A new low-pressure system has formed over the Bay of Bengal, and Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department says rainfall may increase after August 12. Another low-pressure system could bring heavy to very heavy rain across the country for several days from August 15, according to a forecast published on August 8. The system is located over the southwest Bay of Bengal and the adjacent north Odisha coast. Meteorologist Dr Abul Kalam Mallik said rain activity may remain lower over the next three to four days before increasing again from August 12 or 13. He said Dhaka has little chance of rainfall before August 15, apart from occasional light rain. 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 the Fenchuganj station in Sylhet. Water levels in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna system are rising and may cross warning levels in parts of several districts within 24 hours, temporarily flooding low-lying areas. Authorities advised caution in river basins as they monitor river and flood conditions.

Bangladesh will publish this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examination results at 10am on Monday, August 10. Professor Dr Syed Akhtaruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee and chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, confirmed the schedule on Saturday afternoon. Results will be released simultaneously on the websites of all education boards. Candidates will also be able to obtain results from their respective education boards and educational institutions. The results will additionally be available through the two common websites, eduboardresult.gov.bd and educationboardresults.gov.bd. Dr Akhtaruzzaman said each board’s results would be published on the relevant board’s website. Students can receive results by SMS from any mobile SIM by sending SSC, the first three letters of the board name, roll number and YEAR to 16140. Each SMS will cost Tk1.39, including all taxes. A total of 1,857,344 students filled out forms to take the 2026 SSC and equivalent examinations, including 1,418,398 under nine general education boards.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Cuba while seeking potential alternative leaders to the current government, according to current and former US officials cited in a report published on August 8, 2026. Washington is also examining possible routes to change Cuba’s government if talks with Havana’s ruling authorities fail. Officials described the effort as a strategy for changing leadership from within the existing system rather than a direct plan to overthrow the government. The US administration is looking for a current or former Cuban official considered pragmatic and willing to work with Washington. Intelligence assessments, however, indicate that Cuba more closely resembles Iran than Venezuela, with few officials able to cooperate closely with the United States after a sudden power shift. Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga, Raul Gonzalez Rodriguez Castro and Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas are among figures discussed as possible alternatives. Washington has demanded that Havana open its economy further, allow US businesses into its market, buy oil from the United States, and reduce or end Russian and Chinese intelligence activity. It has reportedly offered humanitarian assistance and possible easing of some sanctions in return. CIA has secretly created a Cuba-focused task force, while Cuba has strengthened defensive measures amid concerns over a possible US military operation.

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam said Google, Meta and TikTok have submitted investment proposals for Kaliakair Hi-Tech Park in Gazipur. He disclosed the proposals during a Saturday visit to Kaliakair Hi-Tech Park, described as the country’s first hi-tech park. The government is pursuing measures to accelerate investment at the site. The minister said the BNP government is acting on its 2026 election manifesto through implementation of a National Green Industrial Policy, development of an AI hub, and long-term planning for software, app and hardware production. Proposals for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for investors are also being prepared. Domestic and foreign companies have received land and ready space after basic infrastructure development. A total of 85 companies have been allocated land or space at the park, including seven foreign firms. Forty have begun business or production, 28 are under construction and 17 are expected to begin construction soon. Proposed investment totals about $1.636 billion, with about $283 million already invested. The government has spent more than Tk500 crore on basic infrastructure.

Jorge Messi, the father of Argentine football star Lionel Messi, has died after a long illness at the age of 68. He died at a hospital in Rosario, Argentina, and the family confirmed the news to Reuters. The report was published on August 8, 2026, at 20:24. Jorge Messi’s health had recently been poor, requiring him to remain between a medical center in Rosario and his home for treatment. His wife Celia and children Rodrigo, Matias and Maria Sol were beside him in his final days. He played an important role in Lionel Messi’s football career from his son’s childhood and later worked as his representative. Jorge also advised Messi on several career-related decisions outside the field. Messi had previously said that his father’s approval mattered to him and that he would ask him after every match how he had performed. During the 2026 World Cup, the family said Jorge was receiving treatment for health problems and requested privacy and respect amid speculation about his condition.

