Bangladesh Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Susan Ryle stressed broader, more institutional cooperation in trade, investment, skills development and research. At a Thursday meeting at the Commerce Ministry in the Secretariat, they discussed expanding cooperation in trade-negotiation capacity, education, agriculture, livestock and investment to deepen bilateral economic ties. Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan attended the meeting.

The minister said the government plans long-term institutional training to strengthen officials’ skills in international trade, particularly World Trade Organization law and trade negotiations. He said an initiative has been taken to establish a research and study centre, envisioned as a future regional hub for knowledge and skills exchange. He also cited planned specialised training for project directors.

Ryle said Australia was interested in supporting such long-term capacity-building programmes, including trade negotiations, legal aspects of international agreements and policy skills. The sides also discussed post-LDC trade benefits and future market access. Bilateral trade is about $5.5 billion and growing, she said. An Australian business delegation is planning a Bangladesh visit, while beef exports, halal certification, animal traceability and livestock management were also discussed.

Opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman said the 11-party alliance would continue its movement until its demands are met. He made the remarks as chief guest at a sit-in at Muktangan in the capital on Thursday, organized to protest public hardship and rising prices of oil, gas and essential goods. He said the alliance’s 11-point agenda was intended to protect the rights of 180 million people.

The alliance called for implementation of the referendum verdict, removal of discrimination, lower and controlled fuel prices, relief from public suffering, control of commodity prices, and accountability for killings and alleged asset looting. Rahman demanded withdrawal of increased LPG prices and urged the government not to raise gas prices. NCP convener Nahid Islam alleged that the government had failed to supply gas and electricity. Other speakers also raised concerns about energy shortages, prices, employment and campus conditions.

The alliance announced long marches from Dhaka to Chattogram on September 5, Rangpur on September 19, Khulna on October 10, and Sylhet by rail on October 24, followed by a Dhaka rally on November 14. A march toward the Secretariat was stopped by police barricades. After waiting nearly 45 minutes without a ministry representative arriving, the program ended around 1:30pm.

The Bangladesh government has begun work on a draft revised Gold Policy 2018, aiming to move the country’s gold sector from an informal condition into a legal, recognized and accountable business sector. At a meeting at the Commerce Ministry in the Secretariat on August 6, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir instructed relevant government agencies and stakeholders to submit written opinions on the draft by next Sunday.

The meeting was chaired by Commerce Ministry Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan and included Bajus President Enamul Haque Khan, Export Promotion Bureau Vice Chairman Mohammad Hasan Arif, and representatives of the National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Bank and the gold sector. The minister said the sector had not become fully institutional because of inadequate policy and regulatory structures, and that regulatory weaknesses should also be considered rather than placing responsibility solely on businesses.

The proposed framework calls for every stage of purchasing, selling and storing legally imported gold to be recorded and monitored by regulators. The government is also considering employment, lawful imports, revenue collection, transparency and the potential for value-added jewellery exports. After stakeholder views are compiled, another meeting may be held if needed before work proceeds to finalize the revised policy quickly.

Record drought has caused an unprecedented deterioration in France’s small rivers and waterways, with water flow disrupted or channels completely dry in 43 percent of them, according to the French Biodiversity Office. As of August 1, 1,373 small waterways across mainland France and Corsica were affected, a situation the agency described as the most critical seen at this time of year.

The assessment was based on data from the National Low Water Observatory Network, which operates 3,230 monitoring stations nationwide. Local broadcaster BFMTV reported that the number of affected waterways had increased by 554 since July 1. The French Biodiversity Office said all regions were affected, with rapid deterioration from the western Vendée department to the eastern Grand Est region and a spreading impact in south-central France.

The agency said conditions had surpassed the severe drought of 2022, with 112 more waterways experiencing disrupted flow or drying up. Compared with the same period in 2025, the situation had worsened by more than twice. France’s geological survey classified 60 percent of groundwater levels as moderate to very low as of July 15.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission said it will soon submit a charge sheet against former national cricket captain and former lawmaker Shakib Al Hasan and 14 others in a case alleging share-market manipulation, forgery, embezzlement and money laundering involving Tk256 crore. The announcement was made on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the ACC’s headquarters in Segunbagicha.

ACC Deputy Director for Public Relations Akhtarul Islam told journalists that the investigation into the case had been completed. He said the case concerns allegations that Tk256 crore was embezzled through manipulation in the share market, and that charge sheets against Shakib and the other 14 accused would be filed before a court soon.

