Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman MP said trials for fascism would take place in Bangladesh and would be conducted in appropriate courts, not in secret. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon while speaking as chief guest at an exchange meeting with lawyers in Barishal. He said Bangladesh could not be treated lightly after the sacrifices of the July revolutionaries and that fascism could not be given an opportunity.

The meeting was held to mark the laying of the foundation stone for a proposed 10-storey building of the Barishal District Bar Association. After hearing lawyers’ demands and problems, the minister said Tk 20 lakh had been provided for renovation of the Barishal Bar and Tk 5 lakh initially for purchasing books. He also said necessary steps would be taken for construction of the building.

The minister said the government had tried to restore public confidence and trust within six months while working to address existing crises without offering false assurances. On family cards, he said the BNP had introduced the programme after coming to power and that all families in the country would receive cards within the next five years. Information and Broadcasting Minister M Zaher Uddin Swapan and other representatives attended.

Holy Cross College and the Holycross College Alumni Association held the Promoting Cancer Awareness and Breast Screening Programme 2026 with support from Gonoshasthaya Community-Based Cancer Hospital. The programme took place on Sunday morning at the college auditorium and involved about 1,400 twelfth-grade students.

Professor Dr Habibullah Talukdar Rasquin, project coordinator at Gonoshasthaya Community-Based Cancer Hospital and chief coordinator of the Bangladesh Breast Cancer Awareness Forum, delivered the main presentation in two consecutive sessions. Associate Professor Dr Mushtaq Ibne Ayub of Dhaka University’s Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology was the other speaker.

Dr Sadia Habib Arpi provided registered women with guidance and training on breast self-examination. More than 500 guardians and teachers registered for breast cancer screening. Four female physicians and three nurses or paramedics completed screenings for 240 people, while the remaining registered participants are scheduled to be screened next Saturday. Alumni Association President Fahmina Hasin delivered welcome remarks, and Principal Sister Shikha Gomez thanked attendees.

A week-long trade licence renewal service began on Sunday at the DCCI auditorium in Dhaka, jointly organised by the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Dhaka South City Corporation. DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam inaugurated the programme as chief guest. The service initiative is scheduled to end on August 20 and aims to make business-related procedures easier for chamber members under the city corporation.

At a discussion on local commerce, law and order, traffic conditions and trade licence services, service recipients called for lower renewal fees and automated, harassment-free renewal procedures. They also sought action to address traffic congestion and waterlogging, register electric autorickshaws and hawkers, clear occupied footpaths, and prevent extortion by political and organisational activists and law enforcement personnel.

DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed stressed effective digital systems and the introduction of multi-year renewals. Abdus Salam said trade licence fees could be reduced if NBR charges within the prescribed fee were lowered. He said a one-stop service is under consideration, while efforts continue to bring electric autorickshaws and hawkers under registration. Representatives of 10 DCCI member firms received renewed licence copies after the event.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the government will provide women with free education through honours level and bear all related costs. He made the announcement on Sunday afternoon in the Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat area of Pakundia upazila, Kishoreganj, during an event for National Fisheries Week 2026 involving the release of fish fry in the Old Brahmaputra River, distribution of fry to local fishers, and exchanges with residents.

Rahman said women’s education had previously been made free through intermediate level when Khaleda Zia was in office. Noting that women make up half of the country’s population, he said national progress would not be possible while leaving women behind. He also said government stipends would be arranged for girls who achieve good results and urged them to study attentively and lead the country in the future.

The prime minister said the government plans to provide about 12 million children from poor rural families with school bags and uniforms alongside new books every year. He said family cards are being distributed gradually to women-headed households, with a goal of reaching every home within five years; the programme is being inaugurated in Kishoreganj.

Bangladesh recorded three more dengue deaths and 805 hospital admissions over the previous 24 hours, according to information released on August 16, 2026. During the first 16 days of August, dengue caused 16 deaths and infected 8,668 people, the Health Directorate said.

The Directorate General of Health Services’ Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room reported admissions from Saturday 8 a.m. to Sunday 8 a.m. Dhaka division outside city corporations recorded 156 admissions, followed by Dhaka North City Corporation with 149 and Dhaka South City Corporation with 112. A further 697 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery during the same period.

Since January this year, total dengue infections have reached 23,978 and total deaths have risen to 70. The reported deaths included two in January, two in February, one in May, 13 in June and 36 in July. The health authority said men account for 61.7 percent of all reported dengue patients, while women account for 38.3 percent.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran had been subjected to an unjust war led by the United States and Israel, but its people resisted with courage, determination and dedication. In remarks reported on August 16, 2026, he said Iran had achieved a real victory in both military and political arenas.

