Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-2 ordered journalists Shyamal Dutta, Mozammel Babu and Farzana Rupa to be shown arrested and sent to jail in a new crimes against humanity case. The order was issued Monday afternoon by a three-member judicial panel led by Justice Nazrul Islam Chowdhury over alleged provocative remarks in media programmes during the July 2024 uprising.

Prosecutor Moinul Karim told the tribunal that the three journalists made provocative statements in televised talk shows or other media programmes during the uprising. He said the investigation agency had found their involvement while investigating the crimes against humanity case and sought their formal arrest in the matter.

After the hearing, the tribunal granted the prosecution’s application and ordered their detention. It set October 25 for submission of the investigation report. The tribunal had taken cognisance of allegations against the three on August 17 and directed their appearance on Monday, when they were brought from prison. Babu and Rupa are already jailed in the Shapla Chattar massacre case, while Dutta is jailed in a case over killings during the July uprising.

Bangladesh and India discussed steps to deepen bilateral trade, including reopening closed border markets, operating land ports at full capacity and lifting restrictions on yarn imports by land. The issues were raised on Monday at a Secretariat meeting between Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi. The minister said the two countries currently conduct about $13 billion in bilateral trade.

Muktadir said trade activities had slowed somewhat because of obstacles that emerged over the past year and a half. He described India as Bangladesh’s second-largest trading partner after China and said the meeting examined ways to identify problems and make future commerce easier and more effective. Discussions also emphasized reviving border markets and fully activating land ports.

A proposal was made to establish a joint task force for greater business cooperation and to improve digital infrastructure, with the aim of creating investment opportunities and expanding commercial ties. Trivedi said the countries should work together on the basis of equality and stressed joint investment and production. He said India could support Bangladesh’s garment sector by supplying inputs including zippers, buttons and machinery.

A fish trader, Md Aminul Islam, 35, was hacked and robbed of cash and a mobile phone in the Boro Madrasa area behind the Jatrabari fish market in Dhaka on Monday at about 7am. The attackers fled after taking his belongings. Aminul was rescued and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he was receiving treatment in the emergency department.

Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the hospital police outpost, confirmed that Aminul was under treatment in the emergency department. A colleague, Nannu Mia, said Aminul was on his way to buy fish when two or three muggers blocked his path and attacked him with sharp weapons.

According to Nannu Mia, Aminul had about Tk28,000 to Tk30,000 with him when the robbery occurred. He sustained injuries to different parts of his body in the attack, and colleagues took him to hospital after being informed. Aminul, a fish seller and tenant at Kutub Uddin's house in the area, is the son of Robi Bepari of Enayetpur upazila in Sirajganj.

Bangladesh’s government has initiated plans to draft a unified policy linking cultural heritage with tourism development. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat announced the initial decision at a meeting held Monday in the Cultural Affairs Ministry’s conference room at the Secretariat. The Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry and the Cultural Affairs Ministry will coordinate the effort.

Millat said a joint committee involving the two ministries will be formed to prepare the policy for cultural tourism. He said the ministries will soon sign a memorandum of understanding on the matter. Referring to a recent visit to Malaysia, he said Bangladesh had made an initial decision to begin work following Malaysia’s approach to preserving historical sites while developing tourism and culture.

The prime minister, Tarique Rahman, has set a target of increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP from the current 2 to 3 percent to 7 to 8 percent through the joint initiative, the minister said. The first phase will focus on traditional zamindar houses and Buddhist relics stretching from Cox’s Bazar to Mainamati, before other tourism and cultural sites are included gradually.

Five-time world champions Brazil have expressed strong interest in playing Bangladesh in an international friendly in Dhaka on October 6, alongside their planned India tour. A five-member Brazilian delegation recently visited Dhaka to assess the possibility, inspecting the National Stadium and Bashundhara Kings Arena and holding preliminary discussions with Bangladesh Football Federation president Tabith Awal.

The proposal follows Brazil’s scheduled friendlies in Australia on September 25 and 29, followed by a match in Kolkata on October 3 against a local side or India’s national team. Citing Dhaka’s proximity to Kolkata, the Brazilian delegation proposed extending the tour for a Bangladesh match during the FIFA international window from September 19 to October 6.

