Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has handed back five Bangladeshi women to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) following a flag meeting at the Banglabandha frontier in Panchagarh.
The women—Jasmine Sultana (36), Parveen Khatun (38), Shirina Parveen (32), Amina Akter (40), and Laboni Akter (30)—had been detained in India. According to BGB, they had been working in households and beauty parlors in Gujarat for about a year. Indian police detained them recently and turned them over to BSF, which later returned them to Bangladesh. The women have since been transferred to Tentulia Police Station.

Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed that holders of Bangladeshi diplomatic and official passports will be allowed to visit Pakistan without a visa. The approval was granted during an advisory council meeting, authorizing a reciprocal visa exemption agreement with Pakistan for five years. Pakistani diplomats and officials will similarly enjoy visa-free entry into Bangladesh. This agreement follows similar arrangements with 31 other countries. Shafiqul Alam also highlighted ongoing efforts to repatriate 40,000 crore BDT misappropriated during the previous government, involving Bangladesh Bank, international organizations, and domestic institutions, although the process will take several years. Additionally, the Chief Advisor will attend an international conference on Rohingya issues in Cox’s Bazar on August 25.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained four hijra individuals while they were attempting to illegally cross into India through the Bashatala border in Sunamganj.

The detainees were identified as Zahidul Islam (19), Reza Ahmed (20), Moskan Akhter (20), and Roni Hasan (25).

BGB intercepted them around 3 a.m. Wednesday at the zero point of the Bashatala border. They were later handed over to Doarabazar police, who filed a case and presented them before the Sunamganj court later in the day.

A cheque distribution ceremony for state-funded films, scheduled for Wednesday at 3 PM, ended in frustration after Information Adviser Mahfuz Alam failed to arrive on time.
Journalists, invited by the Information Ministry, left the venue around 4:45 PM after waiting for nearly two hours. The program was initially delayed to 4 PM, but invitees and reporters had already gathered earlier.
As time passed, journalists grew impatient, with many criticizing the adviser’s repeated delays. He eventually arrived at 5 PM—15 minutes after the journalists left. The program concluded around 6 PM.

Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday night for a four-day official visit.
He was welcomed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by Commerce Adviser Bashir Uddin and Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider.
Scheduled from August 21–24, 2025, the visit aims to strengthen bilateral trade relations and expand economic cooperation. During his stay, the minister will meet his Bangladeshi counterpart, senior government officials, and leading business leaders.

Bangladesh has called on India to shut down all political offices of the Awami League operating in the country. According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several Awami League leaders, convicted of crimes against humanity and facing criminal cases in Bangladesh, remain in India.

The statement noted that some of these leaders attempted to hold a meeting under an NGO banner at the Delhi Press Club on July 21, distributing pamphlets to attending journalists. Indian media have also reported on this incident.

The Bangladesh government described such activities by leaders of a banned political party as a clear affront to the Bangladeshi people and state. It stressed that these actions not only undermine mutual trust and respect between the two countries but could also negatively impact Bangladesh’s ongoing political transformation process. Additionally, political activity by Bangladeshi citizens based in India could provoke public resentment back home, potentially affecting Dhaka–New Delhi relations.

British High Commissioner Sarah Cook paid a courtesy call on Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed, congratulating him on completing one year in office.
During the meeting, she praised the Chief Justice’s initiatives to strengthen judicial independence, highlighting reforms such as the judicial roadmap, 12-point directives, introduction of capacity tests for legal aid, establishment of the Supreme Judicial Appointments Council, launch of the Supreme Court helpline, and development programs for subordinate courts.
She described these measures as timely and effective, expressing confidence that his strong leadership would ensure good governance and justice. The High Commissioner also reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to support Bangladesh.

Nine officials, including the British High Commissioner, visited the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute on Monday to check on those injured in the Uttara Air Force jet crash. According to the hospital’s Resident Surgeon Dr. Shaon Bin Rahman, a meeting with the acting director is ongoing. A British medical team had previously worked with the institute last week.

