Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman met British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook on 23 August 2026. Their discussion covered the minister’s priorities as president of the United Nations General Assembly, the Rohingya issue and migration-related matters.

According to a message from the British High Commission in Dhaka, Cook sought to learn about Dr. Rahman’s priorities in his role as UN General Assembly president. The two sides also discussed UK support for Rohingya people as the ninth anniversary of the crisis approaches.

Migration cooperation between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom was highlighted as an important subject during the meeting. The talks reflected continued engagement between Dhaka and London on multilateral matters, as well as humanitarian and migration cooperation.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry has divided responsibilities between two state ministers, assigning Humayun Kabir as State Minister for Foreign Affairs-1 and Shama Obaid Islam as State Minister for Foreign Affairs-2. The arrangement was announced in a circular issued by the ministry on Sunday and published on August 23, 2026. Both ministers will assist the foreign minister under the minister’s guidance and supervision.

Under the circular, Humayun Kabir will handle bilateral and multilateral matters, issues concerning non-resident Bangladeshis, and any other matters assigned by the foreign minister. The responsibilities place him in charge of areas involving Bangladesh’s external relations and concerns connected to Bangladeshis living outside the country.

Shama Obaid Islam, an MP, will oversee the parliamentary standing committee related to the Foreign Ministry, human rights, research and innovation, environment and climate change, the creative economy, LDC graduation, ICT, law of the sea and marine resources, global health diplomacy, and cultural and sports diplomacy. The circular said the prime minister had given approval for the division of responsibilities.

Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam accused the BNP government of severe mismanagement and poor planning during its first 180 days, saying public suffering had increased. He made the remarks at a press briefing on Sunday evening after an 11-party alliance meeting at the opposition leader’s official residence on Minto Road in the capital. The meeting, chaired by Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman, discussed the planned Dhaka-Chattogram long march on September 5.

Islam alleged that the government had failed to maintain law and order and cited load-shedding, fuel and gas shortages, rising gas and cylinder prices, factory closures, extortion, fertilizer shortages and business concerns. He said the government should apologise and seek help from opposition parties and the public instead of presenting what he called misleading claims of success.

He called for implementation of the referendum verdict and a national policy on energy and law and order involving all parties. The alliance said its long march would demand implementation of the referendum verdict, justice for the July killings, and action on law and order, commodity prices and energy shortages.

Chhatra Dal’s Chattogram North district unit has permanently expelled Sandwip upazila member secretary Shahidul Islam over allegations of extortion and breaching party discipline. The action followed reported disruption of speedboat services on the Kumira-Guptachhara river route, where freedom fighter Siraj Uddin, 72, allegedly died at the terminal on Wednesday while trying to travel to Chattogram for advanced treatment.

A district Chhatra Dal notice said the expulsion was approved by president Takibul Hasan Chowdhury Toki and general secretary Sarwar Hossain Rubel, and instructed party members not to maintain organisational ties with Shahidul. The party said it acted directly under its constitution because of specific evidence and a severe breach of discipline.

Shahidul said he was a victim of conspiracy and had not received an expulsion letter or an opportunity to defend himself. Local residents alleged that other influential figures behind terminal-centred extortion remain beyond reach. Sandwip’s executive officer Amzad Hossain said speedboat operators were ordered to keep passenger services normal and authorities were examining allegations involving extortion and a fugitive syndicate.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has initiated plans to establish a new directorate for people affected by enforced disappearance, murder, torture and extrajudicial killings, as well as their families. The proposed body would work to ensure welfare, medical care, legal protection and rehabilitation. The initiative was discussed at an inter-ministerial meeting at the ministry on Sunday, according to a ministry press release.

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan, who chaired the meeting, said people who made sacrifices during long struggles to restore democracy should receive state recognition, similar to those affected by the July mass uprising. He cited victims who disappeared, were killed, lost eyesight, became disabled, lost their assets in alleged false cases, or spent years in prison.

Participants discussed amending Schedule-1 of the Rules of Business, 1996, to place the responsibility formally under the ministry. They also considered legislation to secure victims’ and families’ rights and compensation, with reference to UN principles on remedy and reparation and Bangladesh’s constitution. Representatives from several ministries and divisions attended the meeting.

