Bangladesh’s government has taken up a Tk 1,311 crore 50 lakh 66 thousand project to develop Ramu Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar into a modern, full-fledged military installation. The proposal, titled “Infrastructure Development for Ramu Cantonment,” was scheduled for presentation to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. It is planned to run from July 2026 to June 2030 with full government financing.

The project is intended to strengthen security along the country’s southeastern border, protect sovereignty against external attacks and increase strategic military capability. The Defence Ministry is the project sponsor, while Army Headquarters, the Engineer-in-Chief Branch, the Public Works Department and Dhaka Cantonment will implement it. The documents also list important military and civilian areas in Dhaka, Chattogram and Khulna divisions.

Planned works include 135,882.97 square metres of residential buildings, 6,158.30 square metres of non-residential buildings, 25,000 metres of drainage structures and 11 tube wells. Health and water-supply facilities, telecommunications equipment, land development, electrical and firefighting equipment, computers and furniture are also included.

After forming the government, the BNP has moved to recognise leaders active in its long-running movement and those denied party nominations by assigning them important roles in local government and other public institutions. Five BNP leaders in Sylhet have received such appointments, according to a report published on August 19, 2026.

The appointees are BNP assistant organising secretary Miftah Siddiqui, Sylhet district BNP president Abdul Qayum Chowdhury, former district president and executive committee member Abul Kaher Chowdhury Shamim, former acting metropolitan president Rezaul Hasan Qayes Lodi, and former metropolitan general secretary Badruzzaman Selim. Selim was most recently appointed director of Jalalabad Gas Transmission and Distribution System Limited by the power, energy and mineral resources ministry.

Qayum Chowdhury was appointed administrator of Sylhet City Corporation on February 22, Shamim became Sylhet District Council administrator on March 15, and Qayes Lodi was appointed chairman of Sylhet Development Authority on June 11. Siddiqui was named chairman of Sylhet WASA on August 9. The report said several of the leaders had sought BNP nominations in the latest national election.

Asadul Islam Mukul, a former National Citizen Party (NCP) figure, has joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) after failing to secure an NCP nomination for the Dhaka-20 Dhamrai constituency. Mukul confirmed the move in a post on his verified Facebook account on Tuesday night, according to the report published on August 19, 2026. He had previously been active in Dhamrai while seeking to contest as an NCP candidate and had collected the party’s nomination form.

The NCP instead announced engineer Nabila Tasnid as its candidate for Dhaka-20. Mukul’s decision to join BNP in the Savar, or Dhaka-19, constituency prompted discussion in local political circles over whether the switch was driven by nomination-focused politics. Some people described in the report questioned his political position and viewed the move as prioritising personal interests over ideology.

NCP Dhaka North joint convenor Faisal Khan said Mukul’s departure was a personal matter and claimed he had not made a significant contribution whose loss would weaken the party. Mukul said there was no particular reason for leaving NCP and that he joined BNP after receiving an opportunity to work with it. He said he held no party post, would work first and await the party’s assessment, and hoped to serve Dhamrai residents if given an opportunity.

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking directions to declare the parliamentary seat of Abdul Hannan Masud, the member of parliament for Noakhali-6 (Hatiya), vacant or cancelled. Hatiya resident Nazmul Hossain filed the petition with the relevant High Court branch on Wednesday morning, alleging concealment of information in an affidavit and forgery.

The petitioner’s lawyer said the matter will be heard by a High Court bench comprising Justice Rajik Al Jalil and Justice Debashish Ray Chowdhury. The source did not state when the hearing would take place or provide further details of the allegations made in the petition.

Masud, a leader of the National Citizen Party, became the youngest among the winners elected in the 13th national parliamentary election held on February 12. He gained national prominence during the student-public movement of July and August 2024 as one of the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. He later joined the National Citizen Committee, identified in the source as NCP.

National Citizen Party member secretary and lawmaker Akhtar Hossain said the government has not kept its promise to introduce stronger laws on preventing enforced disappearances. Speaking at a Tuesday roundtable at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in Segunbagicha, he alleged that draft laws restrict the National Human Rights Commission’s independent investigative authority and assign disappearance investigations to forces that may face such allegations.

Hossain said a proposed five-year punishment for families filing false disappearance complaints could intimidate victims’ relatives. He urged the government to redraft the laws with public input rather than relying only on officials and security forces. He warned that passing the drafts could reverse progress in protecting human rights and revive a culture of impunity.

