Three people were arrested after an alleged surprise attack on Dhaka North City Corporation administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan and Dhaka-18 MP SM Jahangir Hossain in Uttarkhan’s Rajabari area. The incident occurred while they were visiting an STS site in Ward 46 of DNCC Region 8 following an earlier attack on sanitation workers. A notice from public relations officer Md Zakir Hossain alleged that hired attackers linked to Neptune Accessories Garments’ ownership carried out the assault.

According to the notice, people from the garment factory’s ownership side attacked sanitation workers at the STS on Sunday morning. When the administrator, MP, local police station officer-in-charge and police personnel visited the scene in the afternoon, the ownership side again behaved badly with the workers. Tensions then spread, followed by the alleged attack in front of the administrator and MP.

Several people were injured in the later incident, and police detained three alleged hired attackers, including one person from the ownership side. Police conducted an operation after the situation calmed. In the morning attack, 15 to 20 sanitation workers were injured, including four seriously hurt workers admitted to Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital in Uttara. The administrator and MP visited the injured workers, while the administrator said strict legal action would be taken against those responsible.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said people have been asked to remain vigilant after activities of the banned political group Awami League were observed during August. He made the remarks on Sunday while answering journalists’ questions after the first-phase training graduation parade of the 27th BCS Police Batch at the Bangladesh Police Academy in Sardah, Rajshahi.

Asked whether police had issued a nationwide alert for August, Ahmed said the group’s activities had been noticed and that everyone had therefore been urged to stay alert. He said police remain vigilant at all times and the bomb disposal unit is kept ready around the clock to address any possible sabotage planning.

The minister also said incidents involving bomb-like objects found in Dhaka in recent days are being investigated. A suspicious bag found at Mirpur-10 metro station on Saturday afternoon contained no explosive material after examination by the bomb disposal unit. On Saturday, Police Headquarters issued a nationwide warning that vehicles used by police could be targets of attacks and ordered field-level units to strengthen security.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Comilla University unit submitted five demands to end ganaroom and guestroom practices in the university’s residential halls, ensure housing free from political influence, and introduce transparent, policy-based seat allocation. The memorandum was handed to Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr M M Shariful Karim on Saturday, August 2. Unit president Mozammel Hossain Abir, secretary Md Saiful Islam and other activists were present.

The demands include a transparent allocation policy based on merit, distance, financial hardship and other reasonable criteria; keeping halls free of political influence; strict action against ganaroom and guestroom practices; a safe, ragging-free environment for new students; and impartial investigations into hall-related complaints under university rules. The memorandum cited allegations of irregular student accommodation at Bijoy-24 Hall and a previous clash over alleged seat trading at Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Hall.

Abir said authority over student accommodation should rest solely with hall administrations, while people whose student status has ended should leave the halls. The vice-chancellor said he would discuss the matter with the provost committee that day before taking necessary decisions. Earlier allegations said 24 students were accommodated in two Bijoy-24 Hall rooms without prior administrative approval.

Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muqtadir met Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Kyaw Soe Moe at the Commerce Ministry on Sunday to discuss expanding bilateral trade, reopening border commerce and repatriating Rohingya refugees. The meeting also covered increasing imports and exports, strengthening maritime transport links, LNG imports and expanding opportunities for mutual investment.

Muqtadir said Bangladesh is committed to strengthening ties with neighbouring countries through mutual respect, trust and economic cooperation. He said issues involving trade, transport, investment and border connectivity that concern other ministries would be reviewed through inter-ministerial coordination. The ambassador expressed interest in increasing bilateral trade and said reopening long-suspended border trade could benefit businesses and ordinary people in both countries, initially on a limited scale if necessary.

The sides discussed trade prospects for agricultural and fish products, rice, medicines and frozen food, along with stronger business-level contacts and business-to-business activities. Bangladesh stressed the need for conditions enabling rapid, safe, voluntary, sustainable and dignified Rohingya repatriation and for visible progress. Myanmar said verification of submitted repatriation lists was under way and action would be taken when conditions become favourable. Both sides agreed to hold regular institutional discussions and joint committee meetings, while emphasizing swift completion of an agreement on direct maritime connectivity.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj said Bangladesh will gradually expand the school meal programme to all government primary schools to ensure nutritious food for every primary student. He made the announcement on Sunday at his office in the Secretariat during a courtesy meeting with World Food Programme Bangladesh Country Director and Resident Representative Koko Ushiyama.

