Acting Speaker Kaiser Kamal will administer the oath of office to Bangladesh’s newly elected president, according to the Law Ministry’s interpretation of relevant constitutional provisions. Voting for the country’s 23rd presidential election is scheduled for Thursday from 2pm to 5pm at the Jatiya Sangsad, marking the first presidential election by vote in 35 years.

The Cabinet Division sought the Law Ministry’s opinion on who should administer the oath. The ministry said Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram is serving as acting president under Article 54 of the constitution. Under Article 74(3), the deputy speaker is therefore carrying out the speaker’s duties and is constitutionally the appropriate authority to administer the oath.

BNP nominee Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will contest the election against Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed Bir Bikram, candidate of an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami. Of the 349 lawmakers eligible to vote, 50 hold reserved seats for women; the Chattogram-4 seat is vacant. The oath ceremony is scheduled for 7:30pm Friday at Bangabhaban’s Darbar Hall.

Bangladesh Nizam-e-Islam Party Secretary General Maulana Musa Bin Izhar condemned alleged police attacks, baton charges and gunfire involving madrasa students in Brahmanbaria. In a statement sent to the media on Wednesday, he said the clash began after students protested loud music, and described reports of students being injured as deeply regrettable and concerning.

He said complaints raised by students should be addressed through dialogue and responsible conduct rather than the alleged use of state force. Musa said law-enforcement agencies are responsible for protecting people’s lives, property and security, and that any allegations of excessive force must be subject to accountability. No individual or institution exercising state power is above the law, he added.

The party leader called for a transparent and impartial inquiry to establish how the confrontation began, what force was used against students and whether law-enforcement measures were lawful. He demanded treatment for injured students and legal action if wrongdoing is proven. He also urged the administration to act with greater restraint, responsibility and humanity to protect students’ safety and civic rights.

Opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman visited the July Uprising Memory Museum with family members on Wednesday afternoon. The unannounced visit took place around 12:30pm as part of a family programme, according to his assistant personal secretary, Nazrul Islam.

Rahman spent about an hour touring the museum and viewing memories connected to the 2024 movement and the July Revolution. His wife, two daughters, a son-in-law and grandchildren accompanied him during the visit.

Museum authorities welcomed Rahman on arrival and assisted the tour under appropriate protocol for an opposition leader, Nazrul Islam said. No media outlets were invited to cover the informal visit, he added.

Brigadier General Syed Mohammad Motaher Hossain has been removed as inspector general of prisons and returned to the army. His service has been placed under the Armed Forces Division, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Wednesday. No new official has yet been assigned to the post.

The notification said the army officer was being recalled from his current deputation position and his service placed with the Armed Forces Division. Motaher Hossain was appointed inspector general of prisons on deputation on 11 August, amid the political transition following 5 August 2024.

The Prisons Directorate’s media cell said the transfer back to the army was made under an order of the Ministry of Public Administration. It described the move as a regular process and said there was no scope for confusion over the matter.

Jamaat-e-Islami Dhaka North Amir Mohammad Selim Uddin has called for making a September 5 long march from Dhaka to Chattogram successful. He made the appeal at a conference of Jamaat’s Dhaka North thana amirs on Wednesday evening at the party’s metropolitan north office in Baridhara, Dhaka. The programme was announced by an alliance of 11 parties.

Selim Uddin said the march seeks implementation of the referendum verdict, trials of those responsible for genocide, and a non-discriminatory Bangladesh. Addressing the government, he said it must accept the public mandate. He said Jamaat wants the government to complete its term, but warned that ignoring public opinion and causing public dissatisfaction could prevent it from remaining in power.

He also told BNP leaders that reforms have no alternative for saving the country and said they could face public dissatisfaction without visible action to implement the referendum verdict and ensure swift trials. Organisers formed committees and assigned responsibilities to ensure peaceful, orderly and successful participation in the march, which is set to begin at Shapla Chattar and proceed to Chattogram.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP’s former secretary general and presidential candidate, became emotional and cried several times while delivering a farewell address to the party’s parliamentary group on Wednesday. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister and BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, was held in the government party meeting room at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban and lasted about an hour and a half. Fakhrul asked party lawmakers to pray for him and vote for him in Thursday’s presidential election.

