Transport owners have withdrawn their planned 72-hour strike, which was set to begin at 6:00 a.m. on August 12, following discussions with government representatives on Sunday.

The strike had been called to press eight demands, including extending the economic lifespan of commercial motor vehicles to 30 years. Other demands include:

Amendments to Sections 98 and 105 of the Road Transport Act 2018, along with other recommended provisions.

Suspension of BRTA crackdowns on 20- and 25-year-old vehicles until the issue is resolved.

Rolling back the doubled advance income tax to its previous rate.

Extending the import age limit for reconditioned commercial vehicles from 5 years to 12 years.

Releasing accident-damaged vehicles to owners within 72 hours if seized by police.

Speeding up the issuance and renewal of driving licenses.

Implementing the 12-point demand of the Workers’ Federation.

The announcement to withdraw the strike came from Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, coordinator of the BNP-affiliated Nationalist Workers’ Party.

At a discussion in Dhaka, Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman criticized the July Declaration as overly legalistic and inaccessible to ordinary citizens, lacking the emotion and ideals of the revolution. He questioned the government’s reluctance to call it a revolution and dismissed the proposed parliamentary upper house as ineffective. Praising the government’s stance against Indian hegemony, he warned of possible Indian interference in upcoming elections, citing the presence of agents in law enforcement and ongoing conspiracies in Delhi.

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.

The Nationalist Citizens’ Party (NCP) has formed a four-member committee to evaluate, review, and coordinate the Election Commission’s ongoing process of redrawing parliamentary constituencies. The committee, approved on Sunday, is convened by Nahid Islam with Akhter Hossain as member secretary. Saifullah Haider, a key coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has been appointed as head, with Abdullah Al Amin, Zahirul Islam Musa, and Arifur Rahman Tuhin as members.

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.

Protesters, including students and locals, once again blocked the Barishal–Kuakata Highway on Sunday, demanding an end to mismanagement in the healthcare sector, particularly at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and other public hospitals nationwide. Gathering in Nothullabad, demonstrators accused hospital syndicates of depriving ordinary citizens of proper treatment, leading to harassment and suffering for patients and their families. They vowed to continue the Barishal blockade until irregularities in the health sector are addressed. The protest has now entered its 14th day, with no visible action from authorities.

At a CPD seminar on Sunday, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Munsur said political stability has yet to be achieved in the country, making it unrealistic to expect a sudden surge in investment. He expressed optimism that inflation will drop below 5% this year and announced that a new directive on digital banks will be issued this month, enabling interested institutions to apply. Speakers at the event stressed that inflation remains high, urging immediate relief measures for low-income families. They noted public expectations of the government, including the long-promised universal health insurance scheme, which has yet to be implemented. Concerns were also raised over the impact of new U.S. tariff policies, with calls to diversify export products.

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.

The results of the 2025 SSC and equivalent exam recheck process have been published simultaneously at 10:00 AM across all nine general education boards, as well as Madrasa and Technical boards. This year saw a notable rise in applications—92,863 students requested rechecking of 223,664 scripts, an increase of about 21,000 applicants and 40,000 scripts compared to last year. According to the latest figures, 606,660 students failed in the SSC and equivalent exams this year, including 324,716 boys and 275,944 girls.

Ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Elections, the government plans to purchase 40,000 body cameras for police officers. The proposal was discussed at a meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday. Special Assistant Foyez Ahmed Taiyeb said the procurement process is in its final stage, with discussions held with companies from Germany, China, and Thailand. The devices will be used to monitor security at high-risk polling stations, and police officers and constables will wear them during election duty. An “Election App” is also being planned for the upcoming polls.

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.