Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman Barrister Andalib Rahman Partha was sworn in as a new minister at Bangabhaban on Friday evening, according to the report published on August 21, 2026. The Bhola-1 lawmaker has been assigned the information and broadcasting ministry. His appointment prompted celebration marches and sweet distribution among party activists in Bhola.

Residents and political leaders in Bhola said they expect Partha to contribute to local development after becoming a minister. Their stated priorities include a Bhola-Barishal bridge, measures against river erosion, establishment of a medical college and university, and wider infrastructure development. Leaders also said they expect him to coordinate with BNP politics in the district on development and political understanding.

Bhola BNP convenor Alhaj Golam Nabi Alamgir and general secretary Raisul Alam congratulated Partha and repeated the district’s development demands. Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh’s Bhola district amir Master Zakir Hossain and secretary Maulana Harunur Rashid, along with district BJP president Amirul Islam Ratan and general secretary Mutasim Billah, also offered congratulations and raised similar demands. The report says Partha was elected to parliament from Bhola-1 for a second time in 2026, by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes.

Rashiduzzaman Millat said he is committed to carrying out whatever ministerial duties the government assigns him with sincerity and dedication. He made the remarks to journalists after taking oath as a minister on Friday night, August 21, at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban before newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The oath elevated him from state minister to full minister.

Millat said he would perform his new responsibilities in the same way he had fulfilled his oath. Addressing journalists, he also said he would provide information on matters they seek, particularly those related to his ministry. Before the promotion, he had served as state minister for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

The cabinet reshuffle and expansion came about six months after the formation of the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Four new ministers and two state ministers were added. Alongside Millat, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Andalib Rahman Partha and Saching Prue Jerry took oath as ministers, while Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln and Humayun Kabir took oath as state ministers. Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan is set to receive the local government portfolio, and Andalib Rahman Partha the information and broadcasting portfolio.

Bangladesh’s cabinet has expanded with four new ministers and two state ministers, who were assigned portfolios after taking oath on Friday evening at Bangabhaban. President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir administered the oath, according to the report. BNP standing committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan received the Local Government Ministry, while former state minister for aviation M Rashiduzzaman Millat was elevated to a full ministerial role.

Jatiya Party (BJP) chairman Andaleeb রহমান Partha was assigned the Information Ministry, and Bandarban lawmaker Sachin Prue Jerry received the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry. Humayun Kabir became state minister for foreign affairs, while Gaibandha-4 lawmaker Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln was made state minister for religious affairs.

Jahir Uddin Swapan was appointed an adviser to the prime minister with ministerial rank. The report also says Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as the country’s 23rd president, with acting Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal administering that oath. The prime minister, cabinet members, civilian and military officials, and other distinguished people attended the ceremony.

NCP central joint chief coordinator and Noakhali-6 lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud called for abolishing Article 70 and establishing upper and lower houses to enable a directly elected, neutral president. He made the remarks as chief guest at a prize-giving ceremony for the July Memorial Football Tournament at Lakshmipur Stadium on Friday evening, August 21, 2026.

Masud said Bangladesh had moved beyond the “Shahabuddin” of the fascist era but had not escaped its governing system. He argued that Article 70 had trapped the country in that system and said people had been compelled to congratulate a partisan, one-party president, which he described as contrary to the aspirations of July.

He said electing a new president through a direct secret ballot, after forming upper and lower chambers, reflected both the July mass uprising’s aspirations and those of all parties. Masud also said the struggle was against Indian dominance, alleging Sheikh Hasina represented India. The NCP district unit organized the tournament, attended by party figures, local journalists and others.

Newly appointed State Minister Humayun Kabir said he views his new role as another opportunity to serve the people of Bangladesh and will carry out any assignment given by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with dedication. Speaking to journalists at Bangabhaban on Friday evening after receiving the responsibility, Kabir said the prime minister’s confidence in him was his foremost concern.

Kabir said the government had been formed under Rahman’s leadership with a two-thirds vote and had reached a positive position within six months. He described the appointment as a new assignment from a new party and said he was proud to receive another chance to work for the country. He also said he had worked as his leader’s adviser for about 15 years.

