Thirty-nine of 41 government Chandina Vhita plots beside the Water Development Board in Shashiganj Bazar, Tazumuddin, are reportedly still occupied by Awami League leaders and supporters. The plots were intended for genuine traders, but the report says political figures, pro-Awami League teachers and government employees are retaining them and collecting rent. Government rules reportedly do not permit renting out the houses or constructing buildings, yet some occupants have built two-storey structures and rented them out.

According to the Tazumuddin Upazila Land Office, the 41 plots in the upazila headquarters were last allocated for one year in 2014. No new allocation has been made since then, and the names of previous allottees continue to be renewed annually. The office said it could not provide information about renting or construction. A review of the allocation list named several Awami League leaders, affiliated figures and public employees among the 2014 allottees.

Traders in Tazumuddin Bazar have expressed anger and demanded that the plots be reallocated to genuine businesses. They submitted an application to the upazila executive officer on April 2 seeking reallocation. Executive Officer Bani Amin said the allegations had been received and the assistant commissioner for land and a union surveyor were directed to investigate and submit a report.

The government is investigating allegations that nearly 19,000 police personnel were recruited from Gopalganj, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Kishoreganj during the Awami League’s 15-year rule. The report says the recruitment included about 15,000 constables, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors, 3,700 inspectors, and 300 assistant and additional superintendents of police. Allegations emerged after the 2024 mass uprising that applicants used land purchases and altered permanent addresses to qualify under district quotas.

Police sources alleged that political affiliation, district considerations, recommendation letters and financial transactions influenced recruitment, with priority given to Chhatra League leaders and activists. The investigation is examining false addresses, manipulation of written and oral examination marks, question-paper leaks and political influence. It is also reviewing whether recruits or their families were connected to Awami League politics.

Two investigation committees have been formed in each district, with DIGs serving as chief coordinators and local additional superintendents and Special Branch personnel assisting. The committees have collected relevant records and are verifying field-level information. Their final reports will go through range offices and police headquarters to the Home Ministry, which will take legal action. Police headquarters spokesperson Shahadat Hossain said proven illegal appointments would face departmental and legal measures.

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on assuming office as Bangladesh’s 23rd president and said China wants to work with him to deepen the two countries’ comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Xi sent the congratulatory message on Monday, expressing interest in advancing traditional friendship, strengthening strategic communication and expanding Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi described China and Bangladesh as long-standing friendly neighbouring countries whose bilateral relationship has remained steady amid changing international circumstances. He said the two sides have respected each other and dealt on an equal basis during 51 years of diplomatic relations, while supporting one another on matters of national interest and importance.

Separately, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury met the president at Bangabhaban and briefed him on Supreme Court activities, court administration and challenges including case backlogs, shortages of skilled personnel and structural constraints. Saudi Ambassador to Dhaka Dr Abdullah Jafar H. bin Abiah also conveyed congratulations from King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The president sought Saudi support during the global energy crisis and called for better facilities for Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shah Alam said Bangladesh will hold five types of local government elections within the current fiscal year. He said Tk6,000 crore has been allocated in the budget for the elections. The announcement followed a Tuesday morning meeting at the Secretariat with Danish Ambassador Christian Brix Moller, Local Government Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan, and the state minister.

Shah Alam said that, subject to the prime minister’s approval, the ministry will meet the Election Commission next week to discuss the local government polls. He said the Election Commission will determine the election schedule and dates. The ministry will brief the public on the elections after its discussions with the commission.

The meeting also addressed Danish support for water supply in the capital. Denmark will assist completion of the third phase of the Saidabad water treatment plant project, contributing Tk4,500 crore to the Tk16,000 crore facility. Of that amount, Tk1,500 crore will be a grant and Tk3,000 crore will be repaid by the government in stages over 20 years. Denmark will also provide Tk100 crore to assist Rohingyas.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed relevant authorities to examine the feasibility of restoring universal stipends for female students from class six through graduation. The instruction was issued at a Monday afternoon meeting arranged by the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust in the Cabinet Division meeting room at the Bangladesh Secretariat, according to Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain.

The meeting stressed preparing a clear proposal assessing potential costs, beneficiary numbers, implementation methods, and expected social and educational effects of reinstating the programme. Officials also briefed the prime minister on the trust’s ongoing work, objectives and role in preventing student dropouts through financial support. Merit- and eligibility-based stipends for boys were also discussed as a way to encourage their education.

