Bangladesh will observe Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi on August 26, with the government announcing nationwide programmes to mark the occasion with religious solemnity and enthusiasm. The plans were finalized at an inter-ministerial meeting on August 13 chaired by Religious Affairs Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad. The president and prime minister will issue separate messages, while national flags will be hoisted at public, semi-public, autonomous and private institutions and armed forces installations.

Dhaka’s major traffic islands, light posts, roads and other locations will be decorated with national and coloured flags and banners carrying Kalima Tayyiba. Prayer gatherings will be held at the Bangladesh Secretariat Mosque and mosques across the country. Divisional, district and upazila administrations, city corporations, municipalities and the Armed Forces Division will arrange discussions and prayer gatherings within their respective jurisdictions.

The Islamic Foundation will organize religious gatherings, seminars, talk shows, recitation and cultural competitions, a souvenir publication and a month-long Islamic book fair at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Educational and cultural institutions have been directed to arrange programmes on Prophet Muhammad’s life and Islamic values. Authorities will provide improved meals at specified hospitals, prisons and care facilities, while missions abroad will also observe the day.

Bangladesh Coast Guard recovered two foreign firearms, magazines and ammunition during a special operation on the Naf River in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, on August 19. Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon said the operation was conducted by BCG Station Teknaf from 1am to 8am, following intelligence about an attempted weapons transfer from Myanmar to a terrorist group in a Rohingya camp.

During the operation, personnel signalled a suspicious wooden boat to stop. The boat ignored the signal, entered the Nayapara mangrove area and was abandoned by members of the alleged group, who fled. A search found the weapons and ammunition concealed inside fishing nets.

The seized items included an SVD Dragunov rifle with a magazine, a foreign 9mm pistol with a magazine, 229 rounds of rifle ammunition, two live pistol rounds, one blank pistol round and two MA-1 rifle magazines. Intelligence surveillance and patrols have been intensified to apprehend those involved. Legal procedures regarding the seized weapons, ammunition and boat are under way.

AI camera surveillance on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway detected traffic violations in 464 cases and imposed Tk 1.551 million in fines over 27 hours, according to monitoring officials. The violations were recorded from 11am on August 18 to 5pm on August 19. They included speeding, driving in the opposite direction and illegal parking.

Mohammad Anisur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the AI Camera Monitoring Data Center in the Meghnaghat area of Sonargaon, Narayanganj, confirmed the figures. On the first day, the approved speed limit was 80–85 kilometres per hour and was raised to 90 kilometres per hour on the second day. Of the 446 cases filed on Tuesday, most involved exceeding the speed limit; only 18 additional cases were recorded by 5pm Wednesday.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed inaugurated the AI-based auto fine system at Meghnaghat on Tuesday. The automated coverage extends about 250 kilometres from Jatrabari in Dhaka to Chattogram City Gate, using 1,427 AI cameras at 490 points. Vehicle owners will receive mobile messages on fines and can pay through mobile banking.

Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has instructed suspicious transaction reporting entities to immediately provide information on frozen bank accounts and any accounts linked to them. The directive was issued on Wednesday, according to a report published on 19 August 2026.

Under the instruction, when an entity receives an order to suspend an account after filing a suspicious transaction report on it, it must promptly inform BFIU of the account’s current status. It must also submit information about other accounts associated with the suspended account.

The measure expands reporting beyond the individual account subject to a freeze. It is intended to give BFIU a broader picture of the financial transactions and accounts of people or institutions connected to suspicious activity. Relevant stakeholders believe the information could make it easier for the unit to identify and investigate potential money-laundering networks.

More than 500,000 barrels of Venezuela’s daily oil output are being sent to refineries across the United States, according to US Under Secretary of Energy Kyle Housetveit. He disclosed the figure at an energy conference in Texas on August 19, 2026. Venezuela produces about 1.25 million barrels of oil per day, meaning exports to the United States account for a substantial share of its production.

Housetveit said the US refineries receiving the crude were largely designed to process Venezuela’s heavy crude oil. He also said the United States is assisting Venezuela in increasing oil production and that both countries are benefiting from the process.

Venezuela holds the world’s largest oil reserves, but long-running investment shortages and US sanctions had limited its contribution to global demand. Oil production and exports have begun rising again since recent political changes and the formation of an interim government. International groups and research organizations have raised concerns over transparency in the use of oil-sale revenue and the exclusion of the main opposition party from talks with the interim government.