Fakhrul recalled late BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and party founder and former president Ziaur Rahman, while thanking Tarique Rahman. He apologised for any mistakes or unintended hurt during his years serving as senior joint secretary general, acting secretary general and secretary general. He said he would protect the honour and responsibility given by the party and would not compromise on national independence and sovereignty.

Tarique Rahman called the day historic, urged lawmakers to elect Fakhrul and stressed unity and discipline. He also warned MPs against losing contact with local party members ahead of local government elections, which he said would be held without party symbols.

Authorities in Siddharthnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, demolished more than half of the 59-year-old Arabia Zia-ul-Uloom Madrasa in Pipra Ramlal village on Tuesday. Seven rooms, a shop and half of a hall at the roughly 14,000-square-foot institution were razed. The administration said part of the madrasa had been built on encroached government land and that the operation followed a court order.

Five village residents filed a 2022 petition seeking removal of alleged encroachment. A tehsildar court ordered eviction in 2023, and madrasa caretaker Abdul Salam challenged that ruling before the district magistrate. On August 14, 2026, the district magistrate upheld the earlier order and dismissed the madrasa’s petition. Officials said a notice was issued and demolition proceeded after the alleged encroachment was not removed within the stipulated time.

The operation began around 7 a.m. under senior local officials, with about 100 police personnel from five police stations deployed. Samajwadi Party lawmaker Syeda Khatun and other party workers protested, while Aam Aadmi Party and Congress figures criticized the action. Officials said about 400 children studied at the madrasa.

Pakistan’s government has filed a review petition challenging a Supreme Court order to transfer jailed former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for examination and treatment. The Islamabad administration submitted the petition on August 19, following the court’s August 18 directive. The court ordered a specialist medical board, including Khan’s personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan, to assess him.

The government said the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978, prescribe a defined procedure for taking prisoners outside jail for hospital care, and argued that procedure was not properly followed. It also contended that the court exceeded its jurisdiction. Authorities said Khan is receiving regular treatment and examinations through a medical board, with no evidence of a physical deterioration requiring special transfer to a private hospital.

Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said the government does not oppose necessary treatment for Khan and will ensure care under the law and prison manual. The court also sought Khan’s complete medical record, weekly family meetings and twice-weekly calls with his two sons. The next hearing is scheduled for September 16.

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman chaired a meeting of ruling party members of parliament at the government members’ meeting room in the National Parliament Building on Wednesday. The meeting began at 4pm, according to Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Zahidul Islam Roni.

The gathering was arranged to provide necessary guidance to ruling party lawmakers on the overall activities of the ongoing parliamentary session, the enactment of important laws, and various current political and national issues. Ruling party MPs were present at the meeting.

Discussions were expected to cover the government’s various activities in parliament, legislative work and nationally important matters. The source did not provide further details about any decisions, directives or outcomes from the meeting.

BNP Standing Committee member and the prime minister’s political adviser Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Bangladesh seeks friendly relations with every country on the basis of equality. He made the remarks on Wednesday after paying tribute at the graves of martyred President Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, marking the Volunteers’ Party anniversary.

Rizvi said friendship cannot be conditional and that relations must rest on respect for each country’s independence and sovereignty. He said the prime minister would maintain ties with all countries based on equality, mutual respect and respect for sovereignty, while Bangladesh would also invite others.

Referring to India, Rizvi said the government would welcome a friendly invitation if it came without interests attached. He said Bangladesh would not proceed if interests were involved and that relations with India must be based on equal dignity. Rizvi also expressed hope that the Volunteers’ Party would remain active in presenting the government’s welfare-oriented work to the public as part of implementing the BNP election manifesto.

Texas has seen a decades-long increase in its Muslim population, particularly around Dallas, where families have moved for schools, comparatively affordable housing and established community networks. Dozens of mosques and Islamic institutions have emerged across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but the expansion has coincided with stronger Islamophobic rhetoric, social hostility and political campaigns, according to a New York Times report cited on August 19, 2026.

