Allegations of irregularities in development work have created a deadlock at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College in Bogura. The dispute centres on claims that low-quality equipment was supplied under government tenders and that a proposed new substation, estimated to cost nearly Tk 70 million, was advanced without adequate capacity assessment. The college principal, Professor Dr Md Wadudul Haque Tarfadar, has raised objections through letters to the Public Works Department.

In a complaint sent to the department’s chief engineer on July 15, the principal said 24 five-ton air coolers were installed at a cost of about Tk 7.3 million without ensuring sufficient electricity capacity. He said a proposal was later sent for a 3,000-kilowatt substation costing about Tk 67.5 million. He also alleged that a planned 250 KVA generator from the United States, Japan or Europe was replaced by a Chinese-made 120 KVA generator.

The principal said the college already has a substation and a 500-kilowatt transformer, arguing that an additional 500 kilowatts would meet demand. Bogura Public Works executive engineer Md Al Mamun Haque denied any irregularities, saying work was being implemented according to rules. An unnamed electrical engineer said adding transformers could meet the institution’s needs.

Police detained and later released Saifullah Jaman Sarkar, organising secretary of the Banagram Union Awami League, and his younger brother Sohag Sarkar in Bhitipara village of Banagram Union, Katiadi, Kishoreganj. The incident occurred at about 3am on Friday night. Local sources and the two men said police took them into custody without a case or arrest warrant.

After news of the detention spread, local residents gathered outside the brothers’ home during the night, sought an explanation and demanded their release. Saifullah said police could not provide a reasonable answer when residents asked why the two had been detained, and subsequently released them. The incident prompted discussion in the area and questions on social media over the reasons for the detention and release.

Katiadi Model Police Station officer-in-charge Md Rafiqul Islam said police had gone to the house by mistake while attempting to arrest another accused person. He said the brothers were released after their correct information and identities were verified. Local sources identified Saifullah as the Banagram Union Awami League’s organising secretary.

Bangladesh plans to begin sending 200,000 workers to Malaysia in phases by the end of September, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shah Alam said. He said the overall worker deployment process is expected to be completed within the following six months.

The announcement followed a meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday between Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mohammad Suhada Osman and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moin Khan. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Shah Alam said the workers would be sent through enlisted companies.

The state minister also said Malaysia would recruit an additional 10,000 Bangladeshi workers at zero cost to the workers. He said this separate process would also begin in phases toward the end of September. Asked whether there had been discussion about a Bangladeshi government letter concerning LNG imports from Malaysia, Shah Alam said the matter was not discussed.

A BNP leader in Patiya, Chattogram, has been accused of cutting part of a dirt road used for about 20 years and later blocking it with barbed wire. The road beside Arfa Karim High School in Rashidabad Ward No. 2 of Shobhondandi Union was allegedly closed on August 22, disrupting travel for students and local residents. Villager Saifur Rahman has submitted a complaint to the Patiya Upazila Nirbahi Officer.

According to the complaint, former Shobhondandi Union BNP vice-president Munshi Mia Tipu removed soil from a portion of the road to fill his own land before fencing off the route. Parents said students of Arfa Karim High School, Rashidabad Government Primary School, Rashidabad Sunnia Dakhil Madrasa, a hifzkhana and an orphanage, along with hundreds of villagers, have been affected.

Saifur Rahman demanded the removal of the alleged illegal occupation and legal action against the accused. School managing committee president and BNP leader Morshed Shafi Hiru said he had seen the path since childhood and that a neighboring person had left space for students. Tipu denied the allegation, calling it propaganda intended to damage the BNP's image.

Three friends riding a motorcycle were killed in a road crash in the Nawpara bus stand area of the Bhanga–Tekerhat highway in Bhanga upazila, Faridpur, on Saturday night. The victims were Chayan Mollah, son of Dalil Uddin Mollah; Nayan, son of Enayet; and Sajib Sheikh, son of Azgar Sheikh, all from Laskardia in Nagarkanda upazila.

Police and local sources said the three friends had travelled from Nagarkanda to Bhanga’s Golchattar on Saturday afternoon. After viewing the flyover’s neon lights at night, they began their journey home. Their motorcycle met with an accident near Nawpara bus stand, throwing all three riders onto the road. Driver Chayan died at the scene, while Nayan and Sajib were seriously injured.

Highway police, assisted by local residents, recovered Chayan’s body and took the two injured men to Bhanga Upazila Health Complex. As their conditions worsened, they were transferred that night to Faridpur Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital. Relatives later headed toward Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. One died on the way and the other died while receiving treatment. Bhanga Highway Police Station officer-in-charge Md Helal Uddin confirmed the incident.

Bangladesh Bank withdrew and corrected a letter sent on 16 August to Ansar-VDP Unnayan Bank after it used a Mujib Centenary logo instead of the government-designated Nazrul Year logo. The letter was issued by Assistant Director Tanmoy Biswas of Bank Supervision Department-5. The issue emerged as the country observes the 50th death anniversary of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam as Nazrul Year.

