A rice distribution program for poor families in Nabinagar, Brahmanbaria, descended into controversy after sacks marked with political slogans were discovered.
Each of the 60 ultra-poor families was supposed to receive 30 kg of rice under the government’s VGF program. However, sacks carried the inscription: “Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh—Hunger Will Be Eradicated.”
Annoyed by the irregularities, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Rajib Chowdhury walked out without inaugurating the event, later directing the union chairman to investigate.

The Advisory Council has approved a draft ordinance amending the Election Officer (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, introducing tougher penalties for negligence and misconduct during election duties.
Key changes include:

Failure to perform election duty without valid reason: fine increased from Tk 5,000 to Tk 100,000.

Misconduct during duty: punishment raised from 6 months imprisonment or Tk 2,000 fine to 1–5 years imprisonment or Tk 20,000 fine (or both).
The amendment broadens “misconduct” to include defying Commission or Returning Officer orders, deliberate law violations, and negligence in duties.

A major renewable energy project is set to transform the Padma Bridge service areas (1, 2, and 3) into solar-powered hubs.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority has signed an agreement with Omera Renewable Energy Ltd. to implement a 6.03 MWp rooftop solar project.
The system will generate 9,000 MWh of clean power annually, cutting carbon emissions by 6,000 tons per year—the environmental equivalent of planting 250,000 trees or removing 1,200 fuel-driven cars from the roads.
Chief Engineer Ferdous Alam said, “This initiative reflects our commitment to sustainability and sets a benchmark for green energy integration in national infrastructure.”

In a significant policy update, the Cabinet Division has ruled that if a retired government official remarries while receiving a pension, the second spouse will also be eligible for pension benefits after the official’s death.
Additionally, the mandatory wait period for restoring pensions of those who surrendered 100% of their benefits has been reduced from 15 years to 10 years.
The decision also allows pensioners with critical illnesses to seek medical assistance from the Government Employees Welfare Board. Officials are also addressing anomalies in festival bonuses and increments for those whose pensions were later restored.

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a landmark defense agreement under which an attack on either nation will be considered an attack on both, prompting joint retaliation.
Political analyst Asif Nazrul welcomed the move, writing, “In reality, Muslim countries have no choice but to forge such alliances.”
Experts note that Gulf states have long relied on U.S. security guarantees, but waning trust has prompted them to diversify defense ties. A senior Saudi official said the pact, the result of years of negotiations, institutionalizes cooperation rather than responding to any specific crisis.
However, Riyadh also stressed the importance of maintaining balanced relations with India, with whom it currently enjoys its “strongest-ever ties.” Notably, Saudi officials hinted that Pakistan’s nuclear capability is also a factor in the agreement.

For the first time in Bangladesh’s history, civil and criminal courts have been fully separated in a major judicial reform. The government expects this move will accelerate case disposal and ease the decades-long backlog.
Previously, joint district judges, additional district judges, and district judges handled both civil and criminal cases, contributing to judicial delays. At present, around 1.6 million civil cases and 2.3 million criminal cases remain pending in lower courts across the country.
Despite the higher number of criminal cases, judges were tasked with managing both types. To address this, the government has established 203 new additional sessions courts and 367 joint sessions courts, where judges will now exclusively preside over criminal matters.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has instructed ministries to inform the public about reforms they have implemented independently, beyond the recommendations of reform commissions.
Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said the directive came after a Council of Advisers meeting. Out of 121 initial reform proposals, 77 have been marked “high priority,” with 24 already implemented and the rest in progress.
The meeting also approved the draft of the Financial Laws (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2025.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the agriculture sector for a prosperous future.
Speaking at a daylong training workshop in Cox’s Bazar with over 300 agricultural entrepreneurs, he stressed: “We must enhance entrepreneurial skills, adopt modern technology, and expand financial support to ensure sustainable farming.”
He noted that agriculture not only boosts economic resilience but also secures food security for the nation.

The Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Coordinated Council has placed a seven-point demand that includes rejuvenation training, overseas opportunities, and enhanced medical allowances for retirees.