The case was filed earlier on June 17, 2025, by ACC Assistant Director Sazzad Hossain. The source does not specify a date for submitting the charge sheet, nor does it provide further details about the investigation or the identities of the other accused.

Hiroshima marked the 81st anniversary of the US atomic bombing on Thursday in the western Japanese city, with Mayor Kazumi Matsui urging major powers to stop justifying nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence. At a ceremony in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a minute of silence was observed at 8:15 a.m., the time a US B-29 aircraft dropped the bomb, as a peace bell rang.

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, nearly destroyed the city and killed about 140,000 people. A second bombing of Nagasaki three days later killed about 70,000 more people. Japan surrendered on August 15, ending World War II.

Matsui said downplaying the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and using force for prosperity risked creating a cycle of retaliation that could end in another Hiroshima or Nagasaki. About 50,000 people and representatives from nearly 120 countries and regions, including the United States and Iran, were expected to attend. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she would pursue a realistic approach within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework toward a world in which nuclear weapons are never used.

Prime Minister’s Public Administration Affairs Adviser Md Ismail Jabiyullah ordered officials to avoid bureaucratic complications and take swift action through personal communication and inter-institutional coordination to implement the BNP’s election manifesto. He issued the instruction on Thursday at the Secretariat during a progress-review meeting on the government’s 180-day action plan prepared under the manifesto.

Jabiyullah said the Ministry of Public Administration was working to build a merit-based civil administration, recruit 500,000 government employees through transparent and rapid procedures, and establish an accountable, citizen-friendly administration. State Minister for Public Administration Md Abdul Bari attended the meeting, which was chaired by Senior Secretary Md Ehsanul Haque and joined by agency heads, senior ministry officials and divisional commissioners online.

The adviser said the ministry has initiated a system to complete government officers’ pension applications and administrative approvals entirely online. A pilot formally began with online administrative approval of the pension of one retired additional secretary from the ministry. He also directed the use of artificial intelligence in online transfer and posting processes through the Government Employee Management System, or GEMS, and called for rapid work to meet the target of filling all vacant posts.

Leaders and activists of an 11-party alliance, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), marched toward the Secretariat on Thursday after a sit-in programme. They cited alleged fuel and gas shortages, ghost electricity bills and price increases, deteriorating law and order, and rising prices of essential goods. Police prevented them from advancing, after which they remained outside the Secretariat for some time. Jamaat ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman and NCP convener Nahid Islam addressed the gathering.

Nahid alleged that Tarique Rahman’s government had broken successive promises during its five months in power. He said it had not formed a constitutional reform council in line with the referendum mandate and had not implemented the July Charter. He also alleged that the government had created artificial shortages of gas, electricity and water, which he described as basic public needs.

Speaking earlier at the sit-in, Nahid said the government had completely failed in five months. He alleged it could not provide gas or electricity, control commodity prices, or ensure any employment despite its promise. The 11-party alliance has announced division-based long marches starting on September 5, demanding implementation of the July National Charter and the referendum verdict.

Human Rights Watch said an Israeli airstrike that killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and wounded camerawoman Zainab Faraj in southern Lebanon earlier this year was deliberate and constituted a war crime. Khalil, a journalist for Lebanese outlet Al Akhbar, was killed on April 22 while reporting on Israeli aggression in the southern town of At-Tiri.

The rights group said evidence, including requests from the United Nations mission in Lebanon and the Red Cross, indicated that Israeli forces knew journalists were inside the building they struck. HRW said Khalil was killed in the attack and Faraj was wounded.

HRW also said Israeli forces prevented rescue teams from reaching the journalists’ location, when Khalil was likely still alive. In a statement, HRW’s Ramzi Kaiss said the information gathered clearly showed that the Israeli military knew, or should have known, that Faraj and Khalil were civilians. He said they were nevertheless attacked and paramedics were blocked from rescuing them for hours.

Iran is nearing an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, according to an Al Jazeera report cited by Amar Desh Online. The report said an announcement could be made by the end of Thursday. Amar Desh Online published the report on August 6, 2026, at 4:04 p.m.

Citing sources, Al Jazeera said talks had made good progress and both sides were close to announcing an agreement. One or two issues still need to be resolved, but the source said they were not particularly complicated.

The report said a central issue is likely to be the route used by ships and vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry said the sides had agreed on that matter and were working toward agreement on the geographical coordinates of new routes for maritime traffic. Other disputed issues concerning Hormuz include tolls that Iran had initially proposed imposing.

Bangladesh’s BNP leadership has questioned India’s role in allowing ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to address a press conference in New Delhi. Hasina joined by audio call and answered questions at the FCC South Asia event on 5 August, the second anniversary of the fall of the Awami League’s long rule during the July uprising.

