BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the party faces a “ruin” whenever it comes to power, arguing that it repeatedly inherits a damaged situation. He made the remarks on Friday, August 7, at a seminar titled “The Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy,” organized by the Television Editors Council at Hotel Holiday Inn in the capital.

Fakhrul alleged that the previous government conducted no gas exploration and instead created an import-dependent system. He said the power sector had been damaged through quick-rental power plants and that banks had been exhausted, leaving the government with difficult challenges in repairing them.

Calling democracy a culture, Fakhrul said sustainable democracy cannot be established unless it is reflected in people’s thinking and conduct. He urged tolerance of differing views, criticism of the government alongside time for it to work, and stronger institutional foundations for media outlets. In the keynote paper, Independent Television Chief News Editor Mostafa Akmal said political pressure, enforcement of digital laws and surveillance had prevented media from operating independently over the past decade and a half.

Jinjira Pir Mohammad Pilot Girls’ High School in Keraniganj, Dhaka, faces allegations of prolonged leadership vacancies, teacher factionalism, financial irregularities and rule violations in appointments. The report published on August 7, 2026 said parents and local residents believe the situation is negatively affecting administration and educational activities at the school, which has about 2,600 students.

Local sources said the head teacher post has remained vacant since former head teacher Abu Raihan was suspended in 2023. The assistant head teacher post has reportedly been vacant for two years and the physical education teacher post for four years. Despite senior teachers being employed, dress-making teacher Tahmina Akter is serving as acting head teacher, while concerned parties claim she does not meet requirements under teacher appointment rules.

The report also cited allegations concerning school income and spending, management of its bank account, and development work conducted without tenders. Tahmina Akter denied that any work was done without tenders. She declined to disclose the amount in the school fund or spending details, saying she would not show income and expenditure accounts to anyone outside the school management committee.

Israel’s Mossad dismissed two senior officials after a plan to change Iran’s government reportedly failed, according to a Thursday report by Israel’s Channel 12. The report said Mossad chief Roman Gofman removed the intelligence division head and the agency’s Iran division chief from their posts. Their identities were not disclosed, and one had been appointed to the intelligence role only months earlier.

Channel 12 said the plan, developed in coordination with the United States, sought to intensify internal activity against Iran’s current government and support opposition groups. It was reportedly designed to activate anti-government efforts inside Iran under the cover of possible joint Israeli-US air strikes. The report also said the possibility of establishing alternative political leadership had been considered.

According to the report, the plan either failed in implementation or was suspended before becoming operational. It cited poor relations between Gofman and the dismissed officials, as well as disagreements over Iran-related strategy and priorities. A separate Mossad-CIA plan involving Kurdish fighters was reportedly halted at an early stage and later cancelled. The Israeli government made no immediate comment.

The Chhattisgarh High Court has denied bail to retired IAS officer Jivankishore Dhruv in an alleged examination paper leak case involving the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission. The court said leaking, or attempting to leak, questions for competitive examinations is an offence more serious than murder because it jeopardises the futures and careers of millions of job seekers. Dhruv was serving as CGPSC secretary during the period covered by the allegations.

Irregularities have been alleged in CGPSC examinations held between 2020 and 2022, and the CBI is investigating the matter. The agency arrested Dhruv in September 2025 on allegations of involvement in the leak. Investigators allege that he gave examination questions to his son, who subsequently succeeded in the PSC process and was appointed an additional district magistrate.

Dhruv denied the allegations, arguing that he was being targeted because he was the PSC secretary at the time. Justice Bibhu Datta Guru reserved the order after a hearing on July 31 and announced the decision on Wednesday. The court said the allegations against the retired officer could not be treated as ordinary, citing the wider social impact of ruined careers.

Several Chinese and Indian oil refineries are seeking vessels to transport discounted Iraqi crude through the Strait of Hormuz from Iraq’s Basra Oil Terminal, according to multiple shipping-industry sources cited by Reuters. The effort was reported this week, but no vessel charter agreement has yet been finalized because of security risks in the strait.

The sources said Iraq’s state oil marketing company SOMO is offering discounts of up to about $30 per barrel on Basra Heavy and Basra Medium crude for August delivery. The large price reductions are driving refinery interest in purchasing the Iraqi oil.

Shipowners are reluctant to send vessels through the Strait of Hormuz because of concerns about security conditions. Kpler data showed that only six crude oil tankers exited the strait this week, while 21 vessels entered it, most using Iranian waterways. Iran closed the strait when the US-Israel war began on February 28. Before that closure, an average of 130 to 140 ships used the important sea route each day.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said central government spending on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign trips totalled Rs 557 crore 51 lakh 34 thousand 18 rupees and 56 paise from 2021 through July this year. Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita provided the figures in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, responding to questions from AAP MP Sanjay Singh and CPI MP V Sivadasan.

