Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Shakhawat Hossain conducted a surprise inspection of hospitals in Bhedarganj upazila of Shariatpur on Saturday afternoon. He visited the Upazila Health Complex and several private clinics, taking immediate action over irregularities. Modern Clinic and Diagnostic Centre and New Popular Diagnostic Centre and Clinic were temporarily closed because they lacked required documents.

Two doctors were issued show-cause notices over allegations that they provided services at private clinics during government office hours. The minister toured service departments at the health complex, spoke with admitted and outpatient patients about the quality of care, and inspected the quality of food supplied to patients. He later exchanged views with doctors, nurses and other staff and gave directions aimed at improving health services.

During the inspection, the minister warned officials to ensure proper departmental operations, treatment services, cleanliness and a patient-friendly environment. He said there would be no leniency toward irregularities or negligence and that quality healthcare for the public must be ensured. He also said the government plans to establish cancer, physiotherapy and kidney dialysis units in every upazila, and to build one children’s hospital in every district.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh, called for a serious assessment of Bangladesh’s development as a nation over the past 55 years and for a clear definition of national identity. Speaking as chief guest at a University Teachers Link seminar at Dhaka University’s Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium on Saturday, he also urged efforts to free higher education from partisan influence and to help teachers develop students into human resources.

He said universities are not only institutions for distributing knowledge but can help shape the future of the state and nation. Rahman called for deeper research into the historical development of Bengali identity and Bangladesh’s national identity. He raised concerns that qualified people have been denied jobs and opportunities at universities because of political affiliation, and urged teachers’ organisations to work together for a merit-based environment.

Rahman said teachers could serve as a strong intellectual pressure group by preparing a clear national roadmap. Lawmaker Engineer Mardia Mumtaz called for regular training and classroom evaluation for university teachers. Former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan described UTL’s work during its first year as encouraging.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Primary and Mass Education said the appointment process for 14,384 candidates recommended as assistant teachers in government primary schools is expected to begin by October 29. The ministry is moving to complete a recruitment exercise that had been stalled for a long period because of investigations and procedural complications. An emergency virtual meeting on teacher recruitment was held at the ministry on August 1.

The meeting discussed recruitment progress and ways to accelerate investigations and administrative procedures. Primary and Mass Education Secretary Md Sakhawat Hossain said the government was treating the joining of the recommended assistant teachers as an important matter. He said delays resulted from investigations and procedural lengthiness, while expressing hope that the joining process would start within the stated deadline.

Ministry sources said the 14,384 candidates were recommended after a lengthy recruitment process, but subsequent investigations and administrative verification delayed their appointments. The delays created uncertainty among recommended candidates and prompted calls for faster joining. The ministry said government primary schools under the Directorate of Primary Education have faced a long-standing teacher shortage, which could be eased to some extent when the new teachers join.

Indian Muslim leaders have voiced deep concern after Parliament passed the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on Thursday. The measure makes deliberate disrespect for or obstruction of the national song Vande Mataram an offence, punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine, or both. It gives Vande Mataram legal status equal to the national anthem Jana Gana Mana.

In a statement released Friday, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board said the law runs counter to the Constitution, secularism and democratic values, and seriously harms citizens’ religious freedom. Its spokesperson, Dr S. Q. R. Ilyas, said any attempt to make Vande Mataram compulsory for people of all religions and communities was objectionable and contrary to fundamental constitutional principles.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani similarly called the bill contrary to the Constitution and religious freedom, describing it as an effort to divert attention from people’s real problems for electoral politics. He said Muslims do not object to anyone singing or reciting the song, but some sections do not align with Islamic belief and Muslims cannot be compelled to sing or accept it. The board said only its first two verses were adopted nationally after Constituent Assembly discussions.

Authorities and the BNP are making extensive preparations for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s planned visit to flood-affected areas of Banshkhali in Chattogram. The prime minister is scheduled to visit on Sunday, August 9. Security has been strengthened, while preparations are under way for possible visit locations and transport arrangements.

Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah, Superintendent of Police Masud Alam, and South Chattogram district BNP senior joint convenor Mishkatul Islam Chowdhury Pappa inspected the helipad area at Baharchhara sea beach. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ruhul Amin, Banshkhali police station officer-in-charge Md. Rabiul Haque, and other senior administrative officials also joined the inspection.

During the visit, officials reviewed the proposed venue, security arrangements, communications and overall preparations. Pappa said the prime minister was coming to stand beside people affected by flooding. He also said residents of Banshkhali were waiting to welcome the prime minister. Local enthusiasm has been reported around the planned visit, and authorities and relevant stakeholders are continuing preparations to ensure it is orderly and successful.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held a mass procession and brief rally in Ranishankail, Thakurgaon, demanding implementation of the July Charter and the referendum verdict. Organized by the party’s upazila unit on Saturday, the procession travelled through several streets in the town before ending at Shibdighi July Square, where leaders addressed the gathering.

