Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman may travel to Delhi in the third week of August for a possible bilateral visit, according to multiple government sources in Dhaka. The visit is tentatively expected on August 21–22, although the dates could move by a few days. Officials said India proposed the trip and Bangladesh has indicated that Rahman will travel, while preparations for his first India visit are already under way.

Bangladesh has set several expectations before a final decision is made, officials said. A key demand is that former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since August 5, 2024, should no longer conduct political activities or make political statements from there. Officials claimed her statements have generated controversy within Bangladesh and are intended to destabilise the country’s internal situation.

Officials said India has provided one form of assurance, but Bangladesh wants a complete guarantee before the visit is confirmed. An Indian media outlet also reported that Rahman could visit India for two days in the middle of next week. He has separately been invited to a BRICS summit in New Delhi in September as current BIMSTEC chair, though no decision on attending has been made.

A new Pew Research Center survey of 36 countries found that negative views of India have risen significantly in Bangladesh. Released on August 13, the survey was conducted from February 9 to May 13 this year. The report said the share of Bangladeshis who dislike India increased by 15 percentage points between 2024 and 2026.

According to the survey, 51% of people in Bangladesh now hold an unfavorable view of India. Over the same period, the share of Bangladeshis offering no opinion on India fell markedly, from 24% in 2024 to 7% in 2026. Among 10 countries compared between 2024 and 2026, Bangladesh recorded the largest increase in unfavorable views of India.

Globally, the average unfavorable view of India was 55%, the survey said. Only Pakistan ranked above Bangladesh in negative sentiment toward India, with 91% holding an unfavorable view. Within South Asia, Sri Lanka showed the most favorable view of India, with 79% of respondents expressing a positive opinion.

Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said Bangladesh is standing amid devastation and warned that heavy borrowing could eventually make it difficult to pay government officials’ salaries. He made the remarks on Friday, 14 August, at an exchange meeting with Sirajganj municipality officers and employees in the municipality hallroom. He said the situation could become harder without proper planning.

The minister said development is not possible without sound planning. He said the government had presented a budget designed to avoid placing excessive tax pressure on people, but added that ordinary citizens and the administration must work together to implement it. District Commissioner Aminul Islam, municipality administrator Shahadat Hossain, and Sirajganj district BNP general secretary Saidur Rahman Bacchu were among those present.

Earlier, Tuku distributed six vehicles, including a drum truck, for the city’s cleanliness operations and climbed onto a truck himself. He said he did not do so for display, but out of excitement recalled from seeing a road-cleaning vehicle decades earlier. He said everyone must maintain municipal vehicles because the people are the government’s parents. He also inaugurated RCC drain and road construction in Dhanbandhi Dobapara of municipal ward 10.

India’s planned cricket tour of Bangladesh in the final week of August faces deep uncertainty as approval from India’s central government has not yet been granted. Although the two cricket boards have reached a preliminary understanding, no final announcement has been made, leaving the series dependent on a government decision.

A Board of Control for Cricket in India official said the Indian government has not authorised the visit. The BCCI is waiting for official clearance and is holding discussions with the High Commission. According to the board, the Indian team will travel to Bangladesh only if the government gives permission.

The report says recent political and diplomatic changes between the two countries have created fresh challenges for staging the series. It cites tensions following Bangladesh’s student-public uprising and subsequent political changes, while noting that some previously scheduled Indian series in Bangladesh had been postponed over security concerns. Both the BCB and BCCI are described as positive about holding the series, but the final decision remains pending in India’s political arena.

Sugarcane harvesting is in full swing in Barura upazila of Cumilla, where farmers report strong yields and higher market prices than last year. The report, published on August 14, 2026, says growers are busy cutting and marketing cane, while interest in cultivation is increasing because farmers see the crop as comparatively profitable with lower costs.

Sugarcane is widely cultivated in Shilmuri North and South, Bhabanipur, Aganagar, Jhalam and Barura municipality. About 350 farmers have planted cane on roughly 147 hectares this season, with a production target of 15,000 to 16,000 metric tonnes. BSR I-47, BSR I-43 and BSR I-46 are the main varieties, with BSR I-47, also known locally as CU-208, most widely grown because of its sweetness and taste.

Wholesale prices now range from Tk65 to Tk70 per cane, while retail prices reach Tk90 to Tk100, depending on size and quality. Upazila agriculture officer Md Zahidul Islam said no special facilities are provided for cane farming, but farmers receive advice on proper use of organic fertilizer and pesticides.

