Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Akhtar Ahmed said the European Union intends to send 150 observers for the upcoming 13th national parliamentary election. A tripartite memorandum of understanding between the EU, the Foreign Ministry, and the Election Commission will be signed to formalize the arrangement.

Akhtar noted observers will not all arrive at once; they will come in separate groups following the announcement of the election schedule. The EU delegation has asked about procedures such as access to polling stations, presence during vote counting, and the status of the secure room. They also inquired how and where results are published and whether results are posted on official websites.

He said an EU delegation recently visited Rangpur and Chattogram and expressed satisfaction with the Commission’s preparations. The delegation will return tomorrow and is expected to submit a report; a draft memorandum has been shared for review and signature, and the Commission will raise any further observations.

Bangladesh’s representative, Hafez Anas bin Atique, secured third place at the 13th International Hifzul Qur’an Competition 2025 held in Libya, earning a prize of 50,000 Libyan dinars. The tournament drew 120 contestants from 75 countries, with 18 finalists declared winners.

The event was attended by ministers, secretaries, senior government and military officials, and a large public audience. Maulana Qari Masudur Rahman participated as an observer on behalf of the International Qirat Organization’s central deputy general secretary, Shaikh Saad Saifullah Madani.

Bangladesh has a history of strong performances at this competition: Saleh Ahmad Takrim placed seventh in 2022; in 2023 Abu Talha finished second (prize: 200,000 dinars) and Mustafizur Rahman Gazi won sixth place in Tafsir; and in 2024 Mahmudul Hasan earned recognition in Tafsir.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has uncovered preliminary evidence suggesting embezzlement of around BDT 100 crore in sales of government LP gas cylinders. The ACC has therefore launched an investigation into alleged annual siphoning of funds by the BPIC (Bangladesh Petroleum Import Company).

Earlier, on 6 May this year, the ACC raided BPIC offices following allegations of irregularities and embezzlement in sales of government cylinder LP gas. The probe team reported finding signs of malpractice and negligence. Investigators say roughly 1.4 million government cylinders are sold each year but many customers never receive them — alleged syndicates purportedly diverted and sold those cylinders. Officials from Padma and Jamuna Oil Companies, responsible for cylinder supply, were reportedly unable to give satisfactory explanations. The ACC also said BPIC officials failed in public promotion of legitimate government cylinder distribution, suggesting deliberate obstruction.

Fisheries Adviser Farida Akhter expressed regret that authorities could not bring down the retail price of hilsa. She cited both natural and human factors for declining hilsa production and noted that 103 tonnes of hilsa have been exported to India so far this year ahead of the festival season.

She said the Commerce Ministry set the export price at $12.50 per kilogram, which amounts to export revenue of approximately BDT 15.77 crore. Farida announced plans to ban catching, buying, and selling of mother hilsa from 4 October to 25 October and said that during the ban, 620,000 fishing family households across 165 upazilas in 37 districts will receive VGF rice assistance — a total allocation of 15,500 tonnes of rice.

BNP leader Hafiz Uddin Ahmed claimed the “old game” has resumed in the hills and argued that the farsighted decisions of Ziaur Rahman are still preventing any move that could be framed as an Indian declaration of independence. He accused Jamaat of fearing the people’s verdict and suggested that some political groups, influenced by intellectuals from Europe and America, are attempting to impose electoral systems that will not win public support.

Hafiz warned that if anyone tries to obstruct elections, BNP will respond on the streets. He also criticized a UN trip by the Chief Adviser that involved 104 members, without elaborating on details.

Olik Mru has resigned from his post as NCP’s Joint Chief Organizer (Northern Region), protesting what he called the party’s silence over recent violence in Khagrachhari — including the deaths of three indigenous people — and denouncing alleged false statements by NCP leader Abdul Hannan Masud regarding a reported rape.

In a Facebook post, Olik Mru accused the party of remaining mute about the alleged rape of an indigenous teenage girl, attacks on indigenous communities, arson of homes, and the fatal shootings of three indigenous people. He said he has sent his resignation by email and to party officials, and wished the party well, ending his message with “Inquilab Zindabad.”

Home Affairs adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury warned that “forces backed by neighboring countries and fascist allies” are fomenting unrest in Khagrachhari. Speaking after inaugurating construction for five police station buildings of the DMP, he said there are deliberate attempts to disrupt peaceful Durga Puja celebrations and to create unrest in the hill districts. He asserted that steps are being taken at the highest level to prevent such incidents.

Jahangir said the Adviser on Chittagong Hill Tracts is on site, coordinating with local leaders, and that security forces are monitoring the situation closely. He added that some armed groups fired from hill positions and that many of these weapons are smuggled from abroad, calling for public cooperation to thwart the problem.

