Retail markets in Kuliarchar, Kishoreganj, were selling green chilies at Tk400 per kilogram, according to a report published on August 3. The sudden increase over several days has put pressure on low-income consumers. Visits to several markets in the upazila, including the traditional Lakshmipur market, found the same retail price.

Housewife Nazma Akter said high vegetable prices had disrupted household budgets, adding that vegetables were becoming unaffordable for ordinary people after fish and meat. Shopper Kajal Mia said he was buying less green chili than needed because of the higher price and that other vegetables had also become more expensive. At Japarabad market, a buyer named Sohag said he could not purchase Tk20 worth of chilies after being told to buy 100 grams for Tk40.

Vegetable trader Shariful Islam said green chilies had sold for Tk250 to Tk280 per kilogram in recent days, but wholesale prices rose after persistent rain. Another trader, Mizanur Rahman, said rain damaged chili crops and reduced supply. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Yasin Khandakar said authorities were regularly monitoring markets to keep essential commodity prices normal.

A five-year-old child died in Mysuru district of Karnataka, India, after swallowing a small plastic toy found inside a snack packet, according to a report published on August 3, 2026. The child was identified as Mukund Mayur, a resident of Gauripura village and the only son of Santosh and Aishwarya.

Preliminary investigation found that the small plastic ball included with the snack packet became lodged in the child’s throat. The obstruction caused suffocation, leading to his death. Family members took Mukund for medical treatment, but he could not be saved.

The sudden death has brought grief to the family and created a mourning atmosphere across the village. A case has been filed at Hunsur Rural Police Station following the incident. Police have begun an investigation into the matter, the report said.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary delivered remarks while wearing an eye bandage at a discussion meeting in the capital’s Diploma Engineers Institution (IDEB) on Monday afternoon. The event was titled “The People’s One-Point Demand in the Voices of Martyrs’ Families and the Injured.”

Patwary wore the bandage in protest over the reported loss of NCP member Alif’s eye in an attack by Chhatra Dal leaders and activists in Habiganj, according to the report. Explaining his action, Patwary said he had put on the bandage to express sympathy for Alif.

NCP convener and opposition chief whip in the national parliament Nahid Islam attended the meeting as chief guest. Other attendees included NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain, northern region chief organizer Sarjis Alam, southern region chief organizer Hasnat Abdullah, spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Rokeya Begum, mother of martyr Jaber Ibrahim, National Women’s Power member secretary Dr Mahmudah Mitu, and chief organizer Nusrat Tabassum.

Bangladesh has sought technical assistance from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to curb airline ticket syndicates, modernize the aviation sector and develop tourism. The issues were discussed on Monday at the Bangladesh Secretariat during a courtesy meeting involving Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroz Khanam, State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat and IATA Regional Vice President Shejdon Hir.

IATA said it was prepared to provide full support for the development of Bangladesh’s civil aviation sector in line with the current government’s electoral commitments. The association also expressed interest in providing technical support to upgrade Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ Bangladesh Airlines Technical Center into a modern institution of international standard.

Afroz Khanam said the government had already taken effective measures against ticket syndicates and that IATA’s technical assistance was important. She said the government follows a zero-tolerance policy against all syndicates in aviation and is working for a transparent, competitive market. Millat said a separate provision on reducing carbon emissions had been added to the civil aviation ordinance, while initiatives on sustainable aviation fuel and adoption of the Montreal Protocol 2014 would advance.

The High Court has granted bail to television actor Zaher Alvi, also known as Md. Niamat Ullah Bhuiyan, in a case accusing him of abetting the suicide of his wife, Afra Ibnat Ikra. A bench of Justice KM Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher issued the order on August 2. Relevant court sources confirmed the bail on August 3, removing any barrier to his release from jail.

Senior lawyer Zainul Abedin represented Alvi in the bail hearing. Earlier, on June 18, Alvi surrendered through a lawyer before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Kamal Uddin and sought bail. The court rejected his application and ordered him sent to jail.

The investigating officer later sought seven days of remand for a proper investigation. On June 24, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Albiruni Mir approved two days of remand, and Alvi was sent back to jail after the remand on June 30. The case alleges that Ikra was found hanging at their Mirpur DOHS home on February 28. Her father, Kabir Hayat Khan, filed the case at Pallabi police station the next day.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a courtesy meeting with South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo at the Cabinet Division in Bangladesh Secretariat at 2:30 pm on Monday. The South Korean minister briefed the prime minister on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, due to be signed between Bangladesh and South Korea. He said the agreement would expand bilateral trade and economic cooperation and significantly increase South Korean investment in Bangladesh once it takes effect.

