Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam said building a clean and green Dhaka is among the current government’s priorities, calling for visible progress in field-level work. He made the remarks on 29 July at a review meeting in the Local Government Division conference room at the Secretariat, covering tree planting, beautification, waste removal and bin replacement in areas under Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations.

Presentations at the meeting outlined the two city corporations’ overall progress, ongoing programmes and future work plans. Officials said non-governmental organisations and volunteer groups were being involved in a coordinated approach to urban cleanliness and greening. The minister said work should be planned so residents can experience the results of each initiative, and directed officials to accelerate ongoing activities.

He said pilot projects should be evaluated before new large projects are undertaken, with successful initiatives expanded gradually. He also ordered updated records of locations for tree planting, beautification, cleaning activities and waste-bin installation, with specific information preserved and submitted to the ministry. The minister stressed regular supervision and effective field monitoring to maintain continuity in the clean-city initiative.

The Jute Mill Protection United Citizens’ Council has urged the government to reverse its decision to hand over 25 state-owned jute mills to the private sector. At a news conference at Khulna Press Club on Wednesday at 11:30am, the group questioned why state-run mills were incurring losses while private jute mills operated profitably. It demanded an investigation into the losses, action against those responsible, and guarantees of fair wages, benefits and rights for workers.

Council member Sutapa Bedoggo read the written statement. Convenor Advocate Kudrat E Khuda, member secretary M A Rashid and joint convenor Janardan Dutta Nantu were among those present. The statement said nearly 90,000 workers became unemployed after production at 25 state-owned jute mills was shut on July 2, 2020, citing losses. It blamed administrative inefficiency, red tape, BJMC corruption and limits on independent local management.

The group also called plans to transfer 44 industrial establishments, including state-owned sugar mills, through BIDA to private ownership self-destructive. Its 10 demands include reopening closed mills under skilled management, administrative restructuring, diversifying jute products, implementing the Mandatory Packaging Act, paying workers’ arrears and ensuring comparable benefits for private mill workers. Leaders warned unemployed workers could return to street protests if the demands are not met.

State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmad Sohel Monjur visited Gulshan Lake in the capital and the RAJUK URP building area in Mohakhali on Wednesday morning. He reviewed progress on installing a sewage treatment plant, or STP, at the lake. RAJUK Chairman Engineer Md Riazul Islam and senior officials from relevant offices were present during the visit.

In the Kalachandpur area, the state minister sought updates on cleaning activities at Gulshan Lake and on the progress of the STP installation. He provided necessary directions and later inspected the lake area adjacent to Road No. 18 in Gulshan-2. He stressed the need for effective measures to keep the lakes free from pollution and environmentally friendly.

Monjur instructed all concerned to work in a coordinated manner. As part of the programme, he also visited the RAJUK URP building in Mohakhali and exchanged views with officials and employees. He directed them to work with responsibility, transparency and a people-friendly attitude, saying improved service quality and accountability are essential to building a planned and sustainable city.

Pubali Bank PLC has launched a two-day cashless campaign in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, under Bangladesh Bank instructions and with the aim of building a cashless Bangladesh. The Siddhirganj branch inaugurated the programme on Wednesday by arranging a rally and an exchange meeting.

The campaign is intended to expand cashless transactions and ensure the easy and secure use of Bangla QR. The opening event was chaired by Siddhirganj branch head Mohammad Khairuzzaman. Regional Office Regional Relationship Manager Md Salahuddin attended as chief guest, while Assistant General Manager Sonia Jahan was the special guest.

Salahuddin said digital financial transactions have no alternative in building Smart Bangladesh. He said Bangla QR would allow customers of different banks and mobile financial services to use a single QR code for fast, easy and secure money transfers. Managers from the Shibu Market, Tanbazar and Fatullah branches also attended, while Siddhirganj branch Operations Manager Gazi Md Shahidul Alam conducted the event.

US-Bangla Airlines announced plans to invest about $1.5 billion to add 21 Boeing aircraft to its fleet, aiming to become an integrated global aviation group. The announcement was made on July 29 at the “Beyond Youth Boeing” event at Sheraton Dhaka in the capital. The airline said it would lease 15 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and six Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with the additions to be phased in by 2027.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said the government is pursuing an aviation master plan and pilot training academy to develop Bangladesh as a regional aviation hub. He said the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport would be able to serve 24 million passengers annually. US Ambassador Brent T Christensen described the investment as important for Bangladesh’s future aviation sector.