A Lalpur upazila Chhatra Dal leader in Natore has been accused of announcing through loudspeakers that Section 144 had been imposed at a football field, leading to the cancellation of a traditional tournament final in Keshabpur village on Friday. Organisers said the announcement followed their refusal to name a former municipal mayor as chief guest and the leader as special guest. Police visited the site after receiving reports and restored calm.

The tournament has been held in the village for about six decades and involves residents, students, young people and sports enthusiasts, locals said. Six teams of local college, high school, madrasa and university students, as well as employed participants, took part in this year’s event, which began about 15 days earlier. The final had been scheduled after Friday prayers.

Natore district Chhatra Dal issued a show-cause notice to the accused leader, Mohammad Maruf Ali, on Sunday and ordered him to appear in person by Monday to explain the allegations. Lalpur upazila Chhatra Dal convener Rayhan Kabir Suis said no individual has authority to declare a government decision such as Section 144. Police said they did not directly witness the loudspeaker announcement.

The Bangladesh government has promoted five deputy inspectors general of police to the rank of additional inspector general of police. The Public Security Division of the Home Ministry announced the promotions in a notification issued on Sunday, according to the report published on August 23, 2026.

The promoted officers are Md. Saidur Rahman, Md. Mainul Hasan, Md. Israel Howlader, Md. Iqbal Hossain and Md. Kamrul Ahsan. Saidur Rahman is serving as director of Rajarbagh Police Hospital, while Mainul Hasan heads the Tourist Police. Israel Howlader is commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, Iqbal Hossain is deputy inspector general of Dhaka Range, and Kamrul Ahsan works in the Confidential Branch at Police Headquarters.

The report cited the officers’ experience in field-level leadership, metropolitan policing, intelligence work, specialised units and administrative duties as grounds for their elevation to the senior level of the police force. Mainul Hasan previously worked with the Special Security Force, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Criminal Investigation Department. Iqbal Hossain earlier served in the Special Branch and assumed his Dhaka Range role on July 5.

Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence agency has appointed three senior officers as directors, according to two separate administrative orders issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Sunday. The appointees include two deputy inspectors general of police and a senior army officer. The orders directed that the appointments take effect immediately in the public interest, with the officers placed under the Prime Minister’s Office.

Aminul Islam, who had been serving as the official in charge of the Rangpur Range, has been sent on deputation as an NSI director. Special Branch DIG Dr Mohammad Abdul Kader has also been assigned to the same post. Both police officers were withdrawn from their current workplaces and attached to the Prime Minister’s Office under the notifications.

In a separate order issued on the same day, Brigadier General Monowar Hossain was appointed as an NSI director. Aminul Islam’s transfer is also linked to a change at the Rangpur Range DIG post. A 12 August notification had earlier appointed Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner DIG Mohammad Abdul Mabud as the new DIG of Rangpur Range.

Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher said Bangladesh will no longer allow construction of buildings or housing projects that violate laws or depart from approved designs. He made the remarks on Sunday at the Secretariat during an exchange meeting with members of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) and the Bangladesh Land Developer Association. The report was published on August 23, 2026.

Taher said laws, rules and policies governing building construction had not been properly implemented over the past 17 years. He said approved building plans include sewage treatment plants and soak wells, but many developer companies had not built them. He called on members of both industry bodies to ensure that no buildings or housing projects are developed in breach of the law.

RAJUK is bringing its full land-use clearance and design-approval process under digitalisation, Taher said. He added that rules of the National Housing Authority would be amended to bring developer companies outside the capital under specific policies. State Minister Ahmmad Sohel Manzur urged developers to consider customers’ hardships, including delayed handovers and delayed refunds. Industry leaders voiced support for legal compliance and presented views on DAP and Dhaka building rules.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shamim Qaiser said his ministry would make the highest effort to ensure people of all religions and viewpoints can speak from their respective positions. He made the remarks during an exchange with journalists at the Religious Affairs Ministry’s conference room in the Secretariat on Sunday.

Qaiser described Bangladesh as a country of religious people and communal harmony, saying harmony would grow if followers of every faith followed and embraced their religious scriptures. He said the ministry works on coexistence among prominent Islamic scholars of different views and on religious values, while also engaging leaders and gurus of other faiths.

