A government multipurpose rescue boat is lying in mud beside the Teesta River near Kolkond Union Parishad in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur, as erosion continues to consume homesteads and farmland. The report, published on August 1, 2026, identifies the vessel as “Teesta-Rangpur-2.” Its markings say it was intended for flood-affected districts and name the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.

Local residents said the boat was operated only on its inauguration day after arriving in Gangachara and has not been seen on the river since. Residents Manik Mia and Mokhlesur Rahman said water transport is needed to quickly evacuate people during floods or river erosion, particularly when road links to char areas are cut off.

Gangachara Project Implementation Officer Maidhul Islam said he was newly posted and had learned that the boat was supplied by the ministry, but the project had ended and his office had no information about it. Rangpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Golam Kibria said the boat was provided in fiscal year 2020-21, with no further activity after the project closed. Locals called for clarity on responsibility, storage and emergency use, and for the boat to be made operational.

US presidential special envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor said a group of American investors will visit Bangladesh next week to explore investment opportunities. He made the announcement to journalists on Saturday morning after meeting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka.

Gor described the meeting with the prime minister as productive and said the investors would assess which sectors in Bangladesh could be suitable for investment. He praised Rahman’s leadership, saying stability is returning to Bangladesh under his leadership. Gor also called for a swift, sustainable and political resolution to the Rohingya crisis.

Diplomatic sources said the meeting included exchanges on strengthening existing Bangladesh-US bilateral relations, expanding mutual cooperation, and contemporary regional and international issues. Economic cooperation, trade, investment, security cooperation and matters of shared interest received emphasis in the discussions. Gor stressed the need for coordinated efforts by ASEAN neighbouring countries and all relevant parties to address the Rohingya crisis. The meeting was viewed as one of the important engagements between Rahman and a high-level US representative since the formation of the government.

Bangladesh has no registered or officially recognized rice variety called “Miniket,” yet rice is widely sold under that name in markets, according to an Amardesh report published on August 1, 2026. Officials from the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and the Department of Agricultural Extension said the label is used commercially for rice from other varieties, often after polishing. The report also alleges that BRRI dhan-49 and other varieties are sold as Nazirshail.

The Food Ministry issued a circular on February 21, 2024 requiring rice sacks to list the actual paddy variety, production date, mill name and address, and mill-gate price. The circular cited inspections finding rice from the same paddy variety sold under different names and prices, misleading consumers. The report says the directive was not implemented and cites allegations of illegal transactions involving the former food minister and mill owners; no response was obtained from the accused.

The report alleges many mills polish rice by 15% to 20%, above the stated 5% to 7% limit, reducing nutritional value and weight. A Dinajpur mill owners’ representative rejected claims that Miniket does not exist and denied wrongdoing. Agricultural experts urged strict enforcement of the 2024 circular.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) has issued a recruitment notice for 587 revenue-funded Trainee SBA-A positions. Interested candidates can submit applications online from August 3, 2026, with the application window remaining open until August 23. The application fee has been set at Tk112.

According to the notice, applicants must have passed HSC in science or an equivalent examination. They must also have at least a second division or equivalent GPA/CGPA in both SSC and HSC examinations. Candidates must be between 18 and 32 years old as of August 1, 2026.

Applicants must be in good health, willing to work hard, and physically capable of climbing electricity poles and other installations. Applications must be completed online through the designated website. Further information and the application procedure are available on the website mentioned in the recruitment notice.

The United Nations has warned that intensifying El Niño conditions could push global temperatures to more alarming levels in the coming months. A report cited by Al Jazeera on August 1, 2026 said the World Meteorological Organization expects the recurring climate phenomenon to become a major driver of weather worldwide, raising risks of heatwaves, severe drought and destructive flooding.

The warning comes as wildfires have become uncontrollable in parts of Africa and Europe, while the monsoon season has brought extensive damage and disruption across South Asia. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said El Niño is strengthening and fuelling regions already on fire. The report said sea-surface temperatures in the central Pacific could rise by at least 2.9 degrees Celsius above normal, disrupting weather systems globally and contributing to extreme heat.

