Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said private teachers and employees will no longer need to visit multiple offices to obtain retirement funds. He made the remarks on Saturday at a programme distributing retirement and welfare benefits to private teachers and employees at Osmani Memorial Hall in the capital. He said there would be no harassment in obtaining the money and no need to approach intermediaries.

Rahman said a video showed the real conditions faced by teachers, including that they previously had to pay bribes to receive allowance money. He said funds are now being transferred to teachers' accounts more easily than before. He also described teachers' role as widely accepted and said that, despite retirement under existing rules, they remain teachers.

The prime minister alleged that the previous fascist Awami League government had looted resources and left two retirement boards crippled. He said the teachers' retirement allowance fund does not have sufficient money, but payments are being made through special arrangements. The event concerned the payment of retirement and welfare benefits for private teachers and employees.

Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union general secretary Salahuddin Ammar led a July feast involving the slaughter of a cow named “Bakshal.” The meal was held at 2pm on Saturday at the university’s central mosque premises, according to the report. About more than 600 students attended the feast.

In a video posted on his personal Facebook page on Friday night, Ammar said the cow had been named Bakshal and would be sacrificed as part of the celebration, which he described as a July feast or July hospitality. He also invited students to attend. In a separate midnight post, he wrote that Bakshal had been laid down on the night of August 15.

Applications were collected through a Google Form, with a registration fee of Tk15. Organizers said about 750 students were taking part, with beef meals for roughly 650 and alternative food for the remaining 100. The event was initially promoted as a RAKSU initiative, prompting criticism online. Ammar later said RAKSU was not involved because all its members had not agreed, and said the cow’s name referred to the historical day of Bakshal’s fall and two years since the July mass uprising.

Former US ambassador and White House adviser Mark Ginsberg said Iran is “playing” President Donald Trump by exploiting mounting electoral pressure in the United States. In an Al Jazeera interview published on August 15, 2026, Ginsberg said Trump’s decisions are being influenced more by the upcoming midterm elections and growing domestic political pressure than by a long-term strategy.

Ginsberg said Tehran is well aware of Washington’s internal political conditions and is prepared to pursue a long-term strategy. He said Iranian leaders are closely watching US opinion polls and remain determined to retain power despite any punishment or pressure imposed on the public. He also said Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the country’s current situation.

According to Ginsberg, Trump faces a problem because he is not in a position to acknowledge defeat. He said Tehran is betting on a familiar outcome: that Washington will eventually retreat from its demands. In his view, Iran expects such a shift to result in relief from sanctions.

Bangladesh faced political, economic and law-and-order instability in the weeks before the military coup of August 15, 1975, when then president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family were killed. The report says the government had moved to establish the one-party Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League, or BAKSAL, replacing multiparty politics, while publication of all but four newspapers was halted.

Public anger and concern centered on corruption, looting, smuggling, theft, robbery and violence, according to the report. The effects of the 1974 famine had not fully receded, while drought followed by flooding damaged Aus crops and intensified shortages of food and safe water in affected areas. Police and the Rakkhi Bahini also intensified operations against extremist groups, with reports of arrests, weapons seizures and deaths in exchanges of fire.

Accounts by former military officers cited in the report describe growing resentment within parts of the army over one-party rule, the Rakkhi Bahini’s benefits and the dismissal or forced retirement of officers. M. A. Hamid’s book says Major Syed Faruque Rahman and Major Khandaker Abdur Rashid selected August 15 for the coup on August 12. Officers reportedly conducted reconnaissance around Dhanmondi 32 on August 14 before assembling troops, tanks and weapons.

Journalists and media leaders in Cumilla have alleged that District Commissioner Rozi Akter avoids meeting reporters, keeps them waiting, does not answer calls and refers requests for comments to additional district officials. The allegations were reported on August 15. The report said repeated calls and a WhatsApp message seeking Akter’s response to the complaints received no answer.

On Thursday, Amar Desh district correspondent M Hasan visited the DC office to seek information on case withdrawals and settlements. After submitting a visiting card, Assistant Commissioner Rafid Khan told him to contact the Additional District Magistrate. DBC correspondent Nasir Uddin said he was similarly directed to Additional DC Saiful Islam after seeking Akter’s comment on women’s empowerment.

Press club representatives said the district commissioner’s comments are needed on matters within her own responsibilities and that avoiding journalists could widen the gap between the administration and media. They urged her to speak with reporters and provide necessary statements. The report also cited Cumilla metropolitan Jamaat leaders alleging that Akter behaved loudly and impatiently during a meeting on August 6.

