Four police officers in Chattogram have been withdrawn and attached to the police lines following allegations of negligence during a rally organized by the banned Chhatra League on Chatteswari Road. The incident occurred on Saturday morning when several members of the banned student group suddenly gathered in front of the Berger Color Paints office and a small explosion was reportedly heard. The officers on patrol duty, including one assistant sub-inspector and three constables from the Chawkbazar area, allegedly failed to report the rally to their superiors. The matter came to light after videos of the rally circulated on social media. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Public Relations) Aminur Rashid, the officers were withdrawn for dereliction of duty. Senior police officials confirmed that two of the withdrawn officers were from Chawkbazar Police Station, while the assignments of the other two remain unclear. The rally participants dispersed after police arrived at the scene.

A full delegation of all 15 United Nations Security Council member states will visit Syria and Lebanon this week, marking the Council’s first Middle East mission in six years. The visit, led by Slovenia, comes as the country assumes the Council presidency for December. Slovenian UN envoy Samuel Žbogar said the trip aims to rebuild trust with Syrians following years of disillusionment and to clarify the Council’s expectations regarding inclusive governance and counterterrorism efforts. The visit also coincides with the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s government collapse in December 2024, which ended decades of Ba’ath Party rule. Žbogar added that the delegation will encourage dialogue among Syria, Israel, Lebanon, and neighboring states amid recent regional tensions. During Slovenia’s presidency, the Council will also hold an open debate titled “Leadership of Peace” and special sessions on Afghanistan, Palestine, and Ukraine throughout December.

A newly submitted report by Bangladesh’s National Independent Investigation Commission has revealed fresh evidence implicating several army officers in the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny and the subsequent Pilkhana massacre. According to testimonies from key witnesses, including prisoner witness No. 14, a secret meeting took place on February 24, 2009, the night before the massacre, where rebel soldiers planned to take their commanding officers hostage using ropes and knives. The report also cites witness No. 65, who confirmed that weapons from three battalions were stored in the central quarter guard and that certain officers were assigned duty there days before the attack. The mutiny, which occurred on February 25–26, 2009, at the BDR headquarters in Dhaka, resulted in the brutal killing of 57 army officers. The commission, after an 11-month investigation, handed over its findings to the chief adviser, shedding new light on one of Bangladesh’s darkest chapters.

Police in Bakerganj, Barishal, have arrested Shahnaz Parvin Rani, a former general secretary of the Upazila Women’s Awami League and former assistant editor of an Awami League subcommittee, who had been sentenced to one year in prison. She was convicted by a Patuakhali court on February 12 in a 2019 cheque dishonor case and ordered to repay Tk 11.7 lakh. Following the verdict, she had been in hiding. On Monday, police attempted to arrest her at her home during a family event, but she initially escaped after a scuffle with relatives. Later that night, around 2 a.m., police successfully apprehended her. Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad confirmed the arrest, stating that she had been evading law enforcement since her sentencing. The arrest ends months of evasion after her conviction for financial misconduct.

Police in Brahmanbaria arrested Kamrul Islam, a local Jubo Dal leader, after seizing 36 kilograms of cannabis from his private car during a raid on the Akhaura-Agartala road bypass area on Tuesday morning. Kamrul, 40, is the joint convener of the Akhaura upazila Jubo Dal and a resident of Taragan village. His associate, Golam Rabbi, 25, was also detained. Police said the drugs were being transported from India's Tripura state to Dhaka. The Toyota car used in the smuggling operation was confiscated. According to Akhaura police officer-in-charge Mohammad Shamiuddin, both suspects were sent to jail following legal procedures. Senior BNP leaders in the upazila stated that Kamrul’s arrest with drugs has tarnished the party’s image, and organizational action is being taken against him.

Bangladesh Police Headquarters has reassigned officers-in-charge (OCs) of 527 police stations across the country through a lottery system, ahead of the announcement of the 13th National Parliament election schedule. The process aimed to ensure transparency and neutrality in law enforcement during the upcoming election period. Before the lottery, unit chiefs submitted lists of honest and impartial inspectors, which served as the basis for the random selection. The transfers covered all district-level police stations, excluding 110 metropolitan ones, where commissioners will handle postings internally. The distribution included 98 OCs in Dhaka Range, 111 in Chattogram, 64 in Khulna, 36 in Mymensingh, 46 in Barishal, 39 in Sylhet, 71 in Rajshahi, and 62 in Rangpur. Earlier, on November 26, the Ministry of Home Affairs reassigned 64 district superintendents of police (SPs) through a similar lottery process, reflecting a broader effort to maintain neutrality in law enforcement ahead of the election.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), has strongly condemned Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice President Abu Sadiq Kayem for filing a cybercrime case against several Facebook pages and accounts accused of spreading misinformation and cyberbullying female leaders. In a statement issued on Tuesday, JCD leaders Rakibul Islam Rakib and Nasir Uddin Nasir called on Kayem to withdraw the case and publicly apologize to students. The organization described the move as unprecedented and an abuse of legal authority, claiming it undermines freedom of online expression. JCD further alleged that Kayem’s actions reflect political intolerance and misuse of the Cyber Security Act, which no longer allows defamation-related cases. The statement accused Kayem of following authoritarian tactics and using legal tools to suppress dissent rather than addressing criticism democratically.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has announced an increase in the retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for December. The price of a 12-kilogram LPG cylinder has been raised by Tk 38, from Tk 1,215 to Tk 1,253. The new rate will take effect from the evening of December 2. Additionally, the price of autogas has been revised upward from Tk 55.58 per liter to Tk 57.32 per liter. The adjustment follows a previous price reduction in November, when LPG prices were cut by Tk 26 and autogas by Tk 1.19 per liter. BERC reviews LPG prices monthly based on fluctuations in international market rates and exchange rates, aiming to ensure fair pricing for both consumers and suppliers.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman stated that establishing peace and ensuring indigenous rights in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) is not within the government’s hands but depends on the Bangladesh Army. Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka, he emphasized that the army holds authority over the region and possesses the capability to bring peace if it acts with genuine commitment and evidence-based initiative. He urged the army to reflect on its global peacekeeping reputation and apply the same dedication domestically. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman noted that despite the government’s long rule, it failed to fully implement the Peace Accord, whereas the army could succeed if it demonstrates goodwill. He added that the army’s success in peacekeeping across 169 countries proves its capacity to establish peace within Bangladesh’s own borders, calling it an opportunity to enhance national and international credibility.

