Authorities in Sataria, Manikganj, have returned Tk 12,202,156 in unspent funds to the state treasury after completing a 6.9-kilometre re-excavation of Chandrakhali Canal. The project ran from the source of the Gazikhali River to Baliati Khalilabad and had an allocation of Tk 28,327,623. The report, published on July 30, 2026, said the work was completed while maintaining the specified quality standards.

According to the upazila administration, the project covered the full planned length of the canal. It also included an initiative to plant various species of trees along both banks to protect water bodies and maintain environmental balance. Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Khalilur Rahman said canal banks had to be repaired several times because of rain, and trees were planted on both sides.

Sujan Manikganj district general secretary Jahangir Alam Biswas described the return of unused funds as a positive step that ensured transparency in project implementation. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Kazi Anik Islam said the canal had become nearly unusable after long-term encroachment and filling. He said varying widths along the canal allowed the work to be completed below the estimated cost.

Foreign banks operating in Bangladesh more than doubled their transfers of profit and income abroad in the second half of 2025 while sharply cutting reinvestment in the country. Bangladesh Bank data showed they sent Tk1,314.60 crore overseas during July-December 2025, up about 128% from Tk577.30 crore in the same period of 2024. They also remitted Tk562.70 crore as dividends, compared with Tk476.80 crore a year earlier.

Reinvested earnings fell from Tk4,594.80 crore in the second half of 2024 to Tk2,096.40 crore a year later. Sector sources said lower reinvestment and the resumption of dividend payments contributed to higher overseas profit transfers. Foreign banks' net profit after tax rose to Tk3,738.70 crore in July-December 2025 from Tk3,557.60 crore in the corresponding period of 2024.

Their total loans and advances declined 11.3% year-on-year to Tk46,123 crore. During the period, foreign banks brought in $4.12 billion in export earnings and paid $4.29 billion in import bills. Nine foreign commercial banks operate in Bangladesh through 70 branches and five sub-branches.

West Bengal singer Anupam Roy’s solo concert, “One True Sound with Anupam Roy,” has been postponed for a second time. The event had been scheduled for August 1 in Dhaka. Organiser Triple Time Communication announced the postponement before the planned date through a notice posted on its Facebook page on the night of July 29.

The organiser said it had completed all required preparations, approvals and formalities for the concert. However, after those processes were completed, it was instructed by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs not to hold the event, citing “unavoidable reasons.” Triple Time Communication said it was accepting the decision out of utmost respect for the state’s decision and the directives of the relevant authorities.

The notice said music fans, ticket holders, the artist, sponsors, partners and others involved were disappointed by the sudden decision. All ticket holders will receive full refunds through the official ticketing platform. The concert had previously been scheduled for June 26 in Dhaka but was postponed at the last moment. August 1 was later announced as the new date, which has now also been deferred.

Seven people were killed when a helicopter crashed in Argentina’s western San Juan province on Wednesday morning while conducting a training exercise ahead of a wildfire response mission. The aircraft went down in Ischigualasto Natural Park after it was preparing to assist efforts against fires that had been burning for several days in a neighboring province.

Contact between the helicopter and the control room was lost at about 10:30 a.m. local time. San Juan Governor Marcelo Orrego said in a post on X that seven people had died in the provincial helicopter accident. He said the victims included firefighters, police officers and Civil Protection Department personnel.

Emergency services said the cause of the crash was under investigation and rescue teams had been deployed to the site. The San Juan provincial government declared three days of mourning. Since the start of the week, multiple wildfires have spread through mountainous areas of La Rioja, where local firefighters reported that hundreds of hectares of forest had burned in only three days.

International crude oil prices edged lower on July 30 despite renewed military tensions between the United States and Iran, as oil tanker traffic continued normally through the tense Middle East. Reuters data showed Brent crude fell by $1.29, or 1.42%, to $89.45 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude declined by 56 cents, or 0.66%, to trade at $83.90 a barrel.

Oil markets have seen sharp swings this week. On the previous trading day, Brent rose 7.91% and WTI gained 6.56%, among the largest price increases during the five-month conflict. Earlier on Tuesday, crude prices dropped about 5% on news of a temporary pause, before subsequent political and military moves pushed prices higher again.

Military tensions remain elevated. On Wednesday night US time, US Central Command launched major air strikes on military and strategic targets inside Iran. Iran's state media outlet Press TV reported loud explosions in several southern provinces and on several islands after the operation. Despite the tense situation, operating shipping routes have kept oil prices moving lower for now.

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, or Bapex, has formally begun drilling the Sundarpur-4 appraisal-cum-development gas well in Senbagh, Noakhali. Bapex Deputy General Manager for Drilling and drilling in-charge Zakir Hossain Khan said the work started on Tuesday afternoon. The well is located in Bara Charigaon village of Nabipur Union in Senbagh.

