During Wednesday’s question-and-answer session in the National Parliament, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam objected after all eight starred questions scheduled for the prime minister came from ruling-party members. Raising the issue on a point of order, he said opposition lawmakers had also submitted questions and noted that the speaker had previously allotted them four opportunities.

Nahid Islam said greater questioning by opposition members would strengthen a culture of government accountability, urging the speaker to give the matter special attention in future. Ruling-party Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni responded that the government wants to remain accountable to the public and said question allocation is determined by rules and priority, not party affiliation.

Moni said members who submit questions earlier receive priority and expressed hope that all lawmakers would compete to file questions on time. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram said a fixed serial order is prioritized in submissions. He described past competition among members to secure early places and advised opposition lawmakers to submit questions earlier, while assuring them the issue would be considered appropriately in future.

The government has formed a 25-member National Committee on Climate Finance to bring climate finance, carbon credits and carbon trading under an integrated national framework. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will chair the committee, while Dr Md Saimum Parvez, the prime minister’s special assistant on environment, forest and climate change, will serve as coordinator. The government disclosed the decision on Wednesday after the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry issued a notification on September 1.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has been named vice-chairman, and the ministry’s secretary will be member-secretary. The panel includes state minister Sheikh Faridul Islam, advisers and secretaries from a range of ministries and divisions. It will set national visions, goals and strategic priorities on climate finance and carbon credits, while providing policy guidance for carbon trading.

A separate 32-member implementation committee will carry out national committee decisions, coordinate agencies and monitor progress. The national body will advise on Bangladesh’s framework under Paris Agreement Article 6, engage climate funds and development partners, and meet at least twice a year. The notification says the committee became effective immediately.

Seventeen-year-old Shahid Sharif Ahmed of Katiadi, Kishoreganj, launched the anti-bribery reporting platform “Ghus.site” on August 21. Within 12 days, the website received 12,202 complaints from people who said they faced bribery demands while seeking government and private services. Based on information submitted by complainants, the total amount allegedly demanded was about Tk361.27 crore.

Shahid said the project grew from his family’s own experience. After his mother, primary school teacher Amina Khatun, died on December 16, 2022, his father said he was forced to pay Tk38,000 in bribes to withdraw provident fund money. The family also alleged that Tk100,000 was demanded to access other dues, with Tk80,000 already paid. Shahid also said Tk1,500 was taken after his passport file was held up.

Shahid built the website’s initial coding and structure in two hours, while co-founder Saif Kabir handles promotion and marketing. A four-member moderation team reviews submissions, and the project has cost about Tk10,000. Shahid said he faces threats and is unwell, while his father sought government protection for the family.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) signed separate memorandums of understanding with five banks to make civic services easier and modernize revenue collection. The agreements were signed on Wednesday at Nagar Bhaban in the presence of DSCC Administrator Freedom Fighter Md Abdus Salam. The participating banks are BRAC Bank PLC, Mutual Trust Bank PLC, Community Bank Bangladesh PLC, Shimanto Bank PLC and Janata Bank PLC.

Under the agreements, the banks will collect holding tax, trade licence fees and other charges in DSCC areas through online and offline channels. DSCC said the arrangement is intended to reduce residents’ time and inconvenience while ensuring greater transparency, accountability and modernization in revenue collection.

Abdus Salam said DSCC aims to build a technology-based system that brings civic services closer to residents. He said only 290,000 holdings are currently registered, a figure lower than the actual number, and the corporation wants to bring new holdings under taxation without increasing tax rates. DSCC also plans training for relevant officials to improve revenue collection efficiency. He urged the banks to invest CSR funds in civic facilities and urban beautification.

Bangladesh’s Culture Affairs Ministry Secretary Ms Kaniz Mowla has been removed from her current post and attached to the Ministry of Public Administration for a subsequent posting. The decision was announced in a notification issued on Wednesday, September 2, by the Senior Appointment-1 branch of the Ministry of Public Administration. The order said it would take effect immediately in the public interest.

Following Kaniz Mowla’s removal, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Ms Yasmin Begum was promoted and appointed as secretary of the Culture Affairs Ministry. The notification carrying the changes was signed by Deputy Secretary Jeti Pru.