The meeting covered programme expansion, nutritious food provision, the possibility of piloting cooked hot meals, effective monitoring and stronger digital management. Hajjaj said transparency, accountability and technology-based monitoring are crucial for successful implementation. He also stressed separate needs-based planning that accounts for differences between urban and rural areas, geographical diversity and socioeconomic conditions. Participants discussed India’s school meal experience and its relevance to Bangladesh’s social and cultural context.

Ushiyama said school meals support nutrition while helping improve attendance, prevent dropout, enhance education quality and build healthy eating habits. She noted that WFP has achieved positive results in various countries by linking school meals with school gardens, nutrition education and local agricultural systems. The two sides also discussed WFP technical support to improve the Directorate of Primary Education’s existing integrated primary education information system and develop a future integrated information system.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ordered authorities to make waterways around Dhaka operational, while directing steps to prevent river pollution, improve drainage and maintain navigability and normal water flow. The instructions were issued at a Sunday meeting on reopening waterways around the capital, chaired by the prime minister at the Cabinet Division’s special meeting room in the Bangladesh Secretariat.

According to Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Swadhin, the meeting decided to revive the waterways surrounding Dhaka. It also decided to consider proposals from interested private companies and allow them to operate water buses on the routes. The prime minister instructed relevant authorities to examine ways to prevent pollution in Dhaka’s rivers and improve the drainage system.

He also directed that various species of trees be planted beside walkways built around the rivers to support environmental protection and enhance the beauty of riverbanks. The meeting was attended by Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam, city corporation administrators and senior officials from relevant ministries and agencies.

Former Turkish prime minister and foreign minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has announced his withdrawal from politics, saying the opposition Future Party will cease political activities. In a report published on August 2, 2026, he described the move not as surrender but as a decision to distance himself from the country’s “polluted political environment.” Once a close ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Davutoğlu later became a critic of the political system he helped build.

Davutoğlu, an academic, sought to introduce a new outlook to Turkish foreign policy through his “Strategic Depth” theory. He became foreign minister in 2009 and prime minister in 2014. During his tenure, Turkey expanded its diplomatic presence in Africa and the Middle East under a policy of “zero problems with neighbors.” However, his foreign policy faced challenges amid the Syrian war and changing regional conditions.

He left the premiership in 2016 after disagreements with Erdoğan over power and policy, then formed the Future Party in 2019. Analysts said the party failed to gain significant support because of limits on opposition politics and its inability to establish an independent organizational base. Running under the main opposition CHP’s symbol in 2023 further weakened its separate political identity.

Spain has announced plans to install a roughly 500-metre floating barrier along the Morocco-Ceuta coast after a recent influx of migrants into the autonomous city of Ceuta. Published on August 2, the report said the inflatable barrier will extend about one metre below the water. The Interior Ministry also plans an additional line of anchored naval buoys to strengthen border surveillance.

According to the ministry, an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco within 24 hours. At least 48,300 were returned to Morocco by Friday afternoon, while several hundred others left Ceuta voluntarily. Authorities have not announced a specific decision concerning people who remain in the city. A Spanish government spokesperson in Ceuta said at least 67 people had died in recent days while trying to enter.

More than 20 European Union member states have called on the European Commission to convene an emergency meeting of interior ministers. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said traffickers had encouraged crossings by spreading a mistaken interpretation of a recent Supreme Court ruling. Human Rights Watch raised concerns about how security forces would respond if people tried to swim across the barrier.

Momen Mia, 55, was killed after being shot during an alleged surprise attack at his home in Soudagarkandi, Chandpur ইউনিয়ন of Raipura, Narsingdi, on Sunday, August 2. The incident involved the Momen group and the Purba Para Farid group and was reportedly linked to a longstanding dispute. Three other people were wounded by gunfire and are receiving treatment at Raipura উপজেলা Health Complex.

The injured were identified as Mobarak, 65, Nazmul Hossain, 30, and Ruhul Amin, 37. Relatives of the deceased and local residents said tensions had persisted between the Farid group and the Momen group, associated with a former union parishad chairman. They said the local member of parliament had made several attempts to settle the dispute, but tensions had recently resurfaced.

According to relatives and residents, members of the Farid group entered Momen Mia’s house carrying local weapons and attacked him, shooting him in the head and leg. Emergency physician Dr Binita said he had no pulse or blood pressure upon arrival at hospital, with preliminary indications that he died from excessive blood loss before reaching the facility. Police deployed additional personnel in the area.

Seven sanitation workers were injured after residents and cleaning staff clashed over waste removal in the Uttarkhan Rajabari STS area of Ward 46, Uttara Region 8, under Dhaka North City Corporation. The incident involved chase and counter-chase between the two sides, according to a report published on August 2, 2026.

