A report cited by Amar Desh said the United States is preparing to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure, with Israel expected to join a possible joint operation. CBS News reported that US forces hoped to complete an initial round before financial markets opened on August 3, though the specific timetable had not been finalized.

According to Pentagon sources cited by CBS, Israel had been informed and was interested in fully coordinating with Washington on timing. However, an unnamed Israeli official told CBS that Israeli officials knew nothing about a renewed joint operation and had not been contacted by Washington. CBS said President Donald Trump had not yet granted final approval.

Potential targets identified by Pentagon sources include major power plants and oil refineries, with cutting off electricity across Tehran described as a strategic priority. The Wall Street Journal, however, reported that Trump gave policy and final approval at a Camp David meeting, while noting he could delay strikes if significant diplomatic progress emerged. Iran said it was fully prepared for an immediate, large-scale retaliation against any potential surprise US attack.

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.

A recent Imperial College London study has found a rapid increase in type 2 diabetes among women aged 20 to 29 in England. Researchers analysed National Health Service data and said rising obesity after the Covid-19 pandemic has played an important role in the disease’s spread. Rates among older adults were stable or, in some cases, slightly lower.

Lead researcher Dr Shivani Misra said severe obesity has significantly lowered the average age at which people develop type 2 diabetes. The condition was once more common in certain ethnic minority communities, but its prevalence is now also rising quickly among white people, creating a new public health challenge. Diabetes UK said diagnosis at a younger age can have a more aggressive effect on the body and raise risks of organ damage and premature death.

About 6 million people in the United Kingdom currently have diabetes, with roughly 90 percent living with type 2 diabetes. Nearly 12,000 people under 30 have the condition, many of them young women. NHS figures from 2019 to 2025 show obesity rose 16 percent among people aged 20 to 29 and nearly 20 percent among those aged 30 to 39. Experts urged medical advice for fatigue, frequent urination or excessive thirst.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Amin Ur Rashid Yasin alleged that sports were politicised during the “fascist Awami League government.” He made the remarks on Friday night while attending a reception for the Cumilla district cricket team, champions of a national cricket competition, at the Cumilla District Shilpakala Academy. Yasin said sports are a source of joy and that the BNP government is trying to change the situation.

The minister praised the Cumilla players for winning the national cricket title and bringing honour to the district. He said he believed many of them would go on to play internationally and bring honour to the country.

Cumilla City Corporation Administrator and metropolitan BNP general secretary Yusuf Molla Tipu chaired the event. District Commissioner Rozi Akhtar, Additional Superintendent of Police AKM Kamruzzaman, Bangladesh Cricket Board councillor Md Kabir Khan and other sports, political and social representatives attended. Tipu said the city corporation is working continuously to develop sports and promised more successful events in the future.

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.

Alif Chowdhury, an 18-year-old higher secondary student and Jatiya Chhatra Shakti worker, suffered severe eye injuries in an attack during the National Citizen Party's July march in Habiganj last Tuesday. After initial treatment locally, he was transferred to the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Dhaka for surgery. Doctors said vision is not expected to return in his left eye.

Doctors said an injury from a brick or stone ruptured Alif's left eyeball and eyelid, with important internal parts of the eye displaced. The retina and other key internal structures were completely damaged, while a CT scan found blood clotting inside the eye. Surgery was conducted following a decision by a five-member medical board; doctors said temporary blurred vision in his right eye may improve.

Sarjis Alam of Chhatra Shakti identified Nazmul Hasan Oni, member secretary of Habiganj Sadar Upazila Chhatra Dal, as the alleged attacker. The report said a case had been filed but no one had been arrested by Friday. Alif's brother said NCP is covering treatment costs. NCP's Nahid Islam and Jamaat chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman condemned the attack and called for action against those involved.

Metro rail service returned to normal after 2pm on Saturday following a temporary suspension caused by a bomb scare at the Mirpur 10 metro station in the capital. Metro rail authorities said the bomb-like object found at the station was not dangerous.

The alarm emerged around noon after reports that a bomb-like object had been left at the station near Mirpur 10 roundabout. Police cordoned off the area, while the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit's bomb disposal team arrived at the scene to examine the suspicious item.

Police sources said an item resembling a bomb was found inside a bag near a lift on the western side of Mirpur 10 metro station. At the time, it was not confirmed whether the bag contained a bomb, and the CTTC bomb disposal unit was called for testing. Following the assessment that the object was not dangerous, metro rail operations resumed normally.

Sina Azodi, director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University, said deep mutual distrust between Israel and Hamas is the biggest obstacle to implementing a proposed peace agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war. In an Al Jazeera interview published on August 1, 2026, he noted that the proposed deal includes provisions for Hamas to gradually restrain its weapons.

Azodi said Israeli society remains deeply skeptical of any peace agreement with Hamas, particularly because of the October 7, 2023 attack. He described the plan as positive on paper and said it could help halt violence and restore some normality to people’s lives in the region, but stressed that its real-world implementation remains uncertain.

He said Israelis do not trust Hamas members and Hamas does not trust Israel, with both sides seeking action from the other first. Azodi also identified Hamas’s disarmament as a second major obstacle. Having built itself over years as an armed resistance group, Hamas would have little prospect of surviving as an organization if it accepted full disarmament or surrendered all its weapons.

The family of Ishtiaq Ahmed Srabon says he was killed while joining the anti-discrimination student movement in Feni on August 4, 2024. He was among students and residents demonstrating beneath the Mohipal flyover on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway when armed Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League activists allegedly attacked, according to the family. They said Srabon was hit by six bullets and was declared dead at Feni General Hospital after friends took him there.

