Discussion over BNP’s next secretary general has intensified after Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was announced as a presidential candidate on August 13, a move expected to leave his party post vacant. The report, published on August 16, says Fakhrul’s election as president is considered nearly certain because BNP holds a parliamentary majority. Several names are being discussed as possible successors.

Under BNP’s constitution, a permanent secretary general is elected through a national council, while a leader may serve temporarily or in an acting capacity beforehand. Standing Committee member Selima Rahman said senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi would become acting secretary general under the party’s rules. However, BNP has not formally announced anyone for either the acting or permanent role.

Rizvi said no formal announcement had been made and that he was waiting for the party’s decision. Party sources said a permanent secretary general could be chosen at the national council or around that time, with chairman Tarique Rahman’s decision expected to be central. Some media reports have also mentioned Salahuddin Ahmed, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, though Rahman said there had been no internal discussion on those names.

Police have arrested two people, including a journalist, over an attack and vandalism targeting the vehicle of BNP-nominated Sirajganj-3 lawmaker Aynul Haque. Sirajganj Additional Superintendent of Police for Raiganj Circle Saiful Islam Khan confirmed the development on the night of August 16. The detainees are Raiganj Press Club general secretary and municipal Jubo Sebok Dal member secretary Md Golam Muktadir, and Alamgir Hossain.

Police said Golam Muktadir was named in the case’s first information report and was detained in an operation by the district detective branch. Alamgir Hossain was arrested at about 4:45 p.m. during an operation at Cafe Fast Food near Dhangara Mohila Degree College in Raiganj upazila headquarters. A case was filed on Saturday night by Shamimul Hasan, naming 15 people and listing another 30 to 40 unidentified accused.

Local BNP leaders said tensions arose at a municipal BNP meeting in Dhangara Bazar over the proposed location of a Technical Training Centre. They said the vehicle was attacked as the lawmaker was leaving after proposing a committee to select the site. BNP blamed local Jamaat and NCP leaders, while district Jamaat secretary Professor Zahidul Islam denied involvement and condemned the incident.

Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram has congratulated Bangladesh’s cricketers, coaches and all others involved after the team’s commanding nine-wicket victory in a Test match against Australia. The report, published on August 17, 2026, said he issued the congratulatory message on Sunday.

In his message, the acting president described Bangladesh’s first Test-match victory on Australian soil as a glorious achievement. His congratulations recognized the contribution of the players, coaching staff and other people associated with the Bangladesh cricket team.

He expressed hope that the landmark win in Australia would play a positive role in the continued progress of cricket in Bangladesh. The source did not provide further match statistics, name individual players, or state Bangladesh’s next fixtures.

A resident student of Dhaka University’s Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall, Md Ibrahim, has accused provost Professor Dr Ilias Al Mamun of detaining and mentally harassing him after he shared social media posts critical of hall issues. Ibrahim alleged that he was summoned to the provost’s office on Sunday, August 16, held for about one and a half hours, deprived of his mobile phone, threatened, and forced to sign a written statement.

Ibrahim said staff members prevented him from leaving the room, checked his phone, and threatened cancellation of his residential seat and studentship, as well as a cyber case. He also alleged that he was compelled to write that hall union representatives had influenced his Facebook posts. Residential students later protested, demanding the provost’s resignation.

Professor Mamun denied allegations of physical and mental abuse, saying Ibrahim had been called in to explain comments made without knowing the facts. He objected to the student recording their conversation, acknowledged calling Ibrahim’s mother, and said Ibrahim admitted his mistake before being given refreshments and allowed to leave. Dhaka University’s deputy vice-chancellor for administration said the university was aware of the matter and would investigate competing accounts from the student and hall administration.

Bangladesh’s Local Government Division has issued a show-cause notice to Hossain Shahid Sohrawardy Gronet Babu, chairman of Kishoreganj Sadar Union Parishad in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari, asking why he should not be temporarily suspended. The notice followed an investigation that found allegations of illegally occupying government khas land, abusing authority and using Union Parishad public funds for personal interests to be substantiated.

The notice was signed by Ziaur Rahman, deputy secretary of the UP-1 branch of the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. It states that the alleged actions constitute offences under sections 34(4)(b) and 34(4) of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009.

Gronet Babu has been directed to submit his reply through the Nilphamari deputy commissioner to the Local Government Division within 10 working days of receiving the notice. A report published by Daily Amar Desh online on 23 May prompted an instruction for the district administration to investigate. The deputy commissioner later formed a five-member committee, whose field investigation report found the allegations true, according to the notice. Kishoreganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Arifur Rahman confirmed the notice.

