In its 39th meeting, the Advisory Council approved the final draft of the ‘Revenue Policy and Revenue Management (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025’. The meeting also approved the draft agreement for reciprocal visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Updates on the implementation of reform commission recommendations were also presented to the council.

A court has granted relief to 65 BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul, in a case under the Explosives Act filed at Ramna Model Police Station. The court accepted the final report on Thursday. Among those exonerated are BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Vice Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu, and others. The case stemmed from allegations that party members caused vehicle damage, obstructed police duties, and detonated explosives during the BNP’s pre-announced mass rally on October 28, 2023.

Bangladesh has launched major reforms in banking, taxation, and trade, targeting weak banks, oligarch influence, and U.S. tariff impacts. The central bank is reviewing assets for mergers, while NBR is restructuring staff and processes to simplify business and improve revenue policy. Trade facilitation, port upgrades, and financial support for key industries aim to maintain competitiveness post-2026 LDC graduation. Ongoing reforms also include digital financial systems, anti-corruption measures, and incentives for SMEs to strengthen industrial growth and employment.

After a six-month suspension, rice imports have restarted at Satkhira’s Bhomra land port. On the first day, 960 tons of rice arrived from India, with traders showing strong interest in importing more. Trucks carrying rice are waiting at the border, though local market prices have yet to be affected. Retail rates for miniket, bri, and coarse rice remain stable. Officials expect the influx to influence local rice prices within a few days.

Two journalists in Chattogram have accused the officer-in-charge (OC) of Double Mooring Police Station, Babul Azad, of harassment while covering a labor protest on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred in front of the police station, where workers were demonstrating for unpaid wages. Shahidul Islam Masum, a reporter for Jaijaidin, and Abdul Qaiyum, a reporter for Ajker Patrika, alleged that police chased them away, confiscated their phones and microphones, and verbally abused them. Masum was reportedly dragged into the police station lockup and held for 20 minutes before being released following pressure from fellow journalists. The Chattogram Multimedia Reporters’ Unity condemned the incident, demanding a neutral investigation and stern action against the OC within 24 hours. The organization warned of tougher programs if their demand is not met.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) held a meeting with a delegation from the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) at the party chairperson’s office in Gulshan. Led by Standing Committee member Abdul Moin Khan, the BNP delegation discussed the country’s post-uprising situation, reform initiatives, and upcoming parliamentary elections. The IRI delegation, headed by Asia-Pacific Director Stephen Simmer, also included Deputy Director Matthew Carter and Senior Program Manager Amitabh Ghosh. BNP shared its future plans, while IRI has previously engaged with other parties including Jamaat-e-Islami.

Feni University students staged a protest on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Thursday, demanding a permanent campus and six other key demands. The demonstration at Mohipal area blocked both lanes for about 30 minutes. Their demands include appointing a new vice-chancellor and initiating campus bus transport services. Students noted that despite 13 years since the university’s establishment, a permanent campus has yet to be built, affecting their studies. The protest followed the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jamaluddin Ahmed the previous night.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been granted bail in eight cases linked to attacks on military installations in May 2023. The Supreme Court approved his appeal against the Lahore High Court’s rejection of his bail requests. The 72-year-old will be released unless accused in other cases but remains in prison for a corruption conviction. Several PTI leaders have faced similar convictions. The 2023 unrest followed Khan’s arrest, with protesters vandalizing military sites in Rawalpindi.

The Health Department reported that five people died from dengue in the past 24 hours, while 311 others were admitted to hospitals with dengue fever. Among the deceased were three women and two men. This brings the total dengue fatalities this year to 110, including 64 men and 46 women. Between 8 AM Wednesday and 8 AM Thursday, hospital admissions included 112 in Dhaka city hospitals, 42 in the Dhaka division, 37 in Chattogram, 82 in Barishal, 15 in Khulna, 21 in Rajshahi, and 2 in Mymensingh. Since January, 27,782 dengue patients have been hospitalized nationwide.

The Appellate Division will announce its verdict on September 4 regarding the state’s appeal against the acquittal of Tareq Rahman, Lutfuzzaman Babar, and other accused in the 2004 Dhaka grenade attack case. In 2018, the lower court sentenced several accused to death, life imprisonment, and varying jail terms. The High Court later acquitted all, but the state filed an appeal. The 2004 attack killed 24 people, including Ivy Rahman, and injured nearly 300, narrowly missing Sheikh Hasina.

Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed that holders of Bangladeshi diplomatic and official passports will be allowed to visit Pakistan without a visa. The approval was granted during an advisory council meeting, authorizing a reciprocal visa exemption agreement with Pakistan for five years. Pakistani diplomats and officials will similarly enjoy visa-free entry into Bangladesh. This agreement follows similar arrangements with 31 other countries. Shafiqul Alam also highlighted ongoing efforts to repatriate 40,000 crore BDT misappropriated during the previous government, involving Bangladesh Bank, international organizations, and domestic institutions, although the process will take several years. Additionally, the Chief Advisor will attend an international conference on Rohingya issues in Cox’s Bazar on August 25.

Law enforcement agencies have submitted 26 charge sheets in connection with cases filed during incidents that occurred amid the recent mass uprising. According to the Police Headquarters, eight of these cases are murder charges from Sherpur, Feni, Chandpur, Cumilla, Kurigram, and Chattogram Metropolitan Police. The remaining 18 relate to other criminal offenses in Bogura, Chapainawabganj, Sirajganj, Pabna, Jamalpur, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Barishal Metropolitan Police, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, and the Police Bureau of Investigation. A total of 1,153 individuals have been charged in the murder cases, while 682 stand accused in other cases. Authorities stated that investigations into remaining cases are ongoing, with a commitment to bring all perpetrators to justice under close supervision of senior officials.

Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, has announced plans to cut nearly half of the agency’s workforce and reduce its annual budget by $700 million as part of a major restructuring. The move aims to streamline operations, merge teams, and ensure impartial, timely intelligence. Hours earlier, she revealed that the Trump administration would revoke security clearances of 37 current and former officials accused of politicizing intelligence, though no formal evidence or charges were presented.

NCP convenor Md. Nahid Islam is set to embark on a three-day visit to Malaysia from August 22 to 24. The visit is organized by the NCP Diaspora Alliance–Malaysia Chapter. During his stay, Nahid Islam will engage with the Bangladeshi expatriate community, social and political organizations, journalists, human rights activists, and professionals through discussions and evening gatherings. He is also scheduled for a courtesy meeting with officials of the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia. As part of the visit, a grand public event is planned, expected to draw over 300 Bangladeshi expatriates. Nahid Islam is slated to return home on August 25.

Sub-Inspector Sheikh Afzalul Haque has applied to become a state witness in the Ashulia case involving the killing and burning of six victims. On Thursday, he submitted his petition to the International Crimes Tribunal-2, which also ordered the commencement of trial proceedings against eight accused in the case. The tribunal, led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury, directed that the hearings begin after the accused were produced before the court earlier in the day. Among the 16 accused, former lawmaker Saiful Islam and seven others remain absconding. The tribunal has appointed lawyers to represent them.