Sramik Majlish central president Muhammad Abdul Karim called for an end to the privatization of state-owned industrial factories at a workers’ rally in Dhaka on Friday after Jumu’ah prayers. The gathering was held at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, followed by a procession through various roads.

Karim also demanded reliable gas and electricity supplies, the cancellation of capacity charges, and the introduction of worker cards. The workers’ rally and procession were organized by Sramik Majlish Dhaka Metropolitan.

Mawlana Kobi Khaled Sanwar, president of the organization’s Dhaka Metropolitan South unit, chaired the event. Secretary General H M Ershad and Khelafat Majlish Dhaka Metropolitan North president Principal Mawlana Saif Uddin Ahmad Khandakar spoke as special guests. Several central and city-level leaders and members were also present, while Muhammad Sirajul Islam, general secretary of the Dhaka Metropolitan North unit, conducted the programme.

The Trump administration has sent a proposed civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to the US Congress for review, according to reports cited by Middle East Monitor. Washington has said the agreement will not take effect unless Riyadh normalizes relations with Israel and joins the Abraham Accords.

A US administration source said President Donald Trump’s position has not changed: Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords before the nuclear cooperation deal can be implemented. The condition links the proposed civilian nuclear arrangement to a broader diplomatic normalization process involving Israel.

A Saudi source told Israel’s Channel 12 that Riyadh’s policy on diplomatic relations with Israel remains unchanged and firm. The source said Saudi Arabia will not establish diplomatic ties until an independent Palestinian state is created along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The source also described the civilian nuclear program as part of the long-term strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States, saying it should not be tied to normalization with Israel.

Water Resources Minister and BNP Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anny said the government should be given time and supported in efforts to develop the country, adding that there is no need for protests or marches at present. He made the remarks on Friday evening at an awareness programme in Lakshmipur Town Hall auditorium.

The event was organised by the social and volunteer organisation Abhedyo and focused on inclusive education, skills development, social employment and awareness of hearing impairment. Speaking as chief guest, Anny said his side had pledged to remain with the public and work for them, and that work had already begun.

He said implementation would require some time and called for both time and opportunity. Anny also said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was working on national development and various humanitarian and social activities, urging cooperation with the government under his leadership for the country’s development. The programme was chaired by Abhedyo President Tanzimuzzaman Tishan and attended by local officials, educators, student leaders and people from different professions.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee said her party would return to government soon, four months after losing the West Bengal assembly election. Speaking on Friday at the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad foundation anniversary programme on Cathedral Road, she urged supporters not to worry and said BJP members themselves would answer for what she described as the party’s injustices.

The event also highlighted divisions between two Trinamool camps. Banerjee’s faction held its gathering on Cathedral Road, while the camp of opposition leader Ritabrata Banerjee organised a programme on Rani Rashmoni Road. Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee’s Kalighat camp drew comparatively more people, according to the report. Leaders from Ritabrata’s side said they complied with a court-set attendance limit and described their event as successful.

Banerjee accused police of politically motivated actions and said she would travel to districts and hold programmes with public permission if police approval was denied. Abhishek Banerjee also criticised police over the removal of billboards from his Camac Street office. Trinamool leaders called Ritabrata’s camp and 20 MPs who joined NCPI in Delhi disloyal, while Banerjee said legal action was under way.

Islami Andolon Ameer and Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim said people shaped by Islamic principles could raise Islam’s flag at the state level. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon as chief guest at a student rally in Shahbagh’s Historic Shaheed Osman Hadi Square in the capital, marking the 35th founding anniversary of Islami Chhatra Andolon Bangladesh.

Karim said student life is the best time for self-development and urged activists to gain knowledge, character, skills and leadership qualities. He described Islami Chhatra Andolon Bangladesh as an ideology-based student organisation, contrasting it with the disorder, violence, occupation and other wrongdoing he said had resulted from activities of many other student groups.

