Iran has formally rejected Oman’s proposal for joint monitoring of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and submitted its own counterproposal, according to a report published on July 29, 2026. Tehran and Muscat are reviewing the terms of a possible final agreement on the issue.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state media that Oman’s proposal did not adequately address Tehran’s core concerns over control of the strait. He said Iran’s counterproposal calls for greater Iranian control and authority over the strategic waterway.

The narrow Persian Gulf passage has become a focal point of international conflict since US and Israeli attacks began in late February, the report said. Before the current war, about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through Hormuz. Iran closed the strait shortly after the conflict began, creating a severe global energy crisis, according to the report.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said Bangladesh will permanently stop broker networks that divert patients from public hospitals to private clinics. He made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Mother Language Institute in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, during the release of a study on gaps in the public health system. The study was jointly conducted by the Power and Participation Research Centre and the Health Economics Unit.

The minister said practices in which staff hold public hospital duties while directing patients to nearby clinics for tests, surgery or commissions must end and will be monitored. He also alleged that unrealistic tender conditions are used to restrict competition. The research covered 22 public health institutions across eight administrative divisions and found an overall budget utilization rate of 85 percent in fiscal year 2024-25.

Hossain said a foreign company’s dialysis contract in Dhaka and Chattogram will not be renewed when it expires in November. The government plans to buy dialysis machines from its own sources and establish 50-bed centres at medical college hospitals and 10-bed centres at district hospitals. A pilot programme using AI-equipped kit boxes for health workers in 10 upazilas and 90 wards is due to begin within three months.

Dhaka University has formed a four-member investigation committee to examine demands for banning the political activities of the pro-Awami League teachers’ organization, the Blue Panel, and to consider disciplinary action against it. The decision was taken at a Syndicate meeting on the afternoon of July 28. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A B M Obaidul Islam will lead the committee, joined by two vice-chancellors and White Panel convener Professor Dr Morshed Hasan Khan.

University sources said the panel will investigate allegations concerning support for fascism on campus over the past 17 years, involvement in repression of students and dissenting teachers, and the Blue Panel’s role during the July mass uprising. If allegations are substantiated, the committee will recommend necessary action against concerned teachers and the organization. Individual teachers found involved in criminal activities could face university disciplinary measures and, if needed, legal action.

Earlier, more than 100 BNP- and Jamaat-aligned teachers submitted a memorandum under the banner of the Anti-Fascist Teachers’ Association. They sought a ban on the Blue Panel’s political activities and legal action against 231 teachers linked to it. The administration said the committee will submit its findings to the Syndicate, which will make final decisions based on the report.

Salahuddin Future Academy, a Muslim organization, has bought a Baptist church property in Richardson, Texas, and plans to convert the site into an Islamic school, seminary and mosque. The report, published on July 29, 2026, said the project moved forward after legal complications over the transfer were resolved. SAFA is a K-12 institution that says it aims to integrate Quran and Hadith teachings with the Common Core curriculum.

The property was purchased from Korean World Mission Baptist Church, which had owned it since 1992. SAFA and Authentic Ilm Mission plan to jointly establish the Dawah Academy and Seminary at the site. It has been described as America’s first national residential dawah seminary, offering courses including a bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies. The organization said it is committed to developing qualified, ethical leaders who represent Islam with wisdom.

According to The Dallas Express, SAFA signed a $3.8 million purchase agreement last October and paid a $38,000 deposit. It sued the church in February after a dispute over the planned May transfer, seeking enforcement of the contract and more than $1 million in damages. The case was settled in April without a final ruling, clearing the way for the purchase.

Satellite images have shown signs of major damage at important Saudi oil facilities after Yemeni missile and drone attacks, according to the report. Images taken on Monday showed burn marks around a circular storage tank at Saudi Aramco’s Yanbu Bulk Plant on the Red Sea coast. The marks were described as indicating that the facility was damaged in the recent attacks.

The report also identified more severe signs of damage at the Alhamrani-Fuchs Blending and Grease Plant in Yanbu Industrial City. Satellite imagery showed clear fire marks across a large part of the facility. The images were presented as visible evidence of the impact on Saudi oil and industrial installations.

The images emerged after Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for Yemen’s resistance group, announced two major military operations in Saudi Arabia. He described the attacks as a response to what he called Saudi Arabia’s “blatant and criminal aggression.” According to Saree, the first operation targeted various facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Jizan region using several ballistic missiles and drones.