Calling the post an executive responsibility, Kabir said he regularly interacts with the prime minister and that they make many decisions jointly. He said the Prime Minister’s Office, Foreign Ministry and other ministries work closely together to advance the prime minister’s foreign-policy vision. Kabir said positions may come and go, but conduct, service and commitment to the country are important, pledging not to compromise national interests.

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir after he was elected president of Bangladesh. The organisation’s amir, Allama Muhibbullah Babunagari, and secretary general, Allama Sazedur Rahman, conveyed their greetings in a statement sent to the media on Friday. The report describes Fakhrul as a former BNP secretary general and former minister.

In the statement, Hefazat leaders said they hoped he would uphold faith in Allah, justice, fairness and public welfare while carrying out his constitutional responsibilities. They also said they expected him to play a positive and responsible role in protecting the religious sentiments of the country’s Muslim majority, Islamic values, and the dignity and rights of religious scholars.

The leaders expressed hope for more cordial relations between the state’s highest level and Islamic scholars, with their views on religious matters receiving due importance. They said his presidency could strengthen justice, peace, mutual respect, religious harmony and public welfare, while protecting sovereignty and fostering political goodwill. Hefazat also wished him good health, long life and success.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as Bangladesh’s 23rd president on Friday evening at Bangabhaban, according to the report published on August 21, 2026. Acting Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal administered the oath. Fakhrul was elected president by members of parliament on Thursday after former president Md. Sahabuddin resigned on July 24, with about one and a half years remaining in his term.

The BNP nominated its secretary general for the presidency after the election schedule was announced earlier this month. He will reside at Bangabhaban for the next five years. The report describes his progression from student politics and teaching to elected chair of Thakurgaon municipality, before his rise in national politics.

Fakhrul joined BNP in 1990 and later served as a lawmaker and state minister in the BNP-led four-party alliance government. He became BNP’s acting secretary general in 2011 and full secretary general in 2016. Political analyst Mohiuddin Ahmad said Fakhrul showed a firm position while BNP faced difficult circumstances, including arrests and pressure on its senior leadership. Professor Shamsul Alam described him as polite, humble and hardworking.

The Bangladesh government reshuffled three secretary-level positions on the day the country’s 23rd president took the oath of office. A J M Salahuddin Nagri, chairman and secretary of the Land Reform Board, was appointed secretary of the Public Division at the President’s Office. The Public Administration Ministry issued separate notifications on Friday concerning the changes.

Rafiqul I Mohammad, secretary of the Public Division at the President’s Office, was transferred on contract as secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division. Nagri, who received the new appointment, was also serving under a contractual arrangement, according to the report.

Mohammad Shawkat Rashid Chowdhury, secretary of the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, was transferred as chairman and secretary of the Land Reform Board. He too had been appointed on contract. The three changes complete a rotation involving the President’s Office Public Division, the Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, and the Land Reform Board.

Expatriate journalist Ilias Hossain recently made wide-ranging corruption allegations against Nurul Haque, state minister for expatriates’ welfare and president of Gono Odhikar Parishad, in a video. In response, Haque urged his party leaders, activists, supporters and well-wishers in a Facebook post on Friday to ignore comments by Ilias Hossain and Pinaki Bhattacharya. The post received nearly 100,000 reactions, with more than 90,000 marked as “Haha.”

Haque described the two YouTubers as hired content creators who spread rumours and propaganda about important people to remain in discussion and sustain their view-based businesses. He said legal action could have been taken had they been in the country, but stated that they do not live in Bangladesh or return there. He also called them a “dump of garbage” and told followers to avoid them.

In his video, Ilias alleged that Haque and his family’s fortunes changed dramatically after Haque became Dhaka University Central Students’ Union vice-president in 2019. He further alleged extortion, land grabbing, vandalism and misappropriation of government rice in the Galachipa area, alongside claims involving local political figures and development work. These were presented as allegations in the video.

National Citizen Party joint convener Maulana Ashraf Uddin Mahdi alleged that police violence against madrasa students in Brahmanbaria amounted to serious human rights violations. Speaking after visiting injured students at Jameya Darul Arkam Al Islamia Madrasa on Friday, he said around 50 students were injured and accused some media outlets of obscuring the incident through misinformation.

