The third session of Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament will convene on August 27 at 3pm. Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed called the session under his constitutional authority, according to a notification issued by the National Parliament Secretariat.

The announcement was signed by Parliament Secretariat Secretary Barrister Md Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan and released on Tuesday. The current parliament’s second session ended on July 15. Under the constitutional provision cited in the report, the interval between two parliamentary sessions cannot exceed 60 days.

A special parliamentary sitting will also be held on August 20 for the presidential election. The Election Commission, in consultation with the acting speaker, is expected to call that sitting within the next day or two. The chief election commissioner will conduct the election at the parliamentary meeting.

Hindu Raksha Dal has claimed that a Shiva lingam and a Shiva temple exist within the premises of Darul Uloom Deoband, a historic Islamic educational institution in Uttar Pradesh, India. In a video message on August 8, Uttarakhand state president Lalit Sharma said a group led by national president Pinky Chaudhary would travel from Haridwar to Deoband with Ganges water on August 11 to offer it there.

Sharma alleged that the Muslim structure had been built after a temple was demolished. He also said the group had previously approached the administration seeking permission to conduct an examination at Deoband, but its request was not considered.

The announcement has raised concerns about renewed tension in the area. Deoband Circle police officer Amit Kumar Singh said deterioration of law and order would not be tolerated. He said legal action would be taken against anyone attempting to disturb the peace or disrupt public order. Darul Uloom Deoband, founded in 1866, is described in the report as a renowned religious educational institution.

Islami Andolon Bangladesh has demanded that authority to recruit teachers at private educational institutions be restored to the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority, or NTRCA. In a statement published Tuesday, party Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman called for the immediate cancellation of a decision to give school management committees recruitment powers and for the previous system to be reinstated.

He said a merit-based central system had operated for a decade, under which NTRCA conducted teacher registration examinations, issued certificates and recommended teachers for appointment. According to him, this system had largely closed opportunities for nepotism and corruption by management committees. He said a high-level meeting on August 3 at the Secretariat reviewed NTRCA operations and decided to abolish the arrangement.

Ateur Rahman alleged that transferring recruitment authority to management committees would open the way for irregularities, financial transactions, political recommendations and nepotism. He also cited the introduction last September of a district commissioner-led committee for employee recruitment and its cancellation through a July 21 Education Ministry notification. He urged the government to reverse the decision, saying it could cause major dissatisfaction because it concerns employment for millions of unemployed young people.

Prime Minister’s Information Adviser Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman said cricketer Shakib Al Hasan may be a quality player but described him as a “spoiled, rotten person.” Responding to journalists at a weekly press briefing at the Information Department conference room in the Secretariat on Tuesday morning, he said necessary legal action would be taken if Shakib returned to Bangladesh.

Criticising Shakib’s recent remarks, the adviser said the cricketer was still speaking from a politically affiliated position with Sheikh Hasina. He described Shakib’s comments as an attempt to put some pressure on the government. Rahman also said discussion of the names and reputations of people aligned with Hasina, who remain aligned with her, was meaningless.

Rahman said he did not believe Shakib would think a crowd would harm him at the airport if he came to Bangladesh to face cases, the law and judicial proceedings. He said he saw no problem if Shakib returned while accepting the allegations and legal issues involved. He also said Sheikh Hasina would receive full security and due rights in judicial proceedings if she returned.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party has not yet selected a candidate for the presidency, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said after a preparatory meeting on the election at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Tuesday. He said the party’s standing committee had assigned Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to decide the matter. The Election Commission meeting with acting Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal began at 11am.

Moni said voting would take place in the presence of the leader of the House, the opposition leader and the Speaker, with live media coverage continuing until results are announced. The vote will be held inside parliament under the rules of Article 70, with lawmakers casting ballots according to their seat numbers. He said members voting against their party’s decision would lose their parliamentary membership.

Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam alleged that the government was not implementing a presidential election in line with the July Charter. He said the 11-party alliance had nominated a candidate to prevent an uncontested election. Nominations are due on August 13, scrutiny is set for August 16, withdrawal closes on August 18, and voting will run from 2pm to 5pm on August 20. The Election Commission began preparations after the 22nd president, Md Shahabuddin, resigned on July 24.

US President Donald Trump secretly departed Ankara, Turkey, for Britain aboard a smaller C-32A aircraft on July 8, according to an unnamed US official cited by The Washington Post and reported by Amardesh. The official said Trump was moved inside a catering container after initially boarding Air Force One.