WMO forecasts that nearly all land areas could experience temperatures far above normal, with the strongest harmful effects possible in Africa, southern Europe, the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and South America. Guterres called for stronger climate action and an immediate halt to new coal, oil and gas projects. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo urged governments and humanitarian agencies to turn early warnings into practical action.

Tom Holland and Zendaya-starrer Spider-Man: Brand New Day set a new opening-day box office record for a Hollywood film in India, according to the report. Released in India on July 30, the film earned Rs 60.60 crore net on its first day. The report said the result established the highest first-day collection for a Hollywood release in the country.

Box office analysts said the film surpassed the opening-day earnings of Avengers: Endgame, which collected Rs 53.60 crore net, and Avatar: The Way of Water, which earned Rs 40.30 crore net. The analysis also said it exceeded the Rs 67 crore gross opening collection record of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan.

The film was released in India one day before its wide release in the United States. The report said it achieved the result without block bookings or preview shows, practices sometimes used to raise opening-day collections. Analysts expect its four-day weekend earnings to reach between Rs 150 crore and Rs 200 crore due to a lack of major competition. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film is the 38th Marvel Cinematic Universe release.

A shifting Padma River channel and severe erosion have heightened fears among riverside communities in Munshiganj. Continuous erosion involving the Padma, Meghna, Dhaleshwari and Ichhamati has swallowed more than 50 square kilometres of the district, according to the report. Local residents say more than 100,000 people from 20,000 families have lost their belongings, with property losses exceeding Tk1,500 crore.

Erosion began at the start of this monsoon season at Tongibari’s 200-year-old Dighirpar Bazar. Near Gaondia Bazar in Louhajang, about 200 metres of blocks on a roughly 500-metre permanent river-defense embankment collapsed into the river within two months of construction. Many families moved their homes, while the Bangladesh Water Development Board used geobags and concrete blocks to bring the situation under control.

Executive Engineer Akhlak Ul Jamil said the Padma’s main channel now flows through an area that was previously a branch channel, causing erosion there. He said defense designs must be regularly reviewed using updated hydraulic and morphological data. The board said it has placed 12,000 geobags in Purbarakhi and 18,000 in Shambhu Haldarkandi to curb erosion.

Chattogram-based S Alam Group has announced the closure of 11 factories in different parts of Chattogram, with notices posted in phases from Thursday afternoon through Friday night. The factories were set to close from August 1. Notices said nearly 6,000 workers and employees would receive their outstanding dues in stages. Most of the affected units are located in the Anwara and Karnaphuli industrial areas.

Workers said the factories formally closed after they returned home following work on Thursday, while the company began paying dues to affected employees. Staff who remain on the payroll were told that all arrears and legally mandated payments would be cleared by August 6. Hasmat Ali, an employee of S Alam Refined Sugar Industries, said raw-material shortages and financial difficulties had disrupted production and made wages and allowances irregular for two years.

Another employee, Abdur Rahman, said the factories faced difficulties after restrictions were imposed last August on the company’s movable and immovable assets and bank accounts. The closed units include S Alam Refined Sugar Industries, S Alam Cement, S Alam Oil, S Alam Vegetable Oil, a bag factory and a feed mill. Attempts to obtain immediate comments from S Alam Group officials were unsuccessful.

Food and water shortages in the Garo Hills of Mymensingh are pushing wild elephants into settlements, increasing conflict with residents and farmers. Forest Department figures show that from 2014 to 2026, elephant attacks killed 49 people in the Garo Hills and nearby areas. During the same period, 35 wild elephants died in electric traps, poison bait and retaliatory attacks by people.

The report attributes the crisis to forest clearing, hill cutting for settlements and cultivation, illegal occupation and commercial tree felling, which have reduced elephant habitat and food sources. Irregular rainfall and prolonged drought linked to climate change have also prevented new vegetation from growing and dried up streams. Farmers said elephants destroy crops, while compensation is not adequately received.

