Actor, director and writer Hasan Masud says a major religious and mental transformation following Hajj has led him to largely withdraw from acting. In an interview with a private satellite channel, reported on August 9, 2026, he said he no longer acts in television dramas or films. He said he may occasionally work only when he receives an advertisement offer he likes.

Masud said the change in him had begun before he went on Hajj and that he now considers himself a completely changed person. He recently returned home after spending 41 days in Mecca and Medina during the pilgrimage. He said becoming more spiritual and religious was the reason he had stepped away from drama and film work.

In the interview, Masud also recalled giving up reading books after a period of intensive reading left him feeling like a machine without emotions. He sold about 1,200 books in Nilkhet and stopped reading afterward. He joined the Bangladesh Army in 1985 and retired as a captain in 1992 before working in journalism. His big-screen debut came in the 2003 film “Bachelor.”

Bangladesh Bank has allowed tour operators to sell overseas travel packages in Bangladeshi taka and remit necessary payments in foreign currency to overseas service providers. The central bank issued a circular on Sunday. The facility is available to members of the Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh, or TOAB, that have contracts or business relationships with foreign tour operators, hotels, or destination management companies.

Under the new rules, operators may collect package prices in taka from Bangladeshi travellers and pay actual overseas travel costs, including accommodation and transport, in foreign currency. Outside a traveller’s regular annual travel quota, foreign currency of up to $3,000 per traveller may be remitted annually. Transaction information must be retained against the traveller’s passport number, and travellers must declare that the limit has not been exceeded through another tour operator.

Packages priced above $3,000 may also be sold, but the amount must be paid in foreign currency through international cards. Before remitting funds, banks must verify invoices, contracts, itineraries, traveller lists, and proof of taka collection. Authorised dealer banks must report the information to Bangladesh Bank within seven days of sending the funds. Businesses said the move would simplify customer transactions and make outbound tourism more transparent and institutionalised.

Actor Ashraful Haque Don, known as Don Haque and popular for villain roles, has been arrested in the murder case of film star Salman Shah. Law enforcement personnel detained him at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Sunday, August 9, and later handed him over to the Criminal Investigation Department, or CID.

Salman Shah’s body was recovered under mysterious circumstances on September 6, 1996. After prolonged debate over the cause of his death, his maternal uncle Alamgir Kumkum filed a murder case at Ramna police station to revive the investigation. The case names 11 accused, including Salman Shah’s former wife Samira Haque and Don.

Salman Shah’s family has alleged that there were efforts from the beginning to conceal the incident as a planned killing. His mother, Neela Chowdhury, had alleged that when the family sought to file a murder case, police recorded it as an unnatural death case. Salman Shah acted in 27 commercially successful and popular films during a four-year career, and supporters see the renewed case as bringing fresh hope of resolving the widely discussed death.

Eight international legal firms are seeking overseas assets linked to 42 institutions with defaulted loans exceeding Tk 200 crore, following an earlier initiative involving Sheikh Hasina’s family and 10 industrial groups. Using information supplied by the relevant banks, the firms are identifying the location, nature and value of assets held abroad by defaulting borrowers. The stated aim is to seize or attach assets through legal procedures and return the money to Bangladesh for repayment of the banks’ outstanding claims.

The firms involved include Grant Thornton, RI Consortium, Baker McKenzie and PwC, DLA Piper and Kroll, EY and Dentons, Rahman Ravelli and Interpath, BCG and HHR, and Animus Associates. They will not charge advance fees or costs. Instead, they will receive an agreed share of recovered funds if they successfully identify and recover overseas assets, under a no-win, no-pay arrangement.

Countries initially considered possible locations for transferred money or assets include the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Singapore, Belgium, New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Once assets are identified, legal action will be taken under the laws of the relevant country. Earlier recovery efforts also involved the Anti-Corruption Commission, CID, customs and income tax units.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is pursuing sustainable rather than cheap development, citing an initiative to plant 250 million trees across Bangladesh over the next five years. Swapan made the remarks on Sunday morning while inaugurating a tree-planting campaign and tree fair at Bells Park field in Barishal city. The plan calls for planting 50 million trees annually, with tree fairs being organised nationwide to support the target.

The minister said people in the southern region understand the effects of climate change, pointing to changes in rainfall, sunshine, temperature and water levels. He described Bangladesh as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries and said coastal areas would face the greatest risks. He also said the problem requires a global solution.

Swapan warned that temperatures could become unsuitable for habitation if people are not conscious about energy use. He urged public cooperation with Forest Department initiatives and called for greater recognition of afforestation and greening. He later visited nurseries participating in the fair, where 50 nurseries from different districts are taking part. The Barishal divisional tree fair will run daily from 9am to 10pm.

