Police arrested Shikha Inn owner Bireshwar Mitra on Saturday, four days after a fire at the hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata killed nine people. Seven of the dead were Bangladeshi citizens. Mitra, 46, was detained at his home on Diamond Harbour Road in Behala after being missing since the fire broke out early Wednesday.

According to police sources cited by the Indian Express, Mitra left Kolkata by car after the fire and went into hiding in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Police are examining why he returned home and whether anyone helped him hide. His two bank accounts have been frozen, stopping financial transactions, and police believe financial difficulty may have prompted his return.

Police searched two other hotels owned by Mitra in Digha and Mandarmani on Friday but did not find him. He is due in court on Sunday, when police will seek custody for questioning. The hotel’s lessee, Abu Jafar, was previously arrested. Authorities have also issued fire-safety notices to 25 hotels, inns and restaurants in central Kolkata and closed several establishments following inspections.

An opinion article published by Amar Desh Online on August 23, 2026 argues that Islamophobia and anti-Arab discrimination have intensified in the United States. It says human-rights and civil-rights groups have reported record complaints of discrimination and harassment, linking negative attitudes toward Muslims to the Gaza war, tensions in the Middle East, and political rhetoric.

The article cites the Council on American-Islamic Relations as saying complaints related to anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discrimination and harassment have reached an all-time high. It recalls a 2008 campaign event in which Republican Senator John McCain responded to a voter describing Barack Obama as an Arab, saying Obama was a decent family man and a US citizen despite their political differences.

It also describes attacks on Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul Al-Sayed, including statements by Republican figures and former CIA director Mike Pompeo. The article argues that criticism of Israel is treated as disqualifying for Muslim politicians, and extends this argument to Jewish critics of Israel, citing comments attributed to Robert Kagan, Alan Dershowitz, Mike Huckabee, Michael Barenboim and the Jewish Chronicle.

Blitzer CUET, a Formula Student racing team formed by students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, is preparing to represent Bangladesh internationally. The team is designing and building its own racing car with the aim of competing in the Formula Student competition scheduled in China in 2027. Its stated goal is to showcase young Bangladeshi engineers’ innovation, technical knowledge and practical experience on an international stage.

The multidisciplinary team is working on the vehicle’s design, aerodynamics, powertrain, suspension, electrical systems and manufacturing, as well as testing. Team member Ashab Sifat said Formula Student is not only a racing competition but also an important platform for students to gain skills by applying engineering knowledge in practice.

Sifat said the members are continuing design and construction work despite limited resources and other challenges. Another member, Ahnaf Tajwar Ohi, identified the shortage of sponsorship and financial support as a major obstacle. The team expects that sufficient financial and technical support would enable it to enter a competitive vehicle in 2027 and help promote interest in Formula Student and automotive engineering in Bangladesh.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Treaty in Mecca on 7 August, according to the report. The trilateral framework treats an armed attack on any one signatory as an attack on all three. The report examines the possibility of Bangladesh joining an economic or defence arrangement involving the three countries and the implications it says this could have for India.

It says Bangladesh has sought to diversify strategic and security partnerships under a declared “Bangladesh First” policy and has warmed relations with Islamabad. Foreign affairs adviser Humayun Kabir reportedly said this month that Dhaka was positive about participating in a possible economic or defence framework if it aligned with national interests and sovereignty. Bangladesh has not formally announced plans to join any military alliance.

The report says Bangladesh has become a founding member of a 14-country multinational maritime defence alliance established in Saudi Arabia. It also says Turkish media have discussed including Bangladesh in the Mecca security framework. The analysis cites Bangladesh’s Bay of Bengal location and possible Turkish naval or Pakistani military access as factors that could complicate India’s security planning.

An expatriate, Shariful Islam, and his co-sharers have formally regained possession of 8.15 acres of ancestral, recorded land in the Dhapaar Gher area of Balitha mouza under Debhata police station in Satkhira. The family said the land had remained under the alleged forcible control of Rowshan Ara Ruby, organisational secretary of the now-banned district women’s Awami League, for 17 years. They expressed gratitude to those who assisted them in recovering the property last Tuesday.

