- Thursday, 13 August 2026
Kathmandu, Aug 11: A free eye camp organised in Thakurgaon, a northern district of Bangladesh has benefitted around 3,000 locals.
The camp, an initiative of the Biratnagar Eye Hospital, operated by the Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS), ran for five days beginning on August 2.
The camp recorded 2,894 free eye tests and 156 cataract surgeries, according to a press statement issued by the organization said.
A 13-memer team also comprising ophthalmologists Dr Pragya Luintel, Dr Ganga Sagar Shah, Deependra Chaudhary, Bidyananda Chaudhary and Mo Rafiq rendered the services during the camp.
It is said such an initiative that has been in place since 2023 is targeted at citizens mainly from those indigent communities in various districts of Bangladesh.
The event is expected to help promote the concept of ‘Health Tourism’, fostering health cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh, said Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh Central Chair Pro Dr Chet Raj Pant.
At the programme, Pratik Karki, Deputy Chief of the Nepali Embassy in Bangladesh, said that such initiatives have contributed to further strengthening people-to-people relations and health diplomacy between the two countries.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Advisor (Ministerial) on Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative Affairs of Bangladesh inaugurated the event.
According to the organiser, free eye examination, disease diagnosis, medicine distribution and cataract surgery services were the parts of the camp.
It is said that Viva Care Limited and Thakurgaon Diabetes Committee of Bangladesh have supported the operation of the camp.
Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh (NNJS) has claimed that it has been expanding quality and accessible eye health services throughout Nepal for the past four decades through 28 eye hospitals and 226 eye treatment centers.
Increasing demand for free eye treatment camps in foreign countries
NNJS has been providing technical support, capacity building, training for doctors and health workers, free eye camps, and specialist services not only in Nepal but also in countries like India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Ethiopia.
According to the NNJS, in recent years, the number of patients coming from Bangladesh to eye hospitals in Nepal for quality and affordable eye treatment has been steadily increasing.
The camp held in Thakurgaon has not only strengthened trust in Nepali eye care services but also been reported to significantly contribute to promoting eye health tourism, as the number of patients coming from Bangladesh to Nepal for treatment is expected to increase.
According to the NNJS, the growing cooperation between Nepal and Bangladesh in the health sector has not only expanded access to cross-border health services but also positively contributed to Nepal’s eye treatment services and the promotion of ‘health tourism’.
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15- Australian Ambassador calls on Minister Badi
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Australia’s Ambassador to Nepal, Simon Ernst, today paid a courtesy call on Minister for Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, and Social Security Sita Badi.
During the meeting, they both stressed the need for further strengthening Nepal-Australia friendly relations, and making it further productive.
The two also exchanged views on various issues concerning women empowerment, child rights and protection, disability inclusion, social security, care economy, human resource development and exchange of policy experiences.
Stating that Nepal and Australia have been enjoying the friendly and cordial diplomatic relations since the establishment, the Minister stressed the need for making bilateral cooperation further productive in the days to come.
She also thanked Australia for its cooperation in Nepal’s education, human development, good governance, gender equality and social inclusion.
Similarly, the Minister acknowledged the role of Australian scholarship program in the enhancement of the knowledge, skills, and professional capabilities of Nepali students, researchers, professionals in various fields, and government employees.
“Such programme has also resulted in a positive impact on policy formulation, implementation, and public service delivery,” the Minister added.
Likewise, highlighting interconnections between social security and care economy, the Minister pressed the need for recognizing and proportionately valuing women’s contribution to economy through household responsibilities and care economy.
She stressed that Nepal-Australia relations should, in the coming days, go beyond development cooperation and evolve in to a mutually beneficial partnership encompassing technology and policy experience sharing, institutional capacity development, and the further expansion of people-to-people relations.
During the meeting, Ambassador Ernst expressed his positive view on making cooperation more effective in areas of mutual interest and priority, while underscoring the significance of existing cooperation between Nepal and Australia.
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16- Nepal Mobility Expo-2026 gets rolling
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The Nepal Mobility Expo-2026 has commenced today at local Bhrikuti Mandap.
Inaugurating the Expo, Nepal Police Inspector General Dhan Bahadur Karki said there should be cooperation between the transport and mobility sectors for economic development.
“I believe exhibitions like this can serve as a milestone in the development of Nepal’s transportation and mobility sector. It is necessary to focus on aspects like road safety, traffic management, and vehicle discipline. If we move forward with coordination and cooperation between regulatory bodies and stakeholders, the transportation sector can be organized,” he said.