Yeo said many South Korean companies are already operating successfully in Bangladesh and that more firms are interested in investing there. The prime minister invited South Korean companies to invest in toys, electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, semiconductors and shipbuilding. He highlighted South Korea's expertise in shipbuilding and Bangladesh's potential workforce.

The prime minister said South Korea could establish training centres in Bangladesh to train Bangladeshi workers and provide language education for work in South Korea's shipbuilding industry. He said the government would take necessary measures if South Korean companies invest in Bangladesh's shipbuilding sector. Bangladesh also outlined plans for a seminar involving South Korean companies and invited the South Korean president to visit Bangladesh.

Abhijit Deepak, chief of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), said he is ready to release documents on his scholarship and education loan while challenging Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to disclose his educational degree. In a video message reported on August 3, 2026, Deepak responded after Surat-based right-to-information activist Amit Tiwari sought an investigation into his family’s financial situation.

Tiwari questioned how Deepak’s father, Bhagwanrao Deepak, a retired junior engineer at the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, financed his son’s overseas higher education. In the video posted on X, Deepak said he was prepared to show his scholarship letter and education-loan papers, and asked whether Modi would show his original degree.

Deepak said debate should focus on access to education rather than questioning his studies, adding that there should be no problem with an ordinary boy studying at Boston University. The report also revisited the longstanding political dispute over Modi’s degrees. BJP leaders displayed copies of his BA and MA degrees in 2016, while opponents and critics have questioned their authenticity. The government has rejected an RTI request seeking Modi’s graduation certificate, the report said.

Student Dal activist Md. Opi Mia, 21, from Madhyanagar upazila in Sunamganj, was shot during a July movement procession in Ashulia on August 5, 2024. He survived after being taken rapidly to hospital by fellow activists, but continues to suffer physical pain and has not returned to normal life despite lengthy treatment. The report was published on August 3, 2026.

According to his family, a bullet entered below the left side of Opi's navel and exited through his back. Doctors performed two surgeries to save and treat him, and he spent nearly a year receiving hospital care before returning home. Opi is a resident of Dugnoi village, the younger son of late Sabuj Mia, a former upazila BNP president, and a second-year undergraduate student at Netrokona Government College.

Opi said pain at the surgical site can become so severe that he cannot get out of bed for hours, disrupting his daily activities and mobility. His elder brother, M. Shahid, said the family has spent substantial money on treatment. He added that Opi remains under medical supervision with regular treatment and follow-up care, and sought prayers for his recovery.

Eight registered political parties, including the National Citizens Party (NCP), failed to submit their 2025 annual income and expenditure statements to Bangladesh’s Election Commission by the extended deadline. Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed disclosed the information to journalists at the commission secretariat on August 3. The original July 31 deadline was extended through Sunday, August 2, because July 31 was a public holiday.

The parties that submitted no accounts were JAGPA, Trinamool BNP, Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Bangladesh Supreme Party, National Citizens Party, Am Janatar Dal and Janatar Dal. Of 59 registered parties, 38, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, submitted their income and expenditure accounts within the prescribed period.

Separately, 13 political parties, including Gono Odhikar Parishad and Jatiya Party, sought additional time because they could not prepare their accounts by the deadline. According to the Election Commission’s senior secretary, the eight listed parties, including NCP and Am Janatar Dal, neither filed their statements nor were identified as having sought an extension.

Islamic University authorities unveiled a plaque featuring a letter martyred student Shahriyar Khan Anas wrote to his mother, marking the second anniversary of the July mass uprising. The plaque was unveiled on Monday, August 3, at the university’s Shaheed Anas Hall. A drawing competition in memory of those killed in the uprising was then held in room 116 of the university’s TSCC.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A K M Matinur Rahman inaugurated both the plaque and the competition. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Emtaz Hossain, Treasurer Professor Dr. Md. Idris Ali, Anas’s father Shahriyar Khan Palash and grandfather Saidur Rahman Khan attended. Committee leaders, deans, hall provosts, department heads, teachers, officials and student organization leaders were also present.

The competition had three divisions, with themes including Abu Sayed, a call for water, and police brutality during the July uprising. The vice-chancellor said the plaque would allow hall residents to read Anas’s letter and learn about his patriotism. On August 5, 2024, Anas, then a tenth-grade student, left his rented home in Gendaria after writing to his mother and was killed by police gunfire in Chankharpul.

