Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate conducted three separate anti-smuggling and illegal import operations centred on Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, seizing foreign cigarettes, import-banned beauty creams and foreign liquor. CIID said on August 18 that the operations recovered 349 cartons of cigarettes, 380 kilograms of banned creams and one litre of foreign liquor. The combined value of the seized goods, including applicable duties and taxes, was stated as Tk 17,806,860.

In an operation on August 17 involving Dubai-arriving EK582 and EK586 flights, the airport circle's A-shift seized 170 cartons of cigarettes, nine kilograms of banned cream and one litre of liquor from three passengers. On August 11, the A-shift seized 179 cartons of cigarettes and 52 kilograms of banned cream from passengers on the Dubai-arriving BG148 flight. The duty-inclusive values of those two seizures were Tk 5,224,860 and Tk 6,202,360 respectively.

In a separate August 17 operation at the airport's Foreign Post Office, CIID seized 319 kilograms of import-banned beauty cream based on secret information. That consignment had an estimated market value of Tk 6.38 million. Legal action, including case filing, is under way. CIID said its intelligence collection, risk-based monitoring and operations involving passengers, cargo and parcels will continue to prevent smuggling and protect revenue.

Former Supreme Court Appellate Division judge A K M Asaduzzaman has been appointed chairman of Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission, known as the ACC. Dr Jahangir Alam Khan and Dr Md Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan were appointed commissioners at the same time. The Cabinet Division issued a notification on August 17, stating that their duties would take effect from the date of appointment.

The notification said the president appointed all three as commissioners under Section 6(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004. Under Section 10 of the law, Asaduzzaman’s salary, allowances, other benefits and status as chairman were set at the level of an Appellate Division judge. The two commissioners will receive salary, allowances, other benefits and status equivalent to those of High Court Division judges.

Asaduzzaman became an Appellate Division judge on March 25, 2025, and retired in February. Jahangir Alam Khan is an agricultural economist and researcher who currently directs the Dhaka School of Economics. Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan is a former tax commissioner and had been serving as chairman of the Financial Reporting Council.

Residents of Fulbaria in Mymensingh are facing increased hardship as a gas shortage has pushed up CNG auto-rickshaw fares and household cooking-gas costs. In a report published on August 17, passengers said commuting to workplaces and other destinations has become more expensive, while complaints of extra charges have emerged on several local routes. Drivers say fuel scarcity and higher operating costs have forced them to raise fares.

Fares from Fulbaria Old Bus Stand to the Mymensingh-Dhaka bypass and from Fulbaria to the old bus stand rose from Tk50 to Tk60. The fare from Fulbaria to Achim Bazar increased from Tk40 to Tk50. Drivers said they need Tk300 to Tk400 worth of gas daily, but one driver reported receiving only Tk120 worth after waiting from morning until afternoon at a Mymensingh gas station.

Passengers said the higher fares are straining household budgets, while drivers said they must sometimes buy more expensive LPG. CNG station master Insan Ali said fares would return to previous levels if gas supplies normalize. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahidul Islam Sohag said action would be taken if excessive fares or inflated cylinder prices are proven.

A Krishak Dal leader in Melandaha, Jamalpur, has been expelled from his party post after being detained in connection with an alleged yaba seizure. Md Matiur Rahman Tara Talukdar, 56, was president of the No. 1 Durmuth Union branch of Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal. The Melandaha upazila Krishak Dal confirmed the expulsion in a press release signed Monday evening by its president Md Matiur Rahman Bablu and general secretary Shahjamal.

The release said Talukdar was removed from the presidency over allegations of involvement in activities against party discipline. It also relieved him of all positions and responsibilities at the upazila level and throughout the party. Shahjamal said the organisation does not tolerate criminal activity and that the action was taken under an organisational decision to protect discipline and the party’s image.

District Detective Branch police reportedly recovered 20 yaba tablets from the yard of Talukdar’s home late Sunday night before detaining him. Md Sajib Rahman, officer-in-charge of Jamalpur District Detective Branch-2, said Talukdar was sent to jail through a court on Monday afternoon in a narcotics case.

The Pentagon has signed a $22.9 billion contract with Raytheon to increase production of Tomahawk cruise missiles amid the ongoing war with Iran, according to a report published on August 17, 2026. The seven-year agreement plans to raise Tomahawk output to more than 1,000 missiles annually as reports emerge of declining US missile stocks. The contract follows extensive US use of long-range weapons during the conflict.

On Monday, acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the agreement would accelerate deliveries at an “unprecedented pace” to meet current operational needs. A Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis estimated that US stocks of Patriot and THAAD interceptor missiles had fallen by about half or more since the conflict began. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously denied reports that US missile inventories were running low.