BFF faces scheduling and financial challenges before making a decision. Bangladesh will play in the FIFA ASEAN Cup in Indonesia from September 24 to October 4, potentially leaving players little recovery time. If Bangladesh plays four matches there, the Brazil game may not receive official FIFA recognition. BFF would also need to cover charter-flight and related costs for Brazil’s roughly 90-member contingent travelling from Dhaka to Dubai. The matter awaits formal announcements from both sides.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran and China could play an important role in building a fair international order, strengthening multilateralism, and ensuring peace and stability. Writing in an Iranian newspaper to mark 55 years of diplomatic relations, he said Tehran and Beijing seek to begin a new chapter of cooperation based on mutual trust and the firm political will of their leaders.

Araghchi described China as Iran’s “friend in difficult times” and said their cooperation on regional peace and security reflects a shared commitment to long-term stability. He said relations between Tehran and Beijing have deepened and expanded in recent years despite Western sanctions and maximum pressure on Iran. He also called China Iran’s main economic partner and praised its role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS and the UN Security Council.

The foreign minister accused the United States and Israel of actions against Iran that he said violated international law, the UN Charter and moral principles. He urged peace-seeking countries to take more effective steps to protect international peace and security. Araghchi said Iran is ready to strengthen strategic ties with China and other members through SCO and BRICS frameworks.

National Citizen Party convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam alleged that the BNP government turned state institutions into “party clubs” within six months of taking power. Speaking at a Monday press conference at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka, he presented what he described as the government’s failures over 180 days.

Nahid said party-aligned vice-chancellors had been appointed at 19 to 20 universities, while party figures were installed as administrators in 11 city corporations and 63 district councils. He alleged that these posts had become rehabilitation centres for candidates denied nominations or defeated in elections. He also said 830 incidents of political violence occurred over six months, alleging BNP was responsible for 670, and said NCP activists were attacked in different areas.

He further accused the government of rejecting the referendum verdict and misleading the public. Nahid cited fuel shortages, record fuel-price increases, a 43 percent gas shortfall, electricity price rises, load-shedding and alleged burdens from ghost bills and capacity charges. He also raised concerns over fertiliser access, bank lending growth, health-sector conditions and attacks on dissenting views in educational institutions.

Manarat International University concluded its two-day Pharma Carnival 2.0 on Sunday, August 23, at the auditorium of its permanent campus. The closing ceremony featured a cultural programme, prize and certificate distribution, and a raffle draw. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Abdur Rob attended as chief guest, while Professor Dr Md Mizanur Rahman, dean of the School of Engineering, Science and Technology, was a special guest.

In his remarks, Abdur Rob stressed that students should build creativity, leadership, communication and problem-solving abilities alongside academic learning. He said such co-curricular activities play an important role in helping students develop into confident and skilled professionals. Faculty members, staff, invited guests and students attended the event.

The second day began with remarks by Pharmacy Department head Muhammad Rakib Al Mamun, followed by an IQ test competition and other closing activities. Alumni working in senior roles at different institutions offered career guidance. On August 22, the carnival included a pharma olympiad, scientific seminar, career guidance seminar and public speaking contest, with participants from Manarat, Daffodil International, Eastern and City universities.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed new US sanctions threats, saying Tehran is familiar with such measures and knows how to confront them. The United States said it would announce new sanctions against Iran on Monday, while Araghchi described repeated US sanctions packages as watching the same film again.

Araghchi said US sanctions were not new and argued that threats from the Trump era were no different from those made under previous US administrations. His comments followed President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States would begin an economic war against Iran.

In a Truth Social post on Wednesday local time, Trump said Iran had failed to use an opportunity to reach an agreement and would face economic war and isolation on an unprecedented scale. He also said sanctions would be imposed on any country trading with Iran or enabling its financial institutions, businesses, airports or government entities to provide Iran with any form of lifeline or assistance.

New Chattogram Civil Surgeon Sazedur Rahman was involved in a highway collision while travelling from Cumilla to Chattogram on Monday, his first working day in the district. The crash occurred at about 9am near Kumira Royal Gate in Sitakunda on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway. His wife, Dr Lubna, was injured and admitted to a private hospital in Chattogram.

Police and local sources said the ambulance carrying the couple collided with a No. 8 minibus travelling from Alankar toward Sitakunda near the Kumira U-turn. The ambulance’s glass broke in the collision, injuring Dr Lubna. Rahman left his wife at the hospital and then went to his new workplace to assume his duties.

