Interim government advisor Asif Mahmud has denied allegations linking him to the Gulshan extortion case. He acknowledged knowing Jane Alam Apu in 2022 while serving in the Student Rights Council but said they had not met since August 5, 2024.
He claimed Apu’s wife had alleged that he was abducted and forced to give a statement at a political leader’s house, likening the practice to past coercive “guest room” interrogations at Dhaka University.
Asif explained that his occasional late-night visits to Gulshan’s Westin Hotel were for dining when his preferred restaurant was closed but could not recall if he had been there on the date mentioned by Apu. “If a helmeted figure in CCTV footage is claimed to be me, how credible is that?” he asked, reiterating that he had no involvement in the incident.

Religious Affairs Advisor Khalid Hossain has urged that financially motivated but physically unfit or ill individuals should not be sent to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. He said Dhaka would request Saudi authorities to discontinue government catering services and improve toilet facilities in Muzdalifah.
Expressing optimism for an equally smooth Hajj in 2026, he emphasized efforts to eliminate middlemen from the process. The advisor also warned pilgrims not to carry zarda (chewing tobacco) or cigarettes to Saudi Arabia, noting that zarda is classified as a drug there and such items harm the country’s image.

Mahfuza (45), a teacher injured in the Milestone fighter jet crash, died at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery at 12:45 pm on Thursday. Doctors confirmed she had sustained burns to 25% of her body.
This raises the death toll at the burn unit from the incident to 19, while the overall death toll from the crash now stands at 35, according to the Ministry of Health. Over 150 people were injured in the accident, most of them children. Twenty-three remain hospitalized, while 14 have been discharged.

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has sent a list of 21 Bangladeshi nationals to West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer, accusing them of illegally entering India and obtaining Indian identification documents. Though all possess valid Bangladeshi passports, many were found with Indian voter IDs, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, ration cards, and even passports. Some entered on tourist or medical visas as early as 2017 before bringing in family members. Authorities have recommended canceling all such illegally obtained Indian documents.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has issued a local cautionary signal No. 3 for Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra sea ports as a low-pressure area persists over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal. Gusty winds are expected to affect coastal areas and maritime ports. Fishing boats and trawlers in the north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.

Russia and Belarus will hold a joint nuclear military drill in mid-September under the name “Zapad 2025.” The five-day exercise in Belarus will test the newly developed Russian hypersonic missile “Oreshnik,” which can travel at ten times the speed of sound and carry up to six nuclear warheads over a range of 3,000 km. Moscow claims no other country possesses such a weapon. Russia plans to deploy Oreshnik missiles in Belarus by the end of this year.

At least 26 people have died after a migrant vessel capsized near Italy’s Lampedusa Island on Wednesday. Sixty survivors were rescued, but many remain missing as search operations continue. The vessel, carrying 92–97 migrants from Libya toward Europe, was spotted sinking 14 miles from the island. The cause of the accident is still unknown. This tragedy adds to the 675 deaths recorded this year in the Mediterranean among those attempting illegal crossings to Europe.

The Water Development Board in Kurigram reports that as of 6 am Thursday, the Dudhkumar River at Pateshwari Point is flowing 5 cm above the danger level. Heavy rainfall and upstream runoff are causing water levels in the Teesta, Dudhkumar, Dharla, and Brahmaputra rivers to rise, inundating low-lying areas and submerging croplands. Residents fear that entire riverine islands could be underwater within days. Authorities have issued a flood warning and set up control rooms in six flood-prone upazilas to coordinate emergency response.

Eight police personnel, including two sub-inspectors, have been suspended following the mob killing of two men suspected of being members of an ‘unconsciousness-inducing robbery gang’ in Rangpur. The suspended officers are SI Abu Zobayer, SI Shafiqul Islam, and six constables. A three-member investigation committee led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Asifa Afroze Aduri has been formed to determine whether negligence played a role. The committee has been given three working days to submit its findings.

A writ petition has been filed in the High Court seeking an investigation and swift action against those responsible for the looting of white stones in Sylhet. Filed on Thursday by lawyer Mir AKM Nurun Nabi, the petition urges the authorities to take strict measures against the culprits and deploy additional law enforcement at the site. It also calls for an explanation from relevant government officials regarding their inaction in preventing the incident. Meanwhile, during an administrative coordination meeting last night, a five-point plan was adopted to stop further looting and restore the stolen stones.

Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Sher Mahbub Murad announced five decisions from a joint meeting of district and divisional administrations aimed at stopping stone looting and restoring stolen stones to Sadapathor.
The measures include:

Joint forces to guard Jaflong ECA and Sadapathor areas 24/7.

Permanent police checkpoints in Gowainghat and Companiganj with joint forces.

Continuous drives to shut down illegal crushing machines and cut their electricity supply.

Identification, arrest, and prosecution of all involved in stone theft.

Recovery and restoration of stolen stones to their original location.
Stone quarries, including the scenic Sadapathor, have been severely depleted due to unchecked looting and administrative inaction.

Dr. Kh M Kabirul Islam, Secretary of the Technical and Madrasa Education Division, announced that the government will soon issue an order to include independent Ebtedayee madrasas in the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme.
He said the proposal had already gone to the Chief Adviser and would next move to the Finance Ministry for approval. Priority will be given to institutions recognized before 2006 but previously excluded from MPO benefits. He expressed hope this could be achieved within the current fiscal year, noting that no new institutions have been brought under MPO since 2022.

Three more witnesses have testified before the tribunal in the case of six people killed by gunfire at Chankharpul during the July mass uprising. Rahima Akhter, mother of martyr Yakub, described seeing her son’s lifeless body with a bullet wound to the abdomen and severe bleeding.

Another witness, Shahid Ahmed, alleged that while heading toward Ganabhaban on August 5, he heard uniformed men speaking Hindi. He claimed police fired warning shots to disperse them, but when the group advanced again, officers fired directly. Testimony was also given by Yakub’s uncle Shahid Ahmed and Mahibul Haque, brother of martyr Ismamul Haque. The defense later cross-examined the witnesses. Yakub had been a deliveryman at a store in Dhaka’s New Market.

At least 5,000 families in Lalmonirhat are stranded as floodwaters from the Teesta River have submerged low-lying and char areas in five upazilas. Water levels at the Teesta Barrage point in Dalia were recorded at 52.18 meters—above the danger mark. On Tuesday, the river was 1 cm above danger level; by Wednesday morning, it had risen to 7 cm over.

The situation is expected to persist for at least two more days. Flooding has damaged homes, croplands, and roads in Lalmonirhat Sadar, Hatibandha, Kaliganj, Aditmari, and Patgram. Locals allege that solar panel installations have altered the river’s course, causing water to enter populated areas and threatening embankments. The district administration has instructed UNO offices to prepare lists of affected residents so that relief can be distributed promptly.

The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has requested detailed banking information of three former governors and six former deputy governors of Bangladesh Bank. Following a request from the Anti-Corruption Commission, all banks were instructed on Wednesday to provide transaction records, account opening forms, and related details.

The former governors named are Dr. Atiur Rahman, Fazle Kabir, and Abdur Rouf Talukder. Dr. Rahman left the country after the mass uprising, while Talukder resigned via email on August 7 last year while in hiding. Among the six deputy governors, SK Sur Chowdhury is currently in jail in a corruption case, and former BFIU chief Md. Masud Biswas was forced to resign. Others include Abu Hena Md. Razi Hasan, SM Moniruzzaman, Kazi Saidur Rahman, and Abu Farah Md. Nasser. Banks have been given three working days to submit the information, including details of any closed accounts.