The report described Muslims sharing accounts of derogatory comments while praying publicly or sitting in parks. A person was arrested over alleged terrorist threats against a major Islamic center in Houston, while a woman who told Muslim shoppers they were unwelcome later lost her job but received nearly $250,000 from supporters. Ghulam Kehar said hostility made him worried about leaving his wife and four children in Texas while serving with the US Coast Guard.

Political disputes have centered on a proposed mosque-linked development east of Dallas, initially called EPIC City and later renamed The Meadow. Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton opened investigations after criticism, while developers said the project would be open to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Muslim leaders are considering engagement and stronger legal responses to false allegations.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said no campaigning will be allowed during voting in Bangladesh’s presidential election on Thursday, August 20. Speaking to reporters at his office in the Election Building on Wednesday, he described the contest as historic and said the Election Commission had made maximum preparations to conduct it properly.

Nasir Uddin said the world was watching the election and expressed hope for a smooth process. He said voting is taking place in this election for the first time since 1991. The presidential post became vacant on July 24 after the 22nd president resigned citing illness, and the Election Commission announced the schedule on August 6.

BNP and like-minded parties’ candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is contesting against Oli Ahmed, candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. Members of parliament will vote, with 349 eligible voters because the Chattogram-4 seat is vacant. Voting will run from 2pm to 5pm, with vote casting and counting visible to voters. The chief election commissioner will announce final results, followed by a gazette publication the same day.

Former education minister Dipu Moni, imprisoned in cases including crimes against humanity, has been granted 12 hours of parole following the death of her husband, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Toufiq Nawaz. The parole will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday. Munshiganj District Magistrate Syeda Nurmahal Ashrafi approved the request at about 3:10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Her family had sought four days of parole after Nawaz’s death, but the district administration approved only 12 hours. Dipu Moni’s daughter, Tani Dipabali Nawaz, met her mother at Munshiganj District Jail on Wednesday afternoon and later submitted the application to the deputy commissioner. Lawyer Gazi Faisal Islam said requests to allow Dipu Moni to meet her husband outside prison during his illness had not been granted.

Police will escort Dipu Moni from the prison and return her within the approved period, according to her lawyer. Nawaz’s body is scheduled to be taken to his Kalabagan residence in the morning, followed by prayers at Gulshan Azad Mosque after Zuhr and burial at Banani cemetery. He died Tuesday night at Continental Hospital at age 76 after long-term kidney and liver complications.

Members of Bangladesh’s parliament will vote in the presidential election in the Parliament Building’s chamber on August 20. Polling will run continuously from 2pm to 5pm, with 349 eligible voters. Lawmakers must enter the chamber during that period, collect their ballots and cast their votes according to the prescribed process.

Members must carry identification cards supplied by the Parliament Secretariat. After taking their seats, they will receive ballots printed with their names and division numbers from assisting officials. They must write their full names on the designated counterfoil, return it to the official, and write their full names in the specified blank space opposite their preferred candidate.

Completed ballots must be placed in designated ballot boxes in the chamber. Damaged ballots must be shown to the election officer before being deposited. Campaigning, speeches and statements are prohibited during the meeting. Counting will begin immediately after 5pm, and the candidate with the highest number of valid votes will be declared elected. The Election Commission will later publish the result in a gazette. The contest is described as the first directly competitive presidential vote in 35 years.

A Dhaka seminar on Bangladesh-India shared river water distribution called for renegotiating the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty, citing structural weaknesses and urging restoration of its “guarantee clause.” The event, titled “Ganges Water Treaty: Issues for Renegotiation,” was held Tuesday at the BILIA auditorium in Dhanmondi. Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury said the government aims to make the Padma Barrage project plan effective and visible by January-February next year.

Presenting the keynote paper, Dhaka University law professor and former interim government adviser Asif Nazrul said Bangladesh’s share had fallen by about 6.52 percent because the 1996 treaty lacks an assurance of minimum water availability. He said Bangladesh did not receive minimum flow in 15 of 27 critical periods between 2008 and 2016. His recommendations included access to information, restoring the guarantee clause, multilateral basin management involving Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and strengthening the Joint Rivers Commission.

The minister said the barrage concerns nearly seven crore people in 24 to 26 districts. He also expressed hope that the prime minister would present Bangladesh’s firm position on the treaty at the United Nations next month. State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad highlighted navigability problems in 54 rivers.