Project officials said the well was named Sundarpur-4 because it belongs to the same underground gas field. Sundarpur gas field wells 1, 2 and 3 were previously drilled in the Sirajpur area of Companiganj. Although the new well is about 13 kilometres from the Sundarpur-2 well, it is part of the same reservoir.

The target depth is about 1,600 metres, with a possible gas-bearing layer estimated at around 1,361 metres. Bapex aims to complete drilling within two months, followed by a drill stem test requiring another 15 to 20 days. Based on analysis of nearby wells, Bapex expects the well could produce five to seven million cubic feet of gas per day.

Policymakers, economists and business leaders called for energy security, banking-sector reform, a business-friendly environment and policy continuity to make Bangladesh’s transition from least developed country status sustainable and effective. The views emerged at a strategic dialogue organised by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh at its Ruhul Quddus Auditorium in Nilkhet, Dhaka, on Wednesday night.

Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh had qualified for LDC graduation, but the central challenge was ensuring a sustainable transition. He said the end of LDC benefits would create new realities for exports, pharmaceuticals and international trade, making structural reforms necessary before proceeding. The government is working to increase energy supplies, expand LNG infrastructure, restore balance in banking and streamline online business services, he said.

Speakers also stressed governance, infrastructure, political stability, skilled human resources and an investment-friendly climate. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan highlighted value addition, retention, improved energy conditions and low-interest financing. CPD Distinguished Fellow Professor Dr Mustafizur Rahman emphasised productivity gains, export diversification and policy reforms while discussing post-graduation competition and reduced tariff preferences.

A complete gas supply shutdown from the national grid has disrupted daily life in Netrokona for five consecutive days, affecting about 5,600 residential and commercial customers under Titas Gas. The report, published on July 30, 2026, said household cooking has been severely affected, the district’s only CNG filling station has closed, and transport services have been disrupted. The district সদর hospital, jail and police lines are also facing difficulties in carrying out cooking and daily operations.

Titas Gas said the crisis was caused by a technical fault at an LNG terminal at the national level and described it as temporary. The district has gas connections for one CNG filling station, 24 commercial establishments and 29 government institutions. Gas pressure has effectively fallen to zero for five days, following roughly two weeks of low-pressure problems.

Borhan Kabir, station engineer at the AR Khan Pathan CNG filling station, said inlet pressure had been zero for seven to eight days, preventing fuel supply to vehicles. Drivers said they were using costlier LPG and charging an extra 10 to 20 taka per trip. Titas deputy manager Md Golam Mortuza said domestic engineers and specialist teams from the United States and United Kingdom were working on the fault, and he hoped conditions would improve within five days.

Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher said the government is committed to planned urbanisation and creating housing opportunities for low-income people. He made the remarks as chief guest at a workshop at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital on Wednesday.

Taher said green buildings and climate-resilient infrastructure are necessary for Bangladesh, which faces climate-change risks. He said environmentally friendly building materials, energy-saving technologies and low-carbon designs would reduce carbon emissions and strengthen the country’s ability to confront climate-related disasters.

The minister said urban residents will outnumber the rural population by 2037, while more than 56 percent of the country’s people will live in cities by 2050. He cited the HBRI DESH Sustainable Building Labelling Framework as a future guideline for green construction. State Minister Ahmad Sohel Monzur said relevant stakeholders would coordinate to implement needed policies and action plans based on the workshop’s recommendations.

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited, or Bapex, has formally begun drilling the Sundarpur-4 appraisal-cum-development gas well in Bara Charigaon village of Nabipur union, Senbag upazila, Noakhali. Bapex Deputy General Manager for drilling and drilling in-charge Zakir Hossain Khan confirmed on July 29 that drilling had started on Tuesday afternoon. Initial assessments indicate potential production of 5 to 7 million cubic feet of gas per day.

The well has a target depth of about 1,600 metres, with a potential gas-bearing layer expected at roughly 1,361 metres. Khan said total gas reserves cannot yet be determined, but Bapex expects the projected daily output after analysing information from nearby wells. Land acquisition and infrastructure development were completed before a rig was installed at the site in late April.

The well is named Sundarpur-4 because it belongs to the same underground gas reservoir as the Sundarpur field, despite being about 12 to 13 kilometres from Sundarpur-2. Drilling is targeted for completion within two months, followed by a drill stem test lasting 15 to 20 days. Final results are expected within about two and a half months, and a successful well could contribute new gas supplies to the national grid.

