Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Dinesh Trivedi said many problems could be resolved if Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sit together. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon at the inauguration of a children’s play area at an Indian visa application centre.

Trivedi said the behaviour of Bangladesh’s people is very good and that relations between the people of the two countries are good. He said these relations should also be maintained at the government level, stressing continuity between public ties and official engagement.

The high commissioner also said there are plans to reduce the cost of obtaining visas for ordinary people. He added that plans include increasing the number of visa centres and expanding visa-processing capacity. The report did not specify a timeline or implementation process for those measures.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held a courtesy meeting with Hefazat-e-Islam amir Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari at Al-Jamiatul Islamia Azizul Uloom Babunagar Madrasa in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, on Sunday. The two later joined a brief exchange meeting following their courtesy call.

Earlier, the prime minister arrived in Fatikchhari by helicopter from Banshkhali in Chattogram at 3:20 pm. Local leaders and activists welcomed him after the helicopter landed at Pelagazi Dighi field. He then travelled by road to the Babunagar madrasa.

Thousands of people standing on both sides of the road greeted the prime minister during his journey. Students at the madrasa became enthusiastic on seeing him, and he responded by waving and exchanging greetings. Madrasa officials also welcomed him. After the exchange meeting, the prime minister left by road for Hathazari upazila in Chattogram.

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that unidentified attackers threw bricks and stones at her car in Halisahar, North 24 Parganas, while she was travelling to meet the family of a party worker who died in police custody. In remarks to journalists, she said she could have been killed and that her head might have been injured if her vehicle’s windows had not been closed.

According to the report, protesters surrounded Banerjee’s car, smeared it with mud and threw shoes and water bottles. They were also seen chanting “chor bhagao” as police tried to push them away. Banerjee accused outsiders of throwing stones in front of police and said officers did not protect her. MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen also criticised the administration.

Banerjee had travelled to meet the family of Birju Keot, husband of former Trinamool councillor Jenny Sharma. Keot was sent to five days of police custody after an extortion-related arrest and was later alleged to have died in custody. Sharma alleged torture and beating, while police had not responded. The BJP condemned the incident, denied involvement and called for action against those responsible.

The 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated LDP chairman Colonel (retd.) Oli Ahmed for the upcoming presidential election. The decision was made at an alliance meeting held at 11:30am on Sunday, August 9, at the residence of the opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami ameer. National Citizen Party convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam announced the nomination at a subsequent press briefing.

The meeting was chaired by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman. The party’s secretary general Mia Golam Parwar and 11-party alliance coordinator Dr Hamidur Rahman Azad attended. Other participants included MDP’s Colonel (retd.) Oli Ahmed, JAGPA’s Rashed Pradhan, Khelafat Majlish’s Mamunul Haque, NCP convener Nahid Islam and Nasiruddin Patwary.

On Saturday evening, August 8, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami announced its decision to participate in the country’s 23rd presidential election. That decision was taken at a meeting of its central executive council at the party’s central office in Moghbazar, Dhaka. The alliance selected Oli Ahmed as its candidate at the following day’s meeting.

Student politics at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology has taken on a new shape after the July Revolution, with Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Shibir, Chhatra Union and Jatiya Chhatra Shakti among the active groups. A report published on August 9 said the multi-group environment is marked by claims of coexistence but also competing allegations of dominance, suppression of dissent and online attacks. New Chhatra Dal and partial Chhatra Shibir committees emerged after August 5, while Jatiya Chhatra Shakti announced a partial committee this month.

Chhatra Dal alleged that several current Chhatra Shakti leaders had previously called for an end to party-affiliated student politics. Convener Rashid Abrar said that demand had also been supported by members of other groups and many general students, before the administration decided to allow student politics following discussions with all organizations. Chhatra Union alleged online attacks by Chhatra Shibir and aggressive conduct by part of Chhatra Shakti; Shibir rejected the claim as malicious propaganda.

Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra Shakti accused Chhatra Dal of helping halt the central student union, SHAKSU, while Chhatra Dal general secretary Naim Sarkar blamed Shibir and an allied administration. Students also said expression is not fully free and dissenters face online trolling. Political Studies department head Nazrul Islam urged groups to avoid dominance-driven politics and become student-oriented organizations.

Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology has reshaped residential hall management after banning all political organisations and affiliated activities on campus. The RUET administration adopted the ban at the syndicate’s 105th emergency meeting on August 10, following the political change of August 5, 2024. It then introduced new hall policies, merit-based seat allocation and stronger administrative oversight, the report said.