The rally was chaired by the organisation’s central president, Muntachir Ahmad, and moderated by Secretary General Sultan Mahmud. Islami Andolon Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman urged the government to establish the practice of referendums and fulfil commitments related to the July Charter. Speakers also called on students to oppose drugs, terrorism, corruption and moral decline while pursuing education, research, skills and public welfare.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Muhammad Mamunul Haque called on the government to take effective, lasting action to resolve electricity, gas and fuel shortages. He made the remarks after Friday prayers at a citizens’ rally at Dhania College grounds in the capital, organised by the Jatrabari zone of BKM Dhaka South. The gathering protested hardships in civic life, demanded solutions and called for implementation of the referendum verdict.

Haque said promises of family cards and agricultural cards would not alone ease public suffering while people faced disruptions in power, gas and fuel. He said citizens wanted uninterrupted supplies and practical solutions to basic problems, arguing that development promotion could not replace public rights and democracy.

He also urged the government to respect voting rights, public mandate and referendum results. On the July Charter, he called for structural and effective reforms, including judicial independence, institutional balance and protection of public rights. He said Bangladesh’s relations with India should rest on mutual respect, equality and public interest, and called for the return and trial under domestic law of accused people who fled Bangladesh.

India has responded to discussion over Bangladesh potentially joining the Mecca defence alliance. At a Friday press briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi was closely monitoring regional developments that could affect India’s security and was taking all necessary measures to safeguard it.

The question cited remarks attributed to Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who said any decision on whether Bangladesh joins the alliance would be entirely Bangladesh’s own and should not cause discomfort to others. The question was raised by The Hindu journalist Kulachi.

Jaiswal also said it was the Bangladesh government’s responsibility to manage the country’s law-and-order situation and ensure the security of its citizens. He said the Bangladesh government needed to perform this responsibility more strictly. The source did not provide further details on the alliance, Bangladesh’s position, or any decision on membership.

An email from India’s presidential office early this month said a Change of Guard ceremony would be cancelled to rehearse a formal welcome for Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, before any visit had been announced. The email was withdrawn within hours, intensifying speculation over a possible Delhi trip. Rahman has not yet agreed to travel, and his press secretary AAM Saleh told the BBC that no decision has been made.

India formally invited Rahman after his BNP won February’s parliamentary election and formed the government. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said Rahman would receive the “highest honour” and a “memorable welcome” if he visited. Delhi sees the new government as an opportunity to rebuild bilateral ties, but Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India remains a major complication.

Bangladesh has formally requested Hasina’s return after a special tribunal sentenced her to death over allegations related to lethal force during the 2024 uprising; she denies the allegations. India says it is considering the request. India will host a BRICS summit in mid-September and has invited Bangladesh as a special guest, potentially providing a platform for rebuilding relations.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing that Lake Ontario be renamed “Lake America,” amid an escalating trade dispute with Canada. Speaking at the White House, Trump said the change would take effect immediately. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, saying the lake’s name would always remain Lake Ontario.

The lake, the smallest of the five Great Lakes by area, lies along the US-Canada border and is connected to Ontario province and New York state. Carney said the nearly 400-year-old name predates both countries and comes from an Indigenous word meaning “the lake is beautiful, the lake is big.” He said on X that America was changing.

Trump’s order instructs the US Interior Department to update all entries for the lake in the federal geographic naming system within 30 days. It also directs all federal agencies to use “Lake America.” The order argues that the lake’s deepest point is on the US side and that the United States therefore claims most of its water volume.

Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, sons of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, alleged that efforts are underway to kill him in prison. They made the claims during an interview with former England captain Michael Atherton on Sky Sports during the lunch break of the second England-Pakistan Test at Lord’s.

Kasim Khan said his father was being kept alone and isolated in a small cell for more than 23 hours a day, describing the conditions as worse than before. He said the aim was to keep Imran Khan detained and silence his voice. Kasim also expressed concern about his father’s condition, saying he appeared under severe mental pressure while wearing an eye bandage.

The sons said their visa applications to visit Imran Khan had been refused by Pakistani authorities citing technical reasons. Sulaiman Khan said his father was taken for several hours to a government-run health centre rather than a private hospital, then returned to prison after government doctors declared him well following a one-hour examination. He said relatives and doctors were waiting at Shafa Hospital, but Imran Khan was not taken there.

Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud, a central executive council member of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and secretary of Dhaka South, conducted daylong public outreach in Chandradwip Union of Patuakhali-2 (Bauphal) on Friday, August 28. During the visit, he inspected poor roads, transport difficulties and other mobility problems, heard residents’ concerns, and announced plans to develop the island union into a tourism centre.

