A Narayanganj district court has ordered the death penalty by hanging for three defendants in the murder case of university student Md Wazed Alam Simanto, 20. District Judge Shamim Azad delivered the verdict on Monday afternoon in the presence of the accused. The convicted men were identified as professional muggers Anik, Akash and Chandi Babu. Simanto was a second-year computer science and engineering student at American International University-Bangladesh.

On the foggy morning of December 12, 2024, Simanto was stabbed while travelling to university near Minnat Ali Shah Saheber Mazar in Deobhog. The attackers took his mobile phone and Tk 1,800. He was first taken to Narayanganj General Hospital and then transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he died during treatment at 11pm on December 14.

Simanto’s father, Alam Parvez, filed the murder case with Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station. Police later arrested the three accused, who gave confessional statements in court about the mugging and stabbing. The verdict came 20 months after the killing, following testimony from 24 of the case’s 27 witnesses. Parvez expressed satisfaction with the ruling.

Police in Bakshiganj, Jamalpur, arrested a woman identified as Maria Begum Iti, 25, with 400 yaba tablets during a raid in the Shimar Par area of the municipal town. The operation took place on the morning of Monday, August 17, after police received secret information. Iti is the wife of Rubel Mia, a resident of the area.

Police said Rubel Mia fled after noticing their presence during the raid at his home. His wife was detained, while the yaba tablets were seized from their house. Police also said Rubel Mia was involved in drug trading. The Department of Narcotics Control had previously raided the couple's home and recovered yaba tablets and cash.

Bakshiganj police station Officer-in-Charge Makbul Hossain said a case had been filed against Maria Begum under the Narcotics Control Act. She was sent to Jamalpur court on Monday afternoon. The report did not provide information about a new case against Rubel Mia or whether he was later arrested.

Investigators cannot enter the main site of a shipyard incident in Sitakunda because of a severe toxic-gas risk inside the vessel, according to a report published on August 17. The hazardous gas must be safely removed before an on-site investigation can begin. As a result, key questions remain unresolved, including the source of the gas, whether the vessel was properly gas-freed before cutting, and where safety measures may have failed.

The ship-recycling branch of the Ministry of Industries has formed an eight-member high-level expert team to address the situation. The team includes representatives from BUET's Chemical Engineering Department, Bangladesh Maritime University, the Department of Environment, the Department of Shipping, Fire Service and Civil Defence, the Department of Explosives, and the Marine Surveyors Association.

Sitakunda Upazila Nirbahi Officer Fakhrul Islam said a five-member observation team initially began work, but an expert team was later formed because of dangerous chemicals and toxic gas in the vessel's enclosed compartments. No one will be allowed inside until conditions are fully safe. Meanwhile, investigators are collecting surrounding information, documents and statements from relevant people.

A Royal Cox Transport sleeper coach caught fire after a collision on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway at Eliotগঞ্জ in Daudkandi, Cumilla. The incident occurred near the Reliable CNG filling station at about 4:30am on Monday. The bus was travelling from Cox’s Bazar to Dhaka, and all passengers were able to get off and move to safety, preventing major casualties.

Police and witnesses said the bus, travelling in the Dhaka-bound lane, struck a vehicle ahead of it, damaging its front section. Police said the fire subsequently originated from a gas cylinder. The blaze spread rapidly and eventually engulfed the entire bus. Eliotগঞ্জ Highway Police went to the scene after receiving information and moved passengers to a safe place.

Sub-Inspector Md Faruk Islam of Eliotগঞ্জ Highway Police said there were no significant casualties, but the driver and staff fled the scene. The damaged bus has been taken into police custody. Traffic on the highway is currently normal, while police are investigating the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

Bangladesh’s High Court issued a rule asking why former minister and Awami League joint general secretary Dr Dipu Moni should not be granted bail in five separate murder and attempted murder cases. The rule was issued on Monday after a hearing by a bench comprising Justice Khairul Alam and Justice Rafizul Islam, according to a report published on August 17, 2026.

Senior lawyer Ramzan Ali Shikdar and lawyer Gazi Faisal Islam represented Dipu Moni, while Deputy Attorney General Masudul Alam Doha appeared for the state. Gazi Faisal Islam said the five cases include matters filed at Adabor, Badda, Gacha in Gazipur, and two cases at Shahbagh police station.

Rules previously issued in 16 other cases against Dipu Moni have also been fixed for hearing, the lawyers said. Ramzan Ali Shikdar said information indicates that she faces 38 cases so far, including two cases alleging crimes against humanity before the International Crimes Tribunal. Police arrested her from Baridhara in the capital on the night of August 19, after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024.