The report describes allegations that more than 90 percent of over 2,000 residential seats had previously been controlled by ruling-party student politics. Even students with formal allocations were allegedly unable to occupy their seats, while political loyalty and participation in programmes were treated as unofficial conditions for hall accommodation. One MSE student was reportedly forced to leave a hall in September 2023 after refusing to join political activities.

Students now say political identity or backing from influential seniors is no longer needed to live in halls. Services including reading rooms, common rooms, prayer spaces, water facilities and automated machines have been expanded. Student Welfare Director Professor Dr. Rabiul Islam Sarkar said all female students are now covered by housing, while four male cohorts have full accommodation and one has partial coverage.

Students at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur have raised concerns that coercive campus politics may be returning after screenshots from two hall Messenger groups circulated online. The messages allegedly instructed students to attend a reception for the university unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s newly announced committee, prompting fears among some students that compulsory political participation is resurfacing.

One screenshot told all students from the 2024 batch to be in the hall television room before 8:45pm and said non-participation by residents would be their personal responsibility. Another message urged students to come downstairs at the request of “Tajmul bhai,” warning of a meeting at night if they did not. Sources identified Tajmul as a 2022-batch agriculture student and follower of unit president Ehsanul Kabir Arnob.

The committee was announced on July 7, and Arnob visited Shahid President Ziaur Rahman Hall on July 9, according to sources. Senior joint general secretary Rukunur Zaman denied Chhatra Dal involvement. Islami Chhatra Shibir president Rezwanul Haque called for an impartial investigation and necessary action.

Abu Obaidah Arin, a 25-year-old from Satkhira, was seen hosting a controversial virtual event featuring Sheikh Hasina that was held from New Delhi, India, on August 5. Arin, from Munjitpur Lichutala in Satkhira town, is currently in India for higher education. The report says the presence of a Bangladeshi young man beside Hasina and the Indian government’s permission for the programme have prompted renewed discussion about Dhaka-New Delhi diplomatic relations.

Arin is the elder son of Abu Soeb Ebel, owner of Jahan Press. His father said he did not know of his son’s involvement with any political party and recognised him from photographs published in the media. His mother, Jebunnesa Khushi, said she had sent him to Delhi to study and repeatedly urged him not to enter politics. She said she was shocked after seeing his image online and that Arin later asked her to remain calm before ending a phone call.

Residents and neighbours have expressed curiosity over Arin’s appearance at the event. Local political circles have circulated claims of his closeness to former Satkhira-2 Awami League lawmaker Mir Mostak Ahmed Robi. Police Superintendent Abu Saleh Md Ashraful Alam said police had not known about the matter beforehand and were trying to gather information on Arin’s background and overall circumstances.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), described as the ruling party, has collected two nomination forms for the presidential election from the Election Commission’s returning officer’s office. Parliamentary Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and Ruhul Kabir Rizvi collected the forms on Sunday morning from the chief election officer’s office at the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka.

According to Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, August 13 has been set as the deadline for submitting nomination papers under the election schedule. Voting for the presidential election is scheduled to take place on August 20.

On the night of August 1, BNP’s standing committee assigned party chief and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman responsibility for selecting the party’s candidate for president. Several senior BNP leaders are under discussion for the post. There is strong discussion about Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir taking the role, while standing committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Dr Moin Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan are also being discussed in various circles.

Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher Sumon said July fighters risked their lives during the 2024 mass uprising and “freed Bangladesh once again.” He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon as chief guest at a July Mass Uprising Day discussion meeting at Cumilla Town Hall field, organized by Cumilla South District BNP. He said the sacrifice should be carried not only in words but also in actions and hearts, and called for building the Bangladesh envisioned by the movement’s participants.

The minister paid tribute to those killed for the country’s freedom and people’s liberation in 1971, 1990 and 2024. He urged those present to pledge that the martyrs’ sacrifices would not be allowed to go in vain. He said the country had been battered by 15 years of misrule and asserted that it could recover if people supported the prime minister from their respective positions.

Addressing families of those killed in Cumilla’s uprising, Sumon said they would receive the same facilities available through his ministry to other martyr families. He asked families that had not received any government-declared benefit to contact authorities so their rightful entitlements could be provided. Cumilla-6 MP Chowdhury, the meeting’s main speaker, also said the sacrifices of July would not be forgotten.