BNP standing committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told BBC Bangla that his party wanted to know why India had allowed Hasina, who has been living there since her removal from power, to engage in political activity and speak directly to the media about Bangladesh. He said the Awami League had not expressed regret or apologised over killings during the July movement. At the conference, Hasina avoided a question on whether she would apologise, while her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said one side should have the same right to indemnity if another side had received it.

Bangladesh’s foreign ministry had raised concerns with India and sought cooperation to prevent Hasina from conducting political activities in Delhi. India said the conference was privately organised and that it did not endorse statements made there. Salahuddin Ahmed said the Awami League remains banned and allegations of crimes against humanity involving the party are under investigation.

A Dhaka court granted former joint secretary Syed Jaglul Pasha seven days' remand in a case alleging obstruction outside former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia's Gulshan residence, including sand-filled trucks and pepper spray. Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam issued the order on Thursday afternoon. The case alleges attempts to prevent Khaleda Zia, who is described as deceased, from attending a rally.

Police inspector Md Anwar Hossain of the Gulshan zonal team had produced Pasha before a court on Wednesday afternoon, seeking 10 days of remand. He was sent to jail and Thursday was set for the remand hearing. Pasha was brought to court under tight police security around 1:30pm; his lawyers sought cancellation of remand while the prosecution opposed that request.

The remand application identified Pasha as accused number 17 and said questioning him could help uncover the case's facts and arrest fugitive accused. The complaint concerns alleged road blockades and barricades on December 28 and 29, 2013. The case was filed at Gulshan police station in October 2024. Detective Branch police arrested Pasha from his residence in the Bhatara police station area around 1:30am on August 4.

Amar Desh Online published a long historical review on August 6, 2026, tracing Bengal’s struggles for independence, identity and resistance from Bakhtiyar Khilji’s conquest in 1204 to the July Revolution of 2024. Written by Muhim Mahfuz, Asif Azhar, Mahmud Ahmad and Siam An-Nufais, the article highlights Shamsuddin Ilyas Shah’s establishment of the Bengal Sultanate in 1352, Isa Khan’s resistance to Mughal expansion, and multiple uprisings against British rule.

The article portrays Bakhtiyar Khilji’s conquest as ending Sena rule and liberating oppressed people. It says Ilyas Shah united three administrative regions to establish Sultanate Bangalah, while the Baro-Bhuiyan alliance under Isa Khan resisted Mughal advances in the Bhati region. The account presents these episodes as central to the formation of Bengali political identity and statehood.

For the colonial period, it cites the Fakir-Sannyasi, Faraizi, Titumir, Santal, Indigo and Pabna peasant uprisings as responses to revenue demands, landlord exploitation and indigo-planter abuses. It also discusses Sylhet’s Muharram uprising of 1782. The article places the 1952 Language Movement, 1971 Liberation War, 1990 mass uprising and 2024 July Revolution within the same historical continuum.

Iran’s army is fully prepared to confront any type of threat, according to its spokesperson, Brigadier General Amir Akraminia. In remarks reported on August 6, 2026, he said the military was working regularly to increase its capabilities amid regional tensions and various security threats facing the country.

Akraminia said the effort includes modernising damaged military systems, adding new equipment and increasing reliance on Iran’s domestic capabilities. He said the army is continuously seeking to improve its operational capacity and readiness, while modern technology and new equipment are being incorporated to strengthen military systems.

The spokesperson said combat equipment and other military materials were being reorganised after new equipment reached different army units. He said the equipment was being arranged in line with daily needs and operations. The report noted that Iran’s armed forces had previously said they were increasing their defence capabilities.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders questioned India’s role after ousted former prime minister Hasina addressed a New Delhi press conference by audio link on 5 August. The event was organised by the South Asia Foreign Correspondents Club, where Hasina spoke and answered journalists’ questions. BNP standing committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said India had allowed Hasina, who is living there after her removal in the July 2024 mass uprising, to engage in political activity concerning Bangladesh and speak directly to the media.

At the conference, Hasina did not directly answer a question on whether she would express regret or apologise for killings during the July movement. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who joined virtually, said one side had been granted impunity and argued that the other side should have the same right. Salahuddin Ahmed alleged that Awami League leaders had shown no remorse.

Hasina called for the ban on Awami League activities to be lifted. Salahuddin said allegations of crimes against humanity against the party were being investigated and the government would act according to court decisions. India said the event was privately organised and that it did not endorse statements made there, but BNP government sources questioned that explanation.