Jailed former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan would not seek confrontation with the military or army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir if released, according to close aide and PTI spokesperson Zulfiqar Bukhari. The comments were published on August 21, 2026, after Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Khan be moved from prison to a private hospital for treatment within 48 hours.

Speaking to Reuters, Bukhari said Khan would control his anger and suffering and avoid conflict with military leaders in the national interest. He described Asim Munir as Pakistan’s most powerful person and said the army chief could create a path for political prisoners to be freed. Analysts viewed the remarks as a potentially important signal of reduced tension between the military and Khan’s party.

The government and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The military has previously said it does not interfere in politics, while the government says Khan’s cases are matters for the courts. Bukhari said no talks with the military are underway, and PTI remains committed to nationwide protests and marches on September 27.

Kharkharia No. 2 Government Primary School in Jorgachh, Romna ইউনিয়ন of Chilmari upazila, Kurigram, has been conducting lessons on a Shaheed Minar platform, under tin sheds and sometimes outdoors for about 10 months. Its old unsafe building was declared abandoned in 2025 and demolished through auction on November 12, 2025, but funding for a proposed new five-room building has not arrived. The school has 181 students and 10 teachers.

Students sit crowded inside temporary tin structures, where intense heat has made conditions difficult, according to the report. Teaching is disrupted during rain, while teachers and guardians say the prolonged lack of classrooms is affecting children’s regular studies. They also cited concerns about illness and dehydration during extended time in hot tin sheds, as well as the risk of students getting wet in rain.

The school was established in 1952 and nationalised in 1973. Officials said proposals for a new building were submitted, but funding was unavailable after the PD-4 project ended. The upazila education officer said two temporary rooms were being arranged and a process was under way for Tk300,000 to build more rooms. The district primary education officer said the school may receive priority under the upcoming PD-5 project.

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average, or Nikkei 225, fell as rising oil prices linked to uncertainty surrounding the Iran war weighed on investors. At the Friday midday break in Tokyo, the index was down 0.3%, putting it on course for a weekly decline of about 4%, its largest weekly fall since the week ended July 17. The report was published on August 21, 2026.

The broader Topix index also slipped 0.1% and was down 3.4% for the week. Nomura Securities strategist Maki Sawada told Reuters that investors could take profits before the weekend because Middle East uncertainty had kept both oil prices and bond yields at elevated levels.

Shipping was the best-performing sector among the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s 33 sectors, with its shares rising 2.8%. Shipping companies gained on expectations that freight rates could increase after the closure of the key maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz.

BNP-nominated candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected Bangladesh’s 23rd president, according to the report published on August 21, 2026. He is scheduled to take the presidential oath on Friday evening. The article carries a congratulatory personal account by his son-in-law, Faham Abdus Salam, describing Alamgir’s character and political role.

Salam said he had known Alamgir closely for 22 years and portrayed him as highly responsible, useful in any situation and courteous. He said Alamgir viewed securing “Madam’s” release and restoring the country to democracy through an election as the work of his life. Salam also said Alamgir personally regarded the inability to secure her release as a failure.

The writer said many BNP young leaders call Alamgir Bangladesh’s secretary general, reflecting a view that he puts Bangladesh before the party. He described the new president as receiving genuine bipartisan support, including congratulations from Awami League supporters. Salam said Alamgir was not a confrontational politician, was not very wealthy and had no faction within BNP, while expressing concern that BNP would struggle to replace him.

Online applications for transfers of teachers at MPO-listed private schools and colleges began on Friday and will remain open until August 27, according to the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education. Applicants may select up to three preferred institutions in order of choice. Applications will be reviewed through automated software under the revised transfer policy formulated in 2026.

Teachers may apply for vacancies within their own district. If no position is vacant there, they may apply for vacant posts in any district within their division. Applications are also allowed for a spouse’s home district or the district where a spouse works at a government, semi-government, autonomous or MPO-listed institution.

Teachers become eligible after completing two years of service and must work at a new posting for at least two years before seeking another transfer. Those with suspended MPO status, temporary suspension or criminal cases cannot apply. Institution heads must release transferred teachers within 10 days of an order, while teachers must join their new workplace within 10 days of release.

Sidratul Muntaha Nisa has been named the top student across Matlab North and Matlab South upazilas after securing the highest marks in the 2026 SSC examination. A science student at Jamila Khatun High School in Matlab North, Chandpur, she earned a Golden GPA-5 with 1,186 marks out of 1,250. The report was published on August 21, 2026.