Several public universities in Bangladesh have formed investigation committees after allegations that teachers were secretly working to bring Sheikh Hasina back to the country and rehabilitate Awami League politics. The report claims that at least 404 teachers from 22 universities were involved through an encrypted Telegram group, allegedly issuing directions aimed at creating disorder at major campuses, including Dhaka University.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ABM Obaidul Islam said the alleged teachers were being monitored and should face action if wrongdoing was established. Professor Dr Mohammad Bilal Hossain of the University Teachers Link called for investigation and legal action where warranted, while cautioning against harassment driven by ulterior motives. Islamic University’s Green Forum also condemned the allegations and requested an inquiry.

Jagannath, Rajshahi, Islamic, Begum Rokeya and Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology universities have announced committees to verify the claims. Jagannath University’s four-member panel must submit its report by August 13, while Islamic University’s committee was asked to report by August 12. Rajshahi University sought a prompt report, and other institutions said they would assess identities, activities and responsibility.

Hamas said it is ready to move forward with a US-backed Gaza peace plan and called for pressure on Israel to comply with the ceasefire agreement. The report, published on August 9, 2026, said Israel maintains that it has not agreed to the plan’s final component.

A Hamas official told AFP that the group is willing to implement the final stage of the peace plan. Under that stage, Hamas would hand over its weapons to a newly formed Palestinian governing committee in the war-ravaged territory. The report presented this as Hamas’s stated position on carrying out the plan.

Last week, Trump praised Hamas’s agreement to disarm under the plan as a landmark step, according to the report. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said on Tuesday that Israel had not agreed to the draft presented by the Board of Peace. The differing positions leave disagreement over the plan’s final stage.

Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission, or ACC, has received 4,312 complaints over the past five months, but the handling of complaints, inquiries and cases has slowed because it has no chairman or commissioners. Chairman Abdul Momen and commissioners Miah Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi and Brigadier General (retd) Hafiz Ahsan Farid resigned on March 3, and no replacements have been appointed. Most complaints remain awaiting inquiry, according to the report.

The ACC recorded 1,012 complaints in March, 721 in April, 824 in May, 913 in June and 842 in July. Allegations include extortion, tender manipulation, abuse of power, irregularities in major projects, unexplained wealth, money laundering, bank-loan embezzlement, occupation of public property and stock-market manipulation. Sources said the absence of policy approvals has slowed new inquiries, cases, charge sheets, asset declarations, requests to freeze assets and applications for travel restrictions.

ACC officials said receiving and registering complaints continues under existing rules. Public relations deputy director Aktarul Islam said incoming complaints are being accepted and recorded. Officials expect work to accelerate once a chairman is appointed, although sources also cited concerns over transfers among staff. Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman said the country must move beyond a culture in which the ACC is inactive under political governments.

A column published by Amar Desh on August 9, 2026 argues that Bangladesh should treat the Chittagong Hill Tracts as a major sovereignty, border-security and geopolitical issue. Author A H M Faruk says the area’s challenges should not be viewed solely as local law-and-order problems or ethnic discontent. He calls for a coordinated approach linking political, historical, social, security and international dimensions, arguing that state policy has remained reactive and fragmented.

The article reviews colonial-era administrative arrangements, displacement linked to the Kaptai dam, post-independence armed conflict and disputes surrounding the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Accord. It says the accord created opportunities for a ceasefire, refugee returns and regional institutions, while leaving questions over representation, land, administration and constitutional compatibility. The author argues that the rights, cultural dignity and security of both hill communities and Bengali residents require a lawful balance.

Faruk cites allegations against armed groups involving extortion, killings, abductions and illegal weapons, while stressing that criminal responsibility should not be assigned to the entire hill population. He proposes a national strategy council under the head of government, alongside border management, transparent land-dispute resolution, evidence-based diplomacy and political dialogue.

US Vice President JD Vance said pressure on Iran will continue unless Tehran agrees to make long-term changes aimed at improving relations with Washington. In an interview with Fox News on Saturday, Vance said the United States was assessing whether Iran was prepared to make the changes needed for better relations between the two countries.

Vance said the United States had substantially weakened Iran’s nuclear and conventional military capabilities. He also said that Washington had destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme and its conventional military capacity.

If Iran does not want to improve relations, the United States will keep applying as much pressure as it can, Vance said. He added that the United States would seek to extract as much oil and gas as possible from the Middle East so that American citizens could obtain gas and energy at lower prices.