Palestine’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yousef S.Y. Ramadan, has expressed deep gratitude to the people of Bangladesh for their unwavering support of the Palestinian cause.
In a meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, the envoy described the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying: “There is no food, no medicine, and children are the worst sufferers.” He highlighted that Bangladesh has been sending aid and financial contributions, which Palestinians know are coming from the Bangladeshi people.
Ramadan also praised Bangladesh for rejecting the so-called “Greater Israel” map and urged the country to increase imports of Palestinian goods. Chief Adviser Yunus reaffirmed Bangladesh’s solidarity and support, expressing hope for a two-state solution and wider international recognition of Palestine.

Southern Europe is reeling from one of its worst wildfire seasons, with blazes sweeping from Greece to Portugal. At least four people have died—three in Spain and one in Portugal—as thousands are evacuated and nearly 100 injured. Spain faces the heaviest damage, battling more than 14 major wildfires that have destroyed 390,000 acres. Transportation has been disrupted, with highways closed and rail suspended. The EU has deployed firefighting aircraft, while Portugal fights seven large blazes with 4,000 firefighters.

Heavy rains and upstream water inflows have caused rivers like the Teesta, Padma, and Jamuna to rise near or above danger levels, threatening low-lying areas in 12 districts. Croplands, homes, and river islands are already submerged, leaving thousands of families stranded. Cities like Rajshahi face waterlogging in slums, while districts such as Kushtia, Kurigram, and Bhola report worsening flood situations. Authorities have opened control rooms, provided relief, and warned residents to stay alert as water levels continue to rise.

The July Revolutionary Journalist Alliance has demanded swift trials for those within the country's media who allegedly collaborated in the 2024 mass killings.

The group alleges that during the public uprising, over 1,400 students and citizens were brutally killed under the Hasina government. According to the Alliance, from 2008 to August 5, 2024, the Awami League and its allies carried out multiple massacres, with certain journalists, media outlets, and journalist organizations granting legitimacy to these crimes — from killings and enforced disappearances to other acts of repression.

The Alliance further claims that even now, these individuals are trying to justify the killings through media narratives. Despite repeated calls for investigations, there has been no visible progress in related cases. The organization is urging immediate action against those who collaborated in Sheikh Hasina’s crimes and against journalists who allegedly incited the administration during the 2024 uprising.

Additionally, the Alliance has identified a column by writer Mazharul Islam Babla in Dainik Ajker Patrika as being against the spirit of the uprising.

A sudden cloudburst in Kishtwar district’s Chashoti village, Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has triggered flash floods, killing at least 46 people. Over 200 remain missing, and the toll is expected to rise.
Within an hour, more than 100 mm of rain fell, sweeping away pilgrims heading to the Machail Mata temple. Search and rescue operations are ongoing in the disaster-hit area.

Seventeen Bangladeshi nationals — men and women — were detained by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) while attempting to enter the country illegally from India through the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah.
According to 58 BGB Assistant Director Munshi Imdadur Rahman, four women and three men from Narail and Khulna were detained at Baghdanga village in the morning. Six men from Jashore were caught at Jinjirpara village around noon, followed by four more women apprehended from Khosalpur fields. All detainees have been handed over to Justice and Care, Jashore branch.

Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has hailed Bangladeshi Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s recent Kuala Lumpur visit as a “significant step forward” in strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in strategic and high-impact sectors.

The visit saw the signing of five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and three “Notes of Exchange” covering defense, energy, halal products, STEM, research, education, semiconductors, and the blue economy.

A landmark outcome was the introduction of a multiple-entry visa system for legal Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, enabling them to travel home and return without reapplying for a visa. Ismail described the initiative as a gesture of gratitude for Bangladeshi workers’ contributions to Malaysia.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation, while Malaysia reiterated its support for ASEAN peace efforts and international collaboration to address the Myanmar crisis and the Rohingya refugee situation.

“These agreements are not just paperwork — they will directly impact people’s lives through job creation, skills development, and joint economic growth,” Ismail said, adding that mutual respect and trust will continue to propel Malaysia and Bangladesh as regional and global strategic partners.