Responding to questions about a statement by an organisation over his appointment, Qaiser said no appointment is expected to be liked by everyone and that greater communication can resolve misunderstandings. He said he visited Jamia Madania Baridhara the previous day and spoke with senior scholars from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh. He said they raised questions, which he believed he had addressed, and that they welcomed him.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A B M Obaidul Islam said no one has been able, or will be able, to endure after unjustly wielding power over the university. He made the remarks on Sunday at a discussion marking “Black Day,” commemorating the repression, arrests and alleged torture of teachers and students in August 2007. Teachers, students, officers and employees wore black badges, followed by a memorial and discussion programme at the TSC auditorium.

The vice-chancellor said the university has never compromised with injustice and that suppressing it cannot stop democratic movements. Recalling the events after 20 August 2007, he said teachers and officials involved in the movement faced pressure, harassment and torture, while some teachers were jailed. He called on the university community to speak out against any future injustice, repression or persecution.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Almojaddedi Alfechani said the violence from 20 to 23 August 2007 aimed to suppress the university and weaken democratic movements. Former dean Professor Dr Sadrul Amin said the crisis created unprecedented unity, proposing that 23 August also be observed as a day of harmony and solidarity.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has condemned what it described as a “deep conspiracy” to hand Malaysia’s labour market to a syndicate and fascist elements. In a media statement issued on Sunday, Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar alleged that a section of the government was undermining national interests and harming Bangladeshi remittance earners by limiting overseas worker recruitment arrangements.

Porwar said sources indicated that the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia had selected only 25 recruiting agencies to send workers, creating a syndicate-based system. He warned that similar restrictions in the past had led to excessive charges for workers and losses for thousands of people. He said workers may now face costs of Tk 600,000 to Tk 700,000 to travel to Malaysia, placing a heavy burden on workers and their families.

The Jamaat leader said Bangladesh has more than 2,000 legal recruiting agencies and called for open, transparent and equal access for BAIRA members and experienced agencies. He urged the government to prevent fraud, exploitation and excessive costs, ensure worker safety and take diplomatic measures to protect citizens’ interests in overseas labour markets.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir after he took the oath of office as Bangladesh’s president. In a congratulatory message sent to President Mirza Fakhrul, the emir wished him success in carrying out his responsibilities as head of state.

Sheikh Tamim also expressed hope that relations between Bangladesh and Qatar would be further strengthened and expanded in the coming days. The message framed the new president’s assumption of office as an opportunity for continued development of bilateral ties.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected Bangladesh’s 23rd president on August 20, according to the report. He took the oath as president the following Friday. The report did not provide further details about the congratulatory message or any planned bilateral engagements.

Hasnat Abdullah, a member of Parliament’s Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance and chief organizer of the National Citizen Party’s southern region, alleged that the committee is not functioning properly. Speaking to reporters after its second meeting in parliament on Sunday afternoon, August 23, he said several ruling-party members had treated it as a ceremonial committee.

He said the meeting discussed four major agenda items, including structural reform of the National Board of Revenue and the tax-to-GDP ratio. Although the finance minister and NBR officials took positive positions, Abdullah said non-cooperation from some ruling-party members prevented the committee from reaching decisions on any agenda item. He also alleged that the chief whip intervened unnecessarily in meetings despite not being the committee chair.

Abdullah said some ruling-party members had said they were unprepared at the committee’s first meeting, and the same situation appeared in the second meeting. He said proposals were made to reduce harassment of businesses, including a coordinated digital database linking ports, banks and the NBR. Other proposals covered expanding the tax net, increasing Kamalapur depot capacity and making revenue management more effective.

Dismissed Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said widespread corruption is blocking efforts to end the war and rebuild Ukraine. In a television interview, he said the country’s current government structure, decision-making methods and level of corruption make it impossible to effectively end the conflict or create conditions suitable for reconstruction.

Fedorov said the problem was not confined to any one person. He alleged that hundreds of people in the Ukrainian government were connected to corruption networks and had benefited from public funds for years. According to him, this has slowed the process of making proper decisions.

He also said a recent anti-corruption operation in Ukraine targeted an organized corruption ring. The group was alleged to involve several members of parliament and several members of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office. The source did not provide further details on the operation, the allegations or any responses from those accused.