Matihar police sent Rajshahi University Chhatra Dal joint general secretary Hasib Hasan to court after detaining him with Indian tapentadol tablets, according to a report published on August 16, 2026. He was sent to court on Sunday morning. Police filed a case as complainant under Section 36(1), Table 29(a) of the Narcotics Control Act, 2018.

The case complaint identifies the detained person as Md Hasibul Hasan, 29, a resident of Meherchandi Madhyapara in Rajshahi metropolitan area’s Chandrima police station jurisdiction. The case was registered at Matihar police station as case number 17 on August 15.

According to the complaint, seven illegal intoxicating tapentadol tablets, cut into individual pieces, were recovered from Hasan. The tablets weighed 2.80 grams and were estimated to be worth Tk2,100. Police also recovered a red-and-black Pulsar 150cc motorcycle from him. Matihar police station officer-in-charge Golam Kabir confirmed that Hasan had been sent to court and that police had filed the narcotics case.

A fitter named Alauddin was seriously injured while working at the Baraka Ship Breaking Yard in Chowdhuryghata, Sitakunda, on Sunday morning, August 16. The incident occurred around 8am at the green-certified yard after heavy material slipped from his hands and fell below, according to local sources. Alauddin, a resident of Sitakunda’s Kumira area, suffered severe injuries.

Co-workers quickly rescued him and sent him to Chattogram for treatment in critical condition. He is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Chattogram. Sahed Parvez Talukdar, a labour inspector with the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments in Chattogram, said authorities had learned of the incident and that the injured worker is now well.

The accident came before concerns had subsided over the deaths of nine workers at Ferdous Steel. Young Power in Social Action, or YPSA, expressed deep concern over safety across the shipbreaking industry and oversight by government agencies. Its head of advocacy, Mohammad Ali Shahin, called for special government monitoring and effective measures to make the sector safer and more orderly.

Bangladesh defeated host Australia by nine wickets in Darwin to secure their first Test victory on Australian soil, prompting widespread praise across the cricket world. The landmark win by Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team was reported on August 16, 2026, with former and current cricketers reacting on social media to Bangladesh’s commanding performance.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen expressed surprise, while former Sri Lanka cricketer and commentator Russell Arnold called the achievement remarkable and unbelievable against a leading team at home. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer described it as a historic achievement and a major moment for Bangladesh cricket. Former Australia fast bowler Damien Fleming said Darwin had become an inseparable chapter in Bangladesh’s cricket history.

Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews cited the result while questioning the ICC’s proposed two-tier Test system. Ian Bishop said Bangladesh deserved respect and recognition, highlighting contributions from Mehedi, Tanzid, Hasan Mahmud, coach Phil Simmons and the wider team. A former Indian cricketer also said the victory underlined the importance of designated Test venues, noting that Darwin’s conditions had surprised Australia.

Australian media outlets have sharply criticized the national cricket team after Bangladesh secured a historic nine-wicket victory in Darwin. The defeat of Australia, described in the source as the top team in the World Test Championship, has put batting failures and team selection under scrutiny. Several reports characterized the result as one of the biggest setbacks in Australia’s home cricket history.

News.com.au highlighted Bangladesh’s dominance and Australia’s fragile batting in its match analysis. The Australian used stronger language, calling the loss embarrassing and saying Bangladesh had dismantled Australia in the Darwin Test. ABC said the unexpected defeat had raised long-term questions for Australian cricket, while noting that Bangladesh’s strong bowling exposed weaknesses in Australia’s batting lineup.

Fox Cricket said selectors must make difficult decisions after what it called one of Australia’s biggest Test upsets. Its analysis called for changes to both batting and bowling, and said several Australian players faced a final opportunity to retain their places. Media criticism focused particularly on the top order, whose failures across both innings, inability to stay at the crease, and lack of resistance against Bangladesh’s bowlers were cited as major reasons for the defeat.

At least 10 students have died in different parts of Bangladesh after the 2026 SSC and equivalent examination results were released, according to Achol Foundation. The organisation disclosed the information in a statement signed by its general secretary, Sharmin Akter Mim, on August 16. Citing family and local sources, it said the incidents occurred amid mental pressure after students failed examinations or did not receive expected results.

Media reports have recorded the deaths in Rajshahi, Kushtia, Chapainawabganj, Chandpur, Chattogram, Sherpur, Gopalganj, Meherpur, Cumilla and Chuadanga since results were released on August 10. Seven of the 10 students mentioned in those reports were girls and three were boys. Achol Foundation’s compiled data says at least 403 students died by suicide in 2025, compared with 310 in 2024, 513 in 2023 and 532 in 2022.

The foundation called for preparedness and institutional support during result periods. Its eight recommendations include closer family attention, trained counsellors in schools and colleges, hotlines before and after results, training for teachers and parents, and a national suicide-prevention framework. It also urged less result-focused education and more opportunities for creativity, technical knowledge and problem-solving skills.