Several US media outlets said Trump had arrived in Ankara on a new Air Force One obtained from Qatar to attend a NATO summit. They reported that a threat to his life prompted the last-minute aircraft change, citing a threat from an Iran-backed group. Journalists aboard the older Air Force One were instructed to keep their window shades down during the return from Ankara.

A Washington Post video reportedly showed a catering truck leaving the older Air Force One minutes after Trump boarded and moving toward the smaller C-32A. After both aircraft reached the United Kingdom, video showed Trump leaving the larger aircraft and walking toward the new Air Force One. It remains unconfirmed how he returned to the larger plane. White House communications director Steven Cheung said the new aircraft has high-level security systems.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haq Milon said no final decision has yet been made on an NTRCA-related issue involving MPO teachers. He described the matter as being at a preliminary discussion stage while speaking as chief guest at a seminar at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council auditorium on Tuesday afternoon.

Milon said someone among the “Guptas” had selectively quoted remarks and published them in newspapers, while students were responding to provocation without verification. He said the recruitment process for 77,000 teachers would be decided after selection. The minister also said it would not be acceptable for teachers to receive salaries and allowances while institutions record zero results.

He said action would be taken against educational institutions with zero passes. Milon described the education system as fragile and said the country had moved further backward over the past 20 years. He called the teacher shortage severe. Rejecting claims that SSC results had dropped, he said results or passes could not be forced.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not attend the BRICS summit outreach programme scheduled in Delhi on September 12-13, according to multiple diplomatic sources in Dhaka and Delhi cited by Amar Desh. The decision has reportedly been conveyed informally to India, and a representative will attend in his place. The government has not yet made a formal announcement. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited Rahman on July 14 in his capacity as BIMSTEC chairperson.

Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said no policy decision had been made on the prime minister's India visit, stressing that the invitation was addressed to the BIMSTEC chairperson rather than the prime minister. Foreign Ministry officials said the diplomatic letter did not use the title prime minister before Rahman's name and regarded that omission as disrespectful. A senior diplomat said he had received no information indicating the prime minister would attend.

During Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi's courtesy meeting with Rahman in Dhaka, Bangladesh raised the extradition of convicted Sheikh Hasina and suspects in the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi. Sources said there was limited preliminary discussion of a possible full bilateral India visit, but no final decision. Officials said preparations are under way for Rahman's September 21 trip to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Bangladesh Prime Minister’s information and broadcasting adviser Jahed Ur Rahman said there was no reason for speculation over the visit to Dhaka by the head of India’s intelligence agency R. Speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat on Tuesday, he said the official had arrived from China and would meet his counterpart in Bangladesh. The government could issue a statement after the visit if it considered one necessary.

Rahman said Bangladesh’s intelligence chief had also travelled to India. He said relations between Bangladesh and India needed to be realigned and should be conducted as ties between two independent, sovereign countries. He added that India needed to create a favourable environment for discussions on the future realignment of bilateral relations.

The adviser said there was public suspicion over India’s contacts with the Sheikh Hasina government and referred to seeking Hasina’s extradition to bring her under the law. Responding to a question about cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, he said Shakib would have to face cases if he returned to Bangladesh. Rahman also said Hasina and Shakib would receive legal rights, as would any accused person.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “completely healthy” after a meeting lasting nearly seven hours. TRT World reported the statement on August 10, citing the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Pezeshkian said the meeting addressed ongoing national problems and issues affecting people’s daily lives.

The president said he raised his concerns and problems with Khamenei, who listened normally and offered necessary advice. Pezeshkian said there was no reason for concern about the supreme leader’s physical condition. According to the state news agency IRNA, preserving national unity and cohesion was Khamenei’s most important advice during the discussion.

The meeting gave special attention to living standards, employment, housing and problems caused by international sanctions. It took place amid renewed tensions between Iran and the United States following earlier conflict, a ceasefire and the collapse of a memorandum of understanding. Pezeshkian’s public comments on Khamenei’s health were viewed as an important message amid speculation about Iran’s internal situation and leadership.

Brahmanpara UNO Munni Islam in Cumilla received floral greetings on Monday afternoon from several leaders of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations, who are accused in multiple cases involving the killing and injury of students and members of the public during the July mass uprising, according to the report. Images of the greeting spread on social media, prompting questions over why a government official accepted the flowers.