Relatives said Srabon regularly joined the movement with friends and wore one of his mother’s scarves on his head, along with a jersey bearing his name. He had passed HSC from Feni Government College in 2023 and was preparing for university admission. The eldest of three siblings and the family’s only son, he was also vice-president of the Feni district committee of the National Children’s Taskforce and an active Feni Cricket Academy member, a friend said.

His parents demanded implementation of the July Charter and swift justice for those involved in the killing. They alleged pressure was exerted to bury him quickly and said many accused have not been brought under the law. Srabon’s mother filed a murder case at Feni Model Police Station naming 105 people, including former lawmaker Nizam Uddin Hazari, as well as more than 100 unidentified individuals.

One year after Islamic University student Sajid Abdullah was found dead, investigators have not identified those responsible for his killing. The Al-Quran and Islamic Studies student, from the 2021-22 academic session, was recovered from a pond beside Shah Azizur Rahman Hall on July 17, 2025. Although his death was initially believed to be drowning, forensic and viscera reports found that he had been strangled.

The killing prompted students to boycott classes and examinations and hold human chains, protests and memorial events demanding a swift trial. Student activist Zarin Tasnim Pushpo alleged negligence and delays in the previous administration’s investigation. Sajid’s father, Ahsan Habibullah Delwar, said neither the university nor police administration had informed him of progress and that promised compensation had not been provided.

A fact-finding committee reported that Sajid’s sealed room was later found tidy, raising suspicions of unauthorized entry; the lock reportedly had three keys held by different people. CCTV footage from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the day of the incident remains unavailable. CID Inspector Mahabbat Hossain said he took charge of the case a month ago and that witness statements, questioning and analysis of the autopsy report are continuing.

A bomb scare was reported at the metro rail station in the Mirpur 10 roundabout area of the capital after police received information about a suspected bomb-like object. Police cordoned off the area near the station, where a bag containing something suspicious was found beside a lift on the western side of Mirpur 10 metro station.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit's bomb disposal team arrived at the scene at about 12 noon on Saturday after being informed that a bomb-like object had been left there. A Mirpur police source confirmed the information to the media, while the incident created anxiety in the surrounding area.

Police said it had not yet been confirmed whether the bag contained an actual bomb. The CTTC bomb disposal unit was called to examine the item. The report also said metro rail services returned to normal after a temporary interruption.

Israeli settlers vandalized a Palestinian cemetery near the village of Tal in the occupied West Bank during a march, according to local residents cited in the report published on August 1, 2026. They destroyed memorial plaques and stone structures built over the graves of deceased Palestinians. Residents said Israeli military forces provided direct protection to the settlers during the march.

Villagers said Israeli troops fired tear-gas canisters at Palestinians who attempted to protest the vandalism. The report also said Israel demolished a 120-year-old Palestinian house, built at least 40 years before the 1948 declaration of the State of Israel. Palestinians alleged that the demolition was part of an accelerated, planned campaign to erase Palestinian history, heritage and ancient culture in their homeland.

Israeli attacks also continued in Gaza, where doctors said one Palestinian was killed in an air strike on Salah al-Din Road in central Gaza and another in a drone strike in Gaza City's Sabra area. WAFA reported that a 10-year-old Palestinian child was seriously wounded by settler gunfire during an attack on al-Mughayyir village. The report said nightly raids and arrests have continued near Tal after an attack there last week killed four Palestinians and two Israelis.

Patients in Chattogram are paying two to 12 times more for diagnostic tests at private hospitals and centres than at government facilities, according to a report published on August 1. The report cites weak oversight, referral business, opaque pricing and the lack of visible price lists as factors increasing costs for patients. Chattogram Medical College Hospital offers about 35 tests at government-set fees, but limited capacity and long queues often push patients toward private providers.

At the medical college hospital, a CBC test costs Tk200 compared with Tk500 to Tk600 privately, while creatinine costs Tk50 compared with Tk300 to Tk400. Troponin-I costs Tk200 to Tk250 at the hospital but up to about Tk1,200 at private laboratories. Colonoscopy costs about Tk1,200 there, compared with Tk5,000 to Tk10,000 in private hospitals. Private laboratory owners said higher operating costs, equipment, infrastructure, specialist availability and faster service contribute to higher prices.

The civil surgeon said Chattogram metropolitan area has 175 registered diagnostic centres and 92 hospitals, while registered facilities in upazilas include 216 diagnostic centres and 78 hospitals. Health officials said registered institutions are regularly monitored and complaints of irregularities or excessive fees can lead to investigation and legal action. Officials also said the government has set prices for several important private laboratory tests and plans to set more fees gradually.

Four people, including a driver, helper and two fish traders, were killed when a truck and pickup collided head-on in Kazipara, Kahaloo, Bogura, on Saturday at about 10:30am. Police said the pickup was returning from Naogaon after selling fish brought from Mymensingh when the crash occurred on the highway.

Kahaloo police station Officer-in-Charge Shafiqul Islam said the pickup was overtaking another vehicle when it collided with a goods-laden truck travelling toward Naogaon. The front of the pickup was badly crushed, and all four occupants were killed at the scene. Local people cut through the vehicle to recover them.

One victim was identified as 50-year-old fish trader Lutfur Rahman, son of Tayeb Ali of Raghobpur village in Mymensingh Sadar upazila. Police said his family had been informed and efforts were underway to identify the other three victims. The truck driver and helper fled after the crash. Police and Fire Service personnel removed the damaged vehicles and recovered the bodies after traffic movement on the highway was halted.