Leaders of Islami Oikya Jote paid a courtesy call on BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at the party’s central office in Naya Paltan, Dhaka, on Monday afternoon. The visiting delegation greeted Rizvi with flowers during the meeting.

The delegation was led by Islami Oikya Jote Joint Secretary General Maulana Md Ilias Athari. Others present included Dhaka metropolitan General Secretary Nazmul Haque, Joint General Secretary Mufti Humayun Kabir, Islami Chhatra Samaj central President Hafez Belal Hossain, Secretary General HM Barkatullah and Dhaka metropolitan Publicity Secretary Mufti Al Amin.

During the courtesy meeting, Rizvi said unity between Islamic and nationalist forces had no alternative for moving the country forward. He alleged that associates of fascism were trying in various ways to destabilize the country. He called for united efforts to advance the country, strengthen Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s hand and institutionalize democracy. Rizvi later extended greetings to the Islami Oikya Jote leaders.

Severe load shedding in Lalmonirhat has triggered widespread public frustration, disrupting daily life, businesses, education and agricultural work across the district. Residents said electricity outages have become particularly severe after evening and continue until dawn, while power department officials could not specify when the situation may improve.

Children, elderly people and patients are suffering most in the intense heat as fans and refrigerators remain off. Students are unable to complete online assignments because devices cannot be charged, while refrigerated food and fish are spoiling. Residents also complained that they must pay electricity bills and make advance payments through prepaid meters despite not receiving the expected service.

Small and medium industrial owners reported production losses because they must pay workers despite insufficient electricity for operations. Irrigation work has been affected, and factories and small businesses in the Lalmonirhat BSCIC industrial area have slowed or stopped. An unnamed electricity office official said supply is lower than demand, making load shedding necessary. Auto-rickshaw drivers also said inadequate battery charging is threatening their income.

Inter-Parliamentary Union Secretary General Anda Filip held a courtesy meeting with opposition leader and Jamaat ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman on Monday at the opposition leader’s office in the National Parliament Building. IPU Programme Officer Roberto Rodriguez Valencia and Senior Expert Herieno A Angoro were also present at the meeting.

The discussion focused on making the national parliament more effective and developing it into a centre for discussion and dialogue on important national issues. Dr Shafiqur highlighted the opposition’s role in strengthening parliamentary democracy and stressed the importance of equal participation by the government and opposition.

Participants also discussed regular dialogue between the government and opposition on national and international matters, improving the effectiveness of parliamentary committees, and expanding participation by young members of parliament. The IPU secretary general assured continued support from the organization for the advancement of parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh. MP Barrister Najibur Rahman Momen, foreign affairs adviser Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Qasem Arman, and advisory committee member Ali Ahmad Mabroor attended.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has urged Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to take more effective measures to stop smuggling, drug trafficking, push-ins and border killings. He made the call on Monday during a courtesy meeting at Bangabhaban with BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, according to the president’s press secretary Md Sarwar Alam.

The president also praised the BGB for its work in carrying out the important responsibility of protecting the border. He said the force’s role as a vigilant guard was highly important in preventing smuggling, narcotics and human trafficking along the frontier.

During the meeting, the BGB director general congratulated the president on assuming office. He briefed him on the force’s overall activities and initiatives to incorporate advanced drones and modern technology to increase border surveillance. The president praised those technology-related initiatives and assured overall cooperation. The president’s secretaries and senior officials were present at the meeting.

Bangladesh Agricultural University Research System held a final review workshop in a Gulshan hotel in the capital on Monday for 22 research sub-projects focused on agriculture, livestock, fisheries, environment and livelihoods in haor areas. The three-year initiatives, funded by City Bank, directly benefited 904 farmers across seven haor-surrounded districts. Research priorities included climate-resilient agricultural production, crop diversification, pest and disease management, food and nutrition security, and increasing farmers’ incomes.

The workshop marked the conclusion of the City Bank-supported Agricultural Research, Development and Innovation project in Bangladesh’s agro-ecological region. City Bank provided a total of Tk4 crore. The project involved 22 principal researchers from the university, 81 researchers overall, 36 postgraduate students and four PhD fellows. Its inaugural workshop was held on September 30, 2023.