In Mymensingh’s Ishwarganj upazila, allegations have surfaced over the distribution of substandard food under the much-anticipated school feeding program. The program, covering 140 primary schools across 11 unions and one municipality, serves 26,620 students from grades one to five. According to the official schedule, students were supposed to receive bread and milk on November 24, but only milk was distributed, and 40 schools received no food at all. On another day, instead of bread and boiled eggs, students were given a single banana, with inflated billing reported. Bread distributed on December 1 was reportedly of such poor quality that students refused to eat it, leading to frustration among teachers, parents, and locals. District Primary Education Officer Obaidullah confirmed finding evidence of low-quality food during an on-site inspection and said he had informed higher authorities. The discrepancies between the official food distribution list and actual field implementation have raised concerns about mismanagement and accountability in the program.

A video showing an Islamic speaker chanting 'Pakistan Zindabad' during a Quran recitation conference in Sandwip, Chattogram, has gone viral on social media, triggering widespread criticism and debate. The 20-second clip shows the speaker leading chants for both Pakistan and Bangladesh, followed by religious slogans. Organizers said the event featured participants from Iran, Egypt, the Philippines, and Pakistan, and that chants were made to welcome each country's representative. Another video from the same event supports this explanation, showing similar chants for Egypt. Despite this, local freedom fighters expressed anger, condemning the slogan as disrespectful to Bangladesh’s liberation history. The local administration has stated that it was unaware of the incident but will look into the matter. The event was organized by the Sawtul Quran Institute, whose director could not be reached for comment.

A 25-year-old man named Md. Rocky was killed after being stabbed during a clash between two groups in Dhaka’s Kamrangirchar area early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred near the Matabbar Bazar Hurricane Factory when Rocky, a laborer, was returning home after his night shift. Witnesses said he was caught in the middle of the confrontation and was stabbed by an unidentified person while trying to flee. Passersby rescued the severely injured Rocky and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival. Police confirmed the death and said the body has been kept in the hospital morgue. Authorities are investigating the incident to identify the attackers and determine the motive behind the clash. Rocky’s full address and family details were not immediately known, though he reportedly lived in the Chairman Mor area of Kamrangirchar.

At least 40 people were killed in an airstrike carried out by the South Sudanese army in the southern Kordofan region on Saturday, November 30. The attack struck a nursing school in the village of Komo, according to local residents and human rights group Emergency Lawyers. Witnesses reported that dozens of students and civilians were among the dead, with villagers burying more than 40 bodies. A military official, speaking anonymously, denied that the army targets civilians, though similar accusations have persisted since the conflict began in April 2023. The Sudanese army continues to battle the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Sudan People’s Liberation Movement–North for control of key areas in Darfur and South Kordofan. The United Nations reports that around 5,000 people were displaced from small villages in South Kordofan in November alone, as the war has already killed hundreds of thousands and displaced over 12 million people nationwide.

Iranian authorities have announced the discovery of a large new gold reserve in the privately owned Shadan mine in South Khorasan province. According to local media reports on December 1, the Ministry of Industry, Mine, and Trade has confirmed the authenticity of the find. The newly discovered deposit includes approximately 7.95 million tons of oxide gold ore and 53.1 million tons of sulfide gold ore, which are expected to significantly boost the mine’s total reserves. The easily extractable oxide ore is seen as a major advantage for Iran’s mining sector. Officials believe this discovery could strengthen the country’s economy, which has been weakened by years of international sanctions and inflation. The Iranian rial continues to depreciate against the US dollar, prompting many citizens to view gold as a safe investment. Iran currently has 15 active gold mines, with Zarshouran being the largest. The announcement follows Pakistan’s recent report of a major gold discovery in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has announced that he will not participate in the upcoming 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, marking a significant decision in his cricketing career. The 37-year-old expressed gratitude for the opportunities and memories he gained through the IPL, where he represented four franchises — Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils, and Punjab Kings. Maxwell stated that the league helped shape him both as a player and as a person. His decision follows similar moves by former South African captain Faf du Plessis and England’s Moeen Ali, who have opted to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) instead of the IPL. Both players expressed excitement about joining the PSL, describing it as a competitive platform featuring world-class talent and a chance for new experiences and growth in T20 cricket.