According to Shariful, Ruby, her son Zayed Bin Kader and associates began fish cultivation on the land after allegedly occupying it through political influence in 2018. The family said fear of threats to their lives prevented them from speaking out for a long period. After returning to Bangladesh following the political change on August 5, 2024, Shariful visited the land with relatives on July 3 this year.

The family alleged that an armed group drove them away with death threats during that visit. They submitted a written complaint to the Satkhira superintendent of police and said mediation efforts followed. They also alleged a plan to file a false extortion case against Shariful and sought urgent intervention and security from authorities.

The Panama-flagged cargo vessel MV Ocean-Winner sank about 240 nautical miles off India’s Odisha coast, with all 24 crew members reported missing. The crew included 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national. The vessel had departed Paradip port for Singapore at about 10:30pm on August 20 carrying 1,700 tonnes of iron ore.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received information that contact with the ship had been lost at 11:48am on August 22. Victory Star Group Company Limited, the vessel’s operator, reported the matter and requested support for search and rescue operations.

India’s Coast Guard and Navy have launched a joint operation to locate the vessel and rescue its crew. Officials had not confirmed how many crew members, if any, had been rescued. A senior IPS officer told PTI that authorities were unsure of the number of crew members recovered. Other ships near the accident site have been alerted and asked to assist the rescue effort.

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the US attack on Iran has increased the desire to acquire nuclear weapons around the world. The remarks, reported by Al Jazeera and published by Amar Desh Online on August 23, 2026, criticized what he described as US President Donald Trump’s reckless actions.

Rezaei said the trend has grown particularly because people saw that Iran’s membership in the International Atomic Energy Agency and its participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty did not effectively prevent a US attack. He said Trump had created nuclear insecurity rather than nuclear security.

The Iranian official said Iran has accepted and followed all international security rules. He noted that Iran is a member of the NPT and has agreed to inspections. Rezaei also claimed that Iran is more committed than any other country to complying with international regulations related to nuclear matters.

An Israeli media report, citing a senior Israeli intelligence official, warned that Turkish military and naval forces could move closer to Israel’s northern and maritime borders unless Israel establishes clear “red lines” in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean. Published on August 23, 2026, the report said Israel could eventually face Turkish tanks on the Golan Heights and Turkish warships near the coast of Caesarea.

The warning echoed concerns in Israel’s 2025 Nagel Commission report, which assessed the country’s security budget and troop mobilization. That report described Turkey as moving toward an Ottoman-era dominant regional order and said threats from Syria could become more serious than those posed by Iran. It said Israel should prepare for direct confrontation with Ankara, Turkish-aligned Syrian proxies and military forces.

The report linked an Israeli airstrike near an airbase in Idlib, northern Syria, to suspected Turkish efforts to deploy radar and air-defense systems. It also highlighted Turkey’s naval expansion, including 12 submarines and additional vessels under construction, and called for agreements with Ankara to be linked to its foreign policy and military actions.

Police recovered the body of an army member working at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project from a government quarter in Ishwardi, Pabna, on Saturday evening. The body was found in a room on the third floor of Snigdha Building at the project’s army barracks in the Pakshi Paper Mill area. The deceased was identified as 27-year-old Sajib Molla, son of Majid Molla of Chak Deyail village in Ghior upazila of Manikganj.

Sajib had served in the army for about eight to nine years, according to the report. Preliminary information indicated that he returned to his quarters after duty, closed the room door and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan using a towel and rope. Colleagues and nearby people recovered him after learning of the incident, but he had already died.

Rooppur police outpost in-charge Md Yadur Rahman said police prepared an inquest report and sent the body to Ishwardi Upazila Health Complex for a death certificate. Ishwardi police officer-in-charge Md Asadur Rahman said family conflict was initially suspected as a factor, but the actual cause and details would be confirmed after investigation. Authorities are taking necessary legal steps.

Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, called US President Donald Trump a “fool” in comments published on August 23, 2026. He said Tehran must change its approach to conflict and diplomatic conduct with the United States, according to Al Jazeera as cited by the report.

