Professor Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser, met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting was confirmed Wednesday night by Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar, the Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser. Earlier, Yunus attended a reception hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, where he invited Trump to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time. During the event, he exchanged greetings with Trump and held discussions with several world leaders.

Italy and Spain have dispatched naval vessels to escort and safeguard the Samoud Flotilla, a humanitarian convoy carrying aid to Gaza. The ships, now en route, will provide security for the flotilla and conduct rescue operations if necessary. The move follows multiple drone strikes on the flotilla near the coasts of Tunisia and Greece, which left several aid vessels damaged. Human rights activists on board appealed for international protection, prompting Spain and Italy to step in. The latest reports indicate the flotilla was advancing southwest of Crete. The Global Samoud Flotilla set sail from Barcelona with relief supplies for Gaza after its previous four missions were blocked by Israel. This fifth mission comprises nearly 50 vessels and includes activists from 44 countries, among them Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Bangladeshi mountaineer Taufiq Ahmed Tamal has successfully scaled Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth-highest peak at 8,163 meters, on Thursday at 4 a.m. Tamal began his expedition on September 1 and has now added Manaslu to an impressive mountaineering career spanning 14 years. He previously summited several peaks between 5,000 and 6,500 meters, including two above 6,500 meters. Among his achievements: the first Bangladeshi winter ascent of Tharpu Chuli, the first Bangladeshi climb of Bhagirathi-II (6,512m), and a successful expedition to Mount Ama Dablam (6,814m), one of the world’s most technically challenging peaks. Trained at India’s prestigious Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Tamal continues to make history for Bangladesh in the world of mountaineering.

Shahjahan Mia, Jamaat’s candidate for Chandpur-3 constituency, campaigned in Haimchar upazila on Wednesday, urging voters to support the party’s “balance scale” symbol in the upcoming elections. “I am committed to establishing equality, justice, and fairness in society,” Shahjahan told locals during his campaign. He pledged to work for the welfare of the people if elected and vowed to establish a peaceful and just social system.

On the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus held bilateral meetings with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Earlier, he also met Spain’s King Felipe VI, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. Additionally, Yunus had discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and U.S. Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor.

K.M. Mamunur Rashid Mamun, former joint convener of Turag Thana BNP in Baibichar, has been missing for three days. At a press conference on Wednesday, the youth wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) demanded his immediate recovery. Central organizer Mahtab Bandhan stated that Mamun left home in traditional attire on Sunday morning and has not been seen since. A general diary (GD) has been filed with the local police, and appeals have been made to RAB, PBI, Counter-Terrorism Unit, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Party leaders expressed deep concern over the safety of those involved in anti-fascist movements and issued a 24-hour ultimatum for Mamun’s safe return, followed by a protest rally in Uttara Sector-7.

Islami Andolon Bangladesh has urged Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to strongly raise the issues of Palestine, the Rohingya crisis, and good governance in Bangladesh at the ongoing UN General Assembly session. Party spokesperson Ataur Rahman condemned what he described as “genocide in Gaza” and called for Bangladesh to take a firm pro-Palestine stance at the UN. He also stressed the need to present Bangladesh’s struggle for democratic reform, efforts to combat corruption, and the push to repatriate stolen funds and fugitives. On the Rohingya issue, Rahman criticized the international community for limiting its role to aid while failing to ensure their safe repatriation to Myanmar.

BNP leader Salahuddin Tuku has reaffirmed that his party remains committed to serving the people and solving their problems through collective effort. Speaking in Tangail while consoling the families of two missing boys, Mehedi Hasan (8) and Adib (9), who drowned in a local waterbody, Tuku stressed the importance of teaching swimming to children in riverine Bangladesh. He noted that urbanization has reduced natural water bodies where children could traditionally learn swimming, calling for modern city planning that addresses such realities. Tuku added that real change requires unity and goodwill, pledging that BNP will prioritize education, healthcare, sports, and child development to build capable citizens from an early age.

BNP leader Syed Emran Saleh Prince has called on Hindu communities to celebrate the upcoming Durga Puja with religious devotion and festive spirit in a peaceful environment. Prince emphasized that BNP believes in the principle of “religion belongs to each individual, but the state belongs to all” and assured that the party would extend full cooperation to ensure smooth festivities. He highlighted Tarique Rahman’s vision of building an inclusive Bangladesh that embraces all faiths, ethnicities, and cultures.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has briefed U.S. President Donald Trump on Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections, scheduled for February. Bangladesh’s Press Minister in Washington, Golam Mortuza, confirmed that President Trump inquired about the country’s political reforms and election process. Yunus extended an invitation to Trump to visit Dhaka. During the engagements, Yunus also exchanged pleasantries with several world leaders attending events in Washington.

BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman has taken responsibility for the medical expenses of Abdur Razzak, a rickshaw-puller suffering from kidney disease and father of young Lamia Akter. On Wednesday, senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi visited Razzak’s family home in Dhaka’s Shyamoli Housing area, where he assured support and handed over financial assistance. Razzak currently requires two dialysis sessions per week. His wife is willing to donate a kidney, but lack of funds has stalled the transplant. The issue gained national attention when Razzak’s daughter Lamia made an emotional appeal in a televised interview. In response, Tarique Rahman directed the “Amra BNP Poribar” platform to stand by the family.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) has announced its new leadership, electing Kazi Sajjad Zahir Chandan as President and Abdullah Kafi Ratan as General Secretary. The decisions came at the first meeting of the newly elected committee formed during the party’s 13th Congress, held at Muktibhaban in Purana Paltan, Dhaka. Other presidium members include Mujahidul Islam Selim, Rafiquzzaman Layek, S.A. Rashid, Ragib Ahsan Munna, Jolly Talukder, and Aminul Farid. Chandan, a former president of the Bangladesh Student Union in the 1990s, steps into the top role, while Ratan—also a Student Union leader and former elected General Secretary of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU)—assumes the post of General Secretary. They succeed outgoing President Mohammad Shah Alam and General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince.

The Election Commission (EC) has released a list of 115 electoral symbols, excluding the ‘Boat’ symbol, which has been suspended. Notably, the much-debated ‘Shapla’ (water lily) symbol sought by the NCP is absent from the list. According to Wednesday’s gazette notification, the EC amended the 2008 electoral regulations under powers granted by the Representation of the People Order, 1972. The Commission stated that, apart from the suspended symbol, any of the 115 approved symbols may be allocated subject to availability.

Prosecutor Mizanul Islam told Tribunal-1 that Sheikh Hasina herself had ordered the burning of Setu Bhaban, citing audio recordings of her conversation with Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh. However, he noted that instead of burning the specific targets she had mentioned, Setu Bhaban was set on fire. The tribunal also played other recordings, including Hasina’s conversations with JASAD president Hasanul Haq Inu and former Dhaka University VC ASM Maksud Kamal. In the recordings, Inu assured Hasina that “no other government will come to power in Bangladesh” and urged her to use the opportunity to “break the backbone of Jamaat-Shibir” by arresting its members. Hasina reportedly agreed to the proposal.

A tribunal has heard audio evidence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina allegedly discussing the use of helicopters to bomb protesters during the July 2024 movement. In a recorded phone conversation with JASAD leader Hasanul Haq Inu, Hasina reportedly said that protesters barricading areas could be bombed from the air. Inu agreed with her stance and mentioned unrest in Rampura and Shanir Akhra, to which Hasina responded that security forces were already taking action there. Hasina also allegedly ordered military deployment and dismissed proposals to restore internet services, claiming data centers had been destroyed. “I will not fix this. The next government will,” she was heard saying.