State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj called for reducing memorisation-based learning in primary schools and teaching children through play and enjoyable activities. He made the remarks on Tuesday at the “Khelay Khelay Shikhi” workshop on reviewing an information book, organised by the National Academy for Primary Education at a hotel in Gulshan, Dhaka. He said play-based learning can foster critical thinking, problem-solving and children’s intellectual development.

Hajjaj said effective, sustainable education cannot be ensured through memorisation alone. He urged the integration of local games into curricula and textbooks, alongside child-friendly school infrastructure suited to play-based learning. The academy and partner organisations have researched and collected information on local games, documenting 412 so far. Work is also under way to formalise and incorporate more than 700 locally practised games into the curriculum.

Citing experiences in China and Japan, he said Bangladesh plans a similar integration of toys and games with curriculum subjects. Discussions have already been held with the NCTB, and relevant stakeholders will meet soon to take necessary steps. The NCTB had previously said it was preparing to introduce a new subject called “sports” from the 2027 academic year.

Toufiq Nawaz, husband of former education minister and Awami League leader Dipu Moni, died on Tuesday night at Continental Hospital, formerly United Hospital, in Dhaka. The death was confirmed by Dipu Moni’s elder brother, J R Wadud Tipu. The report was published on August 19, 2026.

Nawaz had been receiving hospital treatment for a long time. He suffered a stroke in 2019. On May 27, relatives took him to court in a wheelchair so that he could meet his imprisoned wife, according to the report.

A Supreme Court lawyer by profession, Toufiq Nawaz also practised classical music. Tipu said a decision on Nawaz’s funeral and burial arrangements would be made after Wednesday afternoon.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated a programme to distribute 20,000 raincoats to tea garden workers in Bangladesh’s Sylhet division, supported by private-sector corporate social responsibility funds. The launch took place on Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat, where he handed raincoats to 10 tea workers and inquired about their welfare.

According to assistant press secretary Gazi Shahriar Pamir, the Social Welfare Ministry initiated the programme to protect workers in tea gardens across Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts from adverse weather and help ensure safer working conditions. The Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries will provide 10,000 raincoats, while Chevron Bangladesh and Pandughar Group will provide 5,000 each.

Rahman said major problems could be addressed if all members of society contributed in small ways, and pledged government support for private-sector humanitarian and social initiatives. Private-sector representatives said supporting disadvantaged and working people was part of their social responsibility and expressed interest in continuing such efforts with the government. Tea workers thanked the prime minister, the government and the contributing companies.

An Industry Ministry expert investigation team conducted a second inspection of the accident-hit ship at Ferdous Steel Shipyard in Bhatiari, Sitakunda, Chattogram. During Tuesday’s visit, the seven-member team found no toxic gas or other toxic element on the vessel using a gas detector. The team also collected several samples from the accident site.

Bangladesh Ship Recycling Board Director General A S M Shafiul Alam Talukdar said the team entered the site around 11am under safety measures. Water was emerging from inside an eight-inch by eight-inch cutting area, though that section had not yet been fully cut. He said the accident occurred when cutting began, and water is now coming from the location where gas had previously been released.

Talukdar said toxic gas had been present during last Friday’s accident, having accumulated inside the ship before being released by the cutting work. Tuesday’s inspection was largely preparatory. People from Prantik Marine and Alif Marine assisted the experts, while separate committees formed by the district administration, Industry Ministry and BSBRRA continue investigating the cause.

Patuakhali Science and Technology University formally inaugurated six newly built facilities under its “Further Development (Second Phase) First Revised” project. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. S. M. Hemayet Jahan unveiled plaques and cut ribbons at 11am on Monday at the university in Dumki, Patuakhali, according to the report.

The facilities include a weather station costing Tk68.45 lakh, an Ansar barrack costing Tk3.07 crore, and an electricity substation costing Tk4.86 crore. The inauguration also covered a four-storey farm building built for Tk3.48 crore, an academic building for the University School and College costing Tk6.32 crore, and an alternative stairwell at the administrative building costing Tk1.21 crore.

At a discussion after the inauguration, project director Md. Obaidul Islam spoke and Dr. Aminul Islam moderated. The vice-chancellor said quality infrastructure is essential to building a modern, internationally standard university and would strengthen the environment for education and research. He stressed the shared responsibility to maintain and use state assets properly, thanked the engineering office, oversight committee and project director, and said more facilities would be built in the future.

Students of the Marketing Department at Islamic University expressed anger after Professor Dr Abdus Shahid Mia, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, was appointed department chair. On Tuesday at about 9:30am, they held a human chain on the ground floor of the faculty building before locking it and halting faculty operations. They demanded that a teacher from their own department be appointed chair.

Protesters chanted slogans calling for a departmental chair and rejecting what they described as an illegal appointment. Departmental sources said the Marketing Department has five teachers, all assistant professors. One had previously served as chair, while another’s term ended on August 17. The remaining three teachers are considered eligible to become chair under the rules.

