Three teachers aligned with BNP have withdrawn from the ongoing Jaksu election, citing widespread irregularities. One of them, Nahrin Islam, alleged that indelible ink used for voting was either easily washable or not applied at all, compromising the credibility of the election. She claimed that ballot and ink procedures were bypassed, with ink being applied only after voting, often outside the polling booths. Rejecting any link to the BNP student wing’s withdrawal, Nahrin said her repeated appeals to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor went unanswered, forcing her to suspend voting for two hours in protest.

Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed that the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) and hall union elections were conducted peacefully. The Advisors’ Council expressed gratitude to the Home Affairs Adviser for ensuring a fair and orderly election. He added that the Chief Adviser emphasized decentralization of local government, strengthening of institutions, and the establishment of an independent police investigation commission. Other updates included: The national football team’s return journey from Nepal. Progress in medical education reforms with 51 initiatives implemented and 246 ongoing. Tax exemptions granted for seagoing vessels up to 5,000 DWT. The Foreign Affairs Adviser’s upcoming participation in an OIC meeting on September 15.

A powerful partial monsoon circulation, named Eshan-2, is expected to remain active across several parts of Bangladesh between September 14 and 19. The monsoon trough currently extends from Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and central Bangladesh to Assam, with a branch stretching into the northern Bay of Bengal. Meteorologists anticipate intensified rainfall in northern Bangladesh even before the system fully sets in. According to BWOT, Eshan-2 will be most active in Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions. However, its broader effect will also help ease the prevailing sweltering heat across the rest of the country.

British MP Tulip Siddiq is facing renewed controversy as documents allegedly reveal she holds Bangladeshi citizenship, filed tax returns, and maintained a bank account in the country. According to NBR sources, Tulip declared herself a resident of Bangladesh in official documents, allowing her to open tax files and acquire property. However, such residency requires her to have lived in the country at least 182 days a year—something officials suspect she did not. While Tulip has consistently claimed to be a British citizen only, investigators argue the evidence proves otherwise. Legal experts suggest she could now face trial under British law for making false declarations.

Garment workers in Kuril have once again blocked major roads demanding overdue wages and benefits. Around 500–600 workers from Eurozone Fashion Garments staged a sit-in on Thursday, blocking both incoming and outgoing traffic at Badda’s Kuril intersection. Another 200 workers disrupted traffic on the Dhaka-Uttara-Mymensingh Highway near Airport Road, police confirmed. Earlier this month, the workers had lifted a similar blockade after being promised payment by September 10. When the pledge went unfulfilled, they returned to the streets.

Responding to allegations, Shibir-backed GS candidate Mazharul Islam clarified that the OMR forms used in JUCSU elections were supplied not by a Jamaat-linked company but by a BNP-affiliated firm. He identified the supplier as HR Soft BD, led by Rokonuzzaman Rony, whose social media posts featured BNP leaders Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, and Dr. Yunus. “Our point is simple—what matters is whether the machines are error-free, not the political leaning of the supplier,” Mazharul said, urging an end to “false propaganda” and a focus on students’ rights.

Students of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) formed a human chain on Thursday demanding immediate reopening of the campus, justice for recent outsider attacks, and the resumption of academic activities. The protest took place at Jabbar’s Mor, with students from various faculties participating. They said despite a meeting with university authorities on September 8, where they placed six demands, no decision had yet been announced and no syndicate meeting had been held. “Prolonged closure is disrupting classes and exams, threatening session jams and academic crises,” the protesters warned, urging swift implementation of their demands.

Chhatra Dal has officially boycotted the JAKSU elections, alleging biased conduct by the Election Commission. At a press conference Thursday afternoon, GS candidate Tanzila Hossain Baishakhi accused the Commission of using ballots printed by a Jamaat-affiliated company to manipulate results. She claimed that although OMR machine counting was abandoned under pressure, the use of Jamaat-linked ballot papers continued. Chhatra Dal expressed “strong resentment and condemnation” at what they called the Commission’s “partisan behavior” and withdrew from the polls in protest.

In a historic move, Bangladeshi expatriates will be able to cast their votes in the upcoming national elections for the first time, Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin announced. Only registered voters holding national ID cards will be eligible, and ballots will be cast via postal voting. To facilitate the process, a new app titled Postal Ballot BD is being developed. Speaking in Toronto at a program with Bangladeshi expatriates, the CEC inaugurated voter registration and NID distribution for overseas Bangladeshis, while urging them to participate actively in the electoral process.

Mojaharul Islam Mitthu, a contractor notorious for his dealings in the health sector during the Awami League government, has been arrested by DB Gulshan police. Joint Police Commissioner Rabiul confirmed on Wednesday night that Mitthu faces graft cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). On Thursday, he was handed over to the ACC. The Commission has already approved a case accusing him of amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 76 crore, along with embezzlement and money laundering through syndicates.

Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP) leader Hasan Al Mamun has accused the government of delaying both the arrest of those who attacked former DUCSU VP Nurul Haque Nuru and his much-needed treatment abroad. Speaking outside Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday, Mamun said Nuru had sustained internal injuries to his nose and brain that required advanced overseas treatment. While expressing satisfaction with DMCH doctors, he insisted long-term care abroad was essential. Mamun alleged that the government was deliberately stalling the arrest of army personnel involved in the attack.

In violence-hit Nepal, army helicopters were seen rescuing government ministers and their families on Thursday, with dramatic footage showing them dangling in harnesses as they were airlifted over a hotel in Kathmandu. The country has been rocked by mass protests led by Gen-Z demonstrators who stormed parliament, torched the house of Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, and attacked the residence of Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel. Videos show Finance Minister Paudel being chased and kicked on the street. Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and her husband, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, also came under attack at their home. Footage showed the former PM bloodied before army personnel rescued him. Riots spread even to prisons, but the army quickly intervened and relocated inmates. Troops have been patrolling Kathmandu streets, enforcing stay-at-home orders as unrest continues.

The Chhatra Dal-backed panel has alleged that ballot papers for the JUCSU elections were supplied by a company linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, raising concerns of vote rigging. VP candidate Sheikh Sadi Hasan claimed the Election Commission bypassed standard procurement rules to source ballots and OMR machines from an obscure Jamaat-affiliated firm. Amid mounting pressure from teachers and students, the Commission scrapped OMR-based counting and switched to manual counting. Still, Sadi said their demand for ballots from a neutral source was ignored. He further warned that Jamaat-Shibir activists had been spotted near campus, leaving general students fearful.

Nahid Islam, convener of the Nationalist Chhatra Parishad (NCP), congratulated the newly elected DUCSU leaders, calling the election “a positive stride for democratic practice.” He said the participatory and competitive polls allowed students to choose their representatives freely and expressed hope that DUCSU will become a true platform for student aspirations. Nahid urged the new leadership to foster a democratic, academic, and violence-free environment at Dhaka University. He also extended best wishes to candidates who contested but did not win, stressing that healthy competition strengthens future leadership. He further called for regular student union elections across all universities and colleges.

Voting at Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall was briefly suspended for an hour during the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections following an unexpected situation. The suspension came at around 11:30 AM on Thursday, when opposition-backed VP candidate Sheikh Sadi Hasan entered the women’s dormitory without prior permission, sparking controversy. Authorities halted the voting process but later resumed it around 12:30 PM. Sadi claimed he entered the hall with a teacher’s permission. Earlier in the morning, both Sadi and Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed VP candidate Arif Ullah Adib had cast their votes at Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall. While casting his vote, Sadi accused the administration of providing undue advantage to a rival student group and even alleged the printing of extra ballot papers to favor certain candidates. Adib, however, expressed faith in the general student body.