A viral social media video claiming that a woman chased a power office worker over an electricity bill is not a real incident, according to fact-checking organization The Descent. An Amardesh Online report published on August 16, 2026 said the footage was an acted production made for entertainment or awareness purposes.

The video was first posted on August 12 by a Facebook account named Munnau Molla, which regularly publishes similar acted or scripted content, the investigation found. Later, parts of the video were collected and circulated by various pages and accounts with altered captions portraying it as an actual confrontation involving an electricity bill distributor.

Sources including NEWS NOW Bangla and Showkat Hossain Khan shared the clip with claims that a power office employee had faced trouble while delivering a bill paper. The Descent concluded that the footage was a dramatized segment, and said it had been spread on social media as a real event either carelessly or deliberately.

Saiful Haque, general secretary of Bangladesh’s Revolutionary Workers Party, alleged that responsibility for the worsening power crisis is being shifted onto rickshaw workers. He made the remarks on Sunday at a rally in Purana Paltan intersection in the capital, organized by Biplobi Rickshaw Workers Solidarity over five demands of rickshaw workers. Haque said the government, wealthy people and the middle class should first use energy more sparingly to address the crisis.

He said the government must meet the survival demands of neglected working people, including rickshaw workers, to prove that it is worker-friendly. Haque added that democracy would hold no meaning for workers unless humane living conditions were ensured. He also said no one speaks about the human rights of rickshaw workers.

Haque demanded an immediate end to indiscriminate impounding of battery-powered rickshaws and extortion from their drivers. He called for the release of all seized rickshaws within 72 hours, warning of broader action to protect workers’ livelihoods otherwise. Other speakers said many people depend on battery-powered rickshaws but face uncertainty from impoundment, police harassment and other abuse.

Police in Feni have formed a three-member departmental committee to investigate allegations that Daganbhuiyan police station officer-in-charge Muhammad Faizul Azim Noman refused to register cases. Feni Superintendent of Police Pratyush Kumar Majumdar confirmed that the inquiry began on Sunday and said the committee must submit its report within seven working days.

On August 9, Judge A N M Morshed Khan of the district’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal directed the superintendent to investigate complaints involving two separate incidents and take departmental action against the officer. The court also ordered his removal from duty. The committee was formed last Thursday, led by Additional Superintendent of Police Md Saiful Islam, with DIO-1 Muhammad Rashid and Inspector Haidar as members.

The superintendent said the inquiry would examine the matters identified by the court and be handled under departmental rules. In one case, the court accepted Bibi Marjahan’s complaint of dowry-related assault as an FIR and ordered steps for a PBI investigation. Lawyers also raised an allegation that police had not registered a dowry-related murder complaint involving Tania Akter.

Assistant Attorney General Md Nurul Karim has resigned amid discussion surrounding allegations of his involvement with Awami League politics. He submitted his resignation letter on Sunday, August 16, 2026, citing personal reasons. In the letter, he said he could no longer continue performing his duties for personal reasons.

Karim was appointed assistant attorney general on July 30, 2026, according to his resignation letter. He stated that he had properly carried out the responsibilities assigned to him since taking office. His resignation came 17 days after his appointment.

On July 30, the government appointed 86 deputy attorneys general and 179 assistant attorneys general to conduct cases for the state. At the same time, all previous appointments at the Attorney General’s Office were cancelled. The Solicitor Wing of the Law and Justice Division under the Law Ministry issued separate notifications under the President’s order, signed by Solicitor Sana Md Mahfuz Hossain.

Bangladesh’s Public Works Department transferred and posted 409 engineers through a lottery on Sunday at the Public Works Building conference room in Segunbagicha. The group included 152 assistant engineers in civil works, 67 assistant engineers in electrical and mechanical works, 135 sub-divisional engineers in civil works, and 55 sub-divisional engineers in electrical and mechanical works.

Among assistant engineers, 100 were posted to offices in Dhaka division, 20 to Rajshahi, 34 to Chattogram, 20 to Khulna, 12 to Barishal, seven to Sylhet, nine to Mymensingh and 17 to Rangpur. For sub-divisional engineers, postings included 79 in Dhaka, 18 in Rajshahi, 32 in Chattogram, 20 in Khulna, 10 in Barishal, nine in Sylhet, seven in Mymensingh and 15 in Rangpur.

The lottery was arranged to ensure transparency, neutrality and discipline in transfers and postings. Housing and Public Works Ministry Additional Secretary Md Sarowar Alam and several department and ministry officials attended. Earlier, the department transferred 767 sub-assistant engineers in civil works through a lottery on July 30 and 254 sub-assistant engineers in electrical and mechanical works on August 3.