She is the daughter of Mohammad Shamsul Haque from Induria village in Sultanabad Union. Both of her parents are government primary school teachers, and she is the eldest daughter in the family. School headteacher Moniruzzaman Mohan described her as a highly talented student who consistently performed well and had achievements at upazila, district and divisional levels.

Muntaha expressed gratitude to Allah, her parents and teachers for her result. She said she wants to become a doctor and serve people in the future. Her parents have asked everyone to pray for their daughter.

UNESCO has trained educators in Tanzania to use social media more effectively to raise awareness among young people about health and wellbeing. The three-day practical programme was held from August 12 to 14 and involved peer educators who manage social media at 13 higher and tertiary education institutions in the country. Partner organizations and Tanzania’s health ministry supported the initiative.

UNESCO said young people spend a significant part of their lives online, making social media an important channel for communication, information sharing and awareness-building. Participants were taught how to create accurate, engaging and youth-friendly digital content on sexual and reproductive health, HIV, and prevention of gender-based violence.

The training also covered responsible online communication and the use of social media analytics to understand audience interests. UNESCO said the trained peer educators will return to their institutions and work to provide young people with reliable information. The organization aims to expand health discussions on social media and help young people make informed decisions through the digital platforms they use regularly.

Bangladesh’s Financial Institutions Division has instructed state-owned BASIC Bank to exercise special caution in new lending and work toward becoming a well-governed, financially sustainable CMSME-focused commercial bank. The directives were issued at a recent special meeting chaired by Financial Institutions Division Secretary Nazma Mobarek, attended by the bank’s board, managing director and other officials. The government’s roadmap aims to restore the bank after years of financial irregularities and weak management.

The bank was severely affected by major loan scandals and irregular disbursements between 2009 and 2014. Much of the lending later became non-performing, weakening its financial base, while capital shortages and a loss of depositor confidence disrupted normal operations. As of December 2025, BASIC Bank’s non-performing loan ratio stood at about 56 percent, among the highest for state-owned banks.

Officials set 12 priority actions for the next 12 to 24 months, including direct cash recovery from defaulted and written-off loans, prevention of fresh defaults and strengthened internal controls. The bank was told to assess borrowers’ repayment capacity, cash flow, group exposure, beneficial ownership and collateral values before approving major loans. Managing Director Md Kamruzzaman Khan said future programmes would follow the ministry’s instructions.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party will contest the upcoming local government elections independently, acting secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said. He made the announcement on Thursday evening after a meeting with leaders from the Rajshahi division at the party chairman’s office in Gulshan. The report was published on August 21, 2026.

Before the announcement, BNP chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman held organisational meetings with leaders of the Pabna and Chapainawabganj district branches in the Rajshahi division. The meetings focused on making the party more organised and stronger at the grassroots level.

BNP sources said Tarique Rahman has been holding successive meetings with leaders of district and metropolitan branches to strengthen grassroots organisational activities. The source did not provide further details about election preparations, candidates, alliances or the schedule for the local government polls.

The UK government has announced plans for a new qualification in England to help secondary-school students who fail to achieve the required grade 4 in GCSE English or mathematics. The proposed level-1 qualification, called “Stepping Stone”, would target students who received grade 2 or below when taking GCSEs for the first time. The announcement was reported on August 21, 2026.

In England, 16-year-olds who do not reach grade 4 in English or maths must continue studying and retaking the subjects. This year, only one in seven students retaking maths achieved grade 4 or higher, while one in six passed English. Although about 70 percent of 16-year-olds passed both subjects, around 620,000 did not achieve grade 4 in at least one.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the current system leaves many students trapped in repeated exam cycles and that the new route could build foundations for higher education, technical training or apprenticeships. School and college leaders called the plan disappointing and ineffective, arguing that assessment methods need change. Experts also warned that disadvantaged students should not be pushed into lower-quality educational routes.

US President Donald Trump has threatened what he called the “toughest economic campaign” against Iran, warning that financial institutions, businesses, airports and government bodies that assist Tehran could face severe economic consequences. The report, published on August 21, 2026, says Iran’s foreign minister dismissed the threat as an attempt to divert attention from problems within the United States.

Legal experts say Washington cannot impose a complete trade embargo on other countries without approval from the UN Security Council. International and trade law specialist Shantanu Singh said no country has the authority to impose comprehensive commercial sanctions on Iran or another country without such approval. Georgetown University in Qatar associate professor Paul Musgrave said imposing economic consequences on countries trading with Iran would be very difficult for Trump.

