Bangladesh Railway has formed a five-member inquiry committee after a coach of the Silkcity Express derailed near Shaheed M Mansur Ali station in Sirajganj. The train was travelling from Rajshahi to Dhaka on Tuesday morning when a wheel of its j coach came off at about 11:15am on the Dhaka-Ishwardi route, causing the derailment.

Western Railway’s Pakshi divisional manager Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal will lead the committee, which has been asked to submit its report within seven working days. Western Railway manager Farid Ahmmed confirmed the development. The report said passengers pulled the train’s emergency chain to stop it, helping avert a major accident.

A rescue train arrived from Ishwardi at 2:45pm and began recovery work. The derailed train was removed at about 3:30pm, but rail services had not resumed when the report was filed. Ahmmed said the line must be repaired before operations can restart and could not say when services would resume. Passenger Arifa Khatun said she waited at the station for about five and a half hours.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for increased Saudi investment in Bangladesh, with particular emphasis on the solar power sector. He made the appeal during a courtesy meeting with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Engineer Waleed El-Khereiji at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday. Rahman said Bangladesh has created a favourable investment environment and is implementing extensive programmes to expand the use of clean energy.

The prime minister said investment by Saudi companies in clean energy would benefit both countries. Both sides agreed to take Bangladesh-Saudi bilateral relations to new heights. El-Khereiji described Bangladesh’s current investment environment as positive under Rahman’s leadership and said Saudi Arabia was sincerely interested in strengthening relations and expanding cooperation and investment in promising sectors.

The Saudi deputy foreign minister said Saudi Arabia was interested in investing in processed food, seafood, tropical food, agro-based industries, information technology, artificial intelligence and renewable energy. He also praised the important contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Saudi development. El-Khereiji invited Rahman to visit Saudi Arabia, and the prime minister thanked him and expressed hope of making the trip at a convenient time.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said coordinated action by ministries, agencies and local government institutions is needed for sustainable pollution control, effective waste management and environmental protection. He made the remarks while chairing a ministerial discussion on waste management, water pollution and other pollution controls at the Local Government Division’s meeting room in the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintu and State Minister Sheikh Faridul Islam attended the meeting. Alamgir described environmental pollution as one of the country’s major challenges, citing urbanisation, unplanned waste management, dumping waste into rivers and water bodies, and the use of single-use plastics and polythene as growing pressures on the environment. He said the problems require planned, integrated measures rather than isolated initiatives.

The minister said government action alone would not be sufficient, stressing public awareness and environmentally friendly behaviour. He called for measures to reduce harmful polythene bags and expand use of environmentally friendly alternatives. Participants discussed water pollution, solid-waste management, pollution control, river conservation and polythene regulation, while speakers emphasised stronger inter-ministerial coordination.

Bhairab municipal executive officer Md Faruk Hossain has alleged that a courier parcel containing burial cloth, rose water, incense sticks and a threatening note was sent to him. The parcel was delivered on July 19 through SA Paribahan to Fatan Homeo Clinic in Madhyapara, Brahmanbaria town, an address owned by his wife. It listed Haridas, Ashuganj, and a mobile number as sender.

Hossain's son, Muntasir Mahmud Eshan, received the package while his father was occupied with official work. Inside were one yard of white burial cloth, a bottle of rose water, a packet of incense and a note ordering Hossain to leave Bhairab within one month or face a severe consequence. Concerned about security, Hossain filed a general diary at Bhairab police station and informed municipal and upazila authorities.

Three master-roll municipal employees—computer operators Al-Mamun and Al-Amin, and librarian Rakib Mia—have been accused of involvement. Sources claimed they admitted involvement during questioning by two senior municipal officials and have since been absent from work. Hossain linked his suspicion to employee lawsuits seeking job regularisation. Upazila executive officer and municipal administrator K. M. Mamunur Rashid said administrative and legal action would be taken.

Police recovered the bodies of three members of one family from their home in West Chanderkola village, Raripara Union, in Kachua upazila of Bagerhat on Tuesday morning. The dead were identified as Monira Begum, 55, wife of the late Abdar Ali Howlader; their son Ahad Howlader, 22; and Monira Begum’s mother, Rashida Begum, 85.