Participants reviewed the impact of the universal stipend programme for girls introduced during the tenure of late former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, including its reported positive effects on attendance, continued schooling and discouraging child marriage. The prime minister also ordered pilot projects in two separate districts to assess two alternative mid-day meal delivery methods, with attention to cost, management, local participation and food-quality control.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has strongly condemned the denial of permission for the State Reform Movement to hold a pre-scheduled peaceful political rally at the Central Shaheed Minar. In a joint statement, the party described the incident as a blatant attack on independent political practice and constitutionally recognized freedoms of assembly.

The NCP convener and member secretary said that no political party’s democratic rights should be taken away in the new Bangladesh achieved through the July mass uprising. They alleged that the elected government was continuing an old practice of obstructing opposition and dissenting political programmes, similar to what they called the defeated authoritarian and fascist era.

The party urged the government to abandon what it termed an authoritarian and undemocratic stance and immediately ensure constitutional rights for all parties to hold peaceful, lawful meetings, rallies and programmes. It also demanded an end to the misuse of administrative and police powers against political opponents. NCP said it would resist any effort to curtail public freedom of expression and assembly, and could mobilize people nationwide if equal democratic and political opportunities are not ensured.

Saudi Ambassador to Dhaka Dr Abdullah Jafar H. bin Abiyah met President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at Bangabhaban on Monday, according to the president’s press secretary Md Sarwar Alam. The ambassador conveyed congratulations from Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Alamgir assuming the presidency. The president called for Saudi cooperation with Bangladesh amid the global energy crisis.

Alamgir urged expanded trade and investment between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia in both public and private sectors. He also asked for Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims’ travel to be made easier and for their hardships to be reduced, particularly through improved bathroom and toilet facilities in Mina. The Saudi ambassador assured him that appropriate steps would be taken.

The president thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting more than 3.5 million Bangladeshi workers and requested priority recruitment of manpower from Bangladesh in the future. He invited the Saudi king and crown prince to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time. The ambassador pledged continued energy, assistance and investment support. The meeting was Alamgir’s first with a foreign diplomat after taking office as president.

Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin said the Election Commission expects to conduct local government elections better than previous polls despite challenges. Speaking on Monday at the Electoral Training Institute in Agargaon, Dhaka, after an IFES leadership dialogue, he said the commission had no shortcomings in its preparations and would seek cooperation from all parties.

Nasir Uddin said the commission would not allow election standards to fall below those established in earlier elections and would improve them where possible. He said local election dates could not yet be announced, as the commission would decide them after discussions and consultation with the government. Necessary amendments to laws and rules are being prepared and have been sent to the ministry for vetting.

The CEC said election arrangements also depend on preparations by law enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies. He noted that local government polls have historically seen comparatively more violence than national elections, making security responsibilities especially important. Scheduling will consider Durga Puja, monsoon and flood risks, annual examinations, and the deployment of teachers and officials. He said the Thakurgaon-1 by-election would be held within the legally required 90 days.

Retired Israeli General Itzhak Brick has warned that Israeli society is nearing a deep crisis from which preventing decline is becoming increasingly difficult. In an article published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Brick said society is losing its ability to understand reality as political divisions and narrow partisan interests make people increasingly intolerant of one another.

According to Iranian media reports citing the article, Brick said Israel has become a conflict-ridden society in which different groups place their own interests above all else. He said this has led to incorrect decisions and actions being justified in the name of partisan interests. Brick said critics are attacked according to political identity rather than the substance of their views.

Brick said some left-wing figures labelled him a Netanyahu-supporting right-winger after he criticized recent army chiefs, while right-wing figures called him left-wing after he blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other political leaders for the current situation. He also said members of the Haredi community insulted him after he criticized their group. Brick warned that continued internal conflict could further weaken social stability and increase the risk of national decline.

National Citizen Party convenor and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam on Monday accused the BNP government of turning state institutions into “party clubs” within six months of taking power. Speaking at the party’s temporary central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka, he presented what the NCP described as failures in 13 sectors during the government’s first 180 days.

The NCP’s list included alleged economic mismanagement and an energy crisis, power shortages and record load-shedding, banking capture and market syndicates, pressure on opposition parties, interference with freedom of expression, and worsening law and order. It also cited alleged failures in medicine pricing policy, measles management, education, treatment and rehabilitation of people injured in July, as well as what it called a divided foreign policy.

Nahid said 19 to 20 universities had received party-aligned vice-chancellor appointments in the past six months. He also alleged that party-affiliated people were appointed administrators in 11 city corporations and 63 district councils, turning positions into rehabilitation centres for unsuccessful nominees and defeated candidates. He said 830 incidents of political violence occurred in the period, alleging BNP involvement in 670, and said NCP activists were attacked in several locations.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has ordered a review of the possibility of relaunching a universal stipend programme for girls from class six through undergraduate level. The directive was issued at a Monday meeting on the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division Secretariat. He called for a clear proposal assessing likely costs, beneficiary numbers, implementation methods, and expected social and educational effects.