Pubali Bank PLC has launched a two-day cashless campaign in Siddhirganj, Narayanganj, under Bangladesh Bank instructions and with the aim of building a cashless Bangladesh. The Siddhirganj branch inaugurated the programme on Wednesday by arranging a rally and an exchange meeting.

The campaign is intended to expand cashless transactions and ensure the easy and secure use of Bangla QR. The opening event was chaired by Siddhirganj branch head Mohammad Khairuzzaman. Regional Office Regional Relationship Manager Md Salahuddin attended as chief guest, while Assistant General Manager Sonia Jahan was the special guest.

Salahuddin said digital financial transactions have no alternative in building Smart Bangladesh. He said Bangla QR would allow customers of different banks and mobile financial services to use a single QR code for fast, easy and secure money transfers. Managers from the Shibu Market, Tanbazar and Fatullah branches also attended, while Siddhirganj branch Operations Manager Gazi Md Shahidul Alam conducted the event.

A blast damaged the roof of a toilet at a home in Kadam Ali Madbar Kandi village of BK Nagar Union, Jajira, Shariatpur, on Wednesday morning. The explosion occurred around 9am at the home of Jabbar Madbar, causing the roof to collapse and throwing a water tank onto another part of the property. No one was injured or killed.

The loud blast spread panic in the surrounding area, and local residents went to inspect the damaged house. Residents said a major accident was avoided because nobody was nearby at the time. A Jajira police investigation team visited the site after being informed and collected various pieces of evidence.

Officer-in-charge Saleh Ahmed said the initial assessment was that an explosive had been placed there earlier and may have detonated after heating in the sun. Police are examining the type of explosive, how it arrived at the location and who was involved. A cocktail blast had damaged part of a septic tank behind a house in Bilaspur Union one day earlier. Police said operations to identify and arrest those involved are continuing.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi alleged in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that Indian Home Minister Amit Shah authorized the use of force against students protesting in Delhi. Gandhi said police action on 20 July against students demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was carried out on Home Ministry instructions. His remarks triggered an uproar in the House.

Gandhi said the home minister had ordered firing at students and that pellets had entered their bodies. He argued that only the home minister or prime minister could authorize such force. He also praised the protesting students and alleged that the RSS had taken control of India’s education system and expanded its influence in universities, limiting students’ ability to question freely.

Union parliamentary minister Kiren Rijiju strongly objected to the allegation and demanded evidence, saying such a serious charge against the home minister could not be made without proof. After the session was adjourned, Congress leader K C Venugopal said Delhi Police works under the Home Ministry and that the home minister must explain the police action against students. Gandhi said Pradhan’s resignation would be symbolic because, in his view, the Education Ministry is effectively run by the RSS.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and the prime minister’s political adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said a continuous 17-year struggle under Khaleda Zia and later party chairman Tarique Rahman created the background for the July 2024 mass uprising. He made the remarks while speaking to journalists at BNP’s central office in Nayapaltan, Dhaka, on Wednesday.

Rizvi said the movement’s foundation led to a mass awakening among students, workers and ordinary people, culminating in the fall of what he described as fascism. He said an unprecedented eruption of students and the public took place in July 2024 as part of the 17-year, blood-stained struggle. He also said the movement sought freedom of speech, personal liberty, press freedom and citizens’ rights.

He said the uprising reached its final outcome on August 5, with the end of autocracy and fascism, and claimed Sheikh Hasina fell within 36 days. BNP will hold a special discussion at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh on August 4, with Tarique Rahman as chief guest and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presiding. Rizvi also urged political parties to use civil language and avoid provocation, abusive speech and false propaganda.

US-Bangla Airlines announced plans to invest about $1.5 billion to add 21 Boeing aircraft to its fleet, aiming to become an integrated global aviation group. The announcement was made on July 29 at the “Beyond Youth Boeing” event at Sheraton Dhaka in the capital. The airline said it would lease 15 Boeing 737-8 aircraft and six Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with the additions to be phased in by 2027.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said the government is pursuing an aviation master plan and pilot training academy to develop Bangladesh as a regional aviation hub. He said the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport would be able to serve 24 million passengers annually. US Ambassador Brent T Christensen described the investment as important for Bangladesh’s future aviation sector.