University Grants Commission member Professor Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun said the government is planning to update university curricula in line with the needs of industrial and commercial institutions. Speaking on August 14 at a workshop organised by Rabindra University, Bangladesh, he said the measures aim to strengthen industry-academia links, improve student skills, expand employment opportunities and reduce unemployment.

Mamun said the government is working to create internship and placement opportunities for students and to involve experienced industry professionals in classrooms as resource persons. He said these steps would help students gain practical workplace experience and directly understand industrial work, technology and market demand. He added that 12 universities have already taken steps to strengthen industry-academia relations, with Rabindra University participating in the effort.

He also said the government is working to make university research and innovation suitable for industrial and commercial use. At a separate event, he mentioned initiatives for a Tk500 crore startup fund, Tk800 crore for creative sectors and training for 500,000 students. Rabindra University signed memorandums of understanding with owners and representatives of 10 local industrial establishments.

Rising fuel prices linked to the Iran war are increasing demand for electric trucks across Asia and driving a sharp rise in Chinese exports, according to a report published on August 14, 2026. Use of electric trucks, from light vehicles to heavy trailers, is also growing rapidly in China, while domestic sales have increased in the world’s largest car market.

Pakistan-based outlet Dawn reported that in the four months after the United States and Israel began war against Iran in February, China’s exports of heavy electric trucks more than doubled year on year to 16,823 units. Nearly half of those shipments went to countries in South and Southeast Asia. Exports to South Asia rose more than fivefold, while shipments to Southeast Asia increased nearly threefold.

Higher fuel costs are offsetting the disadvantage of electric trucks’ relatively higher upfront purchase prices. The report said rising energy expenses are pushing countries across Asia toward electric transport more quickly. Chinese manufacturers are therefore focusing not only on their domestic market but also on selling electric trucks in newer markets across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected European Union statements against Iran made under the pretext of human rights, saying the bloc has no moral right to lecture others because of its own conduct. He made the remarks during a telephone discussion with Greek Foreign Minister Yorgos Gerapetritis on bilateral relations and regional and international developments, according to Iranian media.

Araghchi cited what he described as continuing illegal and aggressive US actions against Iran, including a naval blockade and violation of the June 18 agreement. He stressed Iran’s determination to protect its interests and national security. He also outlined the latest bilateral talks with Oman on identifying a safe route for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian minister said insecurity in the strait was a direct result of US and Israeli military aggression against Iran, and called for aggressors and lawbreakers to be held accountable. He criticized what he called the EU’s double standards, citing support by some European parties for Israel and indifference to alleged crimes in Palestine, Lebanon and Iran. Gerapetritis backed diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and offered technical and expert assistance.

Bangladesh’s opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman has written to the president requesting a special session of the national parliament to address the country’s severe power and energy crisis, along with worsening socioeconomic and law-and-order conditions. The letter was sent on Friday, according to a report published on August 14, 2026.

A Jamaat press release said copies of the letter were also sent to the prime minister and the parliamentary secretariat. The letter said widespread, unchecked load-shedding had made daily life difficult for ordinary people while seriously harming industrial production, business and trade.

It further said the direct effects of the power and energy shortages had raised prices of essential goods and contributed to a sharp deterioration in law and order, pushing people into uncertainty. Rahman said representatives of the public could not remain silent during the crisis. He called for meaningful parliamentary discussion and immediate solutions, urging the president to convene a special session without delay to resolve the energy crisis and related problems.

BNP standing committee member and Social Welfare Minister Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain said Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir remains the party’s secretary general, a standing committee member and a minister despite receiving BNP’s nomination for president. Zahid made the remarks to journalists after an event in the capital on Friday. He said Fakhrul has submitted his nomination for the presidential post.

Zahid said a presidential candidate must first submit nomination papers, which the Election Commission must scrutinize and declare valid before voting takes place. He maintained that there is no constitutional requirement for a candidate to resign before being elected and taking the oath. He urged journalists not to spread what he described as unnecessary rumours about Fakhrul’s resignation.

He asked reporters to wait until the 20th, saying resignation would come before the oath. Zahid also said changes in cabinet or party responsibilities are a normal process in parliamentary democracy and may be made if the prime minister considers them necessary. His statement contradicted comments by senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, who had said Fakhrul resigned from his party posts after receiving the presidential nomination.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held a candlelight march and rally in Badda, Dhaka, on Friday evening to protest what it described as severe gas and electricity shortages across the country. Organised by the Badda unit of Dhaka North metropolitan Jamaat, the procession began in front of Uttar Badda Kamil Madrasa, travelled through several roads and ended with a rally in Madhya Badda. Mohammad Selim Uddin, the Dhaka North ameer and a DNCC mayoral candidate, led the programme.