Air India has removed two more pilots from flying duties after their preliminary drug-test results came back positive, according to a report published on August 17, 2026. The airline said the pilots were taken off operational responsibilities as a precaution while final test reports remain pending.

The expanded testing followed an August 4 incident involving an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi. Shortly before landing in Delhi, the aircraft experienced severe turbulence and descended about 300 feet, injuring 11 passengers and four crew members. Air India said none of the injuries was serious. During the investigation, one pilot tested positive for psychoactive substances, with evidence of cannabis use and sleeping medication also detected.

That pilot said insufficient rest time in the duty roster had led to the use of sleeping medication. Air India subsequently made drug testing mandatory for all pilots and has tested about 300 so far. Final results for the two newly identified pilots are expected within 24 to 48 hours. The airline reportedly will not take further action before confirmation, but strict measures may follow if drug use is verified.

Dhaka South City Corporation has relieved a revenue department official of his duties over allegations that traders were harassed and money was improperly taken during trade licence issuance and renewal. Mostofa Nuruddin Ahmmed, licence and advertisement supervisor at the miscellaneous collection branch of Zone 4, was asked to submit a written explanation within three working days on why administrative and legal action should not be taken against him.

The allegations were raised at an August 16 discussion jointly organised by DSCC and the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Mohammad Ali Bhutto, president of Moulvibazar Business Association, alleged that during an on-the-spot trade licence renewal camp on June 23 and 24, the official took cash from traders on the assurance that 22 trade licences would be renewed.

According to the complaint, the licences had still not been renewed more than one and a half months after the money was taken. Bhutto also alleged that the official delayed and evaded the matter when contacted by phone. DSCC Administrator freedom fighter Md Abdus Salam ordered immediate strict action after hearing the allegation. Chief Revenue Officer Jonaed Kabir Sohag said further legal action would follow after the official's show-cause reply is received.

International Crimes Tribunal-2 has reserved its verdict in a crimes-against-humanity case against banned Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and six other accused over alleged genocide during the July Revolution. The verdict may be delivered on any day, according to the tribunal's order issued on Monday afternoon.

A three-member judicial panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury issued the order after the prosecution and defence completed their arguments. The other members of the panel were Judge Md Manjurul Bashid and Judge Nur Mohammad Shahriar Kabir.

The other accused are banned Awami League joint general secretary A F M Bahauddin Nasim, former state minister for information Mohammad Ali Arafat, Juba League president Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and general secretary Mainul Hossain Khan Nikhil. Banned Chhatra League president Saddam Hossain and general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan are also accused in the case.

Border Guard Bangladesh said it seized Indian narcotics and smuggled goods worth Tk830.46 crore during operations under its Sarail Region headquarters, covering the Sylhet, Sreemangal, Cumilla and Mymensingh sectors. Lieutenant Colonel Sarker Asif Mahmud, commanding officer of 46 BGB Battalion, disclosed the figures at a media briefing of Sreemangal Battalion on Monday. The operations also recovered a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and explosives.

Mahmud said regular patrols and special operations based on intelligence information were conducted in the Sreemangal Battalion’s assigned border areas from January 1 to August 10 this year. He said the measures were aimed at preventing various forms of smuggling, including narcotics, arms trafficking and human trafficking.

Recovered items included four pistols, six air guns, five pipe guns and one one-shooter gun. BGB also recovered 40 rounds of cartridges, 18.33 kilograms of high explosives, 117 detonators and 30 metres of detonator wire. The Sarail Region covers 1,204 kilometres of border, where BGB operates through 211 border outposts under 13 units in four sectors to protect the frontier and curb smuggling.

A Chattogram court sentenced three defendants to death in the murder case of driver Md Sajib in the city’s Pahartali police station area. The Fifth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, presided over by Md Tajul Islam, delivered the verdict on Monday, August 17, 2026. Each defendant was also fined Tk 50,000.

The condemned are Md Nurul Amin of Baniachong in Habiganj, Md Shahjahan of Debidwar in Cumilla, and Md Nurul Alam Tutul of Feni Sadar. Court bench assistant SM Kawsar Sagar said the charges were proven beyond reasonable doubt through testimony and evidence from 21 witnesses. Tutul was present when the verdict was announced, while Amin and Shahjahan were absconding.

The court ordered Tutul sent to prison under a warrant of sentence and issued arrest warrants for the two fugitives. Sajib went missing after leaving home on October 17, 2021, and his body was recovered on October 27 near Toll Road in Pahartali. Police filed charges against the three after their investigation, and the trial began after charges were framed on October 11, 2023.