The report said a Tomahawk strike near Shajareh Tayebah Primary School in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, 2026, killed more than 170 people, including students, most of them children. It said preliminary investigations and video analysis confirmed the strike resulted from a US military targeting error. Tomahawks are launched mainly from warships and submarines and can strike targets more than 1,600 kilometers away.

Matlab Uttar police detained 12 people in a special anti-drug operation across several locations in Chandpur’s Matlab Uttar upazila, according to a report published on August 17. The operation was conducted on Sunday, police said. Four of those detained were identified as alleged drug traders and eight as people involved in drug use.

The detainees were later handed over to court. A mobile court, led by an executive magistrate, sentenced seven of the eight alleged drug users to varying prison terms. The four alleged drug traders were named as Md Saddam Pradhania, Abdul Mannan Sarkar, Golam Rabbi and Shah Alam.

Matlab Uttar police station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Kamrul Hasan said drugs are a dangerous threat to society and young people, and that no one involved in dealing or using drugs would remain outside the law. Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Mahmuda Kulsum Moni said drug abuse threatens individuals, families, society and future generations, calling for collective action by authorities, law enforcement, parents, teachers, public representatives and aware citizens.

Several armed men chased and shot 26-year-old Muhammad Arafat in the Boruapara Hatchery area of South Madarsha Union in Hathazari, Chattogram, at about 4 pm on August 17. Arafat, a resident of Abdul Rashid Tendel’s house in Burishchar Union, was taken by local people to Chattogram Medical College Hospital after the attack. The assailants fled before police arrived.

Local sources said the armed group pursued Arafat from the Madunaghat Bazar area to Boruapara Hatchery, where they caught him and opened fire before escaping. The gunshots caused panic among nearby residents. South Madarsha Union Parishad acting chairman Shahjahan Badsha said he had heard about the gunshots and suspected the incident may have resulted from a dispute involving the injured man.

Madunaghat police outpost inspector Ibrahim Ahmed said police went to the scene after receiving reports of the shooting and were gathering detailed information. Chattogram Medical College Hospital casualty department registrar Upal Chowdhury said Arafat was admitted with a gunshot injury to his face. The injury was not serious, he said, adding that it could have been caused by a rubber bullet or pellet shot.

The government has moved to buy five cargoes of liquefied natural gas through international tenders to meet domestic energy demand, at an estimated cost of about Tk1,100 crore. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division’s proposal was placed before the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase for approval. The LNG is planned for delivery in August and September 2026 through an international quotation collection process.

The proposed delivery windows are August 23-24, August 26-27, August 29-30, September 1-2 and September 4-5, with one cargo scheduled for each period. The proposal names UK-based Blackcube International Limited and Oman-based Maxwell International SPC as the lowest bidders. Prices were determined using Platts’ published Japan Korea Marker, or JKM, energy price index.

For deliveries on August 23-24 and September 4-5, prices were set at $21.88 and $21.78 per MMBtu respectively, with the two cargoes valued at about Tk540 crore. Separate proposals also considered three additional LNG cargoes for August. Officials said a $15.50-per-MMBtu rate for deliveries on August 17-18 and August 22-23 reflected market conditions, high spot-market prices, supply risks and negotiations. Imports will begin quickly if approved.

Bangladesh’s cabinet approved a proposal to waive import duties and taxes on green chilies and tomatoes at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday. A cabinet press release, reported on August 17, 2026, said the measure aims to reduce prices of the two essential agricultural products and ensure uninterrupted market supply.

Under the proposal, the total tax burden will be reduced from 61 percent to 20.5 percent during the first month after issuance of the notification, and to 31 percent in the following month. The release cited seasonal production patterns, natural disasters, adverse weather, supply disruptions and production shortfalls as factors that can cause unusually high market prices and add financial pressure on consumers.

The cabinet also approved a draft law to abolish the existing Rapid Action Battalion law and establish a Special Response Battalion, or SRB, under the police force. It further decided to treat fiscal year 2027-28 as a nine-month transitional fiscal year, from July to March, before shifting government operations to an April-March fiscal year from 2028-29.

Jamal Uddin, 55, an ill expatriate allegedly left on a road in Sakhipur, Tangail, has died at his niece’s home in Kalmagha village. He died at about 3:30pm on Monday. Shah Alam, the husband of his niece, said both of Jamal Uddin’s kidneys had failed and that he was brought home from Sakhipur উপজেলা Health Complex last Friday.

Residents collected money and admitted him to the health complex on August 4. He received treatment there for 10 days, but was taken back to his niece’s home after his condition did not improve significantly. His wife and children were accused of leaving him on a road in the Kalmagha area late on August 2. Local people found him the next morning, and his niece Ismat Ara gave him shelter when rain began.