The article says the government has instructed all offices to use the Nazrul Year logo, while use of the Mujib Centenary logo has ended. It reports that some central bank officials sought action against Biswas and alleged the matter was being suppressed, though no action had been taken. They described use of the previous logo as a violation of administrative instructions.

Biswas said the logo was included unintentionally amid heavy workload. Department Director Monowar Uddin Ahmed called it a human error, saying old pads remained in the department and one of two letters sent at the same time carried the old logo. He said the erroneous letter was promptly retrieved and replaced. A Cabinet Division directive issued on 3 August requires the Nazrul Year logo on official letters until 25 May 2027.

Three Bangladeshi citizens, including two women, were detained on Saturday after being allegedly pushed into Bangladesh by India’s Border Security Force through the Bakshitila area of Alinagar Union in Kamalganj, Moulvibazar. Ansar and Village Defence Party members took them into safe custody with assistance from local residents and handed them over to Kamalganj police at about 9:15am.

The detainees were identified as Rana Molla, 24, of Narail Sadar; his wife Mahmuda Akter Lima, 22; and Moyna Khatun, 20, of Khulna. Local and Ansar sources said the incident occurred around 7:35am near the Deblachhara BOP border area under the 46 BGB’s Srimangal Battalion. Residents surrounded the three after seeing them enter the area.

During initial questioning, they said they had gone to India through the Sylhet border about two months earlier seeking work. They alleged BSF personnel blindfolded them at around 5:30am and forcibly pushed them into Bangladesh. Police said their Bangladeshi nationality was initially verified, their families had been contacted, and they would be handed over after legal procedures are completed.

Allegations have emerged that government-provided Asrayan Project homes for landless and homeless people are being sold, transferred and rented in Khansama upazila of Dinajpur. Beneficiaries reportedly no longer live in many allocated homes; some are locked for long periods, while others were allegedly transferred for money using stamped documents. Several current residents said they had directly paid to buy such homes.

Abul Hossain, a resident of an Asrayan project, said he bought a government housing unit with land for Tk160,000 from Anichur through a stamped document after taking an NGO loan. He said he did not know the homes could not be bought or sold. Locals also alleged several other sales, while one beneficiary was accused of renting out a unit instead of living there.

Residents said the Joyganj Kheyaghat Asrayan Project has 118 homes, but only an estimated 45 to 55 are occupied. They alleged that roughly 35 to 40 homes have been sold or transferred. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kamruzzaman Sarkar said selling Asrayan homes is not allowed and that allocations for recipients who do not live there will be cancelled within one month.

The World Bank has warned that the Middle East war could put about 600,000 jobs at risk in Bangladesh and prevent roughly 1.2 million people from escaping poverty in 2026. It said higher fuel prices, gas shortages and supply-chain instability could disrupt industrial production, raise transport costs and increase prices of essential goods. The assessment comes as Bangladesh’s economy is already under pressure from high inflation, a weak banking sector, low investment and limited revenue capacity.

According to the World Bank’s June assessment, the number of people living in poverty in Bangladesh increased by an estimated 1.4 million in 2025. Without the Middle East war, around 1.7 million people could have risen above the poverty line in 2026, but that figure may fall to about 500,000 under current conditions. More than half of Bangladesh’s primary energy supply depends on gas, while domestic production has fallen about 15 percent since 2016.

Middle Eastern sources account for 60 to 65 percent of imported crude oil and 55 to 60 percent of LNG. LNG prices rose to $24-$28 per MMBtu, compared with $10-$12 before the war. The World Bank also cited pressure on fertilizer production, healthcare costs and private businesses facing frequent power outages.

A Bailey bridge over Dolukhhal on the border of Putibila and Chunati unions in Lohagara, Chattogram, has become dangerously unstable amid illegal sand extraction, according to the report. Nearly 200,000 people from two upazilas are using the bridge despite the risks. The bridge serves areas including Putibila, Faranga and Pantrisha, where sand is reportedly being extracted from the canal.

For years, dredgers and shallow machines have allegedly removed sand from beneath and around the bridge. Hundreds of heavy vehicles carrying sand, soil and trees also regularly cross it, worsening its condition. The structure shakes when vehicles pass, while iron plates at many points have bent. Even rickshaws and CNG-powered vehicles are crossing at risk, and local residents fear the bridge could collapse without urgent repairs.

Lohagara Upazila Engineer Kazi Fahad Bin Mahmud said a proposal has been sent for construction of a new bridge. He said a warning banner has been installed to discourage the movement of excessively heavy vehicles. Lohagara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Bayezid-Bin-Akhond said regular drives are being conducted against illegal sand extraction and would continue in the public interest.