Ghalibaf described himself as a brother familiar with the details of the war and said he was fully confident in that assessment. His comments characterized the conflict’s military outcome and Iran’s political position as victories for the country, while crediting the Iranian public’s resistance during the war.

He also said a memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the United States was a document of pride and victory that would help consolidate gains achieved in the diplomatic arena. However, Ghalibaf acknowledged that the public may not have fully felt the victory as it was achieved. He said authorities had, in some cases, failed to properly present the people’s rightful entitlements and achievements.

Discussion over BNP’s next secretary general has intensified after Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was announced as a presidential candidate on August 13, a move expected to leave his party post vacant. The report, published on August 16, says Fakhrul’s election as president is considered nearly certain because BNP holds a parliamentary majority. Several names are being discussed as possible successors.

Under BNP’s constitution, a permanent secretary general is elected through a national council, while a leader may serve temporarily or in an acting capacity beforehand. Standing Committee member Selima Rahman said senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi would become acting secretary general under the party’s rules. However, BNP has not formally announced anyone for either the acting or permanent role.

Rizvi said no formal announcement had been made and that he was waiting for the party’s decision. Party sources said a permanent secretary general could be chosen at the national council or around that time, with chairman Tarique Rahman’s decision expected to be central. Some media reports have also mentioned Salahuddin Ahmed, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie and Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel, though Rahman said there had been no internal discussion on those names.

Police have arrested two people, including a journalist, over an attack and vandalism targeting the vehicle of BNP-nominated Sirajganj-3 lawmaker Aynul Haque. Sirajganj Additional Superintendent of Police for Raiganj Circle Saiful Islam Khan confirmed the development on the night of August 16. The detainees are Raiganj Press Club general secretary and municipal Jubo Sebok Dal member secretary Md Golam Muktadir, and Alamgir Hossain.

Police said Golam Muktadir was named in the case’s first information report and was detained in an operation by the district detective branch. Alamgir Hossain was arrested at about 4:45 p.m. during an operation at Cafe Fast Food near Dhangara Mohila Degree College in Raiganj upazila headquarters. A case was filed on Saturday night by Shamimul Hasan, naming 15 people and listing another 30 to 40 unidentified accused.

Local BNP leaders said tensions arose at a municipal BNP meeting in Dhangara Bazar over the proposed location of a Technical Training Centre. They said the vehicle was attacked as the lawmaker was leaving after proposing a committee to select the site. BNP blamed local Jamaat and NCP leaders, while district Jamaat secretary Professor Zahidul Islam denied involvement and condemned the incident.

Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram has congratulated Bangladesh’s cricketers, coaches and all others involved after the team’s commanding nine-wicket victory in a Test match against Australia. The report, published on August 17, 2026, said he issued the congratulatory message on Sunday.

In his message, the acting president described Bangladesh’s first Test-match victory on Australian soil as a glorious achievement. His congratulations recognized the contribution of the players, coaching staff and other people associated with the Bangladesh cricket team.

He expressed hope that the landmark win in Australia would play a positive role in the continued progress of cricket in Bangladesh. The source did not provide further match statistics, name individual players, or state Bangladesh’s next fixtures.

A resident student of Dhaka University’s Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall, Md Ibrahim, has accused provost Professor Dr Ilias Al Mamun of detaining and mentally harassing him after he shared social media posts critical of hall issues. Ibrahim alleged that he was summoned to the provost’s office on Sunday, August 16, held for about one and a half hours, deprived of his mobile phone, threatened, and forced to sign a written statement.

Ibrahim said staff members prevented him from leaving the room, checked his phone, and threatened cancellation of his residential seat and studentship, as well as a cyber case. He also alleged that he was compelled to write that hall union representatives had influenced his Facebook posts. Residential students later protested, demanding the provost’s resignation.

Professor Mamun denied allegations of physical and mental abuse, saying Ibrahim had been called in to explain comments made without knowing the facts. He objected to the student recording their conversation, acknowledged calling Ibrahim’s mother, and said Ibrahim admitted his mistake before being given refreshments and allowed to leave. Dhaka University’s deputy vice-chancellor for administration said the university was aware of the matter and would investigate competing accounts from the student and hall administration.

Bangladesh’s Local Government Division has issued a show-cause notice to Hossain Shahid Sohrawardy Gronet Babu, chairman of Kishoreganj Sadar Union Parishad in Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari, asking why he should not be temporarily suspended. The notice followed an investigation that found allegations of illegally occupying government khas land, abusing authority and using Union Parishad public funds for personal interests to be substantiated.