Former law adviser Dr Asif Nazrul said the Liberation War is Bangladesh’s greatest achievement and the July mass uprising is independent Bangladesh’s most glorious heroic saga. In a Facebook post on Saturday night, he said there is no conflict between the two. He described the July uprising as a self-sacrificing struggle to fulfil the true aspirations of the Liberation War. Nazrul referred to several violent incidents from December 17 and 18, 1971, citing a writing by Humayun Ahmed and an eyewitness account by Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci. He also said that some Awami League members and people claiming to be freedom fighters committed brutal acts in the country between 1972 and 1975. He argued that individual wrongdoing did not erase the Liberation War’s significance, and said displaying the underwear of a deposed prime minister on August 8 was inappropriate and condemnable but did not end July. Nazrul called efforts to question July or pit it against the Liberation War unjust. He said those who treat the Liberation War as freedom for the Sheikh family and Awami League’s arbitrariness oppose both the Liberation War and July.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman warned that a broader movement would be built against the government if the July Charter is not implemented swiftly. He made the remarks as chief guest at a discussion organised by Bangladesh Nezame Islam Party at the Dhaka Reporters Unity auditorium in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, on Saturday afternoon, August 8, 2026. Rahman said martyrs of the July mass uprising, including Abu Sayed and Mugdha, gave their lives to free the people of the country. He said people could not return home until the aspirations for which students and ordinary citizens sacrificed their lives were realised. In his view, failure to implement the charter so far amounted to betrayal of the martyrs' blood. Criticising the government, he alleged it was moving toward one-party rule and seeking to run the state in a fascist manner. He called for structural change, voting rights, justice, accountability and civic dignity to build an effective democratic state. LDP Chairman Oli Ahmed and Khelafat Majlish Ameer Mamunul Haque were among leaders who also addressed the meeting.

Typhoon Dolphin left more than 50,000 buildings without electricity in Japan’s southern Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures and injured at least six people, according to a report published on August 8. Five elderly people were injured in Okinawa on Saturday, including three who fell in strong winds, while one other person was hurt in Kagoshima. Local authorities said none of the injuries was serious. About 39,000 buildings lost power in Kagoshima and just over 12,000 in Okinawa. The typhoon’s maximum sustained winds reached 162 kilometres per hour, with gusts up to 216 kilometres per hour. ANA and Japan Airlines cancelled several flights to and from Okinawa, while Okinawa and the Amami Islands in Kagoshima were expected to be among the areas most affected. China issued its second-highest orange typhoon warning and raised its emergency response to Level 3 ahead of a possible landfall between Sunday night and Monday morning. Zhejiang closed port operations and suspended 162 passenger ferry routes, while Ningbo Lishe International Airport suspended all Sunday flights. Taiwan cancelled 78 international flights, and heavy rain and strong winds may affect eastern China through August 12.

Local residents in the Satmera border area of Panchagarh Sadar have detained Indian national Dipankar Gop after alleging that India’s Border Security Force, or BSF, took away Bangladeshi elderly resident Md Tamiz Uddin. On Saturday morning, residents brought Gop to the Birajot area after he crossed the barbed-wire fence and entered Bangladesh. They said he would not be released unless Tamiz Uddin was returned. Tension has been reported in the area. Gop, 30, is identified as the son of Mishrilal Gop from Chaulhati Tashanpara in Rajganj police station area of Jalpaiguri district, India. According to local residents, he had come to work in a tea garden on the other side of the fence and entered the Bangladesh side. He is currently in the custody of Border Guard Bangladesh, police and local residents. Locals said Tamiz Uddin, 78, a resident of Birajot, left home last Wednesday to look for cattle and was taken by BSF near the border fence. His son Azahar said his father has difficulty hearing and walking. No formal BGB statement was available, but a source said a BGB-BSF flag meeting is expected regarding Tamiz Uddin’s return and Gop’s situation.

Bangladesh’s Energy Division said a proposed policy allowing private-sector imports of refined fuel has not yet been finalized. The statement followed media reports alleging that control of the country’s energy sector was gradually being handed to an influential group. The clarification was issued on Saturday in a press release signed by Muhammad Arif Sadek, deputy chief information officer at the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. The government has begun preparing a draft titled the “Policy for Import, Storage, Transportation, Distribution and Marketing of Refined Fuel by the Private Sector, 2026,” the release said. Its stated purpose is to ensure energy security and maintain uninterrupted, safe fuel supplies across the country. The proposed framework also aims to create a transparent and competitive system, enabling private-sector infrastructure and investment capacity to support national interests during emergencies or crises alongside existing government arrangements. The policy will be finalized after gathering views and recommendations from all relevant stakeholders. The division said it would be considered only if public interest, energy security, competition, transparency and accountability can be ensured, and said it offers no scope for special benefits to any individual, institution or group.