Bangladesh’s garment sector is facing production disruption and fears of losing export orders as an ongoing gas shortage forces factories to close, declare holidays or rely on costly alternative fuel. The crisis intensified after a fire at Accelerate Energy’s LNG terminal on July 21, while the government’s assurance that conditions would normalize from August 10 has not yet been realized. Factory owners say unstable gas pressure is preventing normal operations, particularly in dyeing and washing facilities.

According to BKMEA, around 300 knitwear factories are fully closed because of the gas crisis, affecting exports worth about $1.5 million to $2 million. More than 100 factories in Narsingdi and Mymensingh have also closed, while others are operating at sharply reduced capacity. Garments account for about 81% of Bangladesh’s export earnings, with $38.7 billion exported from the sector in fiscal year 2025-26 out of total exports of $48 billion.

Industry representatives say some buyers have shifted or discussed shifting orders to competing countries, citing delayed shipments and uncertainty over production schedules. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan Babu said average production capacity has fallen by about 30% and urged a rapid solution, warning that delays would deepen the impact on industry and exports.

A four-day acting workshop concluded at the Narsingdi Shishu Academy on Saturday evening with certificate distribution and the staging of two short plays. The programme was organised by local cultural group Muktdhara Natya Sampradaya. It began on August 21 and continued until Saturday afternoon, August 29, with 20 trainees taking part.

Participants received practical and foundational lessons in theatre history, pronunciation, choreography, the use of dance and acting. Recitation artist and playwright Jahirul Islam Mridha led pronunciation training, while Aranyak Natyadal senior member and director Faez Jahir worked on body construction and techniques. Choreographer Ujjwal taught choreography and dance use, and Shamima Shawkat Lovely conducted sessions on game improvisation and acting.

Most participants were students, according to Muktdhara general secretary Hasan Mahmud Sonet, who said the group aims to sustain cultural practice outside major cities. Trainees said the workshop gave them new knowledge and increased their interest in theatre and cultural activities. Muktdhara president Jahirul Islam Mridha said the organisation has worked in Narsingdi and across the country for more than three decades.

An Awami League-linked network is allegedly seeking to influence Bangladesh’s urea fertilizer market by facilitating imports from Russia, according to the report. The group is said to be led by Russia-based businessman Miah Sattar, while his brother Amiruzzaman Sohel attended a July 28 meeting at the commerce minister’s office with Russian Chargé d’Affaires Vyacheslav Sentyurin. The Russian side proposed supplying urea to Bangladesh at $10 less per tonne than other supplier countries.

The report says Bangladesh’s annual urea demand is 2.6 million to 2.7 million tonnes, while stocks stood at 620,000 tonnes as of July 23. A Commerce Ministry notice said Russian company JSC FEC Prodintorg wants to supply 280,000 tonnes of prilled urea through the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation. Questions were raised because BCIC usually imports granular urea N-46.

Sohel declined to comment on his presence at the meeting, his company’s role in fertilizer imports, or participation in government-to-government procedures, referring questions to the Russian Embassy. Russian honorary consul general in Chattogram Ashiq Imran said Miah Sattar’s company liaises with the Russian Embassy on G2G-related work as an approved Russian government entity.

Police in Tongi, Gazipur arrested a 22-year-old man accused of posing as a police officer and seized a private car and several items from him. The arrest took place Friday evening opposite Al Amin Bakery on the Ghorashal-Kaliganj road beside Tongi East Police Station. Police sent him to court on Saturday afternoon.

The detainee was identified as Arian Ahmed Alfi, 22, son of the late Yasin Iqbal of the Morkun Coca-Cola Gate area in Tongi. Police said they acted on confidential information that a person was present in the Station Road area while claiming to be a police officer.

Authorities seized a walkie-talkie, a hooter, a toy pistol, a signal light and a private car bearing registration number Dhaka Metro-G 36-6359. Tongi East Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Maksudul Alam said a case was filed against Alfi under the relevant law before he was sent to court.

The Shankha River, a major waterway in southern Chattogram flowing through Banshkhali, Anwara, Satkania and Chandanaish, is facing a navigability crisis as numerous sandbars have emerged. The loss of depth has disrupted boat movement and fishing, leaving thousands of fishers and boatmen struggling for livelihoods. In many stretches, even small dinghy boats can no longer operate, particularly when water levels fall in winter.

The river once supported transport, trade and fishing activity, including the historic Ishwar Baburhat market on its banks. Residents from Kutubdia and nearby upazilas travelled there by dinghy boats and sampans, while traders moved goods by boats and engine-powered vessels. Gopal Jaladas, a resident of Jaladas Para, said the freshwater river was once a breeding ground for many fish species, but that former abundance is no longer visible.

Pukuria Union member Farid Ahmed said unplanned sand extraction is causing continuing bank erosion and has washed away several homesteads. He called for an end to illegal extraction, sustainable protective embankments and planned dredging. Water Development Board sub-divisional engineer Anupam Pal said sediment from deforested hills has reduced depth, while dredging is under way at several locations and embankments are being built in some areas following local demands.