The Iranian official said that today’s Iran is not the same as Iran before the war. He also said recent military appointments by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei indicate that Tehran wants to remain prepared for war.

Citing Khamenei’s view, Rezaei said Iranian young people’s perception of the United States as a peace-loving country has changed significantly. He said that the entire world has understood that Trump is a fool.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed made a surprise visit to Tejgaon Police Station in Dhaka on Saturday afternoon, assessing law and order, infrastructure and the quality of police services for residents. After the visit, the officer-in-charge of Tejgaon station was withdrawn. The officer-in-charge of Paltan Model Police Station was also withdrawn under an administrative order.

During the inspection, the minister spoke with officers on duty and toured administrative rooms, the duty officer’s room, investigation offices, the lock-up, residential barracks and the dining area. He gave directions on housing, meal quality and cleanliness for police personnel, and asked about night-duty and shift schedules. He also heard concerns from citizens visiting the station to file general diaries or complaints.

The minister instructed relevant officers to resolve complaints quickly, transparently and responsibly, stressing that visitors must not face harassment or neglect. The DMP commissioner’s order attached Tejgaon OC Kaishainu and Paltan OC Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Khan to central reserve, headquarters and administration units, effective from August 22. No reason for their withdrawal was stated.

A Dhaka College leader of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, Md Rifat, alleged that activists of Chhatra Dal assaulted and harassed him on Saturday at about 2pm on the college hall field. He said he was later forced to address a Facebook Live broadcast and apologise over an earlier post alleging hall occupation and footpath extortion in New Market.

Rifat alleged that Chhatra Dal leaders Rifat Hossain and Wahid Faraji, along with activist Tamim Hossain and 15 to 20 others, took part in the incident. He said he was slapped, punched and hit with a stump for 10 to 15 minutes while going to eat in the hall area. He demanded exemplary punishment and alleged that the administration had not acted against those involved.

The accused denied any assault. Rifat Hossain said he only broadcast the student’s statement live after asking him about the Facebook post, while Wahid Faraji said he knew nothing of such an incident. Tamim Hossain said they only questioned him over what he described as a false extortion allegation. Chhatra Dal convener Piyal Hasan said he would investigate and seek accountability if evidence is found.

Police and fire service personnel recovered the bodies of four members of the same family from the second floor of an under-construction building in Machhuapara, Ward 24 of Rangpur city on Saturday night. The dead were identified as former Rangpur Zilla School religious teacher Ganapati Chakraborty Jewel, 65; his wife Pritilata Chakraborty Bhola, 50; daughter Prarthi Chakraborty, 25; and son Priyom Chakraborty, 12.

Police and local residents said no family member had been seen leaving the house since Thursday, while no lights had been visible inside. Local residents became suspicious and informed police on Saturday. Kotwali police and Rangpur Fire Service members went to the site and entered the second floor after breaking the lock on the stairway gate.

Police said the bodies of Ganapati, Pritilata and Prarthi were found in the stairwell, while Priyom's body was found beneath a bed. Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Nazmul Islam said authorities initially suspect the four may have been killed and are investigating. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abdul Mabud visited the scene, which has been cordoned off. Preparations were under way to send the bodies for autopsies to determine how and when they died.

Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr Zahid Hossain said the government would make no compromise in protecting people’s interests and rights. Speaking on Saturday in Dhaka at the 2nd Dhaka International Knee Summit 2026, organised by the Bangladesh Arthroscopy and Arthroplasty Academy, he said the government is committed to free primary and emergency healthcare for all and affordable specialised treatment.

The minister said effective responses to existing healthcare challenges require a real combination of skills and modern knowledge. He urged relevant departments and specialist teams to play a leading role, saying the country must keep pace with modern health technologies during an era of super-specialisation and artificial intelligence to meet growing healthcare needs.

He said the government has given the health sector the second-highest allocation in the national budget, describing it as a historic first for the sector. He stressed efficient use of the funds for medical education, treatment, disease prevention and quality services. Invited specialists thanked the prime minister for the allocation. Six specialist doctors received fellowships from the Dhaka Arthroplasty Society, and a book titled Save your knees was unveiled.

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.