US-Bangla plans to send about 200 Bangladeshi pilots to the United States for advanced training. It also intends to increase flights on existing routes and launch services to several destinations in Asia and the Middle East. The company said it plans to station new Boeing aircraft in Chattogram and Sylhet to develop them as international regional hubs, while pursuing aviation training and flight catering facilities in Purbachal.

Shibchar upazila in Madaripur has recorded a bumper jute harvest this season, while satisfactory market prices have brought relief to farmers. Jute is selling for Tk4,000 to Tk5,000 per maund at different local markets, depending on quality. The report was published on July 29, 2026.

Sheikhpur farmer Masum Tayani said yields were much better this year than in recent years and that market demand remains available. He expects a good profit after covering production costs. Local jute traders said wholesalers from different parts of the country are purchasing jute at Shibchar municipal bus stand, Madbar Char, Uttarail, Kutubpur and Chander Char markets.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Alimuzzaman said jute was cultivated on 7,800 hectares in Shibchar this season. He attributed satisfactory production to cultivation following agriculture department advice and said technical support for farmers is continuing. Farmers hope to gain further if current prices remain stable, while stakeholders stressed higher production, better storage and fair prices.

More than 9,000 people were staying in emergency shelters by early Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan, the government said. At least 13 people were killed in the quake, according to the report published on July 29.

Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said authorities had received reports of seven people seriously injured and 29 others with minor injuries. He provided the figures while outlining the situation after the earthquake.

As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, 9,186 people had taken shelter at 506 facilities across five prefectures, including Kumamoto and Fukuoka, Kihara said. The reported shelter figures reflect the scale of displacement following the quake.

Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said the government is working to introduce environmentally friendly, low-cost technology for industrial waste management. He made the remarks on Wednesday at a Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry seminar on canal excavation, revitalising circular waterways and expanding inland water trade in Bangladesh.

The minister said chemical waste harms canals and rivers when industrial establishments do not install effluent treatment plants, or ETPs. He said conventional ETPs are too expensive for many small and medium-sized industries, making lower-cost but effective treatment technology necessary. As an example, he said an industry valued at Tk20 crore could struggle to survive if installation of an ETP alone costs Tk10 crore.

During a recent visit to China, the minister discussed the issue with relevant people and received technical ideas for low-cost waste treatment. Such technology could potentially be implemented privately for Tk10 lakh to Tk20 lakh, though the government will decide only after assessing its effectiveness. He also said canal recovery programmes have begun in several districts and stressed continued dialogue with businesspeople, experts and other stakeholders.

Flood conditions have worsened in Assam, India, with the death toll rising to 75, according to a report published on July 29. Thousands of people have taken shelter in relief camps after their homes were inundated. The flooding has caused extensive damage to homes, roads, bridges and agricultural land.

Assam’s disaster management department said more than 332,000 people in 622 villages are enduring severe hardship. About 45,341 hectares of farmland remain under water. Sivasagar district has recorded the greatest damage this year and also the highest number of deaths, the report said.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced financial assistance in response to the situation. One-time support for families of people killed in the floods has been raised to 900,000 rupees. More than 100,000 of the worst-affected families will also receive immediate cash assistance of 15,000 rupees each to buy food, clothing and daily necessities.

Customers of five merged banks can now withdraw up to Tk10 lakh for medical treatment and other urgent needs, following a Bangladesh Bank board decision on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Governor Mostakur Rahman chaired the meeting. The decision covers First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank and EXIM Bank.

Previously, the repayment scheme allowed withdrawals only for a depositor’s own medical treatment. The revised scheme also prioritises treatment needs for parents, children, siblings and spouses, while permitting withdrawals for other emergencies. A Bangladesh Bank official said customers may need money for matters such as a daughter’s wedding or treatment of a family member, which had not been covered under the earlier arrangement.

The interim government merged the five Shariah-based banks last year to form Sammilito Islami Bank. Under payments from the deposit insurance fund, Tk3,887 crore has so far been paid to 822,000 depositors, including Tk1,600 crore to 350,000 First Security Islami Bank customers. At the end of last December, the five banks had Tk170,500 crore in defaulted loans, equal to 87.43 percent of their total loans.