Police and local sources said several neighbouring women saw Rashida Begum’s body on the house veranda at about 1pm on Tuesday. After calling for family members, they entered the home and found the bodies of Monira Begum and Ahad Howlader inside. Police later arrived and recovered the bodies. Police and representatives of the Police Bureau of Investigation were at the scene.

Kachua police station officer-in-charge Harun Or Rashid said there were injury marks on the victims’ heads, leading police to initially suspect murder. He said the incident may have occurred two to three days earlier and had not been noticed because few people visited the house. Preparations were under way to send the bodies for autopsies to determine the exact cause of death, while police began investigating the case and seeking to identify those involved.

The government has reconstituted a 17-member National Civil Aviation Security Committee to raise airport security across the country to international standards, improve coordination among agencies and ensure overall civil aviation safety. According to a Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism notification, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita will chair the committee. The state minister will serve as vice-chair, while a Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh security member will be member secretary.

The committee includes representatives of major intelligence agencies, ministries and the armed forces. Its first meeting is scheduled for next Thursday at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh headquarters. The notification says the body will analyze intelligence information, recommend technological upgrades and strategic measures, and strengthen aviation security against potential threats.

Its duties include ensuring security infrastructure in new airport construction, following International Civil Aviation Organization standards, adding modern equipment and reviewing existing security policies. The committee may include expert members and form subcommittees when necessary. The chair is required to convene meetings at least twice a year, according to the notification.

The Chattogram Education Board has released a new timetable for postponed 2026 HSC and equivalent examinations, which were suspended because of adverse weather and heavy rainfall. The schedule was published on Tuesday. Exams for the postponed subjects will begin on August 20 with compulsory English second paper and conclude on September 9.

The revised routine includes examinations in information and communication technology, physics, chemistry, biology, higher mathematics, accounting, history, geography, Islamic history and culture, production management and marketing, Arabic and agricultural education, among other subjects. Arabic, agricultural education, home management and family life education examinations are scheduled for September 9.

Controller of Examinations Professor Dr Parvez Sazzad Chowdhury said practical examinations will be held from August 9 to August 18. The board authorities may change the timetable if necessary. Candidates have been asked to take their seats in their designated examination rooms at least 30 minutes before the start of each exam and to follow all instructions set by the board.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed officials to prepare a complete, accurate and transparent list of farmers across the country by December. He issued the instruction at a farmer card-related meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Secretariat on Tuesday, according to Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu. The list is to be compiled through verification and scrutiny to safeguard farmers’ rights.

The prime minister said farmer cards, carrying photographs and QR codes, should store information on each farmer’s identity, agricultural production, government assistance and agricultural markets. He instructed officials to design the cards with these requirements in mind. The meeting was told that work to open bank accounts for farmers has already begun.

The farmer card programme was introduced to help subsidies, easy-term loans, incentives and other government benefits reach genuine farmers quickly and easily. After necessary preparations are completed, cards will be distributed to farmers in phases. The scheme is set to benefit 4.3 million farmers in the current fiscal year, with plans to bring about 20 million farmers under the programme within the next three years.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police has adopted extensive, multi-layered security measures to maintain order and ensure public safety in the capital ahead of July Mass Uprising Day on August 5. The measures are intended to address concerns over possible sabotage, untoward incidents, or disruptions to public security during the observance.

Police have significantly increased picket and checkpoint duties across Dhaka, with intensified searches and checkpoints at all entry points to the metropolis. Detective Branch and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime personnel in plainclothes will be deployed operationally at important venues. SWAT, the bomb disposal unit, and dog squad units will conduct special sweeping operations at locations expected to draw large crowds.

All event venues and the July memorial area have been placed under a special security plan involving CCTV cameras and drone surveillance. Intelligence activities by CTSB and IAD personnel in plainclothes are continuing, while Quick Response Teams are being kept ready for emergencies. Additional DMP personnel, RAB, and CID will remain active in the field, and senior police officers will directly supervise the overall security arrangements.

International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam said the trials in murder cases linked to the July mass uprising are targeted for completion within the next year. He made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday, saying investigators and prosecutors were working to conclude the cases swiftly while completing the judicial process.

Islam said the tribunal has already completed trials in six cases, with three verdicts delivered before he joined and three afterward. He described completing six trials within one to one-and-a-half years as very fast, adding that the cases were concluded with transparency, impartiality and international standards. He said an even faster process could raise questions among the public, so proceedings were advancing transparently and at a normal pace.