Sherpur has been the worst affected district, where 30 people and 30 elephants have died in the conflict. The Balijuri Range has about 120 elephants in 8,330 acres of forest, an area experts consider unsuitable for that number. The Forest Department is planting elephant-friendly trees on 115 hectares and has initiated plans for artificial water reservoirs in several forest areas.

Bangladesh’s industrial sector is under severe pressure from energy shortages, high interest rates, dollar-market stress and stalled investment, according to the report published on August 1, 2026. More than 250 industrial establishments have closed over the past year, leaving over 150,000 workers and employees jobless. Factories in Savar, Ashulia, Gazipur and Narayanganj are operating below capacity or halting production for much of the day because of inadequate gas pressure.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics data showed significant production declines in several industries in fiscal year 2024-25, including weaving textiles, jute textiles, pharmaceuticals, cement-lime-plaster and fruit processing. Use of diesel generators has raised production costs by 30% to 40%. The government temporarily suspended new industrial gas connections and approved load increases on July 14, followed by an emergency Petrobangla instruction on July 17.

Private investment fell to 21.53% of GDP in fiscal year 2025-26, its lowest level in 14 years. Imports of industrial raw materials and capital machinery also declined, while new foreign equity inflows dropped 70.34% in the first quarter of 2026. BIDA says it is pursuing alternative energy projects and aims to generate 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

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.

Iran’s National Iranian Oil Company said oil production, development and exports continued normally despite wartime conditions, according to its chief executive Hamid Bord. In a report published on July 31, 2026, Iranian state media said an offshore oil platform was successfully installed during the conflict, while oil exports continued without disruption.

Bord said gas production at platforms in the South Pars gas field remained uninterrupted. Major maintenance work was also completed on the platforms, and debris was safely removed from damaged refineries. He said many NIOC activities were not disclosed during the sensitive wartime period, describing this as a deliberate and planned decision aimed at protecting national interests.

Drawing on experience from rebuilding the Phase 14 refinery damaged in a 12-day war, Pars Oil and Gas Company is rapidly advancing reconstruction work at other refineries damaged in the recent conflict, Bord said. He described the continued operation of oil and gas production, operational areas, offshore platforms and energy facilities as evidence of Iran’s oil industry’s crisis-response capacity. Bord also credited industry workers’ dedication and sacrifice with maintaining production, development and sustainable energy supplies.

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.

Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has announced plans to clean Tangail city’s DC Lake and develop it into a mini tourism centre. He made the remarks on Friday after inaugurating an operation to remove water hyacinth and accumulated waste to restore the lake’s environment. Tuku said the lake is not only a recreational site but also an important part of Tangail city’s beauty and environment.

He said the entire lake would be cleaned gradually, while the adjoining char area is planned as a larger tourism centre. Necessary initiatives are being taken toward those goals, he added. Tuku said he had previously visited the area with the chairman of Bangladesh Tourism Corporation, who inspected both the char area and the DC Lake area.

The state minister said work was under way to fulfil his pre-election pledge to establish a modern tourism centre in Tangail. He said a cleaner, more usable lake could provide residents with a modern recreation space, while fish farming in the lake would also benefit local people. Tuku inspected sections of the lake, joined the water-hyacinth removal effort and directed those involved to continue regular cleaning. BNP activists, volunteers and local residents joined the campaign.

The Justice and Democracy Party, or JDP, warned that Bangladesh could move toward an economic recession if the ongoing gas crisis is not resolved quickly. JDP convener Naim Ahmad made the warning at a human chain in Shahbagh, Dhaka, on July 31, calling for an end to the severe shortage and adequate gas supplies. He said the public does not have confidence in government assurances and statements on the crisis.

Ahmad described gas as a key driver of industry, agriculture, power generation and the wider economy. He said shortages are disrupting factory output, creating investment uncertainty and threatening employment. He called for interest on bank loans to affected businesses to be waived or suspended, alongside necessary incentives, until gas supplies return to normal.

He also highlighted cooking-gas difficulties faced by low-income women workers in the garment sector. Ahmad said disruptions to irrigation and fertilizer production could threaten food output, food security and inflation. JDP member secretary Advocate Abdul Alim said the government should take effective action before public anger over daily disruptions turns into mass protests.