Two Bangladeshi and one Malaysian former students of the University of Malaya have launched Fresh Move, an AI-based agricultural supply-chain startup in Malaysia. Published on August 8, 2026, the report says the venture aims to connect local farmers and reliable importers directly with grocery stores, hotels and restaurants, making agricultural marketing more effective while reducing supply-chain inefficiency and food waste. Fresh Move was co-founded by Farhad Hossain, Shaheen Alam and Nur Shafiqah Binti Roslan. Hossain serves as chief executive officer, Alam as chief technology officer, and Roslan as chief financial officer. The idea emerged after Hossain observed in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, that farmers producing high-quality vegetables and fruit were struggling to obtain desired prices because of limited market access, weak packaging and unreliable transport. The platform analyzes supply and demand data in real time and provides training and technical support on product quality, packaging and commercial standards. Fresh Move also says it operates its own logistics network using smart routing and demand forecasting. Through its contract-farming program, farmers receive land arrangements and SOP training, while the startup handles marketing, transport, supply and sales.

Tarique Rahman is scheduled to make his first visit to Chattogram as prime minister on Sunday, August 9, on a one-day tour covering Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar and Banshkhali, Fatikchhari and Hathazari in Chattogram. He is due to arrive in Maheshkhali at 9am to inspect the Matarbari deep-sea port, coal-based power project and Maheshkhali Integrated Development Authority activities. In Banshkhali, he is expected to distribute relief for flood-affected people and hand over new house keys to 100 homeless families at a rehabilitation event near Baharchhara beach. At Babunagar Madrasa in Fatikchhari, he will hold a courtesy meeting with Hefazat-e-Islam chief Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari and exchange views with central and district leaders. Hefazat described the meeting as non-political. In Hathazari, Rahman will visit the grave of late Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi and provide Tk100,000 each to 30 affected families for house construction, alongside Tk10,000 each for 15 people with disabilities. He will later attend a Chattogram BNP organisational meeting at Radisson Blu. Authorities said preparations at seven venues are complete, with police, RAB, BGB, SSF and intelligence agencies deployed. He is scheduled to depart for Dhaka at 9:20pm.

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, the former home minister of Bangladesh’s ousted Awami League government and a defendant sentenced to death by a court, said he is prepared to return to the country and face any situation. In a BBC Bangla report published Saturday, he described spending a year in trauma after leaving Bangladesh and said he reached India on September 9 following the government’s fall. Kamal said he and others were unprepared for the course of events on August 5, 2024, attributing this to overconfidence and incorrect information. He said most people who could not leave are either in jail or displaced from their homes. He also said his son, who he said is not involved in politics, has been jailed for two years. He claimed his business establishments were vandalised and set on fire, while security personnel have preserved what they can. Kamal said his household in India has mainly been supported by relatives and friends over the past two years. Responding to allegations against police and Ansar personnel under his ministry, he said he believed they performed their duties properly until noon on August 5.

Canada removed 3,323 Indian nationals between January and June 2026, making Indians the largest nationality group among removals in the first half of the year. Citing official Canada Border Services Agency data, the report said the six-month total was about 88 percent of the 3,779 Indians removed during all of 2025. If the current trend continues, removals of Indian nationals could surpass previous records by the end of 2026. Mexico ranked second, with 1,573 citizens removed from Canada during the same period. Mexican nationals had been the largest group in removals for the previous five years, while India ranked second; Indians were last the largest group in 2020. CBSA data showed 603 Indian removals in 2021, 786 in 2022, 1,132 in 2023, 2,004 in 2024, and 3,779 in 2025. Canada is tightening its immigration system and seeking to reduce the number of temporary residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers. Removals commonly involve non-compliance with immigration rules, rejected asylum or refugee applications, overstaying visas, or visa fraud, though CBSA does not publish country-specific reasons. A further 7,669 Indian nationals are listed in the removal-in-progress inventory.

Jute farmers in Kaunia upazila of Rangpur are facing difficulties retting their crop because of inadequate water, despite a good harvest in the current Kharif-1 season. The report, published on August 8, says many farmers have piled cut jute beside fields, roads, canals, wetlands and water bodies. Some are attempting retting in limited water, while others are transporting jute several kilometres to canals or rivers, increasing labour and transport expenses. According to the upazila agriculture office, the jute cultivation target in Kaunia was 740 hectares, while actual cultivation reached 865 hectares. The production target for the season has been set at 10,101 bales. Farmer Al-Amin of Godai village said good yields have been offset by the added expense of taking jute to distant sites. Babu Haji of Rajib village said insufficient water during retting left fibres dark after washing, leading wholesalers to offer lower prices. Farmers said the water shortage is affecting hundreds of growers and may prevent them from earning expected profits. Upazila Agriculture Officer Tania Akter said water receded early this year, creating some difficulty, but water remains in local canals and ponds where farmers can ret jute. Local growers called for fair jute prices that account for production and additional retting costs.