The injured workers were taken to Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital. DNCC public relations officer Zakir Hossain confirmed the clash in a press release, identifying the location as the Uttarkhan Rajabari STS area in Ward 46 of Uttara Region 8.

DNCC Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan, local MP Jahangir Hossain, a police deputy commissioner and other relevant officials went to the scene in an effort to bring the situation under control. It was also alleged that the administrator and the local MP were attacked during the incident.

A Dhaka court sentenced Regent Hospital chairman Mohammad Sahed Karim to one year in prison in a case over a dishonoured cheque worth Tk23 lakh 18 thousand 358. Third Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Ariful Islam delivered the verdict on Sunday afternoon, August 2. The court also imposed a fine equal to the cheque amount.

Defence lawyer Mohammad Dabir Uddin said the court had delivered the verdict in Sahed’s absence on May 3. On August 2, he was shown arrested in the case under a warrant of sentence. The judge rejected his bail petition and ordered him sent to jail. The lawyer said they knew of another case filed at the CMM court on July 16, 2020 over the same incident, but were unaware of the cheque-related case.

The case was filed on July 26, 2020 by Hafiz Uddin Bahar, proprietor of Bahar Traders International. It alleged that a cheque issued on December 10, 2019 for construction materials was returned on May 5, 2020 because of insufficient funds. The report said Sahed currently faces more than 35 cases.

Political controversy has intensified in India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had “forgiven” students despite objectionable remarks made about him and his mother during protests. In an Instagram video released Friday night, Modi said it was time to guide young people onto the right path. The comments drew criticism from Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said students harmed by question-paper leaks and cancelled examinations did not need forgiveness and that the prime minister should instead apologize to them. He accused the government of creating a corrupt examination system that had damaged many students’ futures, and said Modi had not met affected students or families. Congress leaders P. Chidambaram and Pawan Khera also questioned and criticized the prime minister’s remarks.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the public would not forgive the BJP. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray called on the prime minister and home minister to apologize for police force against protesting students. The central government said it had taken steps including legal amendments and a task force to reform examinations. BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi criticized opposition conduct.

Paul Musgrave, an associate professor of government and politics at Georgetown University in Qatar, said the ongoing United States-Israel conflict with Iran is producing direct effects inside the United States. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said it was not yet timely to expect a rapid end to the conflict, despite President Donald Trump’s announcement that a planned attack on Iran had been suspended.

Musgrave said petroleum and liquefied natural gas prices have risen as part of the conflict’s impact. He also cited speculation that Iran may have supported some recent cyberattacks in the United States, saying that, if true, the war’s effects would be reaching the country directly. However, he did not cite conclusive evidence to support that claim.

According to Musgrave, both sides are strongly presenting their positions, much of it through inflammatory rhetoric. He said the situation may be moving toward the beginning of the conflict’s end, but did not present that as certain. He added that Trump and Iran’s government are considering political timetables, and elections in the United States and Israel during October and November could influence political decisions.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Amin Ur Rashid Yasin said remnants of authoritarian rule remain in hiding and would “wreck” the country if given an opportunity. He made the remarks as chief guest at a “July Memoir” discussion at Cumilla Shilpakala Academy on Saturday night, August 2, 2026.

Yasin said he did not know whether he could have stood and spoken there without the 2024 mass uprising. He alleged that those in power at the time had not been elected by popular vote and had conducted a sham election with the public. He also said followers of fascists were still concealed around society and would engage in conspiracies to destabilize the country if they had the chance.

Remembering those killed in the July mass uprising, the minister prayed for forgiveness for their souls and said the government was taking necessary measures for treatment of the injured. Cumilla City Corporation administrator and metropolitan BNP leader Yusuf Molla Tipu spoke as the main speaker. Relatives of those killed, injured people, and representatives of the administration, health service and police attended the event.

Professor Shamima Sultana, chair of Jahangirnagar University’s Bangla department, said she removed then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s portrait from her office during the 2024 quota reform movement. In an interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising, she said the action was a personal expression of moral protest against attacks, arrests, shootings, killings and alleged torture of students.

Sultana said the decision was neither politically motivated nor impulsive, but reflected values she had held since student life. She cited her earlier support for the 2018 quota reform movement, the safe-road movement and anti-corruption protests on campus. She described the July 15, 2024 attack on students at the vice-chancellor’s residence, followed by reports of the killing of Begum Rokeya University student Abu Sayeed and civilian deaths, as pivotal events.

She said she kept her office and the department chair’s room open for students seeking shelter and allowed protesters to use office Wi-Fi for communication. After the photograph spread online, she said she received abusive calls, threatening messages and personal attacks. A proposed show-cause action was later cancelled after a change in university administration following August 5.