Ritu Singh Vaidya, president of the Nepal Automobile Importers and Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), said that vehicles of different models were displayed under the same roof.
Eighteen new brands of two-wheelers and 29 new brands of four-wheelers are being unveiled at the expo running from August 11 to 16.
Anjan Shrestha, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Birendra Raj Pandey, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries, Punya Prasad Sitoula (Saroj), President of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, and Kamalesh Agrawal, President of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, all expressed the view that the transport sector needs to be made systematic and disciplined.
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17- HoR session: Opposition MPs want PM’s border-related statement removed from records
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Lawmakers have demanded that Prime Minister’s statements on border issues be corrected, with the removal of the earlier recorded statements from the parliament’s archives.
As the today’s session of the lower house commenced, lawmakers from the opposition parties stood from their respective seats in protest, calling for deleting the PM’s ‘controversial’ statement on border matters.
The Speaker allowed them time to put their views on the basis of party representations.
The lawmakers argued that Prime Minister’s statement given before the parliament on May 31 has yet to be clarified, and, therefore should be corrected.
They also demanded that the May 31 statements be also withdrawn from the parliament’s records.
Bharat Kumar Swar of the Nepali Congress, Chandeshwor Mandal of CPN (UML), Bharat Giri of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Gopal Sharma of Nepali Communist Party were among those putting their views on the matters.
Mandal also the government to take effective measures against inflation, artificial shortage of goods, issues of landless people, passport and electricity tariff issues. He also wanted the government to ensure a fair investigation into the Sunsari and Siraha incidents.
Shram Sanskriti Party’s Parliamentary Party leader Harka Raj Rai also urged the Prime Minister to attend parliament and address the concerns raised by lawmakers.
Meantime, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Indira Rana Magar said the word expressed by Shram Sanskriti Party leader, Rai, which was unexpected, be withdrawn from the parliamentary records.
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18- Scope of digital economy being expanded beyond fintech and digital payments: Experts
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The scope of digital economy is being expanded in the recent times, review experts.
They assess that the country’s digital economy is being expanded beyond fintech (financial technology) and digital payments into areas such as content creation, gig economy and algorithm-driven businesses.
The gig economy, also known as the sharing or access economy, refers to a labour market comprising short-term, flexible, or freelance jobs, often facilitated by digital platforms while algorithm-driven business is a business that uses computer algorithms to make decisions, automate tasks and manage its operations of services.
Airing his views in a discussion on the digital economy organized by the Committee on Development, Economic Affairs and Good under the National Assembly here today, expert Ramakanta Pandey noted that the impact of the digital economy was becoming increasingly visible in Nepal’s market.
Pandey observed that the activities of content creators and influencers were beginning to influence the economy, while advances in digital technology were creating new types of businesses and employment opportunities.
He said, “Until recently, we viewed fintech and digital money as the digital economy. We have now moved beyond that framework.”
Likewise, another expert Dinesh Bista asserted that Nepal had promising prospects in the digital economy. He, however, stressed the need to improve digital infrastructure, 5G networks and the legal framework.
Bista called for appropriate laws to facilitate the development of digital public infrastructure, particularly to enable secure data sharing among government agencies.
He emphasized that a data exchange platform could significantly reduce the time and administrative burden involved in services such as company registration, where information currently has to be verified and exchanged among multiple agencies.
“Clear legal provisions are needed regarding whether or not another entity has the right to access data held by a school or hospital,” he pointed out.
He also highlighted the need for stronger personal data protection, saying agencies should be held accountable for unauthorized use or leakage of citizens’ personal information.
Other attendees of the meeting called for prioritizing technological infrastructure, data security, inter-agency data sharing, digital governance and an appropriate legal framework to accelerate Nepal’s digital economy.
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19- Public documents should be digitized and securely preserved: Minister Wagle
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Minister for Finance, Dr Swarnim Wagle, has highlighted the need to digitize and digitally preserve government documents to ensure their long-term security.
Airing his views in the meeting of the Public Account Committee under the House of Representatives today, Minister Wagle said the government must prioritize the digitization public records and secure preservation of official records.
The meeting centered on discussing the failure of the Office of the Auditor General to audit 179 public offices whose records were destroyed in fires or vandalism during the Gen-Z uprising on September 8 and 9 last year.
The Minister recalled the experience of the Gorkha Earthquake in 2015 when digitally backed-up government records supported continuity of public services and reaffirmed government’s commitment to straightening digital record-keeping.