Baro Awlia Highway Police seized the No. 8 minibus, and Sergeant Zakirul Islam said authorities would investigate the incident and take necessary legal action. Transport leader Mohammad Khurshid Alam alleged that unfit vehicles operate on the highway without route permits or driver licences. Sitakunda UNO Fakhrul Islam said action would be taken quickly if the vehicles lack valid route permits.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital Middle Eastern maritime route, has remained severely limited despite a US assurance of security. Fewer than 20 cargo ships crossed the strait over the Saturday-Sunday weekend, according to preliminary vessel-tracking data cited in the report published on August 24, 2026.

Kpler data showed four ships crossing on Sunday and 13 on Saturday, after 16 crossings on Friday. The tracker said some vessels could not be monitored because they switched off their transponders while transiting the strait. Shipowners and operators still consider the route risky, while the cost of wartime insurance for voyages there has risen sharply.

On the alternative Bab al-Mandab route, 24 cargo vessels moved on Sunday, compared with 32 on Saturday and 22 on Friday. The International Energy Agency said that under normal conditions, around 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products pass through Hormuz each day, representing about 25 percent of global seaborne oil trade. About 80 percent of those shipments are destined for Asia.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Education has issued the admission policy for Class XI in the current academic year. The Secondary and Higher Education Division published the policy on Monday. Applications will be accepted from September 2 until 8pm on September 10, while classes are scheduled to begin on September 23 after the admission process concludes.

No selection or admission test will be held. Students will be admitted solely on the basis of SSC and equivalent examination results. Ninety-three percent of seats will remain open to all applicants on merit, while 7 percent will be reserved under quotas: 5 percent for children of freedom fighters and martyred freedom fighters, and a proposed 2 percent for children of Education Ministry and affiliated office employees.

Students whose re-scrutiny or re-evaluation results are released between September 2 and 10 may apply from September 12 to 13, when preference changes will also be allowed. Selected students will be announced at 8pm on September 17 and must confirm admission by 8pm on September 19. Admissions will take place from September 20 to 22. The quota arrangement applies only to the 2026-27 academic year.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police said it arrested 440 people during operations across the capital over a 24-hour period and filed 46 cases at different police stations. The operations ran from 12am on Saturday night to 12am on Sunday night, according to a DMP press release issued on Monday, August 24, 2026.

The largest number of arrests was reported in the Mirpur division, with 127 people detained. Tejgaon recorded 67 arrests, while Wari and Uttara each recorded 50. Lalbagh reported 45 arrests, Motijheel 36, Gulshan 31, Ramna 29, and the Detective Branch five.

Police said the operations recovered a foreign pistol, a magazine, six rounds of ammunition, a sword, a knife and a grenade. They also seized a motorcycle, nine mobile phones, 12 kilograms and 500 grams of cannabis, 39,127 yaba tablets, 3.2 grams of powdered yaba and 3,000 stolen taka. The DMP said two victims were rescued during the operation.

Dutch public broadcaster AVROTROS has announced it will not take part in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, saying the event can “no longer be considered neutral” amid divisions linked to the war in Gaza. Director-General Taco Zimmerman said on Monday that international conflicts were increasingly affecting the contest and turning it into a platform for division.

The announcement follows recent boycotts over Israel’s participation. Eurovision organisers said earlier this month that countries involved in armed conflict would be barred from hosting, but AVROTROS said the changes did not offer enough confidence that the competition’s independent and neutral character had been restored. Israel placed second in both the 2025 and 2026 contests.

Next year’s contest is scheduled for May 15 in Burgas, Bulgaria, after Bulgarian singer Darina Yotova, known as Dara, won this year’s Vienna competition with “Bangaranga”. The event will be Bulgaria’s first time hosting Eurovision. This year’s contest drew 131 million viewers, 35 million fewer than the previous year, after five countries boycotted over Israel’s participation.

Fellows who recently participated in the National Defence College’s Capstone Course paid a courtesy call on newly appointed State Minister for Religious Affairs Shamim Kaiser Lincoln. The meeting took place on Monday night at the minister’s residence in Malibagh Jowardar Lane.

During the meeting, the Capstone fellows greeted Lincoln with flowers and congratulated him on receiving his new responsibility. The newly appointed state minister thanked the fellows for visiting and expressed deep gratitude for their goodwill.

Lincoln said he hoped the cordial relationship and mutual cooperation among the Capstone fellows would continue in the future. On behalf of the NDC Capstone fellows, participants also offered special thanks and appreciation to the state minister for giving them his valuable time.