The regulations state that the most senior teacher in a department should be appointed chair, followed by rotation. If no eligible teacher is available, the current chair may be reappointed; if that person declines an interim role, the faculty dean may take responsibility. Students said they would not unlock the gate until their demand was met. Members of the university proctorial body were present, while the registrar could not be reached.

CNG-powered autorickshaws operating on the Mohaniganj-Mymensingh road in Netrokona are using cooking LPG cylinders as fuel amid a prolonged shortage at the local filling station. The cylinders are tied behind passenger seats, creating fears of fire or explosions, according to local residents. The report was published on August 18, 2026.

A field visit found LPG cylinders strapped in the empty rear space of nearly every CNG vehicle standing at the Mohaniganj station. Netrokona's only AR Khan Pathan CNG and Filling Station has faced severe gas shortages for a long time, the report said. Many drivers reportedly wait in line for more than 24 hours without receiving gas.

Resident Rafiq Ahmed Russell said fares from Mohaniganj to Netrokona had risen from Tk100 to Tk150. Driver Rigan Mia said drivers were compelled to use LPG to keep earning and meet bank instalments. A Fire Service official warned that LPG is highly flammable and said legal action would be taken if directed by higher authorities.

Bangladesh’s 11 education boards received more than 1.3 million applications for SSC and equivalent examination answer-script re-evaluation, creating a major operational challenge for the authorities. Applications were accepted from August 11 to 17, following results published on August 10. The boards are preparing additional staffing for the work, while Dhaka Education Board alone received about 400,000 applications, according to Inter-Education Board President and Dhaka Board Chairman Professor Syed Aktaruzzaman.

The SSC and equivalent pass rate this year was 62.25 percent across nine general boards and the madrasa and technical boards. Of 1,829,485 candidates, 1,138,877 passed and 690,608 failed. The number of GPA-5 recipients fell by 22,356 and was lower than in the previous five years. This year introduced answer-script re-evaluation, replacing the earlier review process that mainly checked tabulation sheets.

Education Minister Ehsanul Hoque Milon said re-evaluating every applicant’s script would be impossible and that a policy would be prepared to determine eligible scripts. Previous examiners and chief examiners will conduct the reviews, with marks added by computer code afterward. The process may take 15 to 20 days. Online applications cost 150 taka per paper.

The Dhaka Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board has asked Nasima Kadir Molla High School and Homes in Narsingdi Sadar to explain allegations that it used “irregular methods” in achieving a 100% GPA-5 record in the 2026 SSC examinations. A letter sent to the headteacher on August 16 and an office order issued Sunday require the institution’s relevant authorities to appear in person within seven working days.

The board acted after media reports raised questions about the school’s results following publication of the SSC outcome. Parents alleged that the institution used its selection examination to screen students and prevented many from taking the final SSC examination in order to maintain its perfect GPA-5 record. Several parents said their children had studied at the school since Class One but were informed before the examination that they could not participate.

The board requested data on enrolled students, Class Nine registrations, selection-examination participants and SSC form-fillers. It also sought, where applicable, permissions for teaching, academic streams and additional class sections. Sources said 601 students registered in Class Nine in 2024, while 382 were allowed to sit the 2026 SSC examination. Headteacher Md Iman Hossain said 483 students took the selection examination and 101 failed.

Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, or BRTC, has launched a special pink women’s bus service in the capital and several districts to ensure safer, more comfortable and uninterrupted travel for women. The buses will be operated by female drivers and conductors. Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam inaugurated the service on Tuesday at about 11:30am at the BRTC Dhaka Truck Depot premises in Tejgaon.

The minister said 14 buses will operate on 13 routes: 10 buses on 10 routes in Dhaka, two buses on one route in Chattogram and two buses on two routes in Bogura. Dhaka routes include New Bazar (Coca-Cola)-Motijheel, Taltala-Motijheel, Demra Staff Quarter-Motijheel, Mirpur-10-Motijheel, Mirpur-12-Motijheel, Abdullahpur Quarter-GPO, Mirpur-Motijheel and Mohammadpur-Motijheel. A special service is also planned for the Gazipur-Airport route.

The New Bazar-to-Motijheel service will travel via Coca-Cola, Badda, Rampura, Malibagh, Kakrail, Paltan and Gulistan. Two buses will run on the Sherpur-Matidali route in Bogura, while two will operate on the Kalurghat-Patenga route in Chattogram. The minister said BRTC plans to expand routes and increase the number of buses while improving the travel environment for women passengers.

Several hundred school students in Debiganj, Panchagarh, pledged to reject drugs, juvenile crime and smartphone misuse by showing red cards at a school event on Monday morning. The programme was held at Nripendra Narayan Government High School মাঠ in Debiganj উপজেলা and organised by Lal Sabuj Unnayan Sangha, a volunteer group run through savings from tiffin money.