He also informed that the systems under the Revenue and Treasury Controller offices escaped unscathed (remained safe) during the Gen-Z movement last year.
The two-day uprising during the first week of September had left behind devastation across the country as several public offices were set ablaze or vandalized, inflicting over estimated Rs 150 billion in destruction to public records.
Consequently, the Office of the Auditor General could not conduct audits of those affected offices.
During the meeting, he mentioned that the destruction of the public records occurred under circumstances was beyond the government’s control.
He, thus, underscored the importance of digitizing public records and secure them within the existing legal provisions/framework.
Minister Wage viewed that the Committee should conduct on-site studies and investigate whether those affected offices had committed any irregularities.
He also pledged to act in accordance with the Committee’s guidance.
“If the Committee understands that the circumstances were not beyond control, let us amend the law,” said the Finance Minister.
He also articulated that there was no difference of opinion between the government and the opposition regarding the nature of the problem.
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20- NHRC urges government to take note of Yadav’s health
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to pay timely attention to the deteriorating health of Binaya Yadav, who is on a hunger strike.
Yadav has been on a hunger strike at Maitighar in Kathmandu for 12 days demanding a fair investigation into the Sunsari Dewanganj incident.
NHRC requested the government to take note of Yadav’s health condition after taking updates on Yadav’s health condition.
Through a statement he issued today, NHRC spokesperson Dr Tikaram Pokharel said that the commission urges the Nepal government to be sensitive to the health condition of the person on hunger strike, take steps for effective medical treatment to save his life, and resolve the issue through dialogue.
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21- Cabinet decision: Four deceased in Sunsari and Siraha incidents declared martyrs
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The government has decided to declare four persons, who lost their lives during demonstrations in Sunsari and Siraha districts last July, as martyrs.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers held at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar today decided to declare Om Prakash Mehta, Jaya Prakash Mehta and Rabindra kumar Mehta of Sunsari and Ganesh Kumar Yadav of Siraha as martys, shared government spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokhrel.
The meeting also decided to appoint Nirmal Kumar Upreti from Bara as the Executive Director of the Foreign Employment Board.
Similarly, government spokesperson Pokhrel shared that the cabinet decided to allow the Portuguese government to open a consular office in Kathmandu.
The meeting also decided to publish the report of the study and investigation committee on the purchase and sale of ‘Ncell’ shares, formed under the coordination of former Auditor General Tank Mani Sharma, in 2080.
Likewise, the cabinet meeting decided to fully exempt clean infrastructure investment fees and value-added tax on ambulances and hearse vans operated with electricity.
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22- Investigation about enforced disappeared persons to be made effective
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The ongoing investigation into the enforced disappeared persons would be made effective.
The Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons is to make investigation of complaints and exploration of truth effective, after receiving the complaints related to disappearance of persons.
At an annual progress review programme organised in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Commission Secretary Dhurba Kumar Chauhan mentioned that the Commission would perform keeping rights of victims and victim families and individual’s concern in centre and the Commission’s activities would be made further systematic and result-oriented.
The Commission shared about the activities carried out in fiscal year 2082/83, status of research and investigation, action taken upon complaints, coordination made with victims and victim families, records management, among others.
The CIEDP is currently without its office-bearers since the appointments made by the previous government were annulled through an Ordinance introduced by the present government.
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23- Cabinet decision: Four deceased in Sunsari and Siraha incidents to be declared martyrs
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The government has decided to declare four persons who lost their lives during demonstration in Sunsari and Siraha districts as martyrs.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers held at the Sinigha Durbar based Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers decided to declare Om Prakash Meheta, Jaya Prakash Meheta and Rabindra kumar Meheta of Sunsari and Ganesh Kumar Yadav of Suraha as martys, informed government spokesperson and Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokhrel.
The meeting has decided to appoint Nirmal Kumar Upreti from Bara as the Executive Director of the Foreign Employment Board.
Similarly, government spokesperson Pokhrel informed that the meeting also decided to allow the Portuguese government to open a consular office in Kathmandu.
The meeting has also decided to publish the report of the study and investigation committee on the purchase and sale of ‘Ncell’ shares, formed under the coordination of former Auditor General Tank Mani Sharma, in 2080.
Likewise, the cabinet meeting decided to completely exempt clean infrastructure investment fees and value-added tax on ambulances and hearses operated by electricity produced or smuggled within Nepal.