Kaniz Mowla came into discussion after being elected president of the Bangladesh Administration Service Association, an organisation of administration cadre officers, on January 27 this year. After an elected government took office, she was first transferred to the post of secretary at IMED. She was then transferred shortly afterward to serve as secretary of the Culture Affairs Ministry before the latest reassignment.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has reduced the September retail price of a 12-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder to Tk1,585 from Tk1,598. The regulator announced the revised prices on Wednesday, September 2, and said they would take effect after 6pm that day.

BERC also set prices for other cylinder sizes. A 5.5kg cylinder will cost Tk727, a 12.5kg cylinder Tk1,652, and a 15kg cylinder Tk1,982. The listed prices include Tk2,114 for 16kg, Tk2,378 for 18kg, Tk2,642 for 20kg, Tk2,907 for 22kg and Tk3,303 for 25kg cylinders.

For larger cylinders, the commission fixed prices at Tk3,964 for 30kg, Tk4,360 for 33kg, Tk4,624 for 35kg and Tk5,945 for 45kg. BERC said the newly announced rates will remain in force until a further order is issued.

Bangladesh’s government has sought Japan’s support in its effort to develop the country into a regional aviation hub and deepen cooperation in civil aviation and tourism. The request was made during a Wednesday morning courtesy meeting at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism between Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat and Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi. The ambassador congratulated Millat on assuming responsibility as a full minister.

The two sides discussed the current government’s plans for developing Bangladesh’s civil aviation and tourism sectors. Millat described Japan as a trusted development partner and cited Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ recently launched direct Dhaka-Narita flight as reflecting Bangladesh’s growing interest and firm commitment to expanding connectivity and cooperation between the two countries.

On Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal, the minister said the government is determined to inaugurate it on time and must begin Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer activities quickly. He said techno-financial evaluation of a Japanese sub-working group proposal has been completed, with negotiations set to begin next week. The ministry is also working on a letter of assurance for the terminal’s operation. Japan’s ambassador reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to closely support implementation of the government’s election manifesto.

Intern doctors at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura held a press conference at the hospital premises at 11am on Wednesday, protesting an attack on colleagues and demanding workplace security. They announced that their work stoppage would continue until those directly involved in attacking doctors are brought under the law and face exemplary punishment.

Describing the previous night’s incident, the doctors said only one Ansar member was assigned to the entire floor. Relatives of a patient, alleging that the patient died because of wrong treatment, became involved in a heated argument with the doctor on duty. Other intern doctors rushed in after the relatives became aggressive, leading to a clash.

The intern doctors said the lone Ansar member was unable to control the situation because adequate security personnel were unavailable. They expressed strong concern over insecurity at the hospital and said they would not return to any duty until a comprehensive security arrangement is ensured at their workplace.

The United States has resumed attacks on Iran after a one-month pause, prompting deep concern from security analyst Samir Puri, a lecturer in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. Puri said Iran’s retaliatory strikes have demonstrated clear accuracy and effectiveness, while Tehran has retained the capacity to continue responding more than six months after US and Israeli attacks began.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Puri said there were no signs that Iran’s weapons and ammunition were running out. Instead, he said indications suggest that Washington wants to compel Iran to make several visible concessions, creating a substantial risk that the conflict could intensify further.

Puri described US President Donald Trump’s messages about the eventual outcome of the six-month war as highly confusing. He also said support for Iran from China, Russia, India and other countries at this week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit showed that Tehran was clearly not as isolated internationally. In his assessment, the United States is highly confused about its strategic objectives in the situation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said the government has initiated efforts to increase liquefied natural gas imports and supplies to address the country’s growing energy shortage. Speaking in the national parliament on Wednesday, he said discussions are underway with an interested institution to establish a floating LNG terminal in the deep sea near Kutubdia, Maheshkhali, in Cox’s Bazar.

The prime minister said LNG supply through the proposed terminal could begin by December 2028. If implemented, the project is expected to significantly raise LNG imports within the next two years and further improve the overall energy supply situation, according to the government head.

The government is also prioritising energy demand in the country’s southwest. Rahman said work is under way on proposals to urgently establish two additional floating LNG terminals in the areas of Payra and Mongla ports. He said the planned terminals are intended to meet southwestern energy needs and could improve national energy supplies while substantially reducing gas shortages.

