In the wake of the recent uprising, nearly 7,000 employees from banks owned by the S. Alam Group were dismissed without notice. A portion of these terminated staff have launched protests, forcing the closure of 45 bank branches and sub-branches in Patiya, Chattogram.

From 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, the protesters locked bank gates and staged demonstrations. Tensions rose when an attempt was made to reopen the National Bank branch at Patiya Thana Mor, prompting demonstrators to block its entrance and hold a rally.

Leaders from various political groups, including Islami Front Patiya President Mohammad Poyoru and Gonodhikar Parishad Chattogram President Dr. Emdadul Haque, joined the protests. Local administration officials met with protest representatives, but the dismissed bankers remained firm in their demand for reinstatement.

Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has assured that the upcoming national parliamentary elections, scheduled for February 2026, will be the most free, fair, and credible in Bangladesh’s history. Speaking at an event at Manarat International University, he stated that voters will have complete freedom to choose their preferred candidates.

Addressing the July massacre, he confirmed that all accused will face justice. “Justice is being delayed, but it will be delivered at the right time. It was the July fighters who brought down dictatorship,” he said.

Before his remarks, the press secretary inaugurated a square and library named after two martyred university students, launched a tree-planting campaign, attended a discussion meeting and cultural program, and distributed prizes for various competitions.

A tragic road accident in Karachi, Pakistan, claimed the lives of two siblings on Sunday, prompting enraged locals to set fire to seven dumper trucks. Police officer Iqbal Sheikh said the victims—a 22-year-old woman, Mah Noor, and her 14-year-old brother, Ali Raza—were riding a motorcycle with their father when the crash occurred. The siblings died on the way to the hospital. Before police could intervene, locals beat the truck driver, who was later arrested along with 10 suspects involved in the arson. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage to identify more individuals connected to the incident.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has warned that filing so-called ‘zero returns’—where a taxpayer declares zero income, expenses, assets, or liabilities—is illegal and punishable by up to five years in prison under Sections 312 and 313 of the current Income Tax Act. An NBR notice clarified that there is no provision for such a return in the law, and submitting false or misleading information constitutes a criminal offense. Individual taxpayers must submit their annual returns between July 1 and November 30 each year, accurately reporting their annual income and expenses.

Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam lamented that Bangladeshis have grown intolerant, noting that in the past people acted to prevent incidents, whereas now they are more focused on recording videos. Referring to a recent incident in Gazipur, he assured that all necessary measures would be taken to punish those responsible. He also addressed the viral video of a woman allegedly buried alive in Sherpur, clarifying it was not a recent case. On the recovery of weapons from New Market, he stated that the arms were locally made and urged sellers to be cautious, noting that nearly 700 weapons are currently unaccounted for. Rewards will be offered for their recovery. On election security, he said training has begun, with armed Ansar personnel assigned to presiding officers, and body cameras deployed for monitoring. He stressed that ensuring free and peaceful elections will depend as much on participants as on law enforcement.

Students of Rabindra University in Sirajganj blocked the highway on Sunday morning, demanding the construction of a permanent campus. The demonstration took place at Hatikumrul, the gateway to North Bengal on the western side of the Jamuna Bridge, halting traffic. University teachers, officials, staff, members of the local Jamaat-e-Islami, and the Shahjadpur Citizens’ Forum joined in solidarity. Students expressed frustration that nine years after the university’s founding, a permanent campus has yet to be built, and warned of tougher actions if their demands are not met quickly.

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night, demanding an immediate halt to the war in Gaza and the release of hostages, in a powerful show of dissent against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to capture Gaza City.

Protesters chanted for peace and carried signs urging an end to the conflict, warning that continued fighting could endanger the lives of those held captive by Hamas.

“This is not just a military decision — it could be a death sentence for our loved ones,” said Lishai Miran Lavi, whose husband, Omri Miran, is among the hostages. She called on former U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene immediately to help broker a ceasefire.

Recent polls suggest a majority of Israelis now believe the war should end as soon as possible to secure the safe return of nearly 50 hostages still in Hamas custody. Opposition to Netanyahu’s plan is also growing among Western allies, not just within Israel.

Rami Dar, a 69-year-old retired resident attending the protest, accused the government of pursuing extremist policies. “The government is acting against the country’s best interests,” he said.

The Election Commission has released supplementary updated voter lists at offices nationwide. Voters can correct any errors in the draft list until August 21. EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed stated that the country now has 126,170,900 registered voters, with 2,438,626 newly added and 2,132,590 removed. Correction requests will be processed by August 24, and the final list will be published on August 31. Anyone turning 18 by October 31 will be included in the voter list for the 13th National Parliamentary Elections.

A suspected member of an "Agyan Party" (gang that drugs victims to rob them) was beaten to death by locals in Rangpur’s Botatoli area of Burirhat Union while allegedly attempting to drug and rob a van driver. The deceased was identified as Ruplal Chandra, 45, and another suspect, Pradip Kumar, 48, was injured. Rangpur police confirmed the incident and said an investigation is underway, with legal action to follow if complaints are filed.

The trial of eight accused in the killing of six people during the August 5–July uprising in Chankharpul has been postponed. The tribunal has set Monday for opening statements and the start of witness testimony. Today, four arrested accused were presented in court—suspended Shahbagh police inspector Arshad and constables Sujan, Imaz Hossain Imon, and Nasirul. The remaining four accused, including former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman Habib, remain fugitives.

At least seven people were killed after a wall collapsed in Delhi’s Harinagar area following heavy rainfall. The Delhi Fire Service said they received a call at 9:16 AM on Saturday and dispatched three fire trucks along with police teams to the site. The exact cause of the collapse is yet to be determined. Between Friday morning and Saturday morning, Safdarjung Observatory recorded 78.7 millimeters of rain. Monsoon showers have resumed in most parts of the capital, flooding roads and disrupting traffic in the city of over 20 million residents.

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has started its truck sale program today, offering subsidized edible oil, masoor dal, and sugar at increased prices but with a reduced service area. While previously covering 64 districts, this time the program operates in four metropolitan areas and five districts. Prices for masoor dal, oil, and sugar have risen by 10-15 taka per kg/liter. Sales continue until mid-September in Dhaka and late August elsewhere, targeting low-income families through Smart Family Cards and general consumers.

Since the July revolution, drug traffickers have increasingly used the Gomati River in Comilla as a covert and cost-effective route to smuggle narcotics from India into Bangladesh. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) frequently recovers sacks and bottles containing drugs floating in the river, marked with specific signs for easy identification. Local involvement aids traffickers in collecting shipments. Authorities are boosting patrols to curb the rising river-based smuggling, emphasizing cooperation between BGB, police, and political will to tackle this growing menace.

Chattogram’s regional food office is on track to meet its 2024–25 Boro season target of 226,342 tonnes of paddy and rice, achieving 95.5% so far. Paddy and Atap rice targets are already complete, with parboiled rice purchases to finish within days. Higher prices and faster payments have boosted farmer participation. In contrast, previous seasons fell short due to quality issues, delays, and low prices. Nationwide, the government aims to procure 1.75 million tonnes this season to strengthen food reserves.

Chandpur, famed for its hilsa, will soon have a modern fish landing center at Boro Station Fish Wharf. The Tk 25 crore project, led by BFDC, will feature a cold storage, ice plant, auction sheds, dockyard, and fish museum, along with facilities for freezing, packaging, and tourism. Proposed by the Deputy Commissioner, it will be built at the Padma-Meghna-Dakatia confluence and is expected to finish within two years, boosting fish preservation, export, and attracting local and foreign visitors.