West Bengal Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari said people living in the state must sing “Vande Mataram,” declaring that his government would not compromise on nationalism and patriotism. He made the remarks on Saturday while addressing a rally in his Bhabanipur constituency, according to the report published on August 23, 2026.

Adhikari alleged that the national flag had not been hoisted at Jadavpur University, that the state education department had not been allowed to enter, and that CCTV cameras had not been permitted on campus. He blamed what he called the “tukde-tukde gang” and “jihadi” forces for opposing the singing of “Vande Mataram” and celebrations of Republic Day and Independence Day at the university.

He said his government would establish nationalism inside and outside Jadavpur despite what he described as supportive media coverage for anti-national forces. Adhikari also said the university should reflect nationalism, Indian culture and “Sanatan” culture, citing the goal of realizing Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s dream. He criticized left parties and claimed their candidates lost deposits in assembly elections held earlier this year.

Bangladesh’s National Citizen Party (NCP) has welcomed the prospect of Malaysia reopening its labour market to Bangladeshi workers after more than two years, while raising concerns over a list of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies. In a statement issued on Saturday and sent by party office cell member Sadia Farzana Dinar, NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan said the market must not become a monopoly for a limited number of agencies.

Bhuiyan said Malaysia’s foreign worker recruitment platform FWCMS had published the list, but the selection process, criteria and basis remained unclear. He said the Bangladesh government had previously sent Malaysia a list of 423 recruiting agencies that met stipulated conditions, and called for clarification on why only 25 were selected.

The NCP cited past allegations of syndicate-driven irregularities and excessive charges, including claims that workers paid up to Tk550,000 against a government-set cost of Tk79,000. It called for transparent, competitive and accountable recruitment, investigation of past allegations, legal action where warranted, and priority resolution for workers unable to travel in 2024 despite completing procedures. The party also urged public disclosure of recruitment terms agreed through the Bangladesh-Malaysia Joint Working Group.

The United States has congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on assuming office as Bangladesh’s newly elected president. The US Embassy in Dhaka issued the message on Saturday, saying it congratulated him on taking responsibility as the country’s 23rd president.

In its statement, the embassy said the United States looks forward to working with President Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the Bangladesh government. It said such engagement is intended to further strengthen the bilateral partnership between the two countries.

The United States also reaffirmed its commitment to the continued development of US-Bangladesh relations, mutual cooperation and a broader partnership, according to the embassy’s message.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar called on the party to field candidates at every level in upcoming local elections and strengthen its organization to secure victory. He made the remarks as chief guest at a ward presidents’ conference organized by Naogaon district Jamaat at a local upazila parishad auditorium on Saturday morning.

Parwar said party activities should be made more dynamic ahead of the local polls, with stronger and more organized grassroots structures. He urged leaders to build close ties with people, stand beside them, and help solve their problems. He also said Jamaat workers should act as social workers and that leaders should play a leading role in establishing justice and fairness.

He called on the government to curb rising prices of oil, gas and essential goods and bring them within ordinary people’s purchasing power. Parwar also said Jamaat’s movement would continue until the July Charter is implemented and the referendum verdict is enforced. Naogaon district Jamaat Amir Kh. M. Abdur Rakib chaired the conference, attended by central and district-level party leaders.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said the central government aims to complete within six months the process of granting Indian citizenship to eligible Hindu, Sikh and Jain refugees who came from Bangladesh. He made the announcement on Friday at an event in Kawakhali, Siliguri, in West Bengal.

Shah said the initiative covers people who entered India after facing persecution in Bangladesh and are eligible under the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA. He said they would receive citizenship with respect and dignity. The Union Home Ministry is coordinating with the West Bengal state administration on the process.

To speed up applications, the Home Ministry has given district magistrates in eight West Bengal districts the necessary authority to process citizenship cases, Shah said. India’s Parliament passed the CAA in 2019 and its rules took effect in 2024. The law provides a citizenship route, subject to conditions, for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who entered India by December 31, 2014. Shah also stressed identifying illegal migrants in West Bengal and taking action against them.

BNP joint secretary general and Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie warned that excessive expectations could create fresh danger and allow others to exploit the situation. He made the remarks on Saturday at the National Press Club in Dhaka during a memorial meeting and prayer event marking the 12th death anniversary of former Feni-3 lawmaker and media figure Muhammad Mosharraf Hossain.