Raozan Upazila Nirbahi Officer S. M. Rahatul Islam inspected a farmer card data collection drive in Haldia Union of Raozan, Chattogram. The visit took place on Monday afternoon at the programme run by the Upazila Department of Agricultural Extension in Union No. 1 Haldia.

During the inspection, the UNO reviewed how farmers’ information was being collected and registered, and checked the quality of services provided. He instructed the officials concerned to gather information accurately and transparently so that genuine farmers can more easily receive government agricultural services and various incentive benefits.

Raozan Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Masum Kabir, sub-assistant agriculture officers Sanjib Kumar Sushil, Siku Barua, Bhutan Barua and Tamiz Uddin were present, along with BNP leader S. M. Kamal and local dignitaries. The agriculture department said the initiative will update the farmers’ database, enabling government agricultural assistance and incentive programmes to be implemented more effectively in the future.

Beneficiaries in Harinakundu, Jhenaidah, have alleged that money allocated under an employment programme for extremely poor people was misappropriated by listing fake canal-digging workers. They said excavators, rather than labourers, carried out most of the work, while a protected tertiary irrigation canal under the Water Development Board’s GK irrigation project was dug instead of approved drainage canals.

Office sources said two approved drainage-canal projects in fiscal year 2025-26 had a combined allocation of Tk 15.8 million. The Joradah Jatar canal was to employ 293 workers and the Kesmat Ghoragachha canal 78 workers. Water Development Board Executive Engineer Ranjan Kumar Das said protected irrigation canals cannot be excavated and may only be reshaped under specified designs. He said no design or technical opinion had been sought.

Residents alleged uneven excavation could hinder irrigation water reaching farmland and said trees along the canal bank were cut. Upazila Executive Officer Prodipta Roy Dipon said there were irregularities in the worker list and a report had been sent to the district administration. Project Implementation Officer Azizur Rahman denied wrongdoing, while the district commissioner said legal action would follow if an investigation proves irregularities.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has ordered the phased installation of solar panels at all important government buildings in Bangladesh to address the ongoing energy crisis and accelerate renewable-energy use. The directive was issued on Monday at a solar power-related meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office of the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat, according to Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

The initial phase will cover Bangabhaban, the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, the Prime Minister’s Office and Finance Ministry buildings at the Bangladesh Secretariat, and the Planning Commission building, alongside other key government facilities. The government will also provide support for importing raw materials used to manufacture solar inverters and develop an economic model intended to make solar power affordable, accessible and profitable for the public.

The prime minister said solar use in government buildings would encourage wider public adoption of the technology. Separate presentations by PRAN-RFL Group and Walton Group addressed residential solar installations and connecting generated electricity to the national grid. They said the initiative could save electricity and energy while creating new employment opportunities.

Bangladesh’s film history marks August 3 as the 70th anniversary of the 1956 release of ‘Mukh O Mukhosh,’ described as the country’s first full-length Bengali sound film. Directed by Abdul Jabbar Khan, the film is regarded as the starting point of the Dhaka film industry and a landmark in the country’s cultural history. It was released on August 3, 1956, with the anniversary falling on August 3, 2026.

The project emerged after a 1953 meeting on the prospects for filmmaking in East Pakistan, where a comment suggested films could not be made in the region’s humid climate. Theatre worker Abdul Jabbar Khan challenged that view and declared that Bengali-language films could be made there. Despite having no prior filmmaking experience, he adapted his own play, ‘Dakat,’ into a screenplay. Filming took place at locations in Dhaka amid limited technology and other difficulties, while editing and printing were completed at Shahnoor Studio in Lahore.

Samar Das directed the music, Abdul Alim and Mahbuba Hasnat provided vocals, and Gawhar Jamil directed dance. The film premiered at Rupmahal Cinema Hall in Dhaka and was also shown in Chittagong, Narayanganj and Khulna. Its strong audience response demonstrated the viability of Bengali filmmaking in the country.

A senior member of Yemen’s Ansarullah movement, Hizam al-Assad, said US President Donald Trump had again been forced to retreat because of fear of Iran’s military strength. In remarks reported on August 3, 2026, al-Assad mocked what he described as Trump’s hollow threats against Iran and repeated retreats.

In a post on X, al-Assad said Trump’s understanding of a reality had compelled him to take a path of “peace.” He claimed the US military situation had become fragile, its bases had been destroyed, and its air-defence capability had declined.

Al-Assad further claimed Iran retained a strong ability to inflict significant damage on the Israeli ruling establishment, US assets and interests, and the region’s energy infrastructure and resources. He said that when the cost of conflict rises, the language of threats turns into the language of peace. The report did not include independent verification of these claims or a response from US officials.