Analysts say previous sanctions have not fully stopped Iranian trade. China bought more than 80 percent of Iran’s seaborne oil exports last year, while Turkey, Pakistan and Iraq continue trading with Iran. The UAE has announced an indefinite trade embargo, alleging missile attacks from Iranian territory, a step analysts consider significant given Iran’s reliance on UAE commercial and financial access.

The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) plans to expand the city’s area from 155 square kilometres to 1,255 square kilometres through a 25-year master plan designed around projected population needs to 2050. About 90 percent of the plan has been completed. The authority began a two-month public hearing on August 2, which will continue until September 30, and expects to publish the plan’s gazette by December.

CDA is consulting more than 100 individuals and institutions, with letters already sent to 50 organisations. Residents can submit views at the CDA office or online. Officials said the draft designates 31.92 percent of land for agriculture and 14.48 percent as environmentally sensitive, while prioritising protection of 39,845 ponds, reservoirs and hills. New building approvals and construction in hilly areas are prohibited.

Participants have raised concerns about land classifications, roads shown on residential plots and green-zone designations. CDA says opinions will be reviewed before revisions. The plan includes a satellite city in Anwara, covers eight upazilas, and proposes planned towns, tourism development and heritage conservation measures.

Bangladesh’s fertilizer reserves have fallen close to minimum safety levels amid gas shortages, reduced domestic urea production and disruptions to imports, according to a ministry review held Thursday. Urea output has declined by an average 25 to 30 percent because factories are not receiving gas as required. The country has about 500,329 tonnes of urea in stock, only 329 tonnes above the stated five-lakh-tonne safety reserve target, during the Aman rice season.

War and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have increased uncertainty over supplies from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has forced fertilizer shipments to travel via Egypt’s Yanbu port, adding about 1,200 miles, time and costs. Qatar has not concluded an export agreement with Bangladesh, leaving imports dependent on two countries rather than three.

The government has begun tender procedures to import urea from Russia, Malaysia and Brunei, though officials say completion could take two to three months. Stocks of DAP, TSP and MOP are below safety thresholds. Authorities also reported irregularities in distribution, while farmers alleged that fertilizers were being withheld and sold at higher prices.

Health Minister Sakhawat Hossain visited the home of Konika Mondol in Baghutia village of Baharpur union, Baliakandi upazila, Rajbari, on Friday morning after her death following a Caesarean procedure. Konika, 35, died at about 2:15am on Wednesday night while receiving treatment at Ibn Sina Hospital in Kallyanpur, Dhaka. Her family alleged that gauze was left inside her abdomen during surgery at Samarita Hospital in Faridpur.

According to her brother-in-law Samir Mondol, Konika was admitted to Samarita Hospital on June 29 for a Caesarean delivery. Doctor Lakkhi Rani Dutta conducted the operation that evening and delivered a baby girl. Her abdomen reportedly began swelling abnormally from the following day. She was admitted to Ibn Sina Hospital on July 3.

Her husband said tests under doctor Abdul Jalil on July 7 detected gauze in her abdomen, which was removed through surgery that day. After media reports on Thursday, the minister ordered formation of a five-member inquiry committee. During the visit, he offered condolences, gave the family Tk50,000 from his personal fund and pledged support.

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court Appellate Division upheld the High Court’s acquittal of all 38 accused in the 21 August grenade attack case, including Tarique Rahman and Lutfuzzaman Babar. The unanimous decision, issued on 4 September 2025 under Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, followed a state appeal against the High Court verdict. The High Court had on 1 December 2024 annulled the trial court judgment and fully acquitted the convicted defendants.

The attack occurred 22 years earlier at an Awami League anti-terrorism and anti-violence rally outside its central office on বঙ্গবন্ধু Avenue in Dhaka. Thirteen to 14 explosions struck as then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina was stepping down from a truck stage. Ivy Rahman was among 24 people killed, while more than 100 leaders and activists were injured. Two cases were filed at Motijheel police station under murder and explosives laws.

The report says courts identified major procedural and evidentiary defects. A second supplementary charge sheet was submitted directly to a sessions court rather than a judicial magistrate court. The main confession was found to have been obtained through coercion and torture and later withdrawn. Prosecutors also failed to provide strong direct evidence, while the investigation changed hands repeatedly.