Officials briefed the prime minister on the trust’s ongoing work, goals and role in preventing student dropouts through financial assistance. The meeting also discussed the impact of a universal stipend programme for girls introduced during former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia’s tenure. Participants noted its positive role in increasing girls’ school attendance, helping them continue education and discouraging child marriage.

The meeting also considered merit- and eligibility-based stipends to encourage boys’ education. Participants discussed student nutrition and health protection, including school mid-day meal management, nutritional value and safe food preparation and delivery. The prime minister directed that food supplied to students be nutritious, safe and of good quality, with no compromise on standards. He also ordered pilot projects for two alternative mid-day meal approaches in separate districts.

A delegation from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said it was attacked while visiting a government school allegedly operating in a cowshed in Rampura Kanwarpura village, Jaipur, Rajasthan, on August 21. Led by joint convenor Ashutosh Ranka, the group was conducting an inspection under its “Fix Schools” campaign, which examines conditions and shortages at government schools across India.

CJP alleged that its vehicle was stopped before entering the village and that residents later blocked members walking toward the school. The party said stones and bricks were thrown and sticks were used during clashes, leaving several people injured. It alleged that representative Sanju Verma suffered a broken hand, Salman was seriously injured and hospitalised, and Rekha Sharma was attacked with dust thrown into her eyes.

Police registered a case against CJP representatives following a complaint by villager Bhagwan Sahay Dhanka. He alleged that Ranka arrived with 50 to 60 people on Friday morning, abused residents and women, initiated violence, and made casteist remarks. CJP also filed a counter-complaint, on which police registered another FIR.

US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy sharply criticized Washington’s newly announced “D-Day” sanctions on Iran, describing them as a desperate and performative attempt by the Trump administration to conceal what he called America’s severe failure in the military conflict with Tehran. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Murphy said Iran was winning the war while Trump was losing, with ordinary Americans paying the price.

Murphy said Iran did not have complete control of the Strait of Hormuz before the war, but now holds full control over the strategically important waterway. He also said Tehran had kept 30 of 33 missile bases near the strait intact, while the United States had used up nearly all of its weapons stockpile.

According to Murphy, Iran now holds the main bargaining advantage on the battlefield, meaning the new sanctions would not alter Tehran’s policy position. He questioned the scope for further US restrictions, saying Washington had already sanctioned virtually everything possible in Iran. Murphy said the conflict was largely nearing its end and characterized current US policy as a show intended to hide failure.

Mohammad Nazrul Islam, the chief executive officer of Sitakunda Municipality in Chattogram, has been transferred to Shibpur Municipality in Narsingdi after serving at his current workplace for more than a decade. He has been directed to join the new posting by September 1. If he does not join by that date, he will be considered stand released from Sitakunda Municipality from September 2.

The Local Government Division’s Municipal-1 branch issued the office order on August 20, signed by Joint Secretary Mohammad Sagir Hossain. The order said the transfer was being implemented immediately in the public interest. Municipal Executive Engineer Mohammad Nurunnabi said Nazrul Islam had served in Sitakunda for over a decade, a duration that had prompted local discussion and criticism.

Nurunnabi said rules limit the tenure at one workplace, though extended service can occur with approval from the relevant authority and administrative decisions. The ministry also instructed authorities to arrange the transfer of his outstanding salary and allowances, provident fund and gratuity fund dues to the new workplace under the rules. Upazila Nirbahi Officer and municipal administrator Fakhrul Islam said the ministry order would be implemented according to regulations.

Thirty-nine of 41 government Chandina Vita plots beside the Water Development Board in Shashiganj Bazar, Tajumuddin, remain registered in the names of Awami League leaders and affiliated individuals, according to a review of the allocation list. The plots were intended for genuine traders, but the report says some occupants have retained control and rented them out. The rules prohibit renting out the plots and constructing buildings, yet some have reportedly built two-storey structures and leased them.

The Tajumuddin উপজেলা land office says the 41 plots were last allocated for one year in 2014 and no new allocations have been made since. Earlier recipients’ allocations have continued through annual renewals. The office said it could not provide information about allegations of renting or building construction. The list includes former and current political figures, teachers and government employees described as Awami League-linked.

Market traders have demanded that the plots be reallocated to genuine businesses. They allege traders previously allocated plots were evicted in 2007, while affected applicants were bypassed in the 2014 allocation process. Traders applied to the উপজেলা নির্বাহী অফিসার on April 2 for reallocation and voiced concern over a lack of visible investigation progress. Executive Officer Boni Amin said the assistant commissioner for land and a union surveyor were instructed to investigate and submit a report.