Other participants also called for independent and accountable institutions. Political analyst Dilara Chowdhury questioned police responsibility for disappearance investigations, while Shahidul Alam urged retention of the commission’s independent power to investigate security-force allegations. Nabila Idris said recent legal changes weaken independent investigations and proposed special safeguards for officials instead of removing investigative powers.

Kakoroch Janata Party (CJP) said it has raised four demands for the family of Sheikh Mohammed Mafi, who it alleges was killed in Indas, Bankura. At a press conference outside Kolkata Press Club on Tuesday, party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the demands include security for family members, the swift arrest of those accused in the killing, necessary assistance for the family, and fundraising in Abdul’s name.

The party said Mafi was killed after his son, Sheikh Abdul Hafiz, posted photographs of a local primary school on social media as part of CJP’s “Fix the School” campaign. Ranka appealed to students and members of the public for financial assistance for the family. The report presents these allegations and demands as claims made by the party.

Ranka also alleged that a planned CJP meet-up at Bharat Sabha Hall in north Kolkata was cancelled at the last moment under pressure from the BJP. He said about six other Kolkata auditoriums had declined bookings. Ranka said the party would soon organize a larger meet-up and would continue as a pressure group rather than enter electoral politics or contest student-union elections.

Fifty-seven political and social leaders in Bangladesh have called for the presidential election not to become a test of party loyalty in the post-uprising period. In a joint statement sent to the media on Tuesday, they issued four demands, including an end to what they described as misinterpretation of Article 70 of the constitution in relation to the presidential vote.

The signatories said Article 70 should be reformed so that its application is limited to money bills and no-confidence votes. They also opposed any attempt to expand its current scope and apply it to the presidential election in a manner they said conflicts with commitments in the July National Charter and the 31-point programme.

They urged the Election Commission to immediately provide a clear, neutral and constitutional interpretation on whether Article 70 applies to the presidential election, and to make that explanation public. The statement also called on all members of the 13th parliament to vote according to constitutional conscience, independent judgment and responsibility to the republic, free from party pressure, fear and loyalty.

A local Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Inamul Molla, 26, was temporarily relieved of his party post in Boalmari, Faridpur, after allegations of an improper relationship with the wife of an expatriate Bangladeshi. The action was taken on Tuesday afternoon, according to party sources, and an internal investigation has begun. Molla had served as ameer of Jamaat’s Ward No. 9 unit in Boalmari municipality.

Local and party sources said Molla had long maintained close contact with a woman from the Kutipara area of Kushadanga village, whose husband is currently abroad. The alleged relationship recently became known to both families and local residents, prompting discussion and criticism in the area. Molla also works as a receptionist at Molla Doctor K Halim Hospital in Boalmari market.

Molla could not be reached for comment because his phone was switched off, and he was not present at his workplace. Municipal Jamaat ameer Syed Niamul Hasan said the allegation was being investigated and further decisions would follow after consultation if it is found true. Party sources said the allegation remains an allegation until the investigation is completed.

Four newly appointed members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s national standing committee met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at his office in the Secretariat on Tuesday evening, August 18. The participants were Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, Md Amanullah Aman, Farhad Halim (Donor), and Md Ismail Zabiullah. Standing committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed was also present, according to the prime minister’s deputy press secretary Zahidur Islam Roni.

Earlier in the day, the four leaders paid tribute by laying wreaths at the graves of martyred president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar. BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman appointed them to the party’s national standing committee on August 15.

BNP said the appointments were made under party decisions to increase organizational dynamism. It said the four leaders would contribute advice and help the party’s highest policymaking forum take important decisions for the party and the people. With their addition, the 19-member standing committee now has 17 members. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, nominated as the party’s presidential candidate, is expected to resign from his party post after the August 20 presidential election.

Khelafat Majlish called on the government to uphold public expectations, democratic rights, justice and accountability at a public rally in Birmingham, United Kingdom, marking the second anniversary of the July Revolution. The event was held Monday under the initiative of the organisation’s Birmingham branch and chaired by branch president Maulana A. F. M. Shuaib.

Chief guest Professor Maulana Abdul Kader Saleh, the party’s naib-e-amir, said a government that comes to power through the public verdict cannot disregard people’s expectations and opinions. He said the public is the state’s main strength and that no government can survive for long by ignoring the public mandate. Speakers also said failures to meet public expectations and departures from the ideals of the July Revolution were creating political disappointment.

Main speaker Sylhet-5 lawmaker Mufti Abul Hasan stressed citizens’ respect for law and responsible conduct as important for national development and stability. He also discussed expatriate concerns, including applications, airport and flight-related difficulties, and said he would discuss solutions with other Sylhet lawmakers and raise legitimate demands with relevant authorities.