The ministry said Modi’s bilateral overseas visits between January and July this year cost Rs 74 crore 58 lakh 93 thousand 797 rupees. During that period, he visited 13 countries: Malaysia, Israel, the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Slovakia, Seychelles, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. The most expensive trip this year was his Norway visit in the second half of May, costing Rs 17 crore 46 lakh 50 thousand 390 rupees.

His February visit to Israel cost Rs 11 crore 92 lakh 25 thousand 938 rupees, according to the ministry. It said a France trip in February last year cost Rs 25 crore 59 lakh 82 thousand 902 rupees. The ministry said the figures reflected actual expenditure and did not account for inflation or changes in currency exchange rates.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman said Sheikh Hasina should return to Bangladesh in December, as she reportedly said she would, and go to prison through legal process over responsibility for genocide. He made the remarks on Friday morning at the Shailkupa উপজেলা Parishad auditorium in Jhenaidah, while addressing an exchange meeting titled “Agami Shailkupa” and a memorial for late artist Mustafa Monowar.

The minister said it could not be denied that Hasina had been involved in killing, enforced disappearances and genocide, and said she must return if she wants to face those truths. Addressing people who speak frequently about her return, he asked whether she had apologized to the public after so many alleged crimes or ever felt that wrongdoing had been committed.

Asaduzzaman also outlined his vision for a judiciary that poor and helpless people can trust. He acknowledged reported concerns including corruption, brokers and structural shortcomings, but said the judiciary’s biggest crisis was a lack of judges with humane values. The event was attended by the district commissioner, police superintendent, Shailkupa upazila executive officer and the upazila BNP general secretary.

Most teenagers in the United Kingdom do not want the government’s proposed overnight social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, according to a Censuswide survey published Friday. The plan, announced in mid-July under former prime minister Keir Starmer’s government, would introduce default overnight limits on teenagers’ social media accounts. Among respondents aged 16 to 18, 85% said the restriction should be scrapped.

Under the proposal, users aged 16 and 17 would be unable to use social media platforms between midnight and 6 a.m., although they could turn off the setting. Nearly half of surveyed teenagers said they would disable the feature to communicate with friends and family, while 37% said they would opt out to watch online content. The measure is intended to complement a ban announced in June for users under 16 on platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Liane Proctor, head of regulation at the Online Responsibility Network, said a curfew alone was unlikely to prevent online harms. Of 1,000 teenagers surveyed, 2% said they avoid social media or short videos at night during school periods, while more than 18% said they watch content until 1 a.m. or later. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said changes to the voluntary approach would be considered if many teenagers disable the default setting.

Bangladesh received $602 million in remittances during the first five days of August in fiscal year 2026-27, according to the latest updated data from Bangladesh Bank. The amount was 83.7 percent higher than remittance inflows recorded during the same period of the previous fiscal year. The report said the upward trend in expatriate income continued into August, following the first month of the fiscal year.

Expatriates sent $196 million to the country on August 4 and 5 alone. From July 1, the start of the current fiscal year, through August 5, total remittance inflows reached $3.461 billion. During the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, the amount was $2.806 billion.

Total remittance inflows up to August 5 in fiscal year 2026-27 rose by 23.3 percent year on year. Bangladesh Bank said the continued tendency to send expatriate income through formal banking channels is strengthening the country’s foreign currency inflow. According to the central bank’s data, this is playing a positive role in foreign exchange reserves and the broader macroeconomy.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is visiting Saudi Arabia, a trip described as significant as the region passes through a critical period. The report, published on August 7, 2026, says regional security is a top priority for Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. Turkey and Pakistan both share borders with Iran, making instability in the region a direct concern for them.

Preparations for the initiative began in April, when the so-called R-4 countries—Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey—met in Riyadh for the first time. According to the report, Pakistan was assigned responsibility for mediating efforts to ease ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States.

The foreign ministers of the four countries have held several meetings over the past 24 hours, with the report suggesting that discussion points were largely finalized there. It says regional powers are moving toward cooperation by combining military capabilities, technology, energy resources and Saudi Arabia’s financial strength. The move is viewed as important in light of the Middle East situation following the Iran war.

A severe traffic jam developed on the Cumilla section of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Friday, stretching nearly 30 kilometres from the Cantonment area to Miah Bazar in Chauddagram upazila. Passenger buses, cargo trucks, covered vans and other vehicles were stranded for hours, causing major hardship for drivers and passengers. Patients travelling to Dhaka from the southeast region were reported to be particularly affected.