Jamal Uddin’s brother Abdul Jalil said his wife and children showed no interest in taking responsibility for his treatment after he returned ill from abroad. His wife, Rina Akter, said she had divorced him about two and a half months earlier and left him by vehicle in their village. Former union council chairman Nur Alam said villagers would raise money for his burial.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has rejected claims of secret communications or backchannel talks with the United States. In comments to the state Tasnim news agency on Monday, IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohammadi called US President Donald Trump’s assertion false. Trump had said his administration had established a direct secret channel with the IRGC.

Mohammadi said there was no communication between IRGC officials and Americans. He described Trump’s statement as fabricated and imaginary, saying it reflected delusions and nightmares arising from defeat and frustration in war. He also said the IRGC serves as the powerful arm and voice of the Iranian people and the Islamic Republic, conveying the country’s position and message on the battlefield.

The denial comes amid a continuing diplomatic impasse between the United States and Iran and rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The source said talks held on Sunday and Monday made no progress. Iran has warned that it could adopt a more aggressive posture in the strait if necessary, according to the report.

Dhaka University Central Students’ Union, known as DUCSU, created more than 430 job opportunities for Dhaka University students at 31 Chinese companies. The openings were offered during the Sino-Bangla Day 2026 job fair at the university’s Teacher-Student Centre grounds on August 17. Thousands of job seekers attended the daylong event and submitted CVs at company booths.

The fair was jointly initiated by the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh and Dhaka University, and organized by DUCSU and the Confucius Institute. Running from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., it included 31 Chinese companies from technology and other sectors. The participating companies initially collected CVs from more than 400 candidates.

DUCSU Vice President Sadik Kayem said the union undertook the initiative amid institutional failures to create employment opportunities for young people. Organizers said qualified candidates would be selected in stages after initial screening, interviews and other recruitment procedures. The event also featured cultural performances, including lion dance, tai chi, and songs from China and Bangladesh. DUCSU International Secretary Khan Jasim said organizers would seek to arrange similar events in the future.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj said the July mass uprising was not the sole achievement of any individual, political party or group. Speaking as chief guest on Monday at a discussion titled “Voice of July: Youth, Resolve, Resistance” at Canadian University of Bangladesh in Dhaka, he described it as the result of the shared aspirations and participation of people from different professions and viewpoints. He said no side should be allowed to claim exclusive ownership of the uprising.

Hajjaj said the uprising’s significance could not be understood if it was treated only as a specific movement. People took to the streets over varied demands, including jobs, democracy, rights and protests against injustice, but ultimately developed a common aspiration for a state and system of government run for the public and one that protects citizens’ rights and dignity.

Referring to what he said was the later political ownership of the historical spirit of the Liberation War, Hajjaj urged vigilance to prevent a similar situation concerning the July uprising. He also called on university students to hold governments accountable after they are formed by monitoring representatives and asking questions. State Minister Nurul Haque Nur attended as chief speaker.

Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed in the Middle East for about nine months, are facing a reported mental health crisis, according to accounts from family members published by US media. Families said prolonged time at sea has damaged morale and mental health, with some sailors reportedly attempting suicide by jumping overboard. The carrier, carrying more than 5,000 sailors and personnel, is operating near the Strait of Hormuz on maritime security and blockade missions.

Family members also alleged shortages of food and essential supplies, broken toilets and showers, and unsanitary conditions that they say are affecting physical health. Annabelle Loma, the wife of a sailor, told Navy Times that her husband attempted to jump into the sea because of severe burnout. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, said the Lincoln had the fewest mental health-related incidents among the Navy's 11 aircraft carriers.

The carrier left San Diego on November 21, 2025, and has stopped in port only once, at Guam from December 11 to 12. Its mission was expected to end in May but was repeatedly extended. Lawmakers from both parties have demanded accountability, while the USS George Washington is expected to reach the Gulf within a week to take over duties from the Lincoln.

Seven state law officers assigned in Bogura resigned, citing concerns over obstacles to implementing the July Charter and the government’s position on the judiciary. According to a report published on August 17, 2026, they formally submitted resignation letters to Bogura Deputy Commissioner Toufiqul Rahman on Monday morning. The decision was said to have been taken by members of the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Lawyers Council.

The officials who resigned were Additional PP Advocate Shafiqul Rahman Shafi, Additional GP Advocate Emdadul Islam, APP Advocate Arifur Rahman, and advocates Saiful Islam, Shahidul Islam, Indrajit, and Ataur Rahman Sabuj. Those concerned said they stepped down out of conscience because serious concerns had arisen over protecting the rule of law and judicial independence.

Former APP Shafiqul Rahman Shafi said obstacles to implementing the July Charter in line with public expectations and mandate, along with government failures, had deeply concerned them. He also cited government opposition to establishing an independent secretariat for the judiciary. He said the repeal of the Supreme Court judges’ appointment ordinance had returned government and ruling-party influence over appointments to a pre-July position, severely undermining judicial independence.