He also noted that major religious festivities began yesterday and urged that no one exploit the period to create disorder or block roads. Most stranded tourists have already been escorted back.

Abdur Rahman, central vice-president of the Jatiya Oikya Party (JOP), was seriously injured late Sunday night in an attack by unknown assailants in the Borbari area of Gazipur. Initially taken to the local Bord Bazar Hospital, his condition worsened and — with police assistance — he was later admitted to Shahid Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur.

Majedur Rashid, president of the Gazipur city unit of the Labour Rights Council, said Rahman received 12 stitches to the head. Rashed Khan, the party’s general secretary and an MP candidate, condemned the assault and demanded a full investigation and punishment for the perpetrators.

Rashid alleged the attackers struck Rahman on the head and body and shouted threats, saying, “We’ll end your dream of becoming an MP today — this is the last day of your life.” Patrol police later rescued Rahman and transported him to hospital.

Detectives from the DB have arrested 13 leaders and activists, including two former Awami League members of parliament, under the country’s anti-terrorism law. Those detained include former Brahmanbaria-5 MP Foyzur Rahman Badal and former reserved-seat MP Tamanna Nusrat Bubly. The arrests follow the organization’s designation and the ongoing enforcement of the law.

Section 144 has been imposed in Khagrachhari sadar upazila and municipal areas, bringing daily life to a standstill. Law-enforcement units are deployed at key locations across the district town and important points in Guimara upazila. Movement of vehicles and pedestrians is severely restricted.

Under army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) supervision, long-distance transport is being allowed on a staggered schedule. No vehicle is being allowed to move without law-enforcement escort.

Separately, a group calling itself Jumma Chhatra Jontro posted on Facebook calling for an indefinite blockade across the three hill districts starting today; the group has previously called and then withdrawn similar actions. Meanwhile, two Marma community organizations allege that a vested interest group is exploiting the Jumma Chhatra Jontro banner to create unrest by mobilizing hill residents.

For the first time, the International Monetary Fund has imposed a ceiling on Bangladesh’s foreign borrowing. According to IMF conditions, Bangladesh cannot take on more than $844 million in external loans in the current fiscal year. (Note: original amount in Bengali read as ৮৪৪ কোটি ডলার — depending on reporting conventions, this could mean $8.44 billion; the IMF document referenced sets quarter-by-quarter limits.)

The IMF country report, issued after a waiver for the fourth and fifth tranches totaling $134 million in June, lists the borrowing cap among the conditions for receiving the next disbursement. It specifies quarterly ceilings: up to $191 million in the first quarter, $334 million over six months, $434 million over nine months, and $844 million for the full fiscal year. The IMF will monitor foreign borrowing on a quarterly basis.

Last fiscal year the government borrowed $857 million in external loans. In July — the first month of the current fiscal year — Bangladesh drew $202.4 million. To meet IMF conditions, the government will need to restrain foreign borrowing relative to the previous year.

Former industries minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun passed away at 8:20 a.m. while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Humayun had served as industries minister twice during the previous authoritarian government: first in 2019 and again in 2024.

Humayun had been in custody following arrest in a case concerning killings, attacks and vandalism in Narsingdi linked to the July uprising. He was transferred from prison to DMCH in an unstable condition on Sunday and died while under medical care.

Three carriages of the Panchagarh Express — en route from Dhaka to Panchagarh — derailed in Bhangura upazila of Pabna at around 4:00 a.m., severing rail connections between Dhaka and northern Bangladesh. No casualties were reported.

Railway teams have not yet been able to recover the derailed carriages, leaving passengers stranded and causing severe disruption. Many travellers were returning home for holiday observances, which has compounded the crowding and inconvenience at the site.

Cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, described in a social post as an “Awami affiliate,” reportedly extended birthday greetings to fugitive Sheikh Hasina. The message drew immediate criticism. In the aftermath, adviser Asif Mahmud posted on Facebook reiterating, “You called me thousands of names for not rehabilitating one person. But I was right. That ends the discussion here.”

A later reply on Shakib’s Facebook page reads: “In the end someone admitted that because of him I could not wear the Bangladesh jersey or play for the country. Maybe one day I will return to the motherland. I love Bangladesh.” (Note: these posts reflect the original social-media statements and reactions.)

Youth and Sports adviser Asif Mahmud posted on social media: “You called me thousands of names for not rehabilitating one person. But I was right.” His comment has prompted speculation about whom he meant by “one person.”

Many respondents on the post have inferred he was referring to cricketer Shakib Al Hasan. One commenter, Abdullah Hil Baki, wrote: “Thank you for that courageous decision. Let the acolytes of Hasina do politics abroad as fugitives — the people of Bangladesh do not want to see such figures back on the playing field.”