Masud said Chandradwip is an island area within Bauphal upazila, where living conditions and communications are particularly challenging. He said he would try to provide maximum support in addressing residents’ necessary problems, while calling for their cooperation and unity. Residents said they were pleased to raise their concerns directly and had not previously found elected representatives so accessible.

He also pledged an initiative to arrange a water ambulance so ill residents can reach hospitals by river without delays in emergency treatment. Masud distributed footballs to young people in every ward, saying sports and healthy recreation are needed to keep youth away from drugs and immoral activities. The reported initiatives include easing hardship, improving communications, ensuring emergency medical access and encouraging a drug-free youth community.

Student organisations and general students at the University of Chittagong have called for a prompt roadmap for the next Chittagong University Central Students’ Union, or ChakSU, and hall union elections after the current committee’s term ends on October 23. They asked the university administration to announce a schedule quickly, ensure a fair environment and hold voting impartially. The administration said it would discuss the matter with relevant parties and arrange the election at an appropriate time.

The seventh central and hall union elections were held on October 15, 2025, after a 35-year gap. Students said the current committee has worked on several problems during its 10 months in office, although it has not fully met expectations. Groups argued that regular elections are needed to preserve effective student representation and prevent democratic conditions on campus from being undermined by long delays.

Several organisations want a new election within three months of the current committee’s expiry and warned of tougher protests if that does not happen. Current vice-president Ibrahim Hossain Rony urged the administration to announce a schedule before the term ends. Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Al-Forkan said an election would be arranged in due time after the term expires.

Revolutionary Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque called on the government to take swift, visible and effective action to address urgent public hardships. Speaking as chief guest at a representative meeting organised by Bangladesh Revolutionary Youth Solidarity’s Dhaka North unit at Flemingo Convention Centre in Farmgate on Friday, he said people no longer wanted excuses six months after the government was formed. Nearly 300 youth representatives from different police-station areas of Dhaka North attended.

Haque warned that failure to reduce severe unemployment could intensify social instability, disorder and crime. He urged action to protect people’s lives, property and livelihoods, and called for strict measures against criminals without regard to political identity. He also said foreign policy should be conducted on the basis of national dignity and interests, while energy sectors such as oil and gas should not remain dependent on foreign sources.

Special guest Bahnishikha Jamali said many young people had faced uncertainty, unemployment and dangers during the interim government period. Speakers discussed youth challenges, employment, inequality and democratic rights, urging young people to unite for rights, justice and social change. The meeting began with the national anthem and observed silence for those remembered.

Jatiya Sangsad whip and Natore-2 lawmaker Advocate Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu blamed the Awami League for Bangladesh’s gas and electricity difficulties, alleging that quick-rental power arrangements and looting had damaged the country. Speaking after Friday prayers at a discussion and prayer event in Naldanga, Natore, he said the problems arose as the BNP came to power.

Dulu said the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iran-America war had compounded the situation. He alleged that Sheikh Hasina and her associates had emptied banks and left the country after looting funds. He also claimed that quick-rental electricity supplied through Indian companies had temporarily pleased people while placing the power sector in Indian hands and enabling misuse of state money.

He said the public was facing temporary unrest over electricity and gas, but asserted that the issues would be resolved before the agricultural season under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership. Dulu said there was no fertiliser shortage, alleging that dealers appointed by the previous government were trying to create one. He said new fertiliser dealers would be appointed quickly to prevent what he described as conspiracy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on his election as Bangladesh’s new president. According to the Russian Embassy in Dhaka, Putin sent a congratulatory message conveying his sincere greetings and best wishes to the newly elected Bangladeshi president.

Putin wished Mirza Fakhrul well, good health and success in his future efforts for the welfare of Bangladesh’s friendly people. He also expressed hope that the new president would succeed in carrying out his responsibilities for the benefit of the people of Bangladesh.

The Russian president’s message was described as reflecting the long-standing friendly and mutually cooperative relationship between Bangladesh and Russia. The embassy’s statement did not provide further details about the message or any subsequent diplomatic engagements.