Critical minerals are emerging as a new form of strategic power in the 21st-century economy, technology and geopolitics, according to an article by researcher Anubha Mishra published on August 31, 2026. Lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, rare earths, copper, gallium and germanium are increasingly essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy, semiconductors, defence technology and digital infrastructure.

The article argues that mineral reserves alone do not ensure strategic strength. Countries also need capacity for extraction, processing, separation, refining, component manufacturing and recycling. China is cited as an important example because of its investments in mines, processing, refining and manufacturing, particularly in rare-earth processing and battery materials. Recent restrictions on exports of selected critical minerals also show how supply chains can be used as part of state strategy.

For India, rising ambitions in electric vehicles, renewable energy, semiconductors, defence modernisation and telecommunications will require substantial mineral supplies. The country has launched initiatives including a critical-minerals list, expanded exploration, commercial mining and a national mission. The article also stresses international partnerships, environmental safeguards, local participation, recycling, alternative materials and research into new battery technologies.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that the national parliament’s electricity system will become fully dependent on solar power within the next few months. He made the announcement on Wednesday while speaking in parliament as leader of the House, addressing the Speaker.

The prime minister said the planned transition would help address the current energy crisis and substantially expand the use of renewable energy. He presented the move as part of an effort to increase reliance on solar energy at the national parliament.

He also said the current government has taken various effective steps to generate public interest in tackling the energy crisis and increasing renewable-energy use. The source did not provide further details on the project’s implementation, cost, capacity, or specific timeline beyond the coming months.

Severe and sudden erosion along the Padma River has struck the West Gaondia area of Lauhajang upazila in Munshiganj, placing homes, roads, social institutions and cropland at risk. Strong winds, rain, rising river water, powerful currents and whirlpools reportedly displaced geobags near a riverbank protection project, worsening the erosion. About 100 riverside families are spending sleepless nights fearing the loss of their homesteads.

Residents began moving houses and livestock to safer places as the bank collapsed. Locals said erosion began on Monday and that roughly 200 feet of riverside land disappeared into the river within several hours. Union Parishad member Tobarak Dhali said the area, dry in the morning, had become more than 30 hands deep after the erosion.

Residents said previously placed geobags had shifted in the strong current and whirlpools, and called for urgent new geobags as well as permanent blocks along the bank. Water Development Board sub-assistant engineer Md Shahadat Hossain said sand-filled geobags were being placed at the site. Lauhajang UNO Farzana Bobby Mitu inspected the area on Tuesday morning and said measures involving geobags and blocks were being considered.

A devastating flood on the Nepal-China border on August 26 has renewed calls for rapid, regular sharing of environmental and disaster-risk information across Himalayan borders. The event began when a glacier and a large mass of rock collapsed from about 5,200 metres, sending ice, rock, mud and water into the Lende Khola before spreading through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems.

Water levels rose by several metres within a short time, damaging settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. The impact also reached Tibet’s important Gyirong trade and border areas. Analysts say climate change is making glaciers, snow and mountain terrain less stable, while stressing that scientists are cautious about attributing any single glacier collapse solely to climate change.

The article urges stronger early-warning systems using satellites, seismic sensors, drones, river gauges and computer models, alongside alerts for local communities. Nepalese officials cited limited high-altitude weather stations and constraints on cross-border information exchange, while China said information had been shared on time. Nepal and China had discussed joint monitoring and risk identification in May.

Four of five railway stations in Mirsharai, Chattogram, have remained closed for years, while no intercity train stops in the upazila despite expanding industry, employment, business and tourism. Chinki Astana is the only operating station, and it is served only by two local and mail trains. The other closed stations are Nizam Pur, Barotakia, Mirsharai and Mastannagar.

Assistant Station Master Md Jahangir Alam said the stations were busy nearly two decades ago, but became inactive and insecure after train stops were withdrawn. He said much property has been encroached upon and abandoned buildings have become gathering places for drug users. Resident Nizam Uddin said rail travel could offer substantially lower fares than buses for trips to Chattogram and Dhaka, benefiting workers and students if local or Mirsharai Commuter services run morning and evening.

Industry is expanding around the National Economic Zone and BEPZA Economic Zone, increasing demand for reliable rail links. Local representatives and officials called for reopening stations and adding intercity stops, including for tourism destinations. Railway official Asif Khan Chowdhury said higher authorities should assess why intercity service is absent and take necessary action.