US-Bangla plans to send about 200 Bangladeshi pilots to the United States for advanced training. It also intends to increase flights on existing routes and launch services to several destinations in Asia and the Middle East. The company said it plans to station new Boeing aircraft in Chattogram and Sylhet to develop them as international regional hubs, while pursuing aviation training and flight catering facilities in Purbachal.

Shibchar upazila in Madaripur has recorded a bumper jute harvest this season, while satisfactory market prices have brought relief to farmers. Jute is selling for Tk4,000 to Tk5,000 per maund at different local markets, depending on quality. The report was published on July 29, 2026.

Sheikhpur farmer Masum Tayani said yields were much better this year than in recent years and that market demand remains available. He expects a good profit after covering production costs. Local jute traders said wholesalers from different parts of the country are purchasing jute at Shibchar municipal bus stand, Madbar Char, Uttarail, Kutubpur and Chander Char markets.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Alimuzzaman said jute was cultivated on 7,800 hectares in Shibchar this season. He attributed satisfactory production to cultivation following agriculture department advice and said technical support for farmers is continuing. Farmers hope to gain further if current prices remain stable, while stakeholders stressed higher production, better storage and fair prices.

Detective police arrested alleged Chittagong criminal Mobarak Hossain, also known as David Emon, in the Jhumjhumpur area under Jessore Kotwali police station. Police said the operation took place at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday night after a checkpoint was set up in the area. Three associates—Alis Tamal, Shafayat and Shamim—were detained with him and later shown arrested.

Law enforcement agencies had been working for several days to identify Emon’s location, according to the report. Based on secret information, surveillance, searches and checkpoints were increased in different parts of Jessore. Members of Jessore district police and Chittagong district police jointly took part in the operation. Jessore Superintendent of Police Syed Rafiqul Islam said officers verified the identities of four suspects stopped at the checkpoint before arresting Emon.

Police said Emon was handed over to Chittagong police after his arrest, while legal action was being taken regarding the other detainees. The report says he was recently accused of calling a Chittagong city businessman to demand extortion money. Officers also cited allegations of criminal activity and extortion against him. Police sources said he may be questioned in Chittagong in connection with the relevant case, and the roles of his three associates are being examined.

China is leading a new 29-country artificial intelligence group called the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, or WICO. The alliance was formed during an AI summit in Shanghai in the third week of July, where President Xi Jinping formally announced it. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the event. Xi said WICO aims to promote cooperation in AI and that no single country should dominate the technology.

The source says WICO includes Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Africa, Senegal and Pakistan. Chinese Premier Li Qiang first unveiled plans for the group last July. China has already deployed AI technology in several countries in Africa, South America and Asia and said that cooperation would continue. Beijing accuses Washington of restricting access to AI technology for many countries by citing national security concerns.

According to the report, China wants to use the bloc to counter possible US influence over planned UN international AI rules. The United States announced the Pax Silica partnership last December, and India joined the related agreement in February. Its members also include Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, Britain and the United Arab Emirates.

More than 9,000 people were staying in emergency shelters by early Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan, the government said. At least 13 people were killed in the quake, according to the report published on July 29.

Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said authorities had received reports of seven people seriously injured and 29 others with minor injuries. He provided the figures while outlining the situation after the earthquake.

As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, 9,186 people had taken shelter at 506 facilities across five prefectures, including Kumamoto and Fukuoka, Kihara said. The reported shelter figures reflect the scale of displacement following the quake.

Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said the government is working to introduce environmentally friendly, low-cost technology for industrial waste management. He made the remarks on Wednesday at a Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry seminar on canal excavation, revitalising circular waterways and expanding inland water trade in Bangladesh.

The minister said chemical waste harms canals and rivers when industrial establishments do not install effluent treatment plants, or ETPs. He said conventional ETPs are too expensive for many small and medium-sized industries, making lower-cost but effective treatment technology necessary. As an example, he said an industry valued at Tk20 crore could struggle to survive if installation of an ETP alone costs Tk10 crore.

During a recent visit to China, the minister discussed the issue with relevant people and received technical ideas for low-cost waste treatment. Such technology could potentially be implemented privately for Tk10 lakh to Tk20 lakh, though the government will decide only after assessing its effectiveness. He also said canal recovery programmes have begun in several districts and stressed continued dialogue with businesspeople, experts and other stakeholders.