Satkhira Press Club’s executive committee has protested allegations that District Commissioner Kausar Aziz behaved poorly with journalists, declined calls and camera interviews, and repeatedly humiliated reporters. The committee met on Friday morning at the press club’s temporary office, chaired by president Abul Kasem, with all executive members present. Speakers condemned what they described as the commissioner’s harsh and uncooperative conduct.

Jamuna Television reporter Akramul Islam alleged that the commissioner became angry when asked how fugitive murder-case accused Abdul Alim was pursuing a land-related case at the Kalaroa upazila land office. Islam said he was threatened over another report and alleged that an additional district magistrate and several assistant commissioners compelled the cameraperson to have his camera checked.

General secretary Asaduzzaman alleged that NDC Tajul Islam withheld information about a clinic operation and summoned a journalist to his office. Joint secretary M Belal Hossain said the commissioner ended a call after hearing he was a journalist. Abul Kasem said such conduct was undesirable from a state representative amid commitments to good governance and accountability.

BNP's recently former secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called late chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia the principal architect of democratic politics in Bangladesh. He made the remarks at a prayer gathering at the party's central office in Paltan, Dhaka, on Saturday at about 11:30am, marking her 82nd birthday. He urged supporters to uphold her ideals and prayed for the salvation of her soul.

Fakhrul said Khaleda Zia's role in establishing democracy was immense and that she never bowed down in that struggle. He said her sacrifice and uncompromising stance had brought Bangladesh to its present stage. He also credited her with helping BNP become a genuine political party through a long period of struggle, saying her work and inspiration continue to motivate party activists.

Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy said many people shared in gains achieved under Khaleda Zia's leadership, though she did not find everyone beside her in the field of struggle. He said she did not become resentful, embraced others, forgave offences and gave people due respect. Several BNP leaders and activists, including Abdul Moeen Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, attended the event.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan marked the 25th anniversary of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AK Party, in Ankara on Friday, saying the party’s work is not finished. Addressing supporters at an anniversary event in the capital’s National Garden, he described the occasion as a very special and historic day and declared, “We have just begun.”

The AK Party was founded under Erdogan’s leadership on August 14, 2001, after he had served as Istanbul mayor. Erdogan said the party’s governments had carried out major investments and development projects in the economy, health, education and transport over the past 25 years. He also credited ordinary voters’ trust for the party’s long political success, saying the party used the responsibility and resources entrusted to it to strengthen and develop the country.

Erdogan said the party would not stop after a quarter-century in power and urged supporters not to expect it to become tired. He said the AK Party would work toward Turkey’s long-term goals for 2053 and 2071 and take a more active role in shaping the country’s future. At a meeting of the party’s founding board, Erdogan was unanimously elected party chairman.

US President Donald Trump said he would never apologize for attacks on Iran, speaking at an event in New York on Friday local time. The remarks were reported on August 15, 2026, as he addressed the financial costs faced by Americans because of the Iran war.

Trump described those economic losses as insignificant and urged US citizens to accept higher oil prices. He said the increased cost was necessary to prevent Iran from continuing its nuclear program and, in his words, to ensure that an “extremely evil country” does not obtain nuclear weapons.

He said Americans were paying slightly more for petrol, but argued that the cost should be understood in that context. Trump also said the United States was acting not only for itself but for the world, calling its actions a noble and very good undertaking. He reiterated that he would never apologize for the attacks on Iran.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Poland has issued urgent guidance urging Bangladeshis living in the country to use social media more responsibly. The guidance was posted on the embassy’s social media page on Friday, following a recent instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It calls on residents to use online platforms prudently and responsibly.

The embassy specifically asked Bangladeshis to avoid statements, conduct, activities or campaigns that could be misleading, false, provocative, offensive or contrary to Poland’s existing laws and regulations. It said such actions could damage the image and reputation of the Bangladeshi community. Residents were also asked to comply properly with Polish laws and regulations.

