Saiful Haque, general secretary of Bangladesh’s Revolutionary Workers Party, called for building an equal, democratic and humane state to honor those killed in the July-August mass uprising. Speaking at a martyrs remembrance rally organized by his party in Hatirjheel, Dhaka, on Tuesday, he also demanded the immediate publication of a complete list of those killed and injured in the July revolution.

Haque said the martyrs sacrificed their lives for an equal democratic and humane state and society, not to increase the political capital of any particular force or group. He said narrow politics should not be conducted using their memory. He further argued that economic and social inequality, job losses and unemployment had increased over the past two years, while people’s lives and livelihoods had not become secure.

He said terrorism, extortion and land grabbing had not stopped. Citing foreign-dependent energy policy, Haque said gas and electricity shortages had deepened and urged stronger domestic institutions, including BAPEX. He said the BNP government had demonstrated notable success in democratic rights and tolerance during its first six months, while people would now want implementation of its social and economic protection initiatives.

Iran will not retreat from nuclear technology or scientific development despite what it describes as repeated enemy efforts to destroy its nuclear industry, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Deputy Chief Major General Mostafa Izadi said. Speaking at an event commemorating Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he said Iran would continue its nuclear, scientific and development progress with strength.

Izadi said adversaries had pursued plans to weaken, overthrow and fragment Iran. He alleged their aims included controlling Iran's oil resources and the Strait of Hormuz, destroying Iranian-Islamic civilisation, weakening the armed forces and resistance front, and eliminating the nuclear industry. None of those efforts had succeeded, he claimed. He also said the Islamic Republic had overcome difficult circumstances through reliance on God and prudent leadership.

The IRGC official cited Iran's claimed full armed-forces control over the Strait of Hormuz, advances in missile capability and modern air-defence systems as sources of deterrence. He said these capabilities had forced opponents into a cautious and largely inactive position. Izadi also claimed the resistance front had strengthened its regional influence through control of strategic access points in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman said the country’s overall situation has not improved significantly after the government completed six months. Speaking while chairing the party’s regular meeting on Tuesday at its central office in Paltan, he raised concerns over prices, the energy sector, public security and investment conditions.

Rahman said commodity prices were beyond people’s reach and that people faced repeated harassment in the energy sector. He said there had been no notable improvement in public security and described the investment situation as dire. According to him, the lack of change in the state structure and the absence of policy reforms were responsible for the failure to improve conditions.

He said the July mass uprising had brought only changes in individuals rather than a qualitative change in the state. Rahman called for reforms to meet public expectations, including forming an upper house based on proportional representation of general votes and imposing strict discipline in the financial sector. The meeting also expressed concern that gas and electricity problems were causing public hardship and disrupting production, stressing the need for long-term, sustainable solutions.

Pakistan’s military has rejected a new Indian documentary about the May 2025 India-Pakistan military conflict, calling it factually incorrect and an attempt to portray operational outcomes differently. In a detailed statement reported on August 18, 2026, the Inter-Services Public Relations said the documentary distorted established events through Bollywood-style cinematic reconstructions and selected interviews. Pakistan refers to the conflict as Marka-i-Haq.

ISPR questioned efforts to link a Pakistani army chief’s April 16, 2025 remarks to the April 22 Pahalgam attack. It also challenged India’s timeline, saying India claimed to retaliate through Operation Sindoor on May 7 but announced the elimination of alleged attackers on July 28. Pakistan said this sequence conflicted with India’s assertions.

The military rejected India’s claim of a fully successful mission, alleging Pakistani forces repelled cross-border operations and downed eight Indian warplanes. It said Pakistan later conducted Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, targeting 26 Indian military facilities with Fatah guided rockets, precision air-to-surface munitions, loitering drones and artillery. ISPR said fighting ended through direct contact between the countries’ director generals of military operations, mediated by the United States.

NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary criticised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, saying efforts to retain former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s legacy would not be productive. In a post on his verified Facebook page published on August 18, 2026, Patwary said what the prime minister was seeking no longer existed. Addressing those urging him to follow an old path, he said the reset button had been pressed and that route would bring no benefit.

Patwary said Bangladesh wanted to begin anew with dignity and equality rather than remain subordinate to anyone, describing it as an independent Bangladesh. He wrote that Ziaur Rahman and Tarique Rahman had faced the same reality at different times. According to Patwary, Ziaur Rahman had also tried that path, but it did not produce the desired solution.

