Today’s top 5 news stories

Beyond Headlines brings together the five biggest news stories of the day in one concise news digest to keep readers informed about the developments that matter. Here’s the news digest for 18th October 2026.

Ten tourists die in fire at unapproved Cox's Bazar resort

Ten people, including six members of a family, were killed and nine others injured when a fire swept through a three-storey wooden resort in Cox's Bazar's Inani area on Saturday morning. 

Firefighters brought the blaze under control after more than three hours of emergency operations. The resort had been operating without a fire safety licence despite receiving an official warning four months ago, the Fire Service and Civil Defence said.

The fire began around 6:30 am at Tup Tup Resto and Resort along Marine Drive, located 22 kilometres from the nearest fire station. Ukhiya fire units began operations at 8:00 am, while officials later reported the wooden building, housing a restaurant and guest rooms, completely burnt to ashes.

Fire Service Director General Brig Gen Sultanul Afrain Zunaid said the establishment lacked fire safety clearance and operated without renewing its licence. He said inspectors served an official notice in June declaring the premises unsafe.

Zunaid said authorities will review regulatory measures across tourist destinations where facilities utilise combustible materials. Injured victims are receiving treatment at Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital, while the cause of the fire and the identities of the deceased could not be determined immediately.

Source: The Daily Star, bdnews24

PM conducts 13 surprise visits and suspends smoking doctor

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday conducted unannounced inspections at 13 locations across Dhaka to assess public service delivery, cleanliness at the public institutions and ongoing dengue prevention efforts. 

The inspections, conducted from morning to afternoon, covered state hospitals, educational institutions and government residential quarters.

In one inspection at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute in Agargaon, the prime minister caught Associate Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam smoking inside his untidy room. 

Tarique immediately instructed the hospital management board chairman to take disciplinary action, resulting in the prompt suspension of the physician.

Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said the prime minister ordered action after finding the physician smoking in unhygienic conditions. The prime minister specifically instructed hospital board chairman Professor Dr AKM Azizul Haque to take action.

Expressing dissatisfaction with maintenance, Tarique Rahman gave Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital authorities seven days to improve the hospital's environment and cleanliness arrangements. 

He also gave Azimpur residential quarters officials two weeks to improve cleanliness, urging authorities to maintain hygienic environments, protect public health and take responsible action.

Source: The Daily Star

Ishraque brandishes firearm during anti-drug raid detaining six suspects

State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain came under intense public scrutiny after a video showed him carrying a firearm during an anti-drug drive in Dhaka's Gandaria area.

Footage of the operation showed members of his team chasing several individuals near a railway line before police detained six suspects.

Responding to the criticism, Ishraque said the handgun was licensed and that he had carried it for personal security following a shooting incident in December 2025. 

He said the weapon was not fired during the operation and claimed residents had repeatedly complained about drug trafficking in the area, where law enforcement agencies faced shortages of personnel and vehicles.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, said firearm licences are intended strictly for self-defence, not for pursuing or apprehending suspects. A minister taking on an enforcement role, he said, suggested a lack of confidence in the police within the government.

Baharul Alam, former inspector general of police, said firearms can only be used when there is a threat to life or public safety. Under the Firearms Licence, Renewal and Use Policy 2025, licence holders are prohibited from displaying weapons in ways that instil public fear and from serving as private armed guards.

Source: The Daily Star

Houthi attacks disrupt 114 Saudi flights, stranding 17,701 passengers

A total of 114 flights from Dhaka were cancelled or suspended following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, disrupting travel for 17,701 passengers. Airport authorities said on Saturday that the disruptions affected 50 direct flights and 64 connecting services.

Direct cancellations included 18 flights operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 12 by Saudia and 10 each by US-Bangla Airlines and Riyadh Air. India's IndiGo cancelled 22 transit flights, while cancellations also included 14 Emirates flights and nine Qatar Airways services.

Houthi representatives in Yemen said the sites they had threatened were legitimate targets, describing the attacks as retaliation for Saudi Arabia's strikes in Yemen. The group said it would continue attacks on various Saudi airports and oil facilities.

According to official reports, the strikes killed 13 people and injured 308, including two Bangladeshi fatalities and 27 injuries. US-Bangla Airlines suspended Riyadh flights until 21 October, while Biman Bangladesh Airlines halted services to Riyadh and Dammam until 18 October.

Source: bdnews24

Govt appoints three information commissioners after two-year vacancy

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday appointed Jahangirnagar University professor Dr Nahreen I Khan as chief information commissioner, filling a post that had remained vacant for two years.

The government also named journalists SAM Mahfuzur Rahman and Khan Mohammad Abul Hossain as information commissioners.

Official notifications issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the appointments were made under Section 15(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2009. The notifications also said that the government would determine the rank, remuneration, allowances and other benefits of the three officials.

The commission had remained non-functional since September 2024, when former Chief Information Commissioner Abdul Malek and Commissioner Shahidul Alam resigned in the wake of the July uprising. 

Another commissioner, Masuda Bhatti, was removed shortly afterwards, leaving all three leadership positions vacant for more than two years.

The prolonged vacancy left complaints over denied or withheld information unresolved and stalled training, awareness campaigns and publications related to the right to information. 

The appointments, made eight months into the BNP-led government's tenure, pave the way for the commission to resume complaint resolution as well as its training and public outreach activities.

Source: BSS, Prothom Alo

That concludes today’s briefing. Stay with Beyond Headlines for in-depth news and analysis, explainers, opinion pieces, long reads, and more.