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid has remained in Delhi’s Tihar Jail for nearly six years after his September 2020 arrest in a “larger conspiracy” case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. He has not been convicted of any offence, and the main trial remains at an early stage. Khalid faces charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, along with allegations including criminal conspiracy, rioting and promoting enmity between groups.

Delhi Police allege that Khalid and others conspired to incite violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, including during then US President Donald Trump’s visit to India. Khalid denies involvement in the riots or any conspiracy. His supporters have also questioned some evidence and videos in the case. The February 2020 violence killed 53 people, most of them Muslims, according to the report.

Khalid has returned to the Delhi High Court in what is described as his eighth bail attempt, with a hearing expected in late August after police were asked to respond. The Supreme Court granted bail to five co-accused on January 5, 2026, but not to Khalid or activist Sharjeel Imam, saying their positions differed. Rights groups have raised concerns about lengthy pretrial detention and UAPA’s strict bail provisions.

Saiful Haque, general secretary of Bangladesh’s Revolutionary Workers Party, called for building an equal, democratic and humane state to honor those killed in the July-August mass uprising. Speaking at a martyrs remembrance rally organized by his party in Hatirjheel, Dhaka, on Tuesday, he also demanded the immediate publication of a complete list of those killed and injured in the July revolution.

Haque said the martyrs sacrificed their lives for an equal democratic and humane state and society, not to increase the political capital of any particular force or group. He said narrow politics should not be conducted using their memory. He further argued that economic and social inequality, job losses and unemployment had increased over the past two years, while people’s lives and livelihoods had not become secure.

He said terrorism, extortion and land grabbing had not stopped. Citing foreign-dependent energy policy, Haque said gas and electricity shortages had deepened and urged stronger domestic institutions, including BAPEX. He said the BNP government had demonstrated notable success in democratic rights and tolerance during its first six months, while people would now want implementation of its social and economic protection initiatives.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman said the country’s overall situation has not improved significantly after the government completed six months. Speaking while chairing the party’s regular meeting on Tuesday at its central office in Paltan, he raised concerns over prices, the energy sector, public security and investment conditions.

Rahman said commodity prices were beyond people’s reach and that people faced repeated harassment in the energy sector. He said there had been no notable improvement in public security and described the investment situation as dire. According to him, the lack of change in the state structure and the absence of policy reforms were responsible for the failure to improve conditions.

He said the July mass uprising had brought only changes in individuals rather than a qualitative change in the state. Rahman called for reforms to meet public expectations, including forming an upper house based on proportional representation of general votes and imposing strict discipline in the financial sector. The meeting also expressed concern that gas and electricity problems were causing public hardship and disrupting production, stressing the need for long-term, sustainable solutions.

NCP chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary criticised Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, saying efforts to retain former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s legacy would not be productive. In a post on his verified Facebook page published on August 18, 2026, Patwary said what the prime minister was seeking no longer existed. Addressing those urging him to follow an old path, he said the reset button had been pressed and that route would bring no benefit.

Patwary said Bangladesh wanted to begin anew with dignity and equality rather than remain subordinate to anyone, describing it as an independent Bangladesh. He wrote that Ziaur Rahman and Tarique Rahman had faced the same reality at different times. According to Patwary, Ziaur Rahman had also tried that path, but it did not produce the desired solution.

He called for reforms to be implemented while staying on the correct path, describing reform as the only effective route. Patwary also urged attention to the geopolitical situation in the Bay of Bengal. He wrote that a major expectation behind Tarique Rahman’s return from London was to move the state beyond the cycle of old politics. Referring to Ziaur Rahman’s role in building economic foundations through the garment industry and overseas manpower exports, he asked what would underpin Bangladesh during the current prime minister’s tenure.

Bangladesh’s presidential election will be held on Thursday between ruling BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Oli Ahmed, candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. Neither contender withdrew their nomination by the Tuesday 4 p.m. deadline, so voting will proceed under the announced schedule, according to Election Commission Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.

Voting is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the parliamentary chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad. On the day, election official and Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin will explain the voting procedure to member of parliament voters. Ballot papers will be prepared on Tuesday, and will carry black print on white paper.

The ballot will have a counterfoil and ballot section. MPs will sign with their full names to receive a ballot and will vote by signing in the blank space beside a candidate’s name, which will be arranged by Bangla alphabetical initials. Of parliament’s 350 members, 349 are eligible voters after BNP’s Aslam Chowdhury lost his membership by court order. Ballots will be counted in the chamber after 5 p.m., where the result will be announced before a gazette is published.