Bangladesh Bank has launched a new bank-intermediated digital payment framework to make foreign digital transactions more modern, secure and accessible. According to a circular issued by the central bank on Wednesday, authorised dealer banks will be able to provide outbound remittance services through partnerships with foreign digital payment service providers. The report was published on July 29, 2026.

The circular collectively describes foreign payment platforms and service providers as Cross-Border Digital Payment Service Providers, or CDPSPs. The framework will introduce Digital Value Accounts, or DVAs, which will function as digital wallets or stored-value accounts. These accounts will operate under a master DVA managed by the relevant bank.

Users will be able to use DVAs for foreign-currency spending related to personal travel, medical treatment, official visits and other travel purposes. Payments will also be allowed for membership fees, information technology services, visa fees, hotel bookings and other approved services, as well as online e-commerce transactions within prescribed limits. Bangladesh Bank said the facility can also be accessed against retention quotas and Resident Foreign Currency Deposit account balances, while banks must obtain prior approval before launching such services.

A protest march and rally demanding the arrest of former president Md Shahabuddin Chuppu was held outside Islami Bank’s head office in Motijheel, Dhaka, on Wednesday afternoon, July 29. The Islami Bank Conscious Customers Forum organized the programme, accusing Chuppu of being an associate of S Alam and of involvement in alleged Islami Bank share manipulation and bank looting.

Speakers at the rally alleged that Chuppu had assisted irregularities, corruption and looting in the banking sector, including at Islami Bank, through the S Alam Group. They called for an impartial investigation into people involved in damaging the banking sector and their associates, and demanded exemplary punishment.

Protesters also sought the arrest of Chuppu, prosecution of those involved in alleged bank-looting incidents, and effective measures to protect depositors’ interests. During the programme, participants chanted slogans and called for the swift trial of people linked to corruption in the banking sector. The march later ended peacefully.

Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku called for greater public awareness and a conservation mindset among younger generations to protect tigers. Speaking after a World Tiger Day rally at Bangladesh National Zoo on Wednesday, he described tigers as among the world’s most important wild animals and an essential part of biodiversity.

Tuku said the global tiger population was about 100,000 roughly a century ago but is now about 5,000, a decline he said shows the species faces an existential threat. He warned that tigers could face an even deeper crisis unless effective steps are taken immediately and people are made more aware of conservation.

The minister said the Sundarbans currently has 124 tigers, while Bangladesh National Zoo has about 15 and zoos across the country have about 50 in total. Responding to a question on tiger-counting funds and transparency, he said the matter falls under the Forest Department, not his ministry, and that the department runs the process through its own procedures. He later inaugurated the zoo’s souvenir shop.

A 40-year-old farmer, Shafiqul Islam, died after being struck by lightning while planting rice in his field in Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj. The incident occurred at about 3:30pm on Wednesday in Charpalash Purba Para village of Sukhia union. Shafiqul was the son of Abdul Razzak and worked as a farmer.

Local sources said Shafiqul was planting rice on his own land when lightning struck amid light rain. He died at the scene from the lightning strike.

Sukhia Union Parishad chairman Abdul Hamid Titu confirmed the death of the farmer. The report did not provide information about medical assistance, rescue efforts, or any administrative action following the incident.

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission has decided to seek an explanation from the Dhaka Stock Exchange over the renewal of stock broker and stock dealer registration certificates for Monarch Holdings, owned by former national cricket captain Shakib Al Hasan. The decision was taken at a commission meeting chaired by BSEC Chairman Masud Khan on July 29, according to a notice signed by BSEC spokesperson Abul Kalam.

The notice said DSE had earlier made a positive recommendation for renewal without properly completing required information in prescribed Form “Cha” under the relevant 2000 regulations. BSEC described this as contrary to the rules and a clear failure in DSE’s regulatory responsibilities. After BSEC sought an explanation, DSE submitted the form and necessary information but did not provide a specific regulatory recommendation either for or against renewal.

BSEC also decided to instruct DSE to send a definite recommendation on Monarch Holdings’ renewal within five working days of receiving the letter, along with necessary information, analysis and regulatory assessment. DSE said the earlier omission resulted from unavailable necessary information. The report says Monarch Holdings began operations on October 20, 2020.