Annie said public expectations of political leaders must align with politicians’ statements and actions. He said politicians, activists and supporters of political parties should consider the issue carefully. He also said relations with neighbouring countries should have been better and stressed that politicians have a responsibility to retain the public’s changed perception of them after the election and after the 5th.

The minister said expectations that a government can accomplish everything for everyone within six months are not realistic because state responsibilities were assumed through a defined process. He said people had at least been relieved from a 17-year situation marked by cases, attacks, oppression, torture, disappearances and killings. Annie also recalled Mosharraf Hossain as someone committed to helping people in Feni and said future memorial events could be organised on a broader scale.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh is not rushing to arrange the prime minister’s visit to India and will proceed at an appropriate time after ensuring national interests through discussion. He made the remarks on Saturday, August 22, 2026, while answering reporters’ questions after paying tribute to Liberation War martyrs at the National Memorial in Savar.

Kabir said Bangladesh wants to maintain positive and effective relations with India as a neighbouring country, but would not compromise its national interests in relations with India or any other state. He said a prime minister-level visit cannot be organized suddenly because it requires necessary discussions and preparations before the two heads of government meet.

On Sheikh Hasina’s extradition, Kabir described her as having fled to India and said judicial proceedings against her are ongoing, with verdicts delivered in several cases and others still pending. He said Bangladesh and India have an extradition treaty, making the matter an ongoing bilateral issue. He added that Bangladesh would communicate and discuss with India the return of other alleged offenders who have fled there.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said that “true democracy” currently prevails in Bangladesh. Speaking on Saturday at the foundation-stone ceremony for the Mokamtala Union Parishad office and a relief distribution event in Mokamtala upazila, Bogura, he said the democratic election of the president was major evidence of democratic practice and development in the country.

Alam thanked the opposition party for taking part in the presidential election. He said democracy is not limited to holding elections, but is expressed through respect for public opinion, political tolerance and ensuring everyone’s participation. He also said politicians should not be arrogant, saying honour can be given or taken away at any time by Allah.

The state minister described Prime Minister Tarique Rahman as a humble and decent politician who is running the country responsibly. He said public welfare and national development are the central aims of the prime minister’s politics. Local elected representatives, political leaders, administrative officials and people from different professions attended the event. Alam later distributed relief materials among families affected by natural disasters.

Haragach municipality BNP has issued a show-cause notice to Saidul Islam Ranju, general secretary of ward 8 BNP in Kaunia, Rangpur, over allegations that he took money by promising government allowances for mosque staff. The notice was signed Friday night by municipal BNP president Monayen Hossain Faruk and general secretary Nurul Amin Daju.

The notice said allegations of financial transactions had emerged involving the imam, muezzin and khadem of Mollatari Jame Mosque in exchange for inclusion in the government allowance scheme. It asked Ranju to explain in writing within three days why organisational action should not be taken, saying the allegations had damaged the party’s image.

Nurul Amin Daju confirmed the notice on Saturday afternoon. He said taking money in the name of government allowances using a party identity was an offence. He said an audio recording involving a refund of money spread on social media, prompting party leaders to investigate and find preliminary evidence. Muezzin Nur Amin alleged that Ranju initially demanded Tk34,000 from the three staff members, later saying Tk30,000 would secure their inclusion. Ranju denied the allegations, saying he was a victim of political vendetta.

Imran Khan’s sister, Uzma Khan, alleged on Saturday that Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister told her he had been repeatedly physically abused in prison. The allegation came after Khan was taken from Adiala Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad for medical tests and returned to jail within hours. Uzma Khan, who was present during the examination, said he was physically well but had reported mistreatment in custody.

The Supreme Court had ordered Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital on Friday night, but authorities took him to PIMS, citing security concerns. Doctors declared him medically fit after examinations by an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist and another doctor. Pakistan’s interior and law ministries and prison authorities did not comment on the abuse allegation.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party filed a contempt petition against the government, saying the court order was not followed and his personal doctor was excluded. Information Minister Ataullah Tarar defended the PIMS transfer. Supporters gathered on Islamabad streets after news of the hospital visit, while PTI leaders said preparations for a September 27 protest march had been strengthened.

Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, spokesperson for the National Citizen Party (NCP) and head of its international relations and diaspora affairs subcommittee, has performed Umrah in Mecca. He arrived in the holy city on the night of August 20 and prayed for the welfare of the people of Bangladesh, according to information released by the NCP media cell on Saturday.

Bhuiyan left Dhaka with his wife on a Thursday afternoon flight for the pilgrimage. Other NCP figures accompanying him include central members Ayman Rahad and Yasir Arafat, National Olama Alliance member secretary Maulana Sanaullah Khan, and Dhaka South NCP senior joint convener Tarek E Adil, along with several others.

After completing Umrah, the NCP leaders visited places associated with Prophet Muhammad. Bhuiyan also held a courtesy meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates living in Saudi Arabia. He is currently in Mecca and is scheduled to travel next to Medina Munawara. His return to Dhaka is expected on August 30.

Portugal has enacted a ban on covering the face in public, with fines ranging from €150 to €3,000 depending on the offence. The law took effect after President António José Seguro approved it, according to the report published on August 22, 2026. Locally described as the “burqa law,” it prohibits clothing that fully covers the face or obstructs identification.

The law provides exemptions for health needs, professional duties, artistic activities and weather-related reasons. It does not apply in places of worship, diplomatic missions or aircraft. It also prohibits forcing someone to cover their face because of their gender, religion, age or ancestral identity. Seguro said the face plays an important role in identity and interpersonal communication, and that keeping it visible is a basis for mutual trust in Portuguese society.

The proposal, introduced by the right-wing Chega party, was approved by parliament in July. The governing right-wing coalition and far-right parties supported it, while left-wing parties opposed it. Legal groups questioned its legal and constitutional aspects, and left-wing leaders warned it could increase Islamophobia and discrimination. The report places Portugal alongside several European countries that have imposed restrictions on face-covering clothing.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is changing his social media approach to reach younger audiences, particularly Gen Z voters, through Instagram. The shift includes more relaxed and seemingly spontaneous content on an account previously dominated by carefully curated posts, including a “Get Ready With Me” reel, selfie videos and references to young people as friends. The report was published on August 22, 2026.

The Bharatiya Janata Party became more active on the platform after the recent Cockroach Janata Party movement, which spread through memes, livestreams and Instagram reels before affecting street politics and contributing to a central minister’s resignation. More than 60 percent of India’s population is under 35, and Gen Z could become a major voting bloc in the 2029 election. BJP social media pages are also using memes, slang and pop-culture references.

Many young users have treated Modi’s new videos as humorous or “cringe” content rather than political messaging, with his first selfie video widely mocked and edited for circulation online. Analysts say Instagram’s focus on engagement, shares, comments, repeat viewing and watch time makes message control harder. They add that online popularity and electoral victory are different, while BJP’s organisation and voter base remain central to its electoral strength.

Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on being elected Bangladesh’s 23rd president. In a congratulatory message issued on August 22, 2026, Muizzu described the election as an important milestone in Bangladesh’s democratic journey.

Speaking on behalf of the government and people of the Maldives, Muizzu conveyed warm greetings to the newly elected Bangladeshi president. He said the first competitive presidential election in 35 years reflected public confidence in Mirza Fakhrul. Muizzu also said Bangladesh and the Maldives share a long-standing relationship based on strong historical bonds and a common commitment to regional stability and development.

The Maldivian president expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries would gain greater depth and scope under Mirza Fakhrul’s leadership, bringing Bangladesh and the Maldives closer. He further hoped that Bangladesh would continue its path toward lasting peace, progress and prosperity during the new president’s tenure.

National Citizen Party (NCP) northern region chief coordinator Sarjis Alam said the inspector general of police would face consequences worse than former police chief Benazir if he sought to suppress opposition parties. Alam made the remarks in a video released to the media on Saturday, according to the report published on August 22, 2026.

Alam alleged that during an unwanted situation at a state event, the current police chief asked Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed whether protesters should be removed while the minister was speaking on stage. He said an IGP seeking to remove dissenting views to please or flatter the home minister or prime minister reflected the character of former IGP Benazir.

The NCP leader said such flattery and mentality had turned Bangladesh Police from a state institution into the government's “pet force,” causing it to lose its pride and dignity. He also alleged that cases were being filed against people not genuinely involved in crimes, while those committing the alleged crimes were filing the cases.