Key demands include:

Extending rejuvenation training for employees in grades 10–20 to a minimum of 10 days.

Providing at least Tk 20,000 in pocket allowances to trainees.

Organizing training programs in SAARC member countries.

Completing and implementing the recommendations of the 9th National Pay Commission by November 2025.

Replacing the existing 20-grade pay structure with a 12-grade structure. The council warned that failure to do so could trigger a nationwide movement by employee unions under a single demand platform.

Allocating Tk 15,000 as a monthly medical allowance for retirees, along with special budgetary provisions for their welfare.

Eliminating unnecessary delays and alleged harassment in financial decision-making within the Ministry of Finance.

The Coordinated Council urged the government to act swiftly, warning of united action if their demands are ignored.

The government has initiated a plan to enhance housing, medical, and festival allowances for teachers and employees working in MPO-enlisted private educational institutions.

To facilitate this, the Ministry of Education has sent a formal request to the Ministry of Finance, seeking an additional allocation of Tk 769.34 crore in the 2025–26 fiscal budget. The letter, signed by the Education Adviser, emphasized that ensuring the welfare of teachers is a fundamental responsibility of the government.

The adviser pointed out that in the past, reductions in the education budget and a greater focus on infrastructure development created disparities in teachers’ living standards. Addressing these inequalities and strengthening the social status of teachers and staff, the letter stated, requires higher investment in the education sector.

The proposal also highlighted that while teachers’ festival allowances were previously raised from 25% to 50%, staff allowances did not exceed 50%, leaving many frustrated. To resolve this, a demand has been placed to raise staff festival allowances to 75%.

In a deeply symbolic moment, the younger brother of Felani—whose death at the border became a haunting reminder of BSF’s brutality—has officially joined the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

On Thursday, Arfan Hossain received his appointment letter from Lt. Colonel Mehedi Imam, commanding officer of the battalion.

“Serving my country was my parents’ dream. After Felani’s killing, we were determined to join BGB. Today, that dream has come true,” Arfan said emotionally.

Felani’s father, Nur Islam, recalled the tragic incident: “The BSF shot my underage daughter like a bird and left her hanging on the fence. That scene still haunts me. But the nation and BGB stood by us.”

BGB confirmed that Arfan passed the recruitment exam and will begin training on September 19.

Breaking from tradition, the Ekushey Book Fair will not be held in February next year.
The Bangla Academy announced that the 2026 edition will begin on December 17, 2025, and run until January 17, 2026, citing the upcoming national elections and Ramadan.
The decision was finalized at a meeting on the fair’s schedule.

Tension gripped Comilla’s Homna upazila on Thursday morning after mobs attacked and set fire to four shrines following announcements made over loudspeakers.
The violence erupted in Asadpur village after police detained a man named Mohsin over alleged derogatory remarks about religion on social media.
Agitators gathered at Kofil Uddin Shah’s shrine and later vandalized and torched three others—Kalai Shah, Hawali Shah, and Abdu Shah shrines. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest those involved.

Faiz Ahmad Tayyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, criticized the practice of allocating disproportionate development funds to ministers’ constituencies while neglecting other areas.
“Depriving people of development opportunities is unacceptable. This practice must stop,” he said.
He directed the Water Development Board to prepare for eviction drives in coordination with law enforcement and intelligence agencies, ordered rural electricity authorities to cut illegal connections, and urged the power division to ensure industrialists are not harassed.
Tayyeb also announced a marathon on the Gomti River this winter and called for peaceful cooperation to ensure smooth Durga Puja celebrations.

Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has expressed confidence that the upcoming Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) and Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) elections will be held fairly.

Chowdhury said there were no security concerns, noting that lessons learned from the Dhaka University (DUCSU) and Jagannath University (JUCSU) polls would be applied. He added that universities may opt for OMR-based result counting to expedite the process.

Education Adviser C. R. Abrar echoed the optimism, saying: “There is tremendous enthusiasm among students. We are expecting a vibrant and fair election.”