Bangladesh has launched its online e-bail bond system in 12 additional districts, bringing the total number of covered districts to 28. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman announced the expansion at a ceremony at the ministry's conference room on Thursday morning, August 13, 2026. The stated aim is to modernise the justice system, reduce hardship for court users and speed the release process for accused persons granted bail.

The newly added districts are Tangail, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj, Cox's Bazar, Chandpur, Rangamati, Sirajganj, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, Habiganj, Thakurgaon and Jamalpur. The system had already operated in 16 districts, where about 120,000 e-bail bonds were filed online over recent months, according to the minister.

Under the new process, filing and completing a bail bond requires two steps instead of 12 under the conventional method. Lawyers can submit bonds online from their chambers or elsewhere using smartphones, while acceptance will be confirmed immediately through OTP. The minister also called for contact with district legal aid offices regarding detainees in compoundable cases and said mediation, legal aid and efforts to reduce cases and raise disposal rates were being prioritised.

Apple is reportedly working on a special glass-focused design for its 2027 iPhone Pro models, marking 20 years since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007. Bloomberg technology journalist Mark Gurman said the company is not foregoing a major anniversary surprise, countering speculation that Apple would not make a significant change. Apple has not officially commented on the reported design plans.

Jefferies analyst Edison Lee had previously said Apple cancelled plans for an entirely glass iPhone for the 20th anniversary. Gurman’s information indicates that the idea has not been fully abandoned, but has shifted toward a design that gives glass greater prominence rather than using it throughout. Gurman said the more ambitious all-glass iPhone concept was dropped at an early stage of the design process.

The reported iPhone Pro models would have glass layers on the front and back extending to the device’s side edges, with a narrow metal ring or band between them. The devices are said to carry the internal codenames V73 and V74. If implemented, the plan could reduce the use of conventional metal frames and increase the use of curved glass, potentially creating a major exterior redesign.

Online shopping startup Fia, co-founded by Bill Gates’ daughter Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, faces allegations of fraud involving “cookie stuffing,” an online advertising and commission scheme. A report published on August 13, 2026 said Fia allegedly used affiliate tracking codes in ways that could direct sales commissions to the company even when users did not buy products directly through it. Launched in 2025, Fia compares product prices across websites and finds discount codes.

According to the allegations, Fia’s browser extension activated affiliate links connected to online stores without users’ knowledge. This could allow Fia to claim commission credit even where another person or company had played the actual role in making a sale. Fia initially described the issue as a technical error, but questions later arose over published information and internal communications. Reports also said there is scrutiny over whether Gates and Kianni knew about the matter for months.

Fia said it removed the disputed feature on July 7. The company said it is reviewing transactions in which commissions were incorrectly attributed to it and is seeking to return money to relevant brands and partners. It also said it plans to hire a compliance officer to prevent similar incidents. The report said no formal criminal charge or sentence against Phoebe Gates has been identified.

Bangladesh’s government is preparing to introduce a cashless system for land-acquisition compensation, aiming to reduce alleged harassment, irregularities and bribery linked to compensation cheques at district commissioner offices. Land Ministry officials said the Land Acquisition and Requisition Management System, or LRMS, could be fully launched by December this year. Under the government-funded initiative, landowners would no longer need to visit district offices in person to collect cheques.

Applicants and relevant administrative officials will be able to log into the system online using designated IDs and passwords. After applications are reviewed, compensation will be transferred directly to recipients’ bank accounts through electronic fund transfer, using the government’s integrated financial management platform, iBAS. Additional Secretary Emdadul Haque Chowdhury said the cashless service is intended to stop bribery allegations surrounding cheque handovers and limit the role of intermediaries.

The LRMS project is on the priority list under the prime minister’s 180-day work plan. Its core structure and business logic are nearing completion, while coordination with the Finance Division, iBAS integration and e-challan-related technical work continue. Development Design Consultants Limited is building the software at an estimated cost of about Tk 3.44 crore. Where there are no ownership disputes or court stays, the law requires compensation within 120 days of notice issuance.

Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC held a consultation with prominent Islamic scholars to expand the use of Bangla QR payments at religious institutions as part of efforts toward a cashless Bangladesh. The meeting was held on Saturday at a hotel in the capital. Islamic Foundation Bangladesh Director General Mufti Muhammad Muhibbullahil Baqi attended as chief guest.

