Food adviser Ali Imam Majumder has assured that the interim government will leave behind sufficient food reserves before handing over responsibilities.

Currently, Bangladesh holds 1.6 million tons of rice and about 100,000 tons of wheat in stock. Additional wheat shipments from the US and Russia are en route, with another deal in progress with the US.

Majumder said rice prices remain stable, with 5.5 million families now receiving 30 kilograms of rice per month under the Food-Friendly Program — up from 5 million families previously.

He noted that this has reduced market pressure and stabilized prices. The government will also launch an extensive Aman rice procurement drive in November, ensuring purchases directly from farmers.

Authorities at Gazipur Safari Park detained 11 individuals for illegally entering the park at midnight. They were later handed over to police.

The detainees, who reportedly work at local factories and other establishments, have not yet been identified. Park officials noted that past incidents of theft have endangered rare animals and valuable property, prompting stricter nighttime patrols.

The Election Commission has approved the registration of 73 domestic observer organizations ahead of the upcoming polls.

The EC has called for objections, if any, to be submitted by October 20, with supporting documents, six copies of the objection, and details of the objector. After hearings, the EC’s decision will be final.

This year, a total of 318 organizations applied for observer registration.

A heart-wrenching cry of “Allah, Allah, please don’t” echoed from the lips of 60-year-old Halim Uddin Akand when his hair was forcibly cut in public. Following the incident, his son, Md. Shahid Akand, lodged a case with Tarakanda Police Station, naming seven individuals and including four to five unidentified persons as accused.

According to the case statement, the incident took place on June 5 this year. Officer-in-Charge Tipu Sultan confirmed that the case was accepted after verifying details from the victim’s family. The names of the accused are not being disclosed at this stage for the sake of investigation.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Abdullah Al Mamun remarked, “Such inhumane treatment of an elderly man in public is unacceptable in a civilized society.”

Former presidents and prime ministers from 11 countries, along with ex-heads of international institutions, met Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus to express solidarity with Bangladesh’s interim government.

The meeting, led by former Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, praised Yunus’s lifelong contributions to poverty reduction and social justice.

The leaders noted Bangladesh faces “serious challenges” after 16 years of corruption and misrule.

Kerry Kennedy lauded the country’s human rights progress, while Melanne Verveer of Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace, and Security said her organization would soon formally endorse Bangladesh’s July Revolution.

Yunus, visibly moved, compared the country’s situation to surviving a massive natural disaster:
“For 16 years, Bangladesh has lived through an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale.”

An earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale struck Monirampur in Jessore at 2:27 p.m. on Saturday.

The tremor originated in Monirampur itself, about 157 kilometers southwest of Dhaka, according to the Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center.

This marks the third quake this month. Earlier, on September 14, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Assam, India, followed by a 4.0 quake in Sunamganj’s Chhatak region on September 21.

To protect spawning Hilsa, the government has imposed a nationwide ban on fishing in the Padma, Meghna, and the Bay of Bengal from midnight October 3 to midnight October 25.

The announcement has left fishing communities and traders frustrated. Despite being peak season, Hilsa catches have already been disappointing in parts of Lakshmipur and Raipur.

Local fishermen reported that even when Hilsa appear in rivers and seas, catches are nowhere near previous levels. Many families now fear severe hardship.

Last year, the ban began on October 12. Fishermen are urging authorities to reconsider the earlier enforcement date this year.

Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder dismissed social media claims that Bangladesh’s delegation attended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly.

“This is nothing but malicious propaganda by defeated forces. The delegation entered only after Netanyahu had finished,” he clarified.

Majumder explained that Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus had two scheduled meetings on Friday morning: first with officials of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center at 9 a.m., and then with the Prime Minister of Bhutan at 10:30 a.m. at the UN headquarters.

“When our delegation entered the hall, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was speaking. Before that, the leaders of Israel, Pakistan, and China had already delivered their speeches,” Majumder said.

Seven platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed in Khagrachhari to maintain law and order.

Earlier on Saturday, the district administration imposed Section 144 in the town and municipal areas, banning gatherings until further notice.

The move followed daylong road blockades by Jumma student and citizen groups, demanding justice for Tuesday’s reported rape incident and an end to sexual violence in the hills. The blockade left around 2,000 tourists stranded in Sajek and another 1,000 stuck in Khagrachhari on their way to the popular hill destination.

The army has since begun efforts to ensure safe passage for the tourists back to their destinations.

Environmental lawyer and adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said that protecting nature is the key to transforming Bangladesh into a premier destination for domestic and international tourists.
Speaking at an event marking World Tourism Day 2025, she stressed the importance of sustainable urban planning, clean environments, waste management, and preservation of cultural heritage to advance the tourism sector.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s natural treasures—Sylhet’s tea gardens, Cox’s Bazar’s beaches, the Sundarbans mangroves, and hill waterfalls—Rizwana noted, “These are priceless assets. Only by protecting them can we ensure sustainable tourism.”

Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md. Sanaullah reiterated that no biased directives would come from the Commission. He noted that one of the root causes of July’s uprising was the collapse of the electoral system, and stressed the need to move away from “sham elections.”
Sanaullah called for greater grassroots awareness to protect democratic integrity. Echoing previous concerns, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed again pointed out that AI misuse and ensuring expatriate voting remain the biggest challenges for the upcoming election.

Authorities in Ladakh have tightened security after the arrest of renowned environmental activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk under India’s National Security Act. Wangchuk, who was leading a hunger strike demanding full statehood for Ladakh, was detained on Friday.
Heavy security measures were imposed across Leh and adjoining areas this morning. The protest movement, largely led by the youth, has drawn comparisons to political uprisings in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Tensions escalated last Wednesday when clashes left four people dead and at least 50 injured.

The Khagrachhari district administration has enforced Section 144 in Sadar and municipal areas to maintain law and order. Earlier in the day, Jumma students and locals blockaded major roads, demanding justice and punishment for perpetrators of sexual violence in the hills.
The blockade left nearly 3,000 tourists stranded in Sajek and Khagrachhari. The army later attempted to safely escort tourists out of the troubled areas. Protesters also staged demonstrations by burning tires and picketing at Chengi Bridge, Chengi Square, and Mahajan Para.

Economist Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya criticized the interim government for not establishing a Human Rights Commission, calling it a major setback. He said that since July, Bangladesh has witnessed growing insecurity and violations of human rights, making the need for such a commission more urgent than ever.
He pointed out that there has been no Human Rights Commission for the past year, and previous commissions lacked authority and effectiveness. Other speakers added that workers’ rights remain absent in the commission’s agenda, while divisions between hill and plain communities have been deepened. They called for greater clarity in the commission’s recruitment and standard-setting processes.

Fire Service and Civil Defence officer Khondokar Jannatul Naeem (37) has died from injuries sustained in last week’s devastating chemical factory fire in Tongi. He passed away Saturday morning while undergoing treatment at the National Burn Institute. Naeem had suffered 42% burns on his body while battling the fire on September 22. With his death, the toll from the incident has risen to three.