He said about three more cases are awaiting verdicts this month. Arguments are underway in a case involving Obaidul Quader, while arguments have ended in the case involving Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif and a verdict may come any day. Arguments in the Taim murder case are expected to begin within days, and witness and evidence work in the case involving Ziaul Ahsan is nearly complete.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a consultation with experts to address existing water-management challenges and secure sustainable solutions for the country. The meeting took place on Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office under the Cabinet Division at the Secretariat, according to Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

Environmental, water and engineering specialists, along with representatives of several related institutions, attended under the leadership of social development organisation Footsteps Bangladesh. Participants shared experience and recommendations on water-management problems, current limitations and possible solutions. They urged long- and medium-term planning, use of modern technology, stronger coordination among relevant agencies and effective action that considers the impacts of climate change.

Discussions covered canal restoration, the stability of rivers and embankments, improvements to urban drainage, wastewater treatment and rainwater management. Participants also stressed the need for integrated and effective urban planning amid rapid urbanisation. The prime minister listened to the experts and assured them of cooperation to support sustainable development, environmental protection and safe, effective water management for citizens.

Bangladesh signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, with South Korea at the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday. Under the agreement, 97 percent of Bangladeshi products will receive preferential tariff treatment in the South Korean market, while 87 percent of South Korean products exported to Bangladesh will receive the same benefit. Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir announced the details at a news briefing after the CEPA Negotiation Conclusion Ceremony.

Muktadir said this was Bangladesh’s first CEPA agreement within five months of the current government taking office. He said the deal would create new opportunities for duty-free access and other benefits for Bangladeshi exports including ready-made garments, leather and leather goods, jute and jute products. Bangladesh would also benefit when importing agricultural products, plastics and spare parts from South Korea, he said.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade currently totals about $1.39 billion, with Bangladesh running a deficit of about $411 million. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo cited the need for more diversified trade and said the countries could work together in technology and supply-chain management. He expressed hope that the agreement would encourage Korean companies to invest in Bangladesh in a more accessible and favorable environment.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said bilateral relations between Iran and Iraq are currently at their highest level. He made the remarks on Monday night in Najaf, Iraq’s holy city, according to comments published by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.

Araghchi said Tehran’s relationship with the Iraqi government was in its best condition. He also said recent discussions during the Iraqi prime minister’s visit to Tehran had been highly productive.

The foreign minister said cooperation between Tehran and Baghdad is not limited to politics. He cited coordinated positions on various shared issues as well as close cooperation in the economic and security sectors. Against a changing geopolitical situation in the Middle East, the close Iran-Iraq relationship is viewed as an important part of regional diplomatic and security cooperation.

Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said the government is not under any geopolitical pressure or tension. He made the remarks on Tuesday during a regular briefing at the Information Department conference room in the Secretariat, responding to journalists’ questions about recent developments involving a US special envoy, India’s high commissioner and reports concerning former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Rahman said he had met the Indian high commissioner, who then returned to India. Addressing claims that the US special envoy had travelled directly from Bangladesh to India, he said the official is the ambassador posted in India and also has additional responsibilities. He said the government was not officially informed about whom the envoy met privately and therefore would not comment.

On a possible August 5 statement by Sheikh Hasina, Rahman referred to the home minister’s previous assertion that the banned party has no capacity. He said some people still support the Awami League and that its beneficiaries remain in various places, including the administration. However, he said the party lacks the moral strength needed to run an organisation.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has faced an administrative and political crisis after a controversial plan to sell World Cup commercial rights to private investors collapsed. In a report published on August 4, 2026, Infantino was said to be seeking support from US President Donald Trump to address the fallout, but Trump reportedly did not respond to repeated phone calls.

FIFA had planned to establish a separate company to manage World Cup commercial operations and sell about 20 percent stakes in various tournaments, aiming to raise $4.2 billion. Infantino agreed to cancel the plan after strong opposition from UEFA and several national football federations. The proposed investment deal’s main partner was Thrive Capital, the firm of Joshua Kushner.

The report said Infantino also tried to contact US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but the US administration said no such meeting had been scheduled. Trump stated that he had held no discussions with the FIFA president about the proposed deal. Following the plan’s collapse, several influential football bodies, including the Football Association of Wales, withdrew support for Infantino, leaving his leadership under uncertainty ahead of the 2027 FIFA presidential election.