The bank’s Additional Managing Director Engineer Mohammad Jamal Uddin Majumdar presented the keynote paper on Bangla QR. Mufti Baqi said financial transactions have changed alongside technological progress and that religious institutions need to be connected with this change. He said the simple digital payment system could help such institutions manage transactions more transparently, securely and systematically.

Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Mohammad Zahir Hossain said expanding digital transactions is important to make the financial system more modern, simple and inclusive. Bringing religious institutions under Bangla QR could create an opportunity to involve a large segment of the population in digital transactions, he said. Acting Managing Director Md Altaf Hossain chaired the meeting and said the bank was working to ensure easy, secure and modern banking services for customers.

Most teenagers in the United Kingdom do not want the government’s proposed overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, according to a Censuswide survey published Friday. The plan, announced in mid-July under former prime minister Keir Starmer’s government, would introduce default overnight limits on teenagers’ social media accounts. Among respondents aged 16 to 18, 85% said the restriction should be scrapped.

Under the proposal, users aged 16 and 17 would be unable to use social media platforms between midnight and 6 a.m., although they could turn off the setting. Nearly half of surveyed teenagers said they would disable the feature to communicate with friends and family, while 37% said they would opt out to watch online content. The measure is intended to complement a ban announced in June for users under 16 on platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Liane Proctor, head of regulation at the Online Responsibility Network, said a curfew alone was unlikely to prevent online harms. Of 1,000 teenagers surveyed, 2% said they avoid social media or short videos at night during school periods, while more than 18% said they watch content until 1 a.m. or later. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said changes to the voluntary approach would be considered if many teenagers disable the default setting.

Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) has received international recognition for using space technology to address climate change. The company has gained membership in the Space for Climate Observatory (SCO) and formal recognition for imaging and space-based data as Bangladesh’s national focal point. BSCL announced the development in a press release on Monday.

BSCL applied to join the international alliance on December 8, 2025, with approval from the Department of Posts and Telecommunications. The SCO Steering Committee subsequently approved Bangladesh as an associate country and national focal point. The alliance is led by the French space agency CNES and was established in 2019 at the initiative of the French government.

SCO uses satellite and local socioeconomic data to support observation, forecasting and decision-making on local climate-change impacts. In Bangladesh, its funded BanD-SOS project provides real-time forecasts for cyclones and storm surges. BSCL said the membership will create opportunities for space technology use in disaster-risk reduction, environmental monitoring and SDG implementation. A formal signing ceremony is planned at the Space Summit in Paris on September 9, 2026.

Postal, Telecommunications and ICT, and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said Bangladesh aims to ensure that no talent is held back by disability. He made the remarks on Saturday at the closing and prize-giving ceremony of the National IT Competition for Youth with Disabilities 2026 at the University of Asia Pacific on Green Road in the capital.

The minister said disability is not a limitation and that young people with disabilities can become equal partners in digital transformation and national development with proper opportunities, training and technology. He said the government places the highest importance on improving their digital skills and technological empowerment. Under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership, he said, the government is working toward a technology-driven Bangladesh in which no social group is left behind.

The event was the competition’s 10th edition, with 70 participants across four categories and 12 prize recipients. Md Shakil Mia, Sheikh Yamin Ahsan, Nahin Siraj and Arian Islam won their respective categories and qualified for the Global IT Competition for Youth with Disabilities in Vietnam in October. The minister said he would personally support the four selected competitors.

Bangladesh will require all public transport vehicles to install and keep Global Positioning System devices active from Saturday, August 1, as part of an effort to strengthen order in the road transport system. From that date, operators seeking new registration, fitness certificates or fitness renewals must show proof that GPS is installed. They must also demonstrate through the relevant mobile application that the device is active.

The government said the measure should enable more effective monitoring of public transport movement, improve route management and reduce disorder on roads. The report cited reckless bus operation amid competition for passengers, boarding and alighting outside designated stops, and vehicles occupying multiple lanes as factors behind severe congestion in the capital and elsewhere.

Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association organising secretary Jahangir Alam Khan said contracts for GPS installation had been completed with different companies, but full implementation across all vehicles would not be possible from August 1. BRTA Chairman Habibur Rahman said the authority is developing a technology-based monitoring system to verify whether GPS devices are installed and functioning. Transport experts welcomed the initiative while stressing the need for oversight, transparency, accountability and longer-term reforms.