At least 13 people were killed after a powerful earthquake struck Japan’s southwestern Kyushu island on Tuesday, with many others believed trapped beneath rubble. More than 100 aftershocks were recorded through Wednesday. The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the quake at magnitude 7.1, while the US Geological Survey put it at 6.8. Its epicentre was 20 kilometres south of Kumamoto city at a depth of 10 kilometres.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said more than 20 hours after the earthquake, people were still waiting for help and rescuing those trapped was a race against time. More than 4,600 personnel, including military members, have been deployed. At the Aeon Mall in the Kashima area, an explosion about an hour after the quake caused part of the second floor to collapse, killing three people and leaving three workers missing.

Two people were found unconscious at a paper factory in Yatsushiro, where nine more workers were missing. Thousands of homes lost power and thousands of people moved to shelters. With temperatures at 35 degrees Celsius, 300 air-conditioning units were being sent to affected centres in Kumamoto. Authorities warned of stronger aftershocks over the coming week, especially within two to three days.

Heavy rainfall in India’s capital Delhi caused waterlogging across several areas after sustained rain on Monday, with water entering buses operated by the Delhi Transport Corporation. Videos shared on social media showed knee-deep water on bus floors, forcing passengers to move with difficulty. In some buses, the water level was reported to have risen as high as the seats.

The footage spread widely online, prompting users to question Delhi’s transport services and the city’s management during the monsoon season. Social media users criticised the efficiency of the Delhi Transport Corporation and pointed to perceived shortcomings in urban planning for seasonal rainfall.

The report said Delhi faces waterlogging problems every year during monsoon rains. However, water entering the interiors of buses is not commonly seen, and many observers said the incident highlighted a lack of adequate preparedness by transport authorities for the rainy season.

Gazipur Agricultural University researchers have developed a technology to produce a mineral-rich food concentrate from jackfruit seeds, an often discarded agricultural by-product. Food scientist Professor Dr. Md. Emdadul Haque and postgraduate researcher Md. Akram Hossain developed the technology after three years of research, completed in November 2025. It has received a Bangladesh government patent, registered as P/BD/2024/000040.

The research found that dried jackfruit seeds contain about 2 percent minerals, while the new process can produce a concentrate containing more than 33 percent minerals. The report says this raises mineral concentration by roughly 16 to 17 times. The Ministry of Education's Grants for Advanced Research and Education project funded the research. The patent was granted by the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks under the Ministry of Industries.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. GKM Mostafizur Rahman described the development as a milestone for agricultural, food and nutrition research. Researchers said the concentrate could be used in processed foods to improve nutritional value. They said commercial use could create opportunities for jackfruit-based industries, higher farmer income and more effective use of agricultural resources.

Mobile financial service provider Nagad paid Bangladesh Post 185.69 million taka as its revenue-sharing portion for fiscal year 2025-26, according to a report published on July 29. Bangladesh Bank-appointed Nagad administrator Md Motasim Billah handed over the cheque to Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam at an event held Wednesday at Dak Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka.

The payment was nearly 50 million taka, or more than 34 percent, higher than in the previous fiscal year. The minister said Nagad was needed to prevent a monopoly in the market and should remain competitive and become more profitable. He urged journalists not to pay attention to rumours surrounding the company. Secretary Bilkis Jahan Rimi said work would be undertaken to expand cooperation between Bangladesh Post and Nagad.

Nagad said it has paid 946 crore taka in taxes to the government and 47 crore taka in revenue to Bangladesh Post since its launch. Operating under an agreement with Bangladesh Post since March 2019, the service allocates 51 percent of earnings to the postal department and 49 percent to Nagad Limited. Its FY2025-26 transaction volume rose 25.50 percent to 427,000 crore taka, while active customers exceeded 30 million.

Postal, Telecommunications and ICT and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam rejected rumors that Nagad is being sold and urged news outlets to verify information before publishing. He made the remarks on Wednesday at the inauguration of a franchise post office in Agargaon, Dhaka, and a ceremony where Nagad transferred part of its 2025-26 fiscal-year profit to the Directorate of Posts.

Nagad formally handed over Tk 18.57 crore to the Directorate of Posts. The minister said government management of the financial institution would continue to maintain market competition. He said the government aims to make state-owned institutions more efficient, profitable and public-oriented, while digital financial services help deliver safe, simple and affordable services to people.

Anam said franchise post offices, already operated in many countries, would help bring postal services closer to citizens in Bangladesh. He expressed hope that all post offices could eventually operate under the model. The government is also pursuing plans to turn more than 9,000 post offices into modern service centers. Postal and Telecommunications Division Secretary Bilkis Jahan Rimi said the partnership with Nagad has increased public confidence, government revenue and postal department income.