Border Guard Bangladesh seized 200,000 yaba tablets during an operation in the Ghumdhum border area of Naikhongchhari upazila in Bandarban. The operation was conducted near Kakra Bridge on Sunday night. Cox’s Bazar Battalion, or BGB-34, said a special patrol team from Ghumdhum BOP launched the operation at about 9:10pm on the battalion commander’s instruction.

According to BGB, drug traffickers fled the area after noticing the patrol’s presence. A subsequent search at the location recovered 200,000 Burmese yaba tablets that had been left abandoned. The report did not say whether any suspects were detained during the operation.

A general diary has been filed with Ukhiya police station regarding the seized tablets, and further legal action is being processed. Cox’s Bazar Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel SM Khairul Alam said BGB is committed not only to guarding the border but also to preventing drugs, smuggling and other border-related crimes. He said border security and anti-drug operations would be strengthened and such drives would continue.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Public Administration has warned that a fraud ring issued a forged appointment letter using the copied signature of Deputy Secretary Shariful Islam from its Administration-1 branch. The document purportedly appointed Md Reduan Ahmmed as an office assistant at the ministry. The ministry disclosed the matter in a press release on Monday, following publication of the report on August 17.

The forged office order, dated August 10, said an appointment had been made against a vacant post to address staffing shortages under a divisional selection committee decision. It cited a salary range of Tk 8,250 to Tk 20,010 under the 2015 pay scale and said the appointment would take effect from August 11, 2026. Shariful Islam confirmed that Administration-1 had issued no such letter or order.

The ministry said direct recruitment is not permitted without a recruitment advertisement in the media and a proper examination process. It said official notices are published on www.mopa.gov.bd, with qualified candidates selected through competitive examinations. Applications are taken online, while recruitment-stage information is shared by SMS and on the website. Job seekers were urged to avoid financial dealings with dishonest groups and regularly check the ministry website.

Roads and Highways Department land and footpaths at Dulivita bus stand in Dhamrai municipality, Dhaka, have reportedly been occupied again after an eviction drive. During the June 6 operation, hawkers allegedly attacked the eviction team, leaving bulldozer driver Monir Hossain and his assistant Abbas Hossain bloodied and injuring four others. Authorities suspended the operation and sent the injured to hospital.

Two days later, a renewed operation led by then Assistant Commissioner (Land) Ridwan Ahmed Rafi and RHD Nayahat subdivision engineer Nure Alam Siddiqui demolished about 100 illegal structures and recovered government land. Local sources said the municipality had long leased out RHD land along the Dhaka-Aricha highway. Lessee Habibur Rahman said he collected fees under a municipal tender.

Nure Alam Siddiqui said RHD lacks a specific budget to preserve land after eviction. He said the municipality has no authority to lease RHD land and had already received a letter requesting it stop illegal leasing. Upazila Executive Officer Al Mamun said officials would soon discuss the matter with the local MP and vehicle owners’ association before taking action.

The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association, or BELA, has issued legal and contempt notices to 12 individuals and institutions over the deaths of nine workers at the Ferdous Steel shipbreaking yard in Sitakunda, Chattogram. Supreme Court lawyer and BELA chief coordinator Taslima Islam served the notices on Sunday, according to BELA Chattogram coordinator Munira Parvin Ruba.

The notices accuse three ministry secretaries, senior officials from several departments and the district administration of disregarding High Court rulings and directives. Respondents include Ferdous Steel owner Ferdous Wahid and Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers president Mohsin Chowdhury. BELA asked them to report measures taken within three days, warning of legal action against those concerned, including the yard owner, if they fail to respond.

BELA alleged that the yard imported ships from blacklisted countries despite a prohibition and cited inadequate oversight by public bodies. It said at least six similar serious accidents occurred at the same yard between 2009 and 2023. The group demanded an independent expert investigation into all deaths since 2010 through August this year, publication of findings, closure of the yard, cancellation of approvals and licences, and other measures.

Bangladesh’s Appellate Division has set August 31 for hearing Abul Kalam Azad’s appeal against a death sentence in a case involving crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. A three-member bench led by Justice Md. Rezaul Haque fixed the new date after a hearing on Monday.

The Appellate Division had previously adjourned the hearing until August 17 following a request for time from the state side on August 10. According to information from the appellant’s side, Azad filed the appeal on July 6 against a verdict delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal 13 years earlier.

Azad has sought condonation of a 4,915-day delay in filing the appeal. He has also requested suspension of the death sentence imposed by the tribunal until the appeal is resolved. The matter came before the regular bench through the Appellate Division’s Chamber Court. Senior lawyer Ehsan A. Siddiqui and lawyer Mir Osman Bin Nasim represented Azad, while Chief Prosecutor Md. Aminul Islam appeared for the other side.