China has begun commercial production of domestically developed immersion deep ultraviolet, or DUV, lithography machines, Reuters reported. State-owned Shanghai Aisengna Electronic Technology Group is leading the project, developed with engineers from Chinese lithography companies. Chinese researchers also say they are nearing development of homegrown extreme ultraviolet, or EUV, lithography technology, an advance that could mark a major shift in the semiconductor industry.

Lithography is central to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. DUV can produce chips down to 7 nanometres through skilled engineering techniques, while EUV is considered nearly essential for 2, 3 and 5 nanometre processors. Dutch company ASML has long held an effective monopoly in the commercial EUV market. After US export restrictions limited Chinese access to advanced chips, equipment and software, China made semiconductors a national strategic priority and invested tens of billions of dollars in research, manufacturing, equipment, materials and talent.

Analysis found that Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro, launched in 2023, used a 7-nanometre processor made by SMIC. China is investing across chip design, equipment, materials, memory and fabrication, while CXMT and YMTC have expanded their positions. The source says the United States, Taiwan’s TSMC and ASML remain leaders in chip design, manufacturing and EUV technology respectively.

Bangladesh’s Land Ministry has issued 10 directives to strengthen cybersecurity and improve the performance of computers, networks and other ICT devices used in upazila land offices, revenue circle offices and union land offices. The measures are intended to keep automated land-service operations secure, uninterrupted and effective. The ministry has instructed the Land Reform Board to take necessary steps to implement the directives, according to a report published on July 30, 2026.

The ministry recently sent a letter on the matter to the chairman of the Land Reform Board. It called for licensed, up-to-date antivirus software on all computers and the use of designated secure browsers, including current versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Offices were also asked to avoid outdated or insecure browsers and review hardware capacity, including RAM, storage and processors, for possible upgrades.

Other requirements include updated network-device firmware, strong passwords and replacement of default usernames and passwords. The directives also cover software updates, removal of unnecessary programs, data backups, multi-factor authentication where needed, physical security for ICT devices and virus scanning of portable storage devices. Staff awareness must be improved, while technical or security problems in digital land-service systems should be reported promptly to relevant technical authorities.

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.

Iran’s domestically developed transport and cargo aircraft, Simorgh, is in the final stage of obtaining an operational certificate. Authorities hope to begin commercial operations in the next Iranian year, 1406, around 2027, after required standards and licensing procedures are completed. The report was published on July 28, 2026.

Shokri, secretary of the aerospace, transport and urban development headquarters at Iran’s Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, told Mehr News that the government continued full support for the project last year. He said coordination is progressing well among the implementing company, Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company, and the Civil Aviation Organization. He also expressed hope that the project would advance through obtaining an STC or TC certificate quickly.

Built on the Iran-140 platform, Simorgh is intended to develop domestic cargo transport capacity and strengthen Iran’s aircraft design, testing, quality-control and production capabilities. The project is viewed as strategic amid international sanctions and restrictions on parts supplies. Shokri said some unexpected disruptions last year could cause a slight delay, while the implementing company and Civil Aviation Organization will set the specific certification and commercial-operation timetable.

A slow immigration server at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport caused temporary inconvenience for passengers on Monday evening. Airport sources said the slowdown was delaying some immigration procedures, while passenger services continued through manual processing and alternative arrangements.

Airport authorities described the disruption as a temporary technical problem. They said relevant personnel were working quickly to restore normal server operations and urged passengers not to panic. The report did not specify the number of passengers affected or the extent of the delays.

Manual and alternative procedures are generally used to reduce passenger disruption when immigration servers temporarily slow down or go offline. Authorities said the same process was being followed in this case and expressed hope that the situation would return to normal soon.

Technology experts have advised smartphone users to carefully review permissions requested by new apps before installation, warning that unnecessary access to cameras, locations, microphones and contact lists can endanger personal data and privacy. The advice was published on July 26, 2026, as mobile apps are increasingly used for banking, shopping, social media and photo editing.

Location access may be needed for maps, ride-sharing and food-delivery services, but users are advised to allow it only while an app is in use when continuous access is unnecessary. Microphone permission is normal for voice calls, video meetings and audio-recording apps, while requests from ordinary photo-editing or flashlight apps should prompt caution.

The report recommends granting limited access to selected photos instead of an entire gallery where possible, and checking whether non-communication apps genuinely need contacts access. App permissions can be changed or disabled later through smartphone settings, so users should review them regularly. Download sources also matter: installing apps from unknown or untrusted sources can raise the risk of malware or excessive data collection, according to the report.