Mahdi said the incident began on August 19, when examinees from the madrasa asked for noise from a late-night concert at Brahmanbaria Police Lines to be reduced. According to accounts students gave him, police initially lowered the sound but later raised it again. He said students went peacefully to the main gate, where police allowed them inside, and had no intention of causing disorder or forcing entry.

He alleged that the gate was then closed and police launched a sudden attack, including baton charges and gunfire aimed at students’ heads. Mahdi said senior police officials later intervened, CCTV footage was reviewed, and three accused officers were suspended. He thanked officials for accepting the students’ demands and urged journalists to investigate the matter on site and report it responsibly.

Justice and Democracy Party (JDP) alleged that fisherman Miraj Sheikh was forcibly disappeared seven days after the government moved to repeal the Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Ordinance, 2025. At a protest meeting in Shahbagh, Dhaka, on 21 August, JDP convener Naim Ahmad said Sheikh was taken away on 10 April, shortly after the party learned through media on 3 April that the ordinance was being repealed. He said 133 days had passed without the government acknowledging the incident.

Ahmad alleged that the government was creating conditions for a return to a culture of enforced disappearances. He criticized the Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Act, 2026, approved by the cabinet on 3 August, saying it assigns police to investigate allegations against law-enforcement agencies. He said police had not accepted a general diary against the Coast Guard.

JDP demanded immediate disclosure of Sheikh's condition and prosecution of those accused. Ahmad called for the National Human Rights Commission to investigate such cases and for government interference in the commission to end. The disappearance allegation concerns the Coast Guard and Sheikh, a fisherman from Joymonir Ghol in Mongla, Bagerhat.

The BNP government is adding six new members to its cabinet, with their swearing-in scheduled at Bangabhaban on Friday evening after the oath-taking of president-elect Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The new appointees include four full ministers and two state ministers, according to the list published in the report. They had already arrived at Bangabhaban for the ceremony.

Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan is assigned Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives; Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partha Information; Sachin Prue Jerry Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs; and M Rashiduzzaman Millat Civil Aviation and Tourism. Humayun Kabir is to become state minister for Foreign Affairs, while Mohammad Shamim Kaiser Lincoln is to become state minister for Religious Affairs.

Sources said Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan is becoming an adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Millat, the current state minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, is set to become a full minister. The report said current Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita may be given responsibility for another ministry. The Cabinet Division said the president-elect would administer the oaths.

Prime Minister’s Adviser Humayun Kabir is set to be promoted to state minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle scheduled for Friday, according to the report published on August 21, 2026. Discussions about his appointment are under way, but the ministry he may be assigned has not been disclosed.

Kabir earned an honours degree in international relations from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. He later completed three postgraduate degrees in different subjects from the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of Cambridge and Leeds Law School. His professional background includes senior responsibilities in the British government, including at a mayor’s office.

BNP leaders said his experience in international relations and diplomacy made him important in the party’s policymaking circle. Party sources said he developed close ties with Tarique Rahman while in London and assisted him with foreign affairs. After returning to Bangladesh following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, he became active in BNP politics and was appointed joint secretary general for international affairs on October 22.

BNP lawmaker M Rashiduzzaman Millat, elected from Jamalpur-1 covering Dewanganj and Bakshiganj, is expected to be promoted from state minister to full minister. The cabinet is set for a reshuffle on Friday, according to the report published by Amar Desh Online on August 21, 2026.

A government source said Millat, who serves as BNP treasurer, may become minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, a portfolio where he is currently state minister. The report described his possible appointment as part of discussions surrounding the planned cabinet changes.

Millat won the Jamalpur-1 seat in the 13th national parliamentary election as the BNP candidate using the paddy sheaf symbol. He received 173,656 votes, while his nearest rival, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Advocate Mohammad Nazmul Haque Sayeedi, received 96,783 votes.

Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman Barrister Andalib Rahman Partha MP is set to become the new information minister in Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s cabinet, according to an Amar Desh Online report published on August 21, 2026. Several new members were awaiting at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban as additions to the cabinet were being prepared.

The report said current Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan would serve as an adviser with full ministerial rank. Citing reliable sources, it also said the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser, Humayun Kabir, may become a full minister.

Cabinet Division sources said changes were possible in the ministries of civil aviation, agriculture, food, power and energy, local government, and information and broadcasting. The report described the developments as part of a cabinet reshuffle but did not provide further details on the timing or scope of the expected appointments.