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24- Australian Ambassador calls on Speaker Aryal
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Australian Ambassador to Nepal, Simon Ernst, called on Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal today.
During the meeting held at Speaker Aryal’s office in Singha Durbar, various matters of Nepal-Australia relations, parliamentary collaboration, people’s level relation and mutual interest were discussed.
On the occasion, Speaker Aryal mentioned that the Federal Parliament has formed Nepal-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group and laid emphasis on the need of exchanging parliamentarians of both countries regularly and increasing institutional involvement.
He opined that the parliamentary friendship group would play significant role in expanding cooperation in the sector of shared welfare as well as increasing mutual understanding.
Lauding the support of Australian government in Nepal’s socio-economic development since long, the Speaker extended gratitude for the contribution of Australia in Nepal’s human resources development through Australia Awards Scholarship, capacity building and training opportunity.
Speaker Aryal underlined that Australia has become major destination for Nepali students to pursue higher education.
Similarly, the Australian Ambassador shared that the parliament-level cooperation and people’s level relations have significant role to further strengthen Nepal-Australia relations.
He also expressed commitment to continue the Australian support to expand cooperation in various sectors including Nepal-Australia education, human resources development, parliamentary cooperation in the days to come.
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25- Recommendation for in-depth investigation on Ncell share ownership transaction
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The Study and Investigation Committee on Ncell Axiata share purchase and sale, 2080 has suggested that the relevant authorities should investigate issues related to revenue leakage, foreign exchange embezzlement and money laundering over what is called, opaque transactions in Nepal and abroad, in Ncell’s past share and ownership transactions.
The government on Tuesday decided to make public the report of the Committee, and implement its recommendations. The committee formed under the coordination of former Auditor General Tanka Mani Sharma Dangal states that Ncell Axiata has purchased and sold shares and ownership 14 times since its establishment as Spice Cell Pvt. Ltd. in 2058 BS. The committee concludes that most of these transactions were made through offshore structures outside Nepal and that all the records and details related to them were not submitted to the relevant official authorities of Nepal. Even the payments for the transactions of some Nepali shareholders were made abroad and not through the Nepali banking system.
The committee concludes that the process of converting the company into a public limited company by selling 11 shares to seven employees of the company on 19th Shrawan 2077 did not seem natural.
The committee’s report also concludes that the Ncell share purchase and sale agreement signed between Axiata Group Berhad Malaysia and Spectralite UK on December 1, 2023 was made without prior approval required before share transactions as per prevailing Nepali law.
The committee has also raised the issue of potential economic interests and cross-holding between Ncell and Smart Telecom. It concludes that there may be a relationship of economic interests between the shareholders of Ncell and Smart Telecom. The report mentions that cases are pending in various courts and bodies regarding more than Rs 85 billion in taxes and non-taxes owed by Ncell to the Government of Nepal.
The report states that the transaction value of the company, which earns billions of rupees annually even after paying taxes, does not match the public statements. The committee concludes that the share purchase agreement between Axiata and Spectralite does not appear to be real and realistic.
The committee suggests the government not to accept Ncell’s latest share purchase agreement as it stands. According to the law, both parties are required to submit an application to the relevant body, but such an application was not made, the approval required before the share purchase and sale was not obtained, and the terms of the agreement were not in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
It also suggests that necessary decision should be taken after studying the regulation of foreign investment in Nepal’s telecommunications sector, the sensitivity of telecommunications services, the assurance of service operation, future business plans, the impact on the foreign investment environment, the legal compliance of the parties so far, the accuracy of the terms of the agreement, the transparency of the transaction and the reliability of the price, and court orders.
The report has suggested implementing a system to ensure the ownership of the Government of Nepal in the property, buildings, machinery and equipment related to telecommunications services after the expiry of the 25-year period of the license, based on the provisions of Section 33 of the Telecommunications Act, 2053. The government should ensure such ownership by imposing necessary conditions in the upcoming license renewal.
The Committee’s report also covers issues such as ownership changes since the company’s inception, offshore transactions, dividend flows, tax and non-tax liabilities, foreign investments, regulatory compliance, potential cross-holdings, transaction values, and international disputes.
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26- UML and NCP agree on power sharing in provincial governments
Kathmandu, Aug 11: The CPN (UML) and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) have reached a three-point on power sharing in the provincial governments.
UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and NCP Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ signed an agreement that states that the number of seats each party has in the respective provincial assembly will generally be considered the main basis when forming a provincial government.