He called for reforms to be implemented while staying on the correct path, describing reform as the only effective route. Patwary also urged attention to the geopolitical situation in the Bay of Bengal. He wrote that a major expectation behind Tarique Rahman’s return from London was to move the state beyond the cycle of old politics. Referring to Ziaur Rahman’s role in building economic foundations through the garment industry and overseas manpower exports, he asked what would underpin Bangladesh during the current prime minister’s tenure.

FIFA has ended its working relationship with senior executive Kevin Lamour after he criticised president Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell World Cup partnerships. A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the development in a statement, saying Lamour’s employment relationship with the organisation ended on August 17, 2026.

The report links Lamour’s dismissal to his opposition to the proposed sale of World Cup partnerships. It describes the FIFA proposal as highly controversial and says Lamour had criticised the plan advanced by the FIFA president.

Lamour lost his job less than three weeks after opposing the disputed proposal, according to the report. The FIFA spokesperson confirmed only that the working relationship had ended; the source provides no further details on the dismissal, the proposal’s status, or any next steps by FIFA or Lamour.

Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin ur Rashid said Bangladesh has no fertilizer shortage and holds stocks exceeding demand. Speaking to journalists at the Agriculture Ministry conference room in the Secretariat on Tuesday, he said fertilizer reserves are higher than last year. He described claims of an artificial fertilizer shortage and resulting public confusion as part of a planned conspiracy.

The minister called the ministry’s work and progress during the government’s first 180 days satisfactory. He said higher agricultural production, expanded storage facilities and greater technology use could gradually reduce reliance on imported farm products. A database of about 1.4 million farmers has been prepared in a pilot phase, while farmer cards are to be distributed to 350,000 to 400,000 farmers each month.

Over the past six months, more than 2.418 million saplings were planted against a target of 2.5 million, and 475.61 kilometres of canals were excavated against a 478.9-kilometre target. The minister said no onion imports have been needed so far this year, with plans for infrastructure to store 300,000 tonnes. He also cited plans for BRRI 118 rice cultivation next year and solar-powered irrigation pumps.

Posts, Telecommunications, Information and Technology, and Science and Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam has called for collective action to build a trusted, inclusive and resilient digital information system in Bangladesh. He made the appeal as chief guest at a policy dialogue in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon titled “Information Integrity and Social Cohesion in Bangladesh: Policy, Platform Accountability and Collective Action.”

The minister said Bangladesh’s rapid digital transformation has created new opportunities for citizens in access to information, communication, education, commerce and government services. However, he said reliable, credible and accurate information is essential for building a dependable digital information ecosystem. Protecting information credibility, he added, extends beyond addressing misinformation and disinformation, linking directly to public trust, social cohesion and meaningful citizen participation.

Anam said coordinated efforts by the government, technology platforms, media, civil society and citizens are needed to create a credible, safe and trust-based environment. He also stressed responsible journalism and quality content across traditional and digital media, warning that harmful, misleading and deliberate content can have serious negative effects, particularly on children and young people. Representatives from government bodies, international organizations, media and civil society attended the dialogue.

Bangladesh’s presidential election will be held on Thursday between ruling BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Oli Ahmed, candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. Neither contender withdrew their nomination by the Tuesday 4 p.m. deadline, so voting will proceed under the announced schedule, according to Election Commission Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.

Voting is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the parliamentary chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad. On the day, election official and Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin will explain the voting procedure to member of parliament voters. Ballot papers will be prepared on Tuesday, and will carry black print on white paper.

The ballot will have a counterfoil and ballot section. MPs will sign with their full names to receive a ballot and will vote by signing in the blank space beside a candidate’s name, which will be arranged by Bangla alphabetical initials. Of parliament’s 350 members, 349 are eligible voters after BNP’s Aslam Chowdhury lost his membership by court order. Ballots will be counted in the chamber after 5 p.m., where the result will be announced before a gazette is published.

National Citizen Party member secretary and lawmaker Akhtar Hossain said the government had repealed earlier ordinances on the Human Rights Commission and prevention of enforced disappearances while promising better laws, but the current drafts would limit independent investigations. Speaking on August 18 at an NCP reform implementation committee roundtable at the Dhaka Reporters Unity, he said disappearance investigations could be assigned to forces that may themselves face such allegations.

Hossain said a proposed five-year punishment for families making false complaints could intimidate victims’ relatives. He called for laws based on public views rather than only those of bureaucrats and security forces. Photographer and rights activist Shahidul Alam urged retention of the NHRC’s independent investigative authority, an independent commissioner-selection process and correction of weaknesses in the disappearance law.