Speaking before the march, Selim Uddin alleged that the gas and power crisis had resulted from government mismanagement rather than war. He said households lacked light and candles had become people’s only support. He also said the government could not evade responsibility by citing war, and alleged that those assigned responsibility for the power and energy ministry had failed previously.

Selim Uddin demanded immediate effective measures to resolve the shortages and called for an end to what he termed hidden charges in electricity and gas bills. Participants included Dhaka North working committee member and office secretary Nazim Uddin Molla, Majlis-e-Shura members Qutub Uddin and Mizanur Rahman, advocate Rezaul Karim, and local party leaders and activists. After the march, Selim Uddin said the candles represented both protest and a message that public voices would not be extinguished.

Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, is launching its “Fix the School” campaign to improve infrastructure and accountability in rural government schools in India. The initiative will begin from Santuk Pimpuri village in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, the home village of party founder Abhijit Deepak. A statement said the programme would be inaugurated at 7:30am on Friday, around India’s Independence Day.

Speaking to journalists after returning from Delhi, Deepak said he would ask local leaders to renovate the government school and ensure basic facilities such as benches and drinking water. He said CJP had formed several teams that would visit villages, speak with residents and sarpanches, and urge action to improve school conditions through broader participation.

Deepak cited videos in which girls complain that they must walk seven kilometres to school and that there is no road to reach it. He urged parents to inspect their children’s schools and report shortcomings to CJP. He said Independence Day rallies should take place, but education should also receive importance.

Summit LNG Terminal began supplying gas on Friday, August 14, starting at about 110 million cubic feet at 6:10 pm, the company said in an evening press release. The terminal expects to gradually raise deliveries and reach about 550 million cubic feet of gas, near full capacity, around 2 am on August 15.

Summit said the additional gas would help increase availability for industry, power generation and other customers. The company said the supply could also support economic activity and help reduce pressure on the country’s energy system.

The company said it is committed to delivering the maximum volume of gas while maintaining safe and reliable operations within the technical capabilities of the terminal and the national gas transmission system. Summit LNG described adequate and uninterrupted energy supply as important for industrial growth, employment and economic development in Bangladesh. It also said it would continue working closely with Petrobangla and the Bangladesh government to strengthen energy security and reduce gas shortages.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afrozah Khanam Rita said skilled professionals have an important role in Bangladesh’s economic development and in establishing good governance. She made the remarks on Friday afternoon, August 14, at a reception for chartered accountants and cost and management accountants in Manikganj Sadar’s Gilond Munno Cafeteria.

Rita said chartered accountants and cost and management accountants could further strengthen the country’s economy through professional competence and integrity. She said her father, Harunar Rashid Khan Munno, worked for the country and its people with honesty and dedication. The minister said she was working while carrying those ideals and sought cooperation from the professionals.

FCA Md. Golam Nabi chaired the event, where FCA Abdul Matin, FCMA Jasimuddin, FCMA Yunus Ali and FCA Ekhlas Uddin spoke. Speakers emphasized improving professionals’ skills, ensuring transparency and accountability, and strengthening their contribution to the country’s economic progress. The minister was welcomed with flowers and presented with a commemorative crest at the beginning of the event. Chartered accountants and cost and management accountants from different levels of the district attended.

Former state minister for home affairs Tanzim Ahmed Sohel Taj has called on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, described in the report as staying in India, to return to Bangladesh and face justice. He made the appeal in a video posted on his verified Facebook page on Friday, August 14, 2026, while outside the July 36 Museum in the capital, formerly Ganabhaban.

In the video caption, Sohel Taj wrote that Bangladesh's people were waiting for Hasina. He said visitors from distant parts of the country were coming to see the museum, and that crowds gathered there every day. He also pointed to a long queue outside the museum on a busy road near Mirpur Road.

Sohel Taj said he believed the violence witnessed by Bangladeshis had been directed from the former Ganabhaban. He referred to relatives of those injured or killed, as well as other visitors, coming to the museum. Addressing reports that Hasina might return to Bangladesh with her associates, he said the public was waiting for her and urged her to face the sentence and judicial process he said applied to her.