It is also mentioned that the post of the Chief Minister and Speaker will also be determined as per the balance of power.
Accordingly, the first ministry will be selected by the party that does not take the post of the Chief Minister and the second ministry will be selected by the party that will get the Chief Minister’s position.
The two parties have stated that the same process will be repeated in turn to distribute all ministries. Since Nepali Congress pulled out from power sharing agreement with the CPN-UML, the NCP has come on board ensuring a coalition government between the two parties in at least four of the seven provinces in the country.
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27- Education Minister Pokharel consults with stakeholders about inclusive education
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Minister for Education and Sports, Sasmit Pokharel, held a consultation with stakeholders regarding operation and management of inclusive education in the country.
The consultation was held on Tuesday at the Ministry of Education and Sports in Singha Durbar with participation from members of the House of Representatives, people with disabilities, teachers with physical disabilities, disability rights activists, leaders of prominent organizations, and other stakeholders.
The consultation covered standards for the implementation and management of inclusive education, issues concerning teachers who are visually impaired or have other disabilities, topics related to people who are blind, deaf, or hard of hearing, and matters related to the Special Education Council.
On the occasion, the participants shared their opinions and suggestions on policy and practical problems observed during the implementation of inclusive education, challenges faced by teachers with disabilities, and necessary policy measures to address these issues.
The participants emphasized on placing necessary arrangements to ensure the professional rights, services, facilities, school access, and effective implementation of inclusive education for teachers with disabilities.
They also stressed that the standards for running and managing inclusive education should be approved and implemented without any delay, technical and vocational education bills should be made disability-friendly, and curriculum, textbooks, teaching materials, and assessment systems should be applied.
Minister Pokharel noted the ministry would seriously consider the suggestions and experiences received from stakeholders and expressed a commitment to take necessary policy initiatives to make inclusive education effective.
He dubbed the discussion relevant in the context of the Education Act being formulated and the national curriculum framework being revised, and vowed to continue such discussions in the future to address all issues while formulating concerned laws and policies.
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28- Karnali’s ‘Jethi Aama’ Shahi dies at 117
Karnali, Aug 11: Kalu Shahi, popularly known as “Jethi Aama” (elder mother) of Karnali, has died at the age of 117.
A resident of Sapulli village in Ward No. 4 of Tila Rural Municipality, Jumla, Shahi was also locally known as Kalu Jejya (Kalu Jethi Aama).
Born in 1966 B.S. (around 1909) in Nuwakot village of the same ward, Shahi passed away at her residence on Monday, according to her grandson, Lanka Bahadur Shahi
Widowed 67 years ago, Shahi lost her eldest son, Man Singh Shahi, 20 years ago; her daughter, Raju Shahi, 13 years ago; and her youngest son, Dhanmal Shahi, seven years ago. She died after suffering from a fever for two days. Her funeral rites were performed on Monday itself, her grandson Lanka Bahadur said.
Shahi is said to have been the oldest woman in the history of Karnali at the time of her death.
It may be noted that the average life expectancy of people in Karnali is just 46 years, against the national average of 72 years.
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29- Mines and Minerals Bill not tabled due to lack of quorum
Kathmandu, Aug 11: A proposal seeking consideration on Mines and Minerals Bill, 2083 could not been tabled in the meeting of House of Representatives held on Tuesday for lack of a quorum.
Article 94 of the Constitution required that one fourth members (69) of the House of Representatives should be present in the meeting for any proposal to be tabled for a decision.
Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal shared that the bill would be tabled in the next meeting, as only 61 members were present in today’s meeting.
During the meeting, lawmaker Nishcal Rai drew Speaker’s attention, saying that there was no quorum. Speaker Aryal then directed the concerned to determine the quorum by ringing a bell for three minutes.
The HoR will meet next at 1:00 pm on August 17.
Earlier, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Gauri Kumari, had presented the proposal seeking consideration on the bill.
Responding to queries raised by lawmakers, Minister Kumari shared that the Constitution of Nepal has divided powers related to mining among the federal, province and local levels.
A new bill has been forwarded as it is necessary to make the existing Mines Act, 2042, timely, amend and change it, she stressed. “The bill has been tabled in the parliament by make minerals sector competitive, transparent and investment-friendly.”
She argued that the government would make separate legal and security arrangements for minerals of strategic importance.
During the discussion on principles of the proposal, lawmakers had raised issues related to power of local community, guarantee of investment and use of minerals of strategic importance along with development of mining areas.
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