At an anti-drug and juvenile-crime discussion meeting, students took an oath focused on character building and preventing social decline. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Indrajit Saha, the chief guest, administered the pledge. Head teacher GM Ruhul Amin chaired the event, while police inspector (investigation) Probir Sarkar, organisation founder Kawsar Alam Sohel and Wasim Akram spoke as special guests.

Student Murad Hossain said participants promised to become good people and avoid drugs and other harmful activities. Sohel said the organisation has worked for 15 years across all 64 districts to raise students’ social awareness and has encouraged about 4.5 million students through awareness activities. The head teacher and Saha described the initiative as commendable for addressing social decline.

Traffic congestion is worsening on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Sarail, Brahmanbaria, despite the opening of a new Sylhet-Cumilla-Chattogram-bound lane. Two days after the lane opened, congestion persisted around the Sarail Bishwaroad junction. On Friday, long vehicle queues stretched from Berotola through the junction and Kuttapara to Bariura, with severe congestion covering about 12 kilometres. Some vehicles moved at a crawl while others remained stopped for hours.

Work to expand the highway from Ashuganj river port through Sarail Bishwaroad to Akhaura land port into four lanes began about eight years ago, according to roads, administration and police sources. The project, intended to provide transit facilities to India, remains unfinished. Slow construction and repeated work stoppages after the political change on August 5, 2024 have contributed to routine congestion in the Brahmanbaria section for the past one and a half to two years.

Residents and transport-related stakeholders cite incomplete construction, weak traffic control, drivers’ failure to follow rules and poor junction management. Some vehicles reportedly waited four to five hours to cross the roundabout, while an eight-kilometre journey took three hours. Highway police inspector Abdul Halim said ongoing development work and rule violations prevented a full improvement.

Residents of Dugachhi and Mokamiyakanda villages in Tarakanda upazila, Mymensingh, have faced a complete power outage for two months after a PDB transformer failed. The villages, near the upazila town and under the Phulpur electricity supply area, have not received electricity because the transformer has neither been repaired nor replaced. The report was published on August 18, 2026.

Customers said the prolonged outage has severely disrupted daily life during intense heat. Household refrigerators have remained unusable, preventing residents from preserving food, while all electricity-dependent activities have been seriously affected. They said they repeatedly informed the relevant authorities of Phulpur PDB about the problem, but no effective action has yet been taken.

Phulpur Electricity Supply Executive Engineer Mofazzal Hossain said arrangements would be made to repair the failed transformer quickly and restore normal electricity service in the area. No specific timeline for the repair or reconnection was provided. The transformer failure has left power supply fully suspended in both villages throughout the two-month period described in the report.

In an article published by Amar Desh on August 18, 2026, writer Md Sabbir Fayez recalls the educational leadership and moral example of Abdun Nur Chowdhury, former head teacher of Shayestaganj High School. Fayez, a district and sessions judge and former student of the school, argues that teachers are not merely employees but builders of people and the nation. He says a school’s greatest asset is not its buildings or technology, but capable, honest, courageous and dedicated teachers guided by principled leadership.

The writer says Chowdhury taught mathematics clearly, checked daily exercises and made the classroom the main place for learning, reducing the need for private tutoring or coaching. He and other teachers reportedly held extra scholarship-preparation classes for selected eighth-grade students without additional payment. After Fayez received a scholarship, Chowdhury declined an offer of sweets from his father on ethical grounds.

The article also describes planned SSC preparation, support for both strong and weaker students, involvement of former students, assemblies, sports, cultural events and scouting. Fayez calls for teachers to receive respect, professional freedom, accountability and an environment rooted in values, arguing that such leadership can help village schools again develop young talent.

Traffic congestion is worsening on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Sarail, Brahmanbaria, despite the opening of a new Sylhet-Cumilla-Chattogram-bound lane. Two days after the lane opened, congestion persisted around the Sarail Bishwaroad junction. On Friday, long vehicle queues stretched from Berotola through the junction and Kuttapara to Bariura, with severe congestion covering about 12 kilometres. Some vehicles moved at a crawl while others remained stopped for hours.

Work to expand the highway from Ashuganj river port through Sarail Bishwaroad to Akhaura land port into four lanes began about eight years ago, according to roads, administration and police sources. The project, intended to provide transit facilities to India, remains unfinished. Slow construction and repeated work stoppages after the political change on August 5, 2024 have contributed to routine congestion in the Brahmanbaria section for the past one and a half to two years.

Residents and transport-related stakeholders cite incomplete construction, weak traffic control, drivers’ failure to follow rules and poor junction management. Some vehicles reportedly waited four to five hours to cross the roundabout, while an eight-kilometre journey took three hours. Highway police inspector Abdul Halim said ongoing development work and rule violations prevented a full improvement.