Mizanur Rahman Master, former amir of Thakurgaon district Jamaat, spoke as chief guest. The event was chaired by Upazila Jamaat amir Vice Principal Rafiqul Islam. Speakers included upazila secretary Minnatullah Pathan, district Workers Welfare Federation president Matiur Rahman, upazila youth division president Mokarram Hossain and district Chhatra Shibir president Amir Ahmed, along with other organizational leaders.

Speakers said implementing the July Charter would close avenues for corruption, money laundering and irregularities. They alleged that a group opposed its implementation and did not want to accept the referendum verdict. Calling on the government to act immediately, they said 70 percent of people had supported reforms in the referendum and claimed that delays in implementing reform proposals had created public disappointment.

Youth and Sports State Minister Md Aminul Haque called for broader sports participation to help children become healthy, values-driven citizens. Speaking on Saturday at an award ceremony for scholarship-winning students in Pallabi, Dhaka, he urged families and educational institutions to work together to reduce children’s excessive dependence on mobile phones and digital devices and encourage them to spend time on playing fields.

The event, organised by the Bangladesh Kindergarten Association, honoured students from Pallabi police station area for the 2025 academic year with certificates, cash awards and crests. Aminul Haque said parents should also participate in exercise and sports. He said giving children opportunities to play could produce future national-level athletes, while time on fields could keep them away from technology addiction and social harms such as drugs.

He said online registration for the “Notun Kuri Sports” programme began on July 1 for children aged 10 to 14. The government is taking steps to ensure playing fields in every union in phases. He also said sports will become compulsory from Class Four in the upcoming curriculum, including practical field assessments in football, cricket, swimming, martial arts and other activities.

The 8th Armed Police Battalion arrested 166 people in operations centred on Rohingya camps in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar, from May 2025 through July 2026, according to APBn sources. The arrests were made in 71 cases and included 22 suspects in murder cases, eight in arms cases, 12 in abduction cases and 43 in narcotics cases. Police also said 13 abducted women, men and children of different ages were rescued alive and safely.

The operations recovered 204,031 yaba tablets, a submachine gun, a pistol, a revolver, seven one-shooter guns, two single-barrel guns, ammunition, locally made weapons and narcotics. Other seized items included 37 stolen or lost mobile phones, a walkie-talkie set, Tk30,000 linked to bKash fraud and Tk1,434,500 described as proceeds from drug sales and other sources.

Police said the campaign also made progress in controlling group clashes, weapons displays, child marriage, direct and online gambling, and domestic violence in the camps. APBn commander Riaz Uddin Ahmad said intelligence-based planned operations would continue to maintain order and suppress crime.

Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced on Wednesday that he is dissolving his Future Party, or Gelecek Partisi, and stepping back from politics. In a Turkish-language statement posted on X, Davutoglu attributed the move to Turkiye’s “dirty political climate,” saying it was not a surrender but a moral decision to distance himself and a call to rethink politics.

Davutoglu said corruption, favouritism and a lack of accountability were eroding moral values. He also criticised the normalisation of politicians changing parties and the appointment of government trustees, known as kayyum, instead of elected officials, calling these practices a blow to democratic ethics. He warned that the presidential system introduced in 2018 had opened the way to authoritarianism and removed checks and balances.

A former key adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Davutoglu was foreign minister from 2009 to 2014 and later prime minister. Political differences with Erdogan led to his replacement by Binali Yildirim in 2016. Davutoglu left the AKP in September 2019 and launched the conservative, pro-democracy Future Party that December. The party received 0.11 percent of votes in the 2024 elections.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal held a protest procession in the capital on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of the mass uprising. The rally protested what the organisation described as anti-national conspiracies by fallen fascists and political practices outside accepted norms. The procession began in Fakirapul, travelled through major roads in Dhaka, and ended in Kakrail. Central committee vice-president Kazi Zia Uddin Basit led the march.

Leaders and activists from different levels and units of Chhatra Dal joined the demonstration. Participants chanted slogans against the alleged anti-national conspiracies and called for maintaining a democratic environment and political decorum.

Basit said the organisation remained united on the streets to uphold the spirit of the mass uprising and resist all conspiracies against the country's independence, sovereignty and democracy. He also pledged that Chhatra Dal would remain vocal against what it termed anti-national activities and political conduct outside accepted norms. The procession concluded in Kakrail after passing through important city roads.

South Africa Emerging defeated Bangladesh Emerging by seven wickets in the second unofficial one-day international, according to a report published on August 1, 2026. Bangladesh were bowled out for 89 in 30.2 overs after batting first, and South Africa reached the 90-run target with three wickets down in 18.4 overs.