Authorities in Canada’s western province of British Columbia declared a state of emergency after rapidly spreading wildfires forced more than 20,000 people to move to safety. The fire intensified on the night before Saturday. Strong winds late Friday caused the Bald Range wildfire to spread quickly, reaching the Summerland area and affecting communities in surrounding valleys.

British Columbia Premier David Eby said Saturday that several homes and properties had suffered significant damage. He said some people had also been trapped as conditions changed rapidly. Kelly Greene, the province’s minister of emergency management and climate readiness, declared the emergency as the situation worsened. CTV News reported that more than 50 people from the Fouldar area were evacuated by air as the fire advanced quickly.

Eby said air evacuations were under way to rescue people isolated within the fire perimeter. The first wildfire report emerged early Friday evening, and Eby warned that the blaze remained highly active on Saturday, with major challenges still ahead. Prime Minister Mark Carney thanked firefighters and frontline emergency workers and said the federal government was ready to provide necessary support and assistance to the British Columbia government.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has resumed flights on the Dhaka-Sylhet-Manchester and Dhaka-Narita routes despite a history of losses. The Dhaka-Sylhet-Manchester service restarted on July 5 after a four-month suspension, operating twice weekly on Saturdays and Tuesdays with a 298-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Direct Dhaka-Narita-Dhaka flights resumed on July 27 after a year-long closure, initially operating once a week.

A parliamentary committee report said the Dhaka-Manchester route incurred an average loss of Tk 11 million per flight. It reported losses of Tk 1.87 billion over one year and Tk 1.72 billion in January and February of the current year. Biman said Narita flights previously filled about 69 percent of 271 seats on average but lost around Tk 9.5 million per flight, with total losses reaching Tk 2.1558 billion.

Civil Aviation Minister Afroza Khanam Rita said the Manchester route was restored following long-standing demands from Bangladeshis in the United Kingdom, while aircraft leasing is being pursued to maintain service continuity. She said marketing, passenger growth and cost controls could gradually make the route profitable. Biman public relations general manager Bosra Islam said Narita had been profitable in its final six months before closure and tickets have sold out since its relaunch.

A firefighting helicopter crashed while working to contain a severe wildfire in Utah, killing the pilot and one crew member. The crash occurred at about 10 a.m. local time on Friday near the Three Creeks Reservoir area, southwest of Richfield.

The National Interagency Fire Center confirmed the deaths of the two crew members on Saturday. Rescue personnel could not reach the crash site for more than 24 hours because of the remote mountainous terrain and intense fire conditions. Their bodies were later recovered.

Authorities ordered local residents to move to safety because of the wildfire and imposed travel restrictions on several roads. Firefighting operations were temporarily suspended after the crash but later resumed. More than 111,000 acres have already burned in the wildfire.

Bangladesh’s CMSME lending shifted toward trade by the end of March this year, with 44.93% of loans going to the sector, above the central bank’s 40% ceiling. Manufacturing received 34.96%, below the minimum 40% target, while services received 20%. The allocation highlights a move away from the financing goal of expanding production capacity among cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises.

A senior Bangladesh Bank official said banks are more comfortable lending to traders because repayment risk is relatively easier to assess. The central bank, however, aims to reduce trade lending and increase financing for production and manufacturing. Former BIBM director general Taufiq Ahmad Chowdhury said greater lending to manufacturing and services is needed to strengthen production, technological capacity and employment.

CMSME loan outstanding fell from Tk314,273 crore at the end of 2025 to Tk298,089 crore at the end of March. Banks disbursed Tk52,108 crore in the first three months, while recoveries totalled Tk65,291 crore. Non-performing CMSME loans reached 26.04% in March. Bangladesh Bank issued a circular on February 12 for a separate cluster-based industry fund, whose full amount is intended for manufacturing.

A recent study has found high levels of microplastics and toxic heavy metals in sediment from the Kushiyara River in Beanibazar, Sylhet. Reported on August 9, researchers from the Environmental Science and Technology Department collected samples down to 30 centimetres deep from nine populated points along the river. Tests found up to 4,300 microplastic particles per kilogram of sediment, with an average of 2,800 particles per kilogram.

Microplastics were detected at depths of 10 to 30 centimetres, alongside high toxicity levels of chromium, nickel, copper, lead and cadmium. The river sediment was classified as having “very high” pollution, or Class V, under the environmental risk index. The report said fish and other aquatic animals consume microplastics, allowing toxic metals to enter the human food chain and potentially contribute to cancer and other complex illnesses.