The notice was signed by Ziaur Rahman, deputy secretary of the UP-1 branch of the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. It states that the alleged actions constitute offences under sections 34(4)(b) and 34(4) of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009.

Gronet Babu has been directed to submit his reply through the Nilphamari deputy commissioner to the Local Government Division within 10 working days of receiving the notice. A report published by Daily Amar Desh online on 23 May prompted an instruction for the district administration to investigate. The deputy commissioner later formed a five-member committee, whose field investigation report found the allegations true, according to the notice. Kishoreganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Arifur Rahman confirmed the notice.

Matihar police sent Rajshahi University Chhatra Dal joint general secretary Hasib Hasan to court after detaining him with Indian tapentadol tablets, according to a report published on August 16, 2026. He was sent to court on Sunday morning. Police filed a case as complainant under Section 36(1), Table 29(a) of the Narcotics Control Act, 2018.

The case complaint identifies the detained person as Md Hasibul Hasan, 29, a resident of Meherchandi Madhyapara in Rajshahi metropolitan area’s Chandrima police station jurisdiction. The case was registered at Matihar police station as case number 17 on August 15.

According to the complaint, seven illegal intoxicating tapentadol tablets, cut into individual pieces, were recovered from Hasan. The tablets weighed 2.80 grams and were estimated to be worth Tk2,100. Police also recovered a red-and-black Pulsar 150cc motorcycle from him. Matihar police station officer-in-charge Golam Kabir confirmed that Hasan had been sent to court and that police had filed the narcotics case.

A fitter named Alauddin was seriously injured while working at the Baraka Ship Breaking Yard in Chowdhuryghata, Sitakunda, on Sunday morning, August 16. The incident occurred around 8am at the green-certified yard after heavy material slipped from his hands and fell below, according to local sources. Alauddin, a resident of Sitakunda’s Kumira area, suffered severe injuries.

Co-workers quickly rescued him and sent him to Chattogram for treatment in critical condition. He is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Chattogram. Sahed Parvez Talukdar, a labour inspector with the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments in Chattogram, said authorities had learned of the incident and that the injured worker is now well.

The accident came before concerns had subsided over the deaths of nine workers at Ferdous Steel. Young Power in Social Action, or YPSA, expressed deep concern over safety across the shipbreaking industry and oversight by government agencies. Its head of advocacy, Mohammad Ali Shahin, called for special government monitoring and effective measures to make the sector safer and more orderly.

Bangladesh defeated host Australia by nine wickets in Darwin to secure their first Test victory on Australian soil, prompting widespread praise across the cricket world. The landmark win by Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team was reported on August 16, 2026, with former and current cricketers reacting on social media to Bangladesh’s commanding performance.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen expressed surprise, while former Sri Lanka cricketer and commentator Russell Arnold called the achievement remarkable and unbelievable against a leading team at home. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer described it as a historic achievement and a major moment for Bangladesh cricket. Former Australia fast bowler Damien Fleming said Darwin had become an inseparable chapter in Bangladesh’s cricket history.

Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews cited the result while questioning the ICC’s proposed two-tier Test system. Ian Bishop said Bangladesh deserved respect and recognition, highlighting contributions from Mehedi, Tanzid, Hasan Mahmud, coach Phil Simmons and the wider team. A former Indian cricketer also said the victory underlined the importance of designated Test venues, noting that Darwin’s conditions had surprised Australia.

Australian media outlets have sharply criticized the national cricket team after Bangladesh secured a historic nine-wicket victory in Darwin. The defeat of Australia, described in the source as the top team in the World Test Championship, has put batting failures and team selection under scrutiny. Several reports characterized the result as one of the biggest setbacks in Australia’s home cricket history.

News.com.au highlighted Bangladesh’s dominance and Australia’s fragile batting in its match analysis. The Australian used stronger language, calling the loss embarrassing and saying Bangladesh had dismantled Australia in the Darwin Test. ABC said the unexpected defeat had raised long-term questions for Australian cricket, while noting that Bangladesh’s strong bowling exposed weaknesses in Australia’s batting lineup.

Fox Cricket said selectors must make difficult decisions after what it called one of Australia’s biggest Test upsets. Its analysis called for changes to both batting and bowling, and said several Australian players faced a final opportunity to retain their places. Media criticism focused particularly on the top order, whose failures across both innings, inability to stay at the crease, and lack of resistance against Bangladesh’s bowlers were cited as major reasons for the defeat.