The guidance advises people to verify the accuracy and possible impact of information, statements or content before publishing or sharing them. It also calls for responsible, restrained and lawful conduct both online and offline. Bangladeshis living, working or doing business in Poland were asked to follow the laws and instructions of relevant authorities and remain aware that personal actions should not undermine the community’s dignity and reputation.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal held a procession at Dhaka University in support of BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s development vision and public welfare activities. The procession began at the Central Shaheed Minar at 4pm on Friday and was led by the organisation’s central joint general secretary, Md Tarikul Islam Tarik. It passed the Faculty of Arts and VC Chattar before ending at Raju Sculpture, where a brief rally was held.

Participants displayed placards carrying messages on Rahman’s development vision, youth employment, agriculture and rural development, public welfare and the country’s future. Organisers said the programme aimed to raise awareness among general students and young people about government development and welfare initiatives and convey those messages to the public. About 800 activists attended, while organisers also sought to involve general students.

At the rally, Tarik said development included farmers’ living standards, youth employment, public safety and dignity, rather than only large infrastructure. He referred to farmer cards, family cards, canal re-excavation, rural infrastructure improvement and skills development for women and youth. He said the group plans to continue awareness programmes on development, youth potential and public welfare activities.

The Private University National Association of Bangladesh, or PUNAB, was formally launched on October 21, 2024, following the July mass uprising experience described in the article. The platform brings together private university students, teachers and alumni and says it aims to pursue intellectual programmes on education, policy, technology, leadership, culture and national issues. Rayhan Patowary serves as founding president, while Shamsul Alam Liton is the chief adviser.

According to the article, many founding members were involved in coordinating private university student activities and online information-sharing during the 2024 movement. PUNAB now operates seven subject-based forums, including debate, technology and innovation, sports and fitness, and alumni affiliation. Applicants may seek membership through its website before interviews and eligibility reviews.

The organisation has published information on private university students killed in the uprising and held dialogues, training programmes, debates and memorial events. It staged its first July Memorial Award on July 13, 2026. PUNAB says it plans to publish an annual July monitoring report on how private universities uphold July’s values; data collection for this year’s report is under way.

US President Donald Trump has urged Americans to accept paying somewhat more for gasoline as oil prices rise following the Iran war. Speaking in Garden City, Trump said the added cost was necessary to ensure that Iran, which he described as “a very evil country,” does not obtain nuclear weapons. The report was published on August 15, 2026.

Trump said the United States was doing a great service not only for itself but for the world, and said he would never apologize for attacks on Iran. The comments underscore a growing political risk for Trump because higher oil prices conflict with his campaign promise to reduce energy costs.

Democrats are seeking to make the economic effects of the Iran war an issue ahead of November’s midterm elections. About 20 percent of global oil and LNG shipments normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report. Shipping through the strait has been disrupted since the Iran war, adding to the conditions behind higher oil prices worldwide.

Weeklong Generation Z protests in India in July have shifted attention from religious identity politics toward education, jobs, economic security and expanded opportunities, according to the report. It says the urban, educated youth-led demonstrations have left Prime Minister Narendra Modi politically weaker than at any point in the past decade. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also lost two important state assembly by-elections in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh earlier this month, including a seat it had held for nearly three decades.

The report distinguishes the current student movement from earlier farmers’ protests and demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act. It argues that the protesters come from a group once seen as an enthusiastic BJP political base and a social vanguard of the Hindutva project. That makes the unrest an internal political rebellion that is harder for the Modi government to dismiss or suppress through familiar narratives.

India’s economy has grown from about $2 trillion in 2014 to about $4 trillion, the report says, but broad economic security and employment have not kept pace. More than 450 million people work in the informal economy, while roughly two-thirds of unemployed people are educated youth. The report identifies the gap between promised economic transformation and young people’s lived experience as a source of growing frustration.

A report published on August 15, 2026 said allegations against pro-Awami League teachers at Jagannath University remain unresolved two years after the July Revolution. The report alleged that teachers who opposed the student-public movement or supported mass killings have not faced justice. It also cited allegations involving recruitment practices, administrative privileges and other irregularities, while stating that more than 700 teachers have been appointed at the university since its establishment.

The report linked appointments and influence to successive university administrations and described allegations against leaders and members of the Blue Panel. These included involvement in activities against the July movement, financial irregularities, abuse of authority and receipt of administrative benefits. Several named teachers rejected allegations, saying they had followed rules in carrying out their duties or obtaining promotions.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Rois Uddin said anyone involved in the July killings must be tried, regardless of party identity. He said a new judicial commission had been appointed because teachers on an investigation committee formed after August 5 were unwilling to proceed against colleagues. He said he expected the commission's report soon.