Researchers held 21 workshops and 13 international conferences to bring findings to field level. The work produced 43 research papers in nine impact journals and created 124 short-term employment opportunities. Project activities also included efforts on technology commercialization, coordination among industry, academia and government, market links, farmer-centered innovation platforms and a digital knowledge repository for research results, data and training materials.

The United States is providing $2.4 million, equivalent to 293.28 million taka, in medical equipment and supplies to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The assistance is intended to strengthen maternal, newborn and child health services across the country. At Panchagarh District Hospital, US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen handed a maternal and newborn health-care training model to Civil Surgeon Dr. Md. Mizanur Rahman.

According to a US Embassy press release, the wider support includes equipment to keep newborns warm and assist breathing, therapeutic food for children with severe malnutrition, and materials to maintain vaccine effectiveness. The supplies are being distributed to hospitals and health centres nationwide, including in remote areas.

The assistance is funded by the United States and delivered through FHI 360, Jhpiego, JSI and UNICEF. The embassy said the effort supports implementation of the America First Global Health Strategy by strengthening health systems through practical partnerships and advancing US health-sector innovation. It also said the United States remains committed to working with the Bangladesh government to expand access to quality health care nationwide.

Bangladesh is advancing a process to buy Chinese-made J-10CE multirole fighter jets as part of efforts to modernise its air force. The country is also pursuing plans to procure attack helicopters, VIP transport helicopters and drone, or UAV, systems. The initiatives are seen as measures that could strengthen air defence, surveillance and military operational capabilities.

The J-10CE is an export version of China’s Chengdu J-10 fighter aircraft and is described as a fourth-generation multirole jet. It can be used for air combat as well as strikes against ground targets. The potential cost of purchasing 20 J-10CE aircraft has been put at about $2.3 billion.

The government has not officially announced the final number of jets, total price or delivery timetable, saying such matters will be determined through final negotiations. Bangladesh’s air force already operates a substantial number of Chinese fighter aircraft, which could offer training, maintenance and supply advantages. However, pilot training, weapons systems, maintenance infrastructure and long-term operating costs will remain important considerations for the new aircraft.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Traffic Division filed 2,119 cases against traffic law violators during operations in different parts of the capital on Sunday, August 30. The enforcement drive covered the traffic divisions of Ramna, Lalbagh, Motijheel, Wari, Tejgaon, Mirpur, Uttara and Gulshan.

Uttara recorded the highest number of cases, with 487, followed by Motijheel with 415 and Gulshan with 334. Mirpur registered 258 cases, Lalbagh 209, Wari 166, Tejgaon 135 and Ramna 115. The cases involved buses, trucks, covered vans, CNG vehicles and motorcycles.

During the operation, authorities also dumped 499 vehicles and towed 210 vehicles using wreckers. DMP’s Traffic Division said its enforcement operations would continue to maintain traffic discipline in the Dhaka metropolitan area.

Workers and employees of the long-closed Ashuganj fertiliser factory in Brahmanbaria held a human chain and protest rally on Monday morning, demanding its modernisation and reopening. Organised by the AFCCL Workers-Employees Union near the toll plaza of Ashuganj Syed Nazrul Islam Bridge, the programme also called for restoring the plant’s former name, Ashuganj Zia Fertilizer Company Limited.

The factory has been fully shut since March 1 last year and has remained closed for about one and a half years, according to the protesters. Speakers said gas shortages have kept production suspended for much of the time since 2010. They alleged that a group has kept the plant closed in the name of gas rationing while engaging in fertiliser imports, causing severe mechanical and financial damage.

Local BNP, NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists, transport owners’ associations and CBA representatives from Ashuganj Thermal Power Station joined in solidarity. Speakers said the closure has harmed local employment and the economy, and urged the government to ensure normal gas supplies and restart the factory quickly. They warned of tougher action, including a highway blockade, and briefly demonstrated on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway after the event.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Khandkar Ahmad Al Irfan, injured in an August 4 clash at Jagannath University, remains under close observation and is not yet out of danger. Doctors said he suffered a serious head injury and damaged leg veins. He was first taken to National Hospital’s emergency department for head surgery, then transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later admitted to Islami Bank Hospital for advanced treatment.

Doctor Anisur Rahman said Irfan’s head injury is highly sensitive and requires regular monitoring. He said the leg injury will require long-term physiotherapy, although injuries to Irfan’s ribs are improving. Allegations that a state prosecutor was seriously injured during violence on a university campus have raised questions about security arrangements.