Myanmar has again described Rohingya people displaced to Bangladesh as “Bengali,” prompting Bangladesh to say it is seeking international pressure on both Myanmar’s government and the Arakan Army for their repatriation. The statement, reported on August 19, 2026, has raised questions over whether Myanmar’s position could obstruct Bangladesh’s efforts to return Rohingya refugees and further complicate the crisis.

Myanmar says no group exists in the country under the ethnic name Rohingya and does not recognise them among its 135 ethnic minorities. Analysts cited in the report say the renewed terminology signals that Myanmar is not genuinely interested in taking Rohingya back, describing it as a longstanding tactic of the military authorities. Rohingya representative Nurul Islam said Rohingya suffered ethnic cleansing in Rakhine and that neither Myanmar’s government nor the Arakan Army wants their return.

About 750,000 Rohingya fled military persecution in Rakhine for Bangladesh in 2017, while another 400,000 to 500,000 arrived at different times before and after that exodus. Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman told parliament on April 28 that Bangladesh hosts about 1.189 million displaced Rohingya. Retired Major Emdadul Islam urged Bangladesh to focus on Myanmar’s duty to receive its citizens rather than engage in the identity dispute.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Tuesday reaffirmed his description of extremist Jewish settlers in the West Bank as “terrorists,” according to an interview with Channel 12 News. His comments followed the blockade of several homes in the West Bank village of Qusra, where settlers have surrounded residences for more than a week in what Huckabee said was an apparent effort to force residents to leave. One resident is a US citizen.

Huckabee said terrorism includes acts intended to alter people’s behavior and make them fear living their lives, whether directed at a nation, an individual, or a family. He described those involved as a minority group and said many live outside the West Bank. Calling them “displacers” rather than settlers, he said they had come to create disorder and were harming Israel and Jewish people.

The ambassador said Israeli authorities were already taking action over the Qusra incident, regardless of US Embassy involvement. He added that US involvement becomes nearly automatic and significant when an American citizen is involved. Asked about pressure for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to publicly condemn the incidents, Huckabee said the United States wanted responsible action and severe consequences for all involved in terrorist activity.

Journalist Debashish Dutta of Kushtia and three family members were killed in a fire in Kolkata, India, according to a report published on August 19, 2026. The other victims were his wife Afsana Sharmin, 25; their two-year-old child Sharnashish Dutta; and Dutta’s father-in-law Md Akram Ali, 64.

Akram Ali’s home was in Thanapara, Kushtia, while Debashish Dutta was the son of Dilip Dutta of Aroya Para in Kushtia town. Family members said Dutta had travelled to Narayana Hospital in Bengaluru on August 4 for his wife’s treatment, leaving behind their six-year-old daughter, Mahima Dutta.

After the treatment, the family had returned to Kolkata the previous day, relatives said. Debashish Dutta had worked with the national daily Ajker Patrika, private television channel Channel Nine, local Kushtia daily Ajker Alo as acting editor, and had formerly served as Kushtia district correspondent for Nagorik Television.

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman chaired a meeting of ruling party members of parliament at the government members’ meeting room in the National Parliament Building on Wednesday. The meeting began at 4pm, according to Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Zahidul Islam Roni.

The gathering was arranged to provide necessary guidance to ruling party lawmakers on the overall activities of the ongoing parliamentary session, the enactment of important laws, and various current political and national issues. Ruling party MPs were present at the meeting.

Discussions were expected to cover the government’s various activities in parliament, legislative work and nationally important matters. The source did not provide further details about any decisions, directives or outcomes from the meeting.

BNP Standing Committee member and the prime minister’s political adviser Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Bangladesh seeks friendly relations with every country on the basis of equality. He made the remarks on Wednesday after paying tribute at the graves of martyred President Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia at Zia Udyan in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, marking the Volunteers’ Party anniversary.

Rizvi said friendship cannot be conditional and that relations must rest on respect for each country’s independence and sovereignty. He said the prime minister would maintain ties with all countries based on equality, mutual respect and respect for sovereignty, while Bangladesh would also invite others.

Referring to India, Rizvi said the government would welcome a friendly invitation if it came without interests attached. He said Bangladesh would not proceed if interests were involved and that relations with India must be based on equal dignity. Rizvi also expressed hope that the Volunteers’ Party would remain active in presenting the government’s welfare-oriented work to the public as part of implementing the BNP election manifesto.

