Two young truck workers died after their motorcycle fell into an under-construction culvert on the Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid highway in Muslimpur, Shahbazpur Union of Shibganj upazila. The crash occurred at about 5:15am on Tuesday, according to Shibganj police sub-inspector Khokon Chandra Bhowmik. The victims were residents of Baliyadighi village in the same union.

The deceased were identified as 20-year-old Habibur Rahman, son of Sadikul Islam, and 35-year-old Abul Hayat, son of Jamir Uddin. Both men worked as truck labourers. Police said they were returning to their Baliyadighi homes by motorcycle after completing truck labour work in Kansat when the vehicle lost control and fell below the culvert.

Passers-by rescued the two injured men and took them to Shibganj Upazila Health Complex for treatment. The duty doctor declared both men dead. Bhowmik said the bodies were handed over to relatives because the families did not file any complaint.

A total of 174 Bangladeshi nationals previously detained in Libya have returned home. They arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at about 6am on Tuesday aboard Buraq Air flight UZ-222. The returnees included three women, one child and 15 people who were ill.

They were repatriated safely and humanely from the Ganfuda detention centre in Benghazi through an initiative of the Bangladesh Embassy, with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The operation enabled the group to return to Bangladesh after spending an extended period in detention.

According to the report, the Bangladeshis had attempted to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean through irregular routes in search of a better life. They were rescued or detained during sea journeys and subsequently spent a long period in harsh conditions at Libya’s Ganfuda detention centre.

Satkhira district police removed Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge Masudur Rahman and attached him to the police lines after a video of banned Awami League leaders and activists inside the station lockup spread on social media. Duty officer Pinky Roy and assistant duty officer Aniva Khatun were also transferred. District police took the decision on Monday, August 18.

Police had arrested four people from Satkhira town's Sultanpur area on August 15, including district Awami League organising secretary Kazi Aktar Hossain and other party and affiliated organisation figures. It was alleged that several Awami League leaders and activists visited the lockup area with special permission from the OC, met the detainees and recorded video. The footage showed a district Tanti League leader making remarks with political slogans.

An unnamed station official said several leaders and activists were at the station around 2:30pm on August 15, and a person wearing an Argentina jersey obtained permission to meet someone and record video; the incident was preserved on CCTV. District Chhatra Dal held a protest and human chain seeking permanent removal and punishment. Additional Superintendent of Police Mithun Sarkar said police did not know about the recording and described the transfers as routine.

Dubai-based businessman Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor criticized Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir after remarks calling for the killing of 30 to 40 men, women or children in Gaza every night. In comments reported on August 18, Al-Habtoor questioned the rationale for maintaining normalized relations with Israel. He described Ben-Gvir’s remarks as a “dangerous moral decline.”

Ben-Gvir made the comments on Sunday, also describing Palestinians as not worthy of life and not human. In an X post the following day, Al-Habtoor asked how peace, dialogue and coexistence could be discussed if an Israeli government official could speak publicly in such terms without fear of accountability. He said Gaza’s children, women and men are human and have the right to life and dignity.

Al-Habtoor is not a UAE government official, though the report says he is close to the country’s ruling establishment. He did not call for suspending relations, imposing sanctions or using UAE economic leverage against Israel. The UAE remains Israel’s largest Arab trading partner, with bilateral trade totaling $3.2 billion in 2025. Al-Habtoor had strongly supported normalization in 2020.

Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle praised Bangladesh’s performance against Australia in a Test match, saying the story belongs to Bangladesh rather than Australia. In remarks published on August 18, 2026, he said Bangladesh’s response after bowling Australia out for 198 was the key point, especially after previous occasions when the side had struggled to convert strong positions.

Bhogle singled out young opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim for showing mental strength and maturity in red-ball cricket. He described Tamim’s partnership with Mominul Haque as crucial in establishing a foundation and sending Australia a clear message that Bangladesh would not be dismissed cheaply. He also cited contributions from Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, as well as lower-order runs from Taskin, Taijul and Hasan Mahmud.

He said Bangladesh’s growing fast-bowling base is among its most important strengths, naming Ebadot Hossain, Taskin, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam. With Taijul Islam and Miraz providing spin options, Bhogle called the bowling attack complete. He urged Bangladesh to use the win as a platform for further progress rather than lose focus after a major achievement.

Safety concerns have intensified across Chattogram Port’s main navigation channel and outer anchorage after vessel collisions, robberies aboard foreign ships and illegal fishing nets disrupted waterways. The report, published on August 18, said four mother vessels were involved in collisions at Alpha Anchorage within 36 hours. The incidents have affected the roughly 62-nautical-mile navigation route from Patenga to Kutubdia.