Those who offered the flowers included Jubo League joint convener Jahirul Islam, Matsyajibi League president and Awami League member Monir Chowdhury, and other local leaders. Abu Raihan, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement in Cumilla, said government officials accepting flowers from people who stood against students and the public during the uprising amounted to betrayal of the martyrs.

Upazila BNP organising secretary Anisur Rahman Ripon was present when the flowers were given. BNP general secretary Amir Hossain said the recipients were accused in multiple cases and that the UNO should be asked why she accepted them. Munni Islam said she was new to the area and did not know who belonged to the Awami League or BNP, adding that she would be cautious in future. Several Awami League leaders could not be reached by phone.

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has demanded the immediate removal of sculptures, including figures depicting its leaders and activists, from the July Museum. The organisation’s amir, Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari, and secretary general, Allama Sheikh Sajidur Rahman, made the demand in a joint statement sent to the media on Monday. They expressed strong anger and protest over the installations and called for their eviction and removal from the museum without delay.

In the statement, the Hefazat leaders described the installation of sculptures as a grave violation of Sharia and said it was contradictory to, and mocking of, the sacrifices of religious scholars. They said the construction of sculptures of any person is completely forbidden and unlawful from the perspective of Islam and Sharia. They added that no one has the scope to disregard Sharia rules, regardless of a person’s stature, political identity or contribution.

The leaders said the nation would remember with respect the historic July uprising of 2024, its martyrs and the sacrifices of protesters. However, they argued that preserving those memories should not be placed in opposition to the religious sentiments and Islamic values of the country’s majority population. Their stated demand is the removal of all sculptures from the July Museum.

NCP spokesperson and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam said Bangladesh should not pursue normal diplomatic relations with India before resolving the question of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s extradition. In a statement issued Monday night, August 11, he alleged that India has allowed Hasina to use its territory for anti-Bangladesh activities for the past two years. He described this as a direct affront to Bangladesh’s sovereignty, judiciary and people’s democratic mandate.

Nahid alleged that a purported press conference by Hasina in Delhi, held despite Bangladesh’s objections, showed no fundamental change in India’s allegedly domineering and aggressive policy toward Bangladesh. He criticized Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry for issuing a statement but, in his view, failing to secure effective accountability from India. He also said no public explanation or expression of regret over the August 5 incident emerged after the prime minister met the Indian high commissioner.

He called for formal diplomatic protest to be turned into effective action. Nahid sought a clear explanation and apology from India, extradition of Hasina and Osman Hadi’s killers, and assurances that anti-Bangladesh political activities would stop from Indian territory. He said efforts by Bangladesh’s head of government to normalize bilateral ties would be meaningless if the Awami League could continue political and anti-state activities from India.

Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union, or JAKSU, held a protest march against the Education Ministry’s decision to transfer teacher recruitment authority at private educational institutions from the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) to institutional managing committees. The march began at the university’s central library area at about 9:15pm on Monday, August 10, 2026, and ended at Bottola.

Students chanted slogans supporting merit and education during the procession. Their slogans included calls against commercialisation of education, objections to what they described as deception over education, and demands for continued struggle.

JAKSU executive member Muhammad Ali Chishti alleged that the government was seeking to politicise recruitment by taking the authority from NTRCA. JAKSU general secretary Mazharul Islam also strongly opposed the decision, saying managing committees of schools and colleges are often staffed by partisan loyalists. He urged the government to withdraw what he called a harmful decision and warned that officials understood its possible consequences.

Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said Bangladesh is committed to taking its historical, cultural and economic ties with ASEAN member states to a higher level. He made the remarks on Monday night at a reception marking ASEAN’s 59th founding anniversary at the Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel in the capital. The ASEAN Dhaka Committee, comprising ambassadors and high commissioners of ASEAN member states posted in Bangladesh, organized the event.

The minister said Bangladesh’s long-standing ties with ASEAN countries rest on history, culture and mutual trust, and have been strengthened by land and maritime connectivity, people-to-people links and trade. He said the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman gives the highest importance to relations with ASEAN’s 11 member states. He also expressed hope that the prime minister’s first state visit to Malaysia would positively advance Bangladesh’s relations with ASEAN countries.

Bangladesh has applied to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner, and the minister sought support from ASEAN mission chiefs attending the event. A Bangladesh-ASEAN fisheries and aquaculture cooperation project with a budget of about $1 million is being implemented under his ministry. Additional cooperation projects in tourism, information and communication technology, culture and other sectors are under process.