Irfan’s nephew, Advocate Saad Monayem, said video footage had identified several people allegedly involved. The university has formed a four-member investigation committee, while its convenor could not be reached by phone. Irfan’s phone, identity card, wallet, ATM card and watch remain unrecovered. Kotwali police registered General Diary number 426 and said they attempted to track the phone using technology.

A Bogura court on Monday sentenced two defendants to death and three others to life imprisonment for the murder of businessman Ragibul Hasan Hridoy, who was attacked after refusing to pay extortion money. Additional District and Sessions Judge-5 Kausik Ahmed Khondkar announced the verdict at about 11:30am. The death-row convicts are Saddam Hossain Swadhin and Md Rabbi, while Ashik, Shakil and Matin received life terms.

The court also fined each of the five convicts Tk50,000. It ordered that half of the fine money be given to Hridoy’s child and the remaining half deposited in the state treasury. According to the case details, the accused went to Hridoy’s business establishment in Bogura city’s Kaipara Pukurpar area on the evening of July 20, 2021, and demanded extortion money.

After Hridoy refused, the accused entered the shop and seriously injured him with sharp weapons, the case account said. His father, Mamunur Rashid, was also injured when he tried to protect his son. Hridoy later died while receiving treatment, and his mother, Ayesha Siddika, filed the murder case. His parents expressed satisfaction with the verdict and called for its swift execution.

Fisheries and Livestock State Minister Sultan Salahuddin Tuku called for coordinated efforts to improve law and order, control narcotics and build a healthy society. He made the remarks on Monday at a special meeting and exchange session of the Dhaka District Law and Order Committee at the Dhaka deputy commissioner’s conference room.

Tuku said public expectations of a democratic government can be met only if the administration, law-enforcement agencies, elected representatives and civil society fulfil their duties with sincerity. Describing drugs as one of the country’s major social crises, he said their spread is increasing crime and urged strict law-enforcement action alongside public awareness and a social movement.

He also called on relevant stakeholders to act against the spread of juvenile gangs, saying families, educational institutions, local administration and society must work together to keep young people away from crime. Stressing public welfare and good governance, he urged officials to work with honesty, efficiency and dedication. He also highlighted environmental protection, including action on river pollution, industrial waste management and urban environmental balance.

Dhaka University has appointed Professor Al-Amin of its Accounting Department as acting dean of the Faculty of Business Studies. He will assume the role on September 3, 2026, according to a university announcement signed by Public Relations Office Director Mohammad Rafiqul Islam.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A B M Obaidul Islam made the appointment on August 30 under Section 17(2) of the First Statutes of the Dhaka University Order, 1973. Professor Al-Amin is currently serving as a teacher in the university’s Accounting Department.

His appointment will remain effective for no more than 90 days or until an elected dean takes office, whichever occurs first. As acting dean, Professor Al-Amin will oversee the academic and administrative activities of the Faculty of Business Studies.

The Election Commission has published the final voter list ahead of upcoming local government elections, with the total number of voters reaching 128.777 million. The list was released on Monday afternoon, according to the announcement.

A draft voter list had previously been published on August 9. At that time, Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said that 309,315 new voters had been added through the voter list update process.

Under the commission’s plan, elections at different levels of local government are scheduled to begin from November. The commission is making final preparations for voting, giving priority to elections for union parishads and municipalities.

Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator and freedom fighter Md Abdus Salam said meat sold without a health officer’s inspection seal will be seized, while shops selling meat from illegally slaughtered animals will be closed. He announced the measures on Monday, August 31, after inaugurating a modern slaughterhouse in Hazaribagh, Dhaka.

Salam said meat may be sold only at designated shops and must be inspected before sale. Every piece of meat must carry the city corporation health officer’s seal so buyers can identify whether it has been inspected. Animals may not be slaughtered in markets or other locations outside designated slaughterhouses, and unauthorized slaughter will result in fines.

He said meat brought from other places cannot reliably be checked to determine whether the animal was slaughtered properly, was healthy, or had a disease. It is also not possible to verify whether buffalo meat is being sold as beef. Health officers and staff will be required to be present during slaughter at modern facilities, and absent personnel will face disciplinary action.