On Saturday night, MV Anassa struck the already anchored MV Jahan while anchoring, damaging Anassa’s exterior. On Friday, the diesel tanker MT Sea Spike, carrying about 33,000 metric tons of diesel, lost control in strong currents and collided with bulk carrier MV Sun Shine, causing an engine-room crack, water ingress and a temporary power disruption. On August 3, container ship MV CNC Uranus hit the No. 2 red buoy and became stuck on a retaining wall; its operator cited mechanical failure.

Three foreign-flagged commercial ships were reportedly robbed at the outer anchorage in the past month. The Bangladesh Lighterage Workers Union demanded removal of illegal nets and warned it could halt vessel movement. Port secretary Kefaet Hamim said strong currents appeared to be the initial cause of recent accidents and separate inquiry committees had been formed.

Leaders of Adityamari উপজেলা BNP and affiliated organisations held a press conference accusing Lalmonirhat-2 lawmaker Rokon Uddin Bablu of corruption, irregularities and breaches of party discipline. The event was held at the Adityamari উপজেলা BNP office at 5pm on Monday, where former member secretary Salekuzzaman Pramanik read a written statement. Bablu is also a vice-president of Lalmonirhat district BNP.

The statement alleged that since becoming an MP, Bablu had ignored the party mainstream and senior leaders while pursuing personal interests. It also accused him of conducting development activities in coordination with the Jatiya Party, the banned Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami and interested groups, saying this was damaging BNP’s image.

The leaders further alleged that Bablu had not held an evaluation meeting or a courtesy meeting with local residents after the election. They also objected to a meeting called for August 18 at Adityamari GS Model School and College মাঠ, saying key BNP and affiliated leaders were unaware of it. Bablu rejected the allegations as false and fabricated, saying grassroots BNP workers remain in regular contact with him and have no complaints.

A mother in Muradnagar, Cumilla, has alleged that relatives sold her six-month-old child to another person for Tk50,000 without her knowledge. The mother, Taslima Akter, is seeking information about the child and asking for the child’s safe return. The reported incident involves Mostafapur in Ramchandrapur South Union and Sorerpar in Ramchandrapur North Union under Bangra Bazar police station.

Taslima, daughter of Wazed Mia of Sorerpar and wife of Al-Amin of Mostafapur, said the missing child was the youngest among their six daughters and two sons. She alleged that on July 18, while returning from her parents’ home to her husband’s home, she was made to sign a stamp document near Majid College field. She said she was physically and mentally unwell at the time and did not understand the matter, later returning home to find the child gone.

Taslima accused her aunt of conspiring to hand over the child. The aunt, Chenowara Begum, denied knowing anything and referred to Taslima’s uncle, Babul Mia. Babul said he only signed a stamp document and did not know who took the child. Police said they had asked for the child’s whereabouts to be checked and would take swift legal action upon receiving a written complaint.

The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold spent four days without power in the South China Sea last month after an engineering fault affected its generator, the 7th Fleet said. The Arleigh Burke-class vessel was conducting routine operations in the Indo-Pacific on July 24 when the problem occurred. The roughly 10,000-ton warship lost its ability to move independently, while toilets, galley services, air conditioning and potable-water supplies were disrupted.

Sailors endured the outage in intense heat, with average daytime temperatures in the South China Sea in late July ranging from 89 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit, or 32 to 37 degrees Celsius. Spokesman Commander Matthew Comer said no sailors were injured and that the crew showed resilience, professionalism and composure. The cause of the power failure remains under investigation.

USS Robert Smalls supplied cooked food to Benfold, while other ships from the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group based in Japan also assisted during the four days. Benfold was later towed to Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs, which were completed on August 8 before it returned to duty. It was the second power-loss incident involving a destroyer in the Pacific Command area, after USS Higgins lost power and propulsion for several hours in May.

US President Donald Trump said Iran would not agree to the kind of deal he believes is needed to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. The remarks were reported by Al Jazeera in an article published on August 18, 2026. Trump said Iran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons and asserted that the country would need a long time to rebuild its nuclear capability.

Trump said Iran’s nuclear capacity would take considerable time to reconstruct after previous US attacks. According to his account, those attacks mean Iran would require a lengthy period to restore that capability. The report did not provide further information about the attacks, their timing, or the current condition of Iran’s nuclear programme.

The president did not specify what terms or form of agreement he considered necessary. He also did not explain the basis for his view that Iran would refuse such a deal. The report included no Iranian response and did not describe any prospective next steps by the United States or Iran.