Waste from riverbank areas and connected canals is entering the Kushiyara, the report said. Fisherman Javed said catches have declined and water quality has worsened. Fisheries officer Hasibul Hasan called for scientific waste management and pollution-free river flow. Water Development Board engineer Amir Hossain Khan said reduced current has lowered the river's erosion, transport capacity and depth, urging waste removal, public awareness and an end to dumping.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department said Saturday that a new low-pressure system has formed over the Bay of Bengal, with rainfall likely to increase nationwide after August 12. Another low-pressure system could bring heavy to very heavy rain across the country from August 15 for several days. The system was located over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha coast.

Meteorologist Dr Abul Kalam Mallik said rainfall may remain relatively limited for the next three to four days under the influence of monsoon winds and the low pressure, before increasing on August 12 or 13. He said rain in the capital is unlikely before August 15, apart from occasional light showers. In the 24 hours ending 6pm Saturday, Dhaka recorded one millimetre of rain, while Bhola recorded the highest total, 74 millimetres.

The Kushiyara River was flowing above the danger level at Fenchuganj in Sylhet, although flooding in adjacent low-lying areas may remain stable over the next 24 to 48 hours. Water levels in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna are rising and may cross warning levels in several districts, prompting authorities to urge caution in river basins.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said the government aims to raise tourism’s contribution to Bangladesh’s GDP from about 3 percent to between 6 and 7 percent. She made the remarks as chief guest at the inauguration of the Travel Tourism Development Center at Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka on August 9.

Khanam said the country’s tourism sector had seen no significant development over the past 17 years. She said the government is working under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s instructions to bring the sector to international standards. The minister called for coordinated action across travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality to meet that goal.

She said the new platform could play an important and effective role in enabling stakeholders to work together. Khanam stressed that sustainable tourism development requires active participation by private-sector stakeholders alongside government initiatives. She said the government is ready to provide policy support and necessary assistance, and emphasized cooperation from all stakeholders to establish Bangladesh as an international tourism destination.

State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad said work on a pilot project under the Teesta Master Plan will begin within a short time. He made the announcement to journalists at Chilmari Port on Saturday afternoon after visiting river erosion-affected areas in Chilmari, Ulipur, Roumari and Rajibpur of Kurigram. A technical committee has started work on implementing the master plan, while advice is being sought from specialists from different countries.

Azad said the Teesta project is large and cannot be implemented in a single day. He noted that the government is only five months old and asked for some time. He said work on the master plan would soon start as a pilot project.

The minister also said two projects have been taken up in Kurigram for permanent embankment construction and river erosion prevention. Emergency work is already under way in nearly 100 erosion-affected locations in the district. He said no partisan consideration would be applied in efforts to prevent river erosion. Local lawmakers, district administration officials, a Water Development Board engineer and political leaders were present during the visit.

Bangladesh’s Forest Department rescued and released an olive ridley sea turtle that had become stranded on a new sandbar in Magdhara Union beside the Sandwip Channel in Chattogram. The turtle was released into the channel at 7 pm on Saturday after a video circulated on social media. Forest officials and the upazila administration acted following instructions from Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amzad Hossain.

Local resident Mizan found the large turtle on land on Friday morning while taking cattle to the sandbar. Fearing it could die without water, he moved it to a water-filled pit inside a nearby keora forest. Another resident, Nuruzzaman, recorded and shared a video calling for the animal to be returned quickly to the sea.

Sandwip Range Officer Nizam Uddin said the department took immediate action after receiving the information. Experts identified the animal as an olive ridley, listed globally as endangered by the IUCN. Professor Mohammad Moslem Uddin said the species may weigh 50 to 100 kilograms. The local administration praised residents for helping save the turtle.

Bangladesh’s government has begun drafting a policy for private-sector imports, storage, transport, distribution and marketing of refined fuel oil to ensure uninterrupted and safe supplies. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division said the proposed policy offers no scope for special benefits to any particular individual, institution or group. The statement was issued on Saturday by Deputy Chief Information Officer Muhammad Arif Sadeq.

The proposed 2026 policy aims to strengthen energy security and maintain continuous fuel supplies. It also envisages a transparent, competitive system that can use private-sector infrastructure and investment capacity alongside existing government arrangements in emergencies or crises, in the national interest.

The division said the policy remains under preparation and will be finalized after gathering views and recommendations from all relevant stakeholders. It said consideration of such a policy depends on ensuring public interest, energy security, competitive markets, transparency and accountability. The division also said some media and social-media reports on the proposal contained speculative and false information, and urged all concerned to act responsibly.