Twenty-four fishermen and boat crew members held by the Arakan Army returned to Bangladesh after about nine months, officials said on Wednesday. The group was handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh near the Teknaf-Myanmar transit jetty border area by the Arakan Army, which transported them by trawler. BGB then brought them to the Teknaf jetty.

Of those returned, 18 are Bangladeshi citizens and six are Rohingya. Teknaf-2 BGB Battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Hanifur Rahman Bhuiyan announced the information at a news conference at the Teknaf Bangladesh-Myanmar transit jetty. Upazila Nirbahi Officer S M Anik Chowdhury was also present.

Bhuiyan said the fishermen were detained at different times after crossing the maritime zero line into Myanmar waters while fishing in the Bay of Bengal. He said BGB efforts secured their return and that they would be handed to their families after verification. Returnee Mohammad Shafik said detainees faced abuse, worked about seven hours daily, and received one meal a day. He said more than 50 fishermen, including Rohingya, remain detained.

Texas has seen a decades-long increase in its Muslim population, particularly around Dallas, where families have moved for schools, comparatively affordable housing and established community networks. Dozens of mosques and Islamic institutions have emerged across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but the expansion has coincided with stronger Islamophobic rhetoric, social hostility and political campaigns, according to a New York Times report cited on August 19, 2026.

The report described Muslims sharing accounts of derogatory comments while praying publicly or sitting in parks. A person was arrested over alleged terrorist threats against a major Islamic center in Houston, while a woman who told Muslim shoppers they were unwelcome later lost her job but received nearly $250,000 from supporters. Ghulam Kehar said hostility made him worried about leaving his wife and four children in Texas while serving with the US Coast Guard.

Political disputes have centered on a proposed mosque-linked development east of Dallas, initially called EPIC City and later renamed The Meadow. Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton opened investigations after criticism, while developers said the project would be open to people of all faiths and backgrounds. Muslim leaders are considering engagement and stronger legal responses to false allegations.

Bangladesh and Malaysia held a meeting in Putrajaya on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation in tourism and explore new opportunities in the sector. Bangladesh State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M. Rashiduzzaman Millat met Malaysian Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Chiew Choon Man, according to a news release issued Wednesday.

The discussions covered increasing air connectivity between the two countries, simplifying and pre-verifying visa processes, building capacity and expanding cultural exchanges. The two sides also expressed views on sharing skills, experience and best practices to advance tourism development as part of wider mutually beneficial cooperation.

Both countries discussed cooperation on training and skills development in the hospitality sector. Particular emphasis was placed on increasing recruitment of trained Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia's tourism services sector. They also stressed stronger people-to-people contact and cultural exchange to deepen mutual understanding. Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, along with senior officials from relevant Malaysian tourism bodies and the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, attended the meeting.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said no campaigning will be allowed during voting in Bangladesh’s presidential election on Thursday, August 20. Speaking to reporters at his office in the Election Building on Wednesday, he described the contest as historic and said the Election Commission had made maximum preparations to conduct it properly.

Nasir Uddin said the world was watching the election and expressed hope for a smooth process. He said voting is taking place in this election for the first time since 1991. The presidential post became vacant on July 24 after the 22nd president resigned citing illness, and the Election Commission announced the schedule on August 6.

BNP and like-minded parties’ candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is contesting against Oli Ahmed, candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. Members of parliament will vote, with 349 eligible voters because the Chattogram-4 seat is vacant. Voting will run from 2pm to 5pm, with vote casting and counting visible to voters. The chief election commissioner will announce final results, followed by a gazette publication the same day.

Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology’s Architecture Department has received unconditional accreditation from the Institute of Architects Bangladesh for the first time since its establishment. The five-year accreditation took effect on 1 July, according to a letter sent by IAB to the RUET registrar on 15 July. IAB’s 26th Executive Council approved the recognition after a unanimous recommendation from its Architecture Education Board.

The department, established in 2013, met the requirements set by the IAB Architecture Education Board for its architecture education programme. The recognition places RUET among public universities whose architecture programmes have received IAB accreditation, alongside BUET, Khulna University, শাহজালাল Science and Technology University, and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology.

IAB is Bangladesh’s professional organisation for architects, and its membership is important for professional architectural practice and signing building designs or architectural plans. Students earning degrees under RUET’s accredited programme will be able to seek IAB membership later. The accreditation is expected to support participation in professional activities, competitions, seminars and workshops, while broadening links with domestic, international and regional architecture platforms including ARCASIA.