The theatre group Swapnadal has organized the three-day “Natyacharya Selim Al Deen Birth Festival 2026” to mark the 77th birth anniversary of playwright Selim Al Deen. The festival is scheduled for August 18 and August 20-21 at Jahangirnagar University and the Studio Theatre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Its stated slogan highlights the Bengali theatre tradition and the paths of Rabindranath Tagore and Selim Al Deen.

On August 18, a remembrance procession will leave the old arts building at Jahangirnagar University at 10 a.m., followed by floral tributes at the dramatist’s grave. On August 20, the Studio Theatre will host the 124th and 125th performances of Tagore’s verse drama “Chitrangada.” The closing day, August 21, will feature the 52nd and 53rd performances of Selim Al Deen’s “Hargaj.”

Both productions were directed by Zahid Ripon and created through a laboratory method in a traditional Bengali theatrical style. “Chitrangada” explores tensions in male-female psychological and physical relations and crises of self-identity. “Hargaj” draws on the devastating 1989 Manikganj tornado. Selim Al Deen was born on August 18, 1949, and died on January 14, 2008. The event is Swapnadal’s 34th festival.

Yemen’s armed forces said they carried out 133 military operations against Houthi fighters over the past 24 hours. The forces said the operations targeted Houthi capabilities and members, according to a report published on August 18, 2026.

Colonel Majed al-Nujaili, spokesperson for Yemen’s armed forces, provided the information in a post on X. He said the operations used rocket launchers, artillery and drones against locations identified as sources of Houthi threats.

Al-Nujaili said units deployed at the military’s frontline positions also took part in the operations. The spokesperson did not provide details on casualties or damage resulting from the reported attacks.

Local Government State Minister Mir Shah Alam said Bangladesh will bring battery-powered e-rickshaws under registration through city corporations and municipalities, requiring them to charge only with solar power. The August 18 report said operators who use other power sources would face fines and could be denied registration or renewal. The plan is intended for 13 city corporations, 330 municipalities and all upazilas nationwide.

A CPD study cited in the report estimated that about 6 million battery-powered autorickshaws operate in the country and consume 800-850 megawatts from the national grid daily for charging. The report put annual electricity costs above Tk20,000 crore and alleged at least Tk5,000 crore in lost government revenue from illegal charging. Dhaka Metropolitan Police data listed 48,136 illegal charging points and 992 garages in the capital.

The minister also outlined plans to divide Dhaka e-rickshaws into eight zones, assign different colours, use QR codes and introduce geofencing. Representatives of BUET, traffic police and the two city corporations attended an initial meeting on the regulations. Labour and passenger welfare representatives called for a policy and registration, while a labour party leader objected to blaming rickshaw workers for the power crisis.

An opinion article published on August 18, 2026 argues that partisan appointments to senior posts in Bangladesh’s central bank, universities and state television have become a long-standing political practice. It says the practice is not required by the constitution or any specific law, but has developed through the use of broad executive authority and has turned public institutions into partisan assets.

The article cites the 1973 ordinances governing Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Jahangirnagar universities, which provide for Senate panel recommendations, while alleging that governments often bypass the process under claims of special circumstances. It also discusses BUET’s different governance context, including restrictions on organised student and teacher politics, but says the president’s final authority over vice-chancellor appointments does not guarantee neutrality.

The writer traces the culture through successive political eras and says it became systematic after the return of parliamentary democracy in 1991. The July 2024 uprising is presented as a public verdict against partisan control. The article calls for transparent, merit-based appointments and cites Singapore, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada as examples of institutions kept freer from partisan influence.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the trilateral “Mecca Joint Defense Pact” on August 7, 2026, according to the article. It says an armed attack on any one of the three states would be treated as an attack on all. Set against the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel, the agreement could alter military and geopolitical relationships not only in West Asia but also across South Asia, the article argues.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the pact would strengthen mutual deterrence and promote peace, security and stability in the region and beyond. The article describes Saudi financial resources and energy influence, Pakistan’s battle-experienced military and nuclear capability, and Turkey’s NATO experience and defense industry as complementary strengths. It says the arrangement could facilitate joint exercises, intelligence cooperation, air and missile defense, defense investment and weapons production.

The three countries have said the pact is not directed against Iran, while Iran has not expressed concern, the article states. India’s Foreign Ministry said it was examining the implications for national security, regional peace and stability. The article further contends that stronger Pakistani capabilities may create uncertainty for India and that Bangladesh could benefit from the defense grouping because of its longstanding relations with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.