Other speakers, including Professor Dilara Chowdhury, Dr Sharif Bhuiyan and Barrister Tanim Hossain Shawon, argued that independent institutions were necessary to hold governments accountable. Dr Nabila Idris said recent legal changes were curbing independent investigations into security forces and proposed special safeguards and a separate legal framework rather than removing investigative powers.

Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee MP said Bangladesh will give the highest priority to water rights, agriculture, food security, environmental protection and biodiversity in renewing the Farakka water-sharing treaty. He said the agreement would be renewed with water security and national interests in mind amid changing realities. The minister made the remarks on Tuesday, August 18, at a seminar titled “Ganges Water Treaty: Renewal” in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, organized by the Bangladesh Institute of Law and International Affairs.

The minister said the Farakka agreement concluded in 1977 during the time of martyred President Ziaur Rahman was the best agreement because it contained a guarantee clause for receiving water. He said the guarantee clause was removed from the 1996 agreement. Addressing renewal challenges, he said work was under way with Bangladesh’s interests as the priority.

State Minister Azad said Bangladesh and India share 54 transboundary rivers, most of which lack navigability. He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had planned excavation of 20,000 kilometres of rivers, canals and water bodies over five years. He also mentioned an initiative to strengthen the Joint Rivers Commission through suitable individuals. Former adviser Dr Asif Nazrul presented the keynote paper at the seminar.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s central parliament has dissolved the committee of its Noakhali Science and Technology University unit following a clash-related incident. The decision was announced in a press release sent by the central body on Tuesday, according to a report published on August 18, 2026.

The release said the existing committee of the Noakhali Science and Technology University branch was dissolved in accordance with a decision of the central parliament. It did not provide further details about the clash, including the people involved or the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The decision was approved by central Chhatra Dal president Rakibul Islam Rakib and general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir, the release said. The information was confirmed in the statement signed by Md Jahangir Alam, the central office secretary with vice-president status. A new committee for the university unit will be announced very soon, according to the release.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said sustainable development will not be possible unless equal opportunities are ensured for everyone in society and the state. He made the remarks on Tuesday as chief guest at a dialogue at a hotel in the capital titled “Information Integrity and Social Cohesion in Bangladesh: Policy, Platform Accountability and Collective Action.” UNDP, GIZ and the Norwegian government organized the event.

Swapan said Bangladesh’s media and information landscape is changing rapidly. While technological advances have expanded opportunities for information flow, they have also created new challenges. He stressed the need to ensure both free flow of information and its credibility and responsibility, identifying misinformation, disinformation and misleading information as major challenges amid rapid growth in information technology and artificial intelligence.

The minister called for coordinated action by the state, media, civil society and international development partners. He said international experience should be used while Bangladesh builds capacities suited to its own realities and needs. He also urged the positive use of AI, digital platforms and data-driven communication, alongside media freedom, responsibility, public access to information and skills development for media workers.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque called for broad participation by Islamists and honest, qualified people in local government elections, warning that corrupt candidates could become representatives if they remain inactive. He made the remarks on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 4 pm during a grassroots candidate selection committee meeting in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, organized by the party’s election management committee at the Amire Majlis political office.

Haque said people devoted to public welfare should enter electoral contests to make local government more citizen-friendly and free of corruption. He called on the Election Commission to play an effective role in reducing the dominance of money and influential groups. According to him, the commission’s indifference and inactivity can prevent genuinely public-minded, honest and acceptable candidates from emerging properly in electoral competition.

He said political parties and Islamist organizations must also act responsibly rather than relying solely on the Election Commission. Haque emphasized organizational work from the grassroots to develop qualified leadership in every union, municipality and local government institution. He also urged party workers to strengthen organizational capacity, increase public engagement and build acceptable, people-friendly local leadership. Party leaders and members of election management and candidate selection committees attended the meeting.

Bangladesh Bank has issued new guidance on opening bank accounts for foreign nationals working in Bangladesh. In a circular issued Tuesday, it instructed banks to make necessary arrangements for foreign workers holding A-3 and other employment visas, provided they have updated work permits and comply with standard customer identification and know-your-customer requirements.

The circular refers to a Home Ministry notice issued on April 29, 2026, which clarified that foreign nationals employed in Bangladesh under the A-3 visa category must receive their salaries and allowances through banks. Foreign nationals arriving under the A-3 category are required to obtain work permits from the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, or BIDA, and renew them after expiry.

Bangladesh Bank said work permits carry a condition requiring salaries and allowances to be received through banking channels. It added that the need to receive pay through banks applies not only to A-3 visa holders but also to foreign nationals working in Bangladesh under other employment visa categories. Banks have therefore been directed to facilitate account opening when valid, updated permits and KYC compliance are in place.