Ahead of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on August 30, rights organisation Odhikar said the Sheikh Hasina-led government used enforced disappearances as a tool of state repression during its roughly 15-and-a-half years in power. It said opposition activists, dissenters and ordinary citizens faced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations. The Hasina government fell on August 5, 2024, amid a student-public uprising.

Bangladesh ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance on August 29 after the interim government assumed office on August 8, 2024. Odhikar said ratification created an obligation to enact domestic legislation. The cabinet approved the Prevention and Remedies of Enforced Disappearance Act, 2026 on August 3, and an amended draft was introduced in parliament on August 27.

Odhikar objected to provisions allowing investigations by security forces other than the accused force, saying such probes could be biased. It also criticised a provision allowing up to five years’ rigorous imprisonment if a court finds a complaint false. The group demanded investigations be assigned to an independent National Human Rights Commission, protections for families’ property and bank-account access, and withdrawal of alleged false cases against returned victims.

Deprived leaders and activists of Jubo Dal in Dumki upazila of Patuakhali held a press conference on Saturday at 12pm, demanding cancellation of the party’s newly announced committee. The event took place at Zamzam Restaurant, following the committee’s announcement on social media on 26 August.

Former Jubo Dal convener Md Jasim Uddin alleged that the committee was formed by excluding dedicated and tested activists while including non-political and controversial individuals. He described it as a “pocket committee” and claimed its formation violated the party constitution. He said activists who had long remained active on the streets had been severely overlooked.

Speakers also alleged that the new committee president had remained outside politics for a long time and had not previously been active in party activities. They further raised allegations against the general secretary and several other office-bearers. The participants sought swift intervention from central leaders and warned that they would announce tougher programmes if their demand was not met.

Patiya lawmaker Enamul Haque Enam called on people to remain alert to propaganda and rumors allegedly spread by secret and banned organizations. Speaking as chief guest at a free seed and fertilizer distribution event in Patiya, Chattogram, on Saturday afternoon, he said such groups were using social media to spread misinformation about fertilizer, gas and electricity.

Enam said some members of banned organizations were attempting to provoke people by circulating rumors. He urged the public not to maintain any form of connection with those spreading such propaganda, adding that those who incite others would not be spared.

At the event, organized by the Mabila and Syed Foundation, 250 farmers received seeds of tomato, radish, pumpkin, red amaranth and chili, along with two kilograms of fertilizer each. Enam also said the prime minister was providing farmer cards for marginal farmers in villages and that people without land could cultivate vegetables on vacant roadside areas and uncultivated land, with government support available.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh assistant secretary-general Sheikh Fazlul Karim Maruf alleged that the July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum is presenting a partial account of the uprising as a complete history. He made the comments on Saturday after visiting the museum with leaders of the party’s Dhaka South unit, calling the display an attempt to distort history.

Maruf said the uprising sought a new national arrangement rather than a repackaging of the old system. He alleged that Islamist participants were being erased from its history and said the role of the party’s ameer, Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, had not been adequately presented. He also said museum displays omitted activities held after defying Section 144 on August 3, 4 and 5, as well as the slogan demanding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.

Dhaka South city secretary KM Shariatullah questioned the museum’s management, citing what he described as poor ticketing and checking systems and selective historical presentation. He urged the government to protect the history from distortion and take effective action quickly. Several other Dhaka South leaders joined the visiting delegation.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has instructed its district units to form convening committees in every upazila across the country by September 28. The directive, signed on Friday by NCP northern region chief organiser Sarjis Alam, aims to increase organisational momentum and prepare for local elections. Where full committees cannot be established immediately, district units have been told to announce interim committees.

An interim upazila convening committee may have 11 to 15 members and must form a full 51-member committee within 15 days. Existing and newly formed upazila committees have also been directed to begin forming union-level convening committees. The party said upazila conveners must be over 40, while member secretaries should preferably be over 35 and cannot be below 30.

The guidance allows priority for people who have run, or are considered potential candidates, for upazila chairman posts. At least one of the convener and member secretary must live in or near a town. Committees must ensure at least 5% women’s representation and proportional representation of religious and ethnic groups. District conveners and member secretaries must submit written progress reports by September 29.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Barrister Iftikhar Gilani was sworn in on Friday as the 17th prime minister of Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Gilani won the prime ministerial election through a vote of assembly members in Muzaffarabad, while his Pakistan Peoples Party rival, Sardar Mukhtar Khan, received 14 votes.

The Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly met to elect the new prime minister, with Speaker Chaudhry Tariq Farooq presiding. Both candidates were present during voting and shook hands before the ballot in what was described as a cordial atmosphere. PML-N’s Azad Kashmir chapter president Shah Ghulam Qadir was absent, while senior party leader and former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider attended.

After taking the oath, Gilani said his government would work with everyone to build an Azad Kashmir that could serve as an example to the world. He cited governance problems, employment opportunities and hospital standards as priorities. Gilani said the administration would be a government of the people and expressed hope that citizens and government employees would see the benefits of change.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer and Bogura regional director ATM Azharul Islam MP said the party was compelled to take to the streets because the government was delaying implementation of the referendum verdict. He made the remarks on Saturday, August 29, at a meeting of the Dhaka-to-Rangpur long march implementation committee near Hatikumrul roundabout in Sirajganj.

Azhar cited electricity and gas shortages, other social crises, and what he described as a worsening law-and-order situation, saying these had created a crisis of public confidence in the government. He said voters had backed forming a government and constitutional reforms after the fall of an authoritarian fascist government, and that the referendum supported reforming provisions that could enable fascism.

He said two roadside meetings would be held in Sirajganj and Bogura, described as gateways to Rangpur, with leaders of the 11-party alliance expected to speak. He called on people from Bogura, Sirajganj, Pabna and nearby areas to attend by 11am on September 19, urged peaceful and orderly arrangements, and sought cooperation from law-enforcement agencies.

US Congress member Yasamin Ansari has sharply criticized the military operation in Iran and called for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In a post on X, she said President Donald Trump had launched an “illegal war” against Iran and demanded that the conflict be stopped. No date or location beyond Iran was provided in the report.

Ansari alleged that a US military attack on a school killed 120 children after the war began. She also said 18 US service members had been killed and that people in the United States were facing record-high fuel prices. The report attributes these claims to Ansari’s social media post.

She further alleged that Trump and his sons benefited through investments in defense technology companies while US citizens endured high gasoline prices. Ansari said neither Trump nor Hegseth had achieved any objective in the war, adding that service members, children and innocent civilians had died without reason. She reiterated her call to end the war and impeach Hegseth.

Qaumi Chhatra Oikya Parishad withdrew its planned programme in Brahmanbaria on Saturday after NCP leader and lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah expressed regret over remarks he made in parliament about the district. The group announced the withdrawal after talks with NCP leaders at about 2:30pm. Hasnat said in a Facebook post that a misunderstanding had arisen with Brahmanbaria residents and expressed sorrow for his parliamentary comments.

The NCP’s Brahmanbaria district committee had planned an organisational coordination meeting and political workshop at the district Shilpakala Academy auditorium at 4pm. Madrasa students, under the Qaumi Chhatra Oikya Parishad banner, demonstrated late Friday and said they would resist the NCP event unless Hasnat apologised.

The group had also called an Islamic cultural programme at the venue for 3pm Saturday. Committee member Abdul Khaleq said there would be no obstruction to the NCP programme following Hasnat’s expression of regret. However, District Commissioner Md Abusaid said the academy could not host the NCP event because political gatherings are not permitted there.

Islami Andolon Bangladesh Ameer and Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim said the government had failed to show even minimal progress on its pre-election commitments after six months in office. Speaking on Saturday at the party’s district representatives conference at the BMA auditorium in the capital, he said the BNP leadership had pledged 10 million jobs, improved living standards and public security before the election.

Karim said conditions had instead become more fragile in several areas. He claimed that around 20,000 people had become unemployed in the RMG sector over the past six months, while an average of 10 people were being killed daily. He also cited excessive load-shedding and an energy crisis, arguing that these developments demonstrated the government’s failure.

He said arrests after killings were not followed by justice, and that even lower-court verdicts were not implemented. Addressing the government, he called for public safety, reduced load-shedding, solutions to the energy crisis and control of commodity prices. He also criticized the government’s position on reforms and said it had not followed a national consensus on presidential election issues in the July Charter.