Mahfuzul Islam top-scored for Bangladesh with 40 from 73 balls. Aminul Islam made 11 and Samiun Basir scored 10, while no other Bangladesh batter reached double figures. Dayyan Galiem led the South African bowling effort with five wickets for 18 runs from 8.2 overs. Mgakane took two wickets for 16 runs.

Richard Seletswane remained unbeaten on 35 from 40 balls in the chase, while M van Buren was not out on 18 from 22 balls. Daniel Smith contributed 22 from 23 deliveries. For Bangladesh, Sheikh Mohammad Rizwan took two wickets for 22 runs and Iqbal Hossain Emon claimed one for 25. The final scores were Bangladesh Emerging 89 all out and South Africa Emerging 92 for three.

Public discontent is intensifying in Tunisia five years after President Kais Saied’s power takeover, driven by political repression, a worsening economy, deteriorating public services and prolonged electricity and water shortages. Thousands recently protested in the capital, Tunis, against what they described as Saied’s growing authoritarian rule and declining living conditions. Saied supporters held a counter-rally, calling opponents traitors and demanding their imprisonment.

Human Rights Watch Tunisia director Salsabil Chellali said criticism of the government has become effectively intolerable, alleging that opposition parties, civil society and media have been targeted and political rights curtailed. Many leading government opponents are either imprisoned or in exile. Most senior leaders of Ennahda are detained, including its 85-year-old leader Rached Ghannouchi, whose condition has not been disclosed since he reportedly fainted in prison last month.

A heatwave and wildfires have burned about 4,400 hectares, while rolling blackouts have left some areas without electricity for up to 12 hours. Researcher Hamza Meddeb said censorship makes people fearful of openly blaming the president. Analysts cited continued support for Saied’s government from the European Union, Algeria and Libya, while saying hopes for reforms have diminished.

The US State Department is set to permanently apply a visa-bond policy for citizens of 50 countries, including Bangladesh, seeking B-1 business or B-2 tourist visas. Under the new rule, consular officers may require applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition for visa approval. The regulation is due to take effect through publication in the Federal Register on August 3.

According to the Federal Register notice cited in a Reuters report, the department reviewed results from a pilot visa-bond programme launched in 2025 and found it effective in helping ensure compliance with visa conditions. The pilot allowed bonds of $5,000, $10,000 and $15,000. The new regulation removes the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond amount to $20,000.

Thirty of the 50 listed countries are in Africa. In South Asia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan are included, while India is not. The US administration says the measure is intended to reduce visa overstays. Immigration rights advocates say the additional financial requirement could create barriers for legitimate travellers and discourage lawful travel. Human rights groups have also raised concerns about the Trump administration's strict immigration policies, allegations President Donald Trump has rejected, citing national security.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's Barishal metropolitan unit held a rally and public procession in Barishal on Saturday, August 1, 2026, demanding implementation of the referendum's public verdict and the July Charter. The gathering began at 5:30 pm at Ashwini Kumar Town Hall premises and also protested rising commodity prices and deteriorating law and order.

Assistant Secretary General Advocate Muazzam Hossain Helal, the chief guest, called for swift implementation of the referendum verdict. He also demanded that Sheikh Hasina and her associates allegedly involved in the July killings be brought under the law and tried. Helal urged the administration not to be used for political interests and called for protection of constitutional and democratic rights.

Chairman Maulana Zahir Uddin Muhammad Babar alleged that the home minister had failed to play an effective role in improving law and order. He condemned attacks on July fighters during the second anniversary of the July uprising and demanded the rapid arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved. The procession travelled through major roads, including Sadar Road, Fazlul Haque Avenue and Girja Mohalla, before returning to the Town Hall premises.

Students at শাহজালাল বিজ্ঞান ও প্রযুক্তি বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় (SUST) held a human chain on Saturday at about 1pm at the university’s Gol Chattar, demanding exemplary punishment for a National Chhatra Shakti leader accused of making offensive remarks about a female student. Participants, including students from different departments and activists from several student organisations, also called for administrative action and a safe campus environment for women students.

The accused, Sajid Ahmed Molla, is a 2021-22 student of the Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science department and had served as joint convenor of the SUST unit of Chhatra Shakti. Bangladesh Chhatra Union organiser Naznin Liza alleged that his comments about a female student of BRAC University were crude and degrading. Speakers linked the allegation to concerns over misogyny, victim blaming and disclosure of personal information.

SUST Chhatra Dal joint general secretary Ashikur Rahman urged a prompt investigation and exemplary punishment. Parts of Molla’s Messenger conversations were circulated in a Facebook post on Thursday, prompting online discussion and criticism. Chhatra Shakti later relieved him of organisational duties through a notice signed by its central office secretary. Protesters reiterated demands for a swift inquiry, legal action and women students’ safety.