Abdul Mumin, officer-in-charge of Cumilla Mainamati Highway Police Station, said ongoing road repair work by the Roads and Highways Department at Amtali Bishwaroad was disrupting traffic. Large potholes had formed about one kilometre east of the Cantonment area after several days of rain, and repairs were under way. The congestion began early Friday and extended beyond Chauddagram by noon, described by authorities as the largest traffic jam in recent years.

Hundreds of buses and other vehicles used the old road via Chaura-Gomti and Amtali Bishwaroad to avoid the jam, increasing pressure on alternative routes. Highway police deployed multiple teams to ease congestion. Police Superintendent Mohammad Shahinur Alam said traffic ahead was moving slowly, so normal conditions would take time to return. An ambulance driver carrying a patient to Dhaka said he had been stuck for an hour.

US Vice President JD Vance has drawn renewed attention for using personal attacks, sarcasm and ridicule on social media when responding to critics. A report published on August 7, 2026 said Vance commented on conservative columnist Marc Thiessen’s physical appearance after Thiessen criticized his position on Iran. Responding to Thiessen’s post about burritos on university menus, Vance suggested that Thiessen may have taken burritos from a cafeteria more than once.

The report says Vance has long used direct and aggressive language against left-wing critics, journalists and conservatives in his own party, calling opponents “stupid,” “incompetent” or “shameful.” Kevin Kellems, communications director to former Vice President Dick Cheney, said such behavior was not fitting for the office. Jamal Simmons, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, suggested Vance may be positioning himself for support in the 2028 presidential election.

Vance’s aides and supporters defend the approach as candid politics, saying he speaks directly like ordinary people and challenges elite conventions. Vance has said social media lets him hear unfiltered public views. He previously removed the X app from his phone for a period as part of religious practice, saying time away made him more focused and productive. The recent Thiessen exchange indicates he remains active in confrontational online engagement.

The government has launched a major plan to build modern playgrounds in every union across Bangladesh, aiming to expand grassroots sports and support children’s physical and mental development. The Youth and Sports Ministry, under a high-level committee formed with the Prime Minister’s Office, is advancing implementation. As reported on August 7, 2026, the ministry has written to members of parliament to identify suitable land for construction, renovation or upgrading of playgrounds in 4,499 unions. Each union is expected to have a central playground on at least eight bighas of land.

The plan prioritises protecting agricultural land. Where a union lacks a field, authorities will give preference to government-owned land near the union centre or a growth centre. The sites are intended as open play grounds for football, cricket, volleyball, kabaddi and local traditional sports. Proposed features include security fencing and a maintenance structure or committee formed with input from upazila authorities, local government and local MPs.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said district commissioners and upazila executive officers have been instructed to identify one central field per union and submit proposals for renovation and development. The government also plans international-standard sports villages in 10 regions in the next fiscal year, including all eight divisions, Faridpur and Cumilla.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman MP urged journalists to deliver truthful, objective and public-interest news at a meeting with reporters and media workers in Bagerhat on Friday morning. He spoke as chief guest at the event held in the Bagerhat Circuit House conference room and organised by the party’s Bagerhat district branch.

Rahman described journalists as a mirror of society and said they have an important role in serving the country and the nation. He said independent and responsible media are indispensable for national development, good governance and accountability. He also called for an environment in which journalists can publish the truth without fear, while urging people to remain cautious about misleading information and propaganda.

He said political parties, civil society and the media must work together to build Bangladesh as a just, humane and discrimination-free state. Journalists from print, electronic and online outlets attended the meeting, raising questions on local and national matters. Discussions covered media freedom, good governance, corruption prevention, development and public-interest issues. Bagerhat district Ameer Maulana Rezaul Karim chaired the event.

At least nine people were killed and several others injured after two passenger buses collided head-on on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Kashikapon, Osmaninagar upazila of Sylhet. The crash occurred at about 7am on Friday between a Unique Paribahan bus travelling from Sylhet to Dhaka and a Bengal sleeper coach travelling from Dhaka to Sylhet. Several injured passengers were reported to be in critical condition.

Among those killed at the scene were Unique Paribahan passenger Saiful Islam, 50, from Goborina Lakshmipur village in Kuliarchar, Kishoreganj, and Safi Mia of Kuliarchar. Jaifa Islam, 3, daughter of Jahangir Sheikh of Dhaka’s Bikrampur, and Saptam Ray Pritom, 22, son of Uttam Ray from Sobhanighat in Sylhet city, were declared dead after being taken to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

Fire service personnel, police and highway police conducted rescue operations and sent injured people to hospitals. The bodies were handed over to Sherpur Highway Police custody. Police said traffic on the highway was later restored, both buses were seized, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.