sources, Saraswati stepped into a rat hole beside her home early in the morning and was bitten by a snake inside it. Family members took her quickly for treatment, and she was admitted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital. She died while undergoing treatment around noon.

Sakiba was playing in her home courtyard when she put her hand into a rat hole and was bitten by a snake. After poisoning symptoms appeared, her family took her to a local healer, who said there were no signs of snakebite. Her condition then deteriorated rapidly, and she was taken to Muksudpur Upazila Health Complex, where the duty doctor declared her dead. Ballabhdi Union Parishad Chairman Khandaker Saifur Rahman Shahin said snake activity had increased somewhat as monsoon water levels rose.

State Minister for Health Dr. M A Muhit said the ready Health Management Institute in Savar will be launched quickly to improve management skills among health administrators at upazila and district levels. He also instructed the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine, or NIPSOM, to provide management training to field-level health officials during the interim period before the institute receives its institutional form. He spoke on Tuesday at NIPSOM’s auditorium in Mohakhali at an event releasing results from research activities conducted under the 2025-26 revenue budget.

Muhit said the government has placed its greatest emphasis on primary healthcare and reaching marginalised people through the public health system. Calling upazila health complexes the foundation for solving problems across the health system, he said all 30-bed and 50-bed upazila health complexes in Bangladesh would be converted into 101-bed facilities.

He described health services at upazila and union levels as being in poor condition because of inadequate investment, failures to develop and deploy appropriate personnel, and neglect of supply and logistics. Praising NIPSOM research for its objectivity, he urged use of field-level data for local health planning at upazila level and suggested mentoring selected medical students for three to six months to encourage research.

More than 50 people, including women, children and elderly residents, were injured by bites from stray rabid dogs in Sarishabari, Jamalpur, over the past four days. The incidents have caused alarm in Aona, Satpoa, Mahadan, Kamrabad and municipal areas, while injured residents sought treatment at the উপজেলা Health Complex.

Local sources said victims were reported in Dhoinchar Char, Satpoa, Kamrabad and Chak Hatbari, among other locations. Stray and rabid dogs were reported to be biting people on roads, in markets and in home yards across Mahadan, Aona, Pingna, Satpoa, Kamrabad and municipal neighbourhoods including Hatbari, Jhalupara, Aramnagar, Shimla Bazar and Bausi.

Residents have reportedly formed groups carrying sticks to guard their safety and called for vaccination, public awareness and control of stray dogs. Some families of bite victims alleged that rabies vaccines were not available at hospitals in time. উপজেলা Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Debashish Rajbangshi said more than 50 people had received rabies vaccines and first aid, and that sufficient vaccine stocks were available. Municipal administrator Liza Ritchil said action would be taken and the dogs would be brought under vaccination coverage.

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has found dangerous levels of mercury in eight brands of skin-whitening cream collected from the market. In information published on August 4, 2026, the agency urged businesses to stop selling, distributing and stocking the products, while advising the public not to use them because of potential serious health risks.

BSTI said the products contained mercury far above the maximum acceptable level of 1.00 ppm under Bangladesh Standard BDS 1382. The highest reading, 123.37 ppm, was found in Dew Beauty Cream from Pakistan's Creative Cosmetics, while Chandni Whitening Cream contained 120.39 ppm. Other tested products included Navia, Noor, Gouri and Natural Pearl Screen creams.

The agency said such whitening creams are entering the domestic market through luggage and smuggling routes rather than legal imports. BSTI Director General Kazi Imdadul Haque said legal action would be taken against entities producing, importing or marketing cosmetics containing harmful ingredients. The agency warned that prolonged use of mercury-containing creams may damage skin, kidneys and the nervous system, and may affect fetal development during pregnancy.

South Korea has recorded 16 deaths during this summer's severe heatwave, while more than 2,000 people have fallen ill from excessive heat. The country's Interior Ministry released the figures in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, 2,025 people suffered from various heat-related illnesses between May 15 and August 2. Sixteen of those affected died during the period covered by the ministry's statement.

The continuing heatwave across South Korea has disrupted daily life. With health risks rising because of high temperatures, authorities urged residents not to go outside unless necessary and to follow precautions, including drinking sufficient water.

The World Health Organization condemned Israeli attacks on health facilities in Gaza and called for protection of the territory’s health infrastructure. In a statement on X cited in a report published August 4, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said an Israeli strike on August 1 hit a medical-supplies warehouse near Al-Aqsa Hospital. Emergency medical equipment, including some WHO-provided supplies, was destroyed, and the hospital itself was damaged.

Tedros said health facilities should never be attacked and must not be militarized under any circumstances. International organizations have repeatedly voiced concern over attacks during the ongoing Gaza conflict involving hospitals, ambulances, medical centers and warehouses holding medical supplies.

WHO said it has documented about 1,000 attacks on Gaza’s health sector since October 2023. More than 1,000 people have been killed and about 1,700 injured in those attacks, according to the organization. WHO also cited figures saying Israeli attacks in Gaza over the same period had killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and injured at least 174,000 others. The organization reiterated calls to protect these facilities so health services can continue.