National Citizen Party (NCP) northern chief organizer Sarjis Alam said NCP does not currently want to call the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) extortionist, but would describe its leaders and activists as such if they engage in extortion. He said those involved in land grabbing or drug trading using Chhatra Dal and Jubo Dal would likewise be called land grabbers or drug traders. Alam made the remarks as chief guest at an organizational coordination meeting and political workshop in Cumilla on Saturday afternoon.

Addressing NCP activists from Cumilla metropolitan area and the district’s south and north units, Alam said people had begun comparing BNP with others before 180 days had passed. He said that if NCP could develop a leader in every household within the next year, people in Bangladesh would no longer think of BNP after one year.

Alam said NCP would not accept anyone under 30 in the future, arguing that recruiting workers aged 28 to 30 would remove the need for a separate Jubo Shakti organization. He also said NCP would remain uncompromising against wrongdoing and rejected what he described as past parliamentary practices of public opposition and private negotiations.

Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA) Vice President and spokesperson Rashed Pradhan said Kazi Nazrul Islam’s poems and songs would inspire what he described as an “inevitable revolution” against the new government. He made the remarks on Saturday, August 29, after laying a wreath and offering prayers at the national poet’s grave on the 50th anniversary of Nazrul’s death.

Pradhan said Nazrul’s writing had historically inspired struggles and movements and remained a language of protest for deprived and oppressed people. He said JAGPA had expected a Bangladesh based on justice after the July mass uprising, but accused the government of betraying the public and rejecting a public referendum.

The JAGPA spokesperson alleged deterioration in law and order, rising commodity prices, shortages of fuel, electricity, gas and fertiliser, politicisation of the administration, corruption and extortion. He also called for justice in the killing of Osman Hadi and in the July killings, as well as the Pilkhana and Shapla incidents. Several JAGPA leaders attended the event.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has issued appointment letters to 74 members of families affected by enforced disappearances and killings, as well as relatives of those killed or injured in the July mass uprising. At a Saturday afternoon event at Karabi Hall in the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, he personally handed appointment letters to 10 recipients, according to Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon.

Recipients included relatives of people described as victims of disappearance, including Ishfaq Ahmed, Moniruzzaman Hira, Anan Hossain Noor, Hasnain Reza and Shammi Sultana. Those appointed also included visually impaired injured fighter Alal Ahmed, martyr Alvi’s father Md Abul Hossain, martyr Ahnaf’s mother Jartaj Parvin, injured fighter Kazi Saimum Siraj and Mahbub Alam, brother of Israfil Islam.

Several recipients, including Ishfaq Ahmed, Shammi Sultana, Alal Ahmed, Momtaz Hossain, Jartaj Parvin and Kazi Saimum Siraj, expressed gratitude to the prime minister and demanded justice for those involved in disappearances and killings. Families addressed the gathering, which was conducted by Rumon and attended by senior officials and members of Amra BNP Poribar.

Nearly 10 months after five student representatives were elected to Rajshahi University’s Senate, they have not been sworn in and no Senate session has been held. The representatives were elected in the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union, or RAKSU, and Senate student representative election on October 18, 2025, ending a 35-year gap in such student representation. Their inability to formally assume office has raised questions about student representation and the effectiveness of the university’s top policymaking forum.

The university’s last Senate session was held on May 19, 2016, according to university information and reports cited in the article. The five elected representatives are Salahuddin Ammar, Mostakur Rahman Jahid, Fahim Reza, Akil Bin Taleb and Salman Sabbir. Senate member Salman Sabbir alleged that successive administrations had avoided the issue despite repeated discussions, while Jahid said the administration had not given importance to arranging a Senate session.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Faridul Islam said the university was considering activation of the Senate and hoped to arrange a session soon after resolving technical problems. He said the administration was pressing to ensure that the elected members could attend at least one Senate session during their term.

Kolkata Police have filed a first information report against former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over a Trinamool Chhatra Parishad anniversary programme held on Cathedral Road in Kolkata on Friday. The FIR was registered at Hastings police station and also names the event’s organisers. Police acted on their own initiative following allegations linked to the programme.

The allegations include contempt of a court order, obstructing police work and continuing the event beyond the time set by the court. The organisers had been directed by the High Court to keep the northbound lane of the road open during the gathering. However, both lanes were reportedly closed in practice.

There were also allegations of scuffles with police during the programme. The court had permitted the meeting to continue until 3 pm, but the programme was alleged to have continued after that deadline. The FIR against Banerjee and the organisers cites multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.