A US trade delegation is arriving in Dhaka on Sunday for a two-day visit to discuss the 20% counter-tariff imposed on Bangladeshi goods in the American market.
The delegation will be led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia. Although tariffs have been reduced from 35% to 20%, no formal agreement has yet been signed. A draft deal is prepared, and discussions will focus on finalizing it and potentially reducing tariffs further.
During the visit, the delegation will meet with the Ministry of Commerce, Chief Adviser, Foreign Affairs Adviser, and Foreign Secretary.

Economic Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin has said that Bangladesh has the potential to transform into a “goldmine” if its human capital is properly nurtured.

Speaking on Friday, he highlighted that while the country lacks sufficient raw materials for large-scale industrial production, this shortfall can be overcome through education, innovation, and knowledge acquisition by students.

He explained that ensuring labor productivity, utility proportion, logistics excellence, cost efficiency, access to finance, and market access would allow Bangladesh to offset raw material shortages and drive economic growth.

Bashiruddin further stressed the importance of uninterrupted product supply in market management. He pointed out that during the last Ramadan, coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh Bank, and the Ministry of Commerce kept supply chains stable, resulting in lower commodity prices.

Addressing past challenges, he revealed that several members of so-called “syndicates” had fled the country, making it difficult to stabilize the supply side. “Through collective efforts, we managed to overcome that crisis,” he noted.

Reflecting on recent economic progress, Bashiruddin said, “After Sheikh Hasina’s fall, our reserves stood at around $10 billion against liabilities of $6 billion. Under the Chief Advisor’s leadership, we cleared those liabilities. Today, reserves have risen to $30 billion.”

Looking ahead, he emphasized that if future governments adopt a coordinated, democratic approach to market regulation and implement impartial reforms, Bangladesh’s market system will be strengthened, ensuring equitable distribution of wealth and resources.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, head of the Election System Reform Commission, warned that partisan politics driven by loyalist students and faculty is damaging the education system. “We are paying the price for politics carried out by partisan teachers and students,” he said, urging political parties to demonstrate the goodwill necessary to end such practices.

Badiul argued that to stop the emergence of authoritarianism, students and teachers must act primarily in their educational roles — students as students, teachers as teachers. He added that reforms are needed to ensure free, fair, and impartial parliamentary elections, but that implementation ultimately depends on political parties’ willingness to cooperate.

The Election Commission began formally announcing results for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Voting had taken place from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, and counting started around 10:15 p.m. that night. The manual vote-counting process contributed to delays in publication of results.

The elections faced a boycott by four panels, including Chhatra Dal, and five independent candidates. Allegations of an uneven playing field and irregularities prompted the resignation of four BNP-affiliated faculty members, including one election commissioner.

Intelligence police arrested former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) AKM Nahidul Islam on Saturday from his home in Dhanmondi, authorities confirmed. Nahidul Islam faces charges at the International Crimes Tribunal, and an arrest warrant had previously been issued in relation to those proceedings.

The government placed him on compulsory retirement on July 28. Officials have not yet released further details about custodial arrangements or next steps in the tribunal process.

A Bangladesh Enterprise Institute survey across 12 districts found that just 2.5% of respondents reported being satisfied with the interim government’s fulfillment of public expectations. More than half — 54% — described the administration’s performance as “average” in meeting those expectations.

On political-party reforms, the survey reveals broad public demand for change: 96% want democratic practices established within parties, and 94% expect parties to ensure financial transparency and accountability. While 19% prioritize internal reform, 24% say they want elections first. Meanwhile, 78% of respondents want the option to abstain on the ballot in the next parliamentary elections.

Celebrated Lalon singer Farida Parveen has been placed on life support after her health sharply deteriorated, her son Imam Jafar Nomani confirmed on Thursday.

“Her natural breathing has completely stopped, and her blood pressure collapsed. Doctors are keeping her alive with maximum medication and ventilator support,” Nomani stated.

He added that while chances of recovery are slim, the family is continuing treatment under doctors’ advice. Nomani also warned against fraudulent fundraising scams circulating under his mother’s name, stressing that the family needs no financial assistance.

He urged everyone to keep the iconic singer in their prayers.

The Election Commission has released a draft list of polling centers for Chuadanga’s two parliamentary constituencies—Chuadanga-1 and Chuadanga-2.

According to the draft, the district will have 349 polling centers with 1,853 booths to serve 993,680 registered voters. Objections and claims can be filed until September 25, with final decisions due on October 12. The final list is expected on October 20.

Chuadanga-1 constituency includes 179 centers serving 507,481 voters, while Chuadanga-2 will have 170 centers serving 486,199 voters.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, has congratulated Sushila Karki on her appointment as Nepal’s interim Prime Minister.

In a congratulatory message, Dr. Yunus hailed her leadership during a “critical and challenging time” as a reflection of the trust placed in her by the Nepali people. He expressed confidence that under her guidance, Nepal will continue advancing toward peace, development, and stability.

He also extended condolences for recent casualties during political unrest in Nepal and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

Although vote counting for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections concluded by noon, results will not be published until 7 PM, Chief Election Commissioner Prof. Md. Moniruzzaman confirmed on Saturday.

Election officials said the delay aims to prevent any controversy, given that this is the first such election in 33 years. Counting has been completed in 18 of the 21 halls, with the remaining three still underway. The delay has sparked frustration among both candidates and students.

Around 50,000 demonstrators joined a pro-Palestinian march in Auckland, New Zealand—one of the largest rallies since the Gaza war began, organizers claimed. Police estimated the turnout closer to 20,000.

Protesters carried Palestinian flags and banners, demanding that New Zealand impose sanctions on Israel. Organizers had planned to block a key city bridge but abandoned the move due to stormy weather. Police confirmed that no arrests were made.

The Palestinian Authority says at least 64,756 people have been killed in the Gaza conflict so far. New Zealand’s government is reportedly considering whether to officially recognize Palestine as a state.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump hosted a private dinner in New York with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. Trump’s top adviser, Steve Witkoff, also attended the dinner.

The meeting came just two days after Israel launched airstrikes in Doha targeting Hamas leaders. Trump reportedly expressed displeasure over the strikes in a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and assured Qatar that such actions would not be repeated.

Before the dinner, Al-Thani met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio for nearly an hour. On social media, a Qatari envoy described the dinner as “fantastic.”

A massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The quake’s epicenter was 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) beneath the surface.

However, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a slightly stronger magnitude of 7.4 and placed the depth at 39.5 kilometers (24.5 miles). The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has warned of a possible tsunami threat, though no alerts have been issued for Japan, located southwest of Kamchatka.

Nepal’s president has dissolved parliament following the recommendation of interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki. A new election has been scheduled for March 5, 2026. Sushila took office Friday night as head of an interim government, which will serve for six months and is led by a small cabinet.

The appointment followed talks among representatives of the Jan-Jir protesters, the president and the head of the armed forces, after which consensus was reached to make Sushila prime minister. Sushila Karki served as Nepal’s chief justice from 2016 to 2017 — the country’s first woman to hold that post — and is widely regarded for her tough stance against corruption, a stance that has earned her popularity with the Jan-Jir movement.

Adviser Mahfuz Alam was the target of an attempted assault by activists affiliated with the Awami League while leaving a seminar at Swansea University in London on Friday, witnesses reported. According to bystanders, members of the party lay down in front of a vehicle belonging to the Bangladesh High Commission and later threw eggs at the car.

Police intervened promptly to control the situation and to move the vehicle to safety. The High Commission stated that Mahfuz Alam was not inside that particular car; he reportedly left the event by a different route in another vehicle.