Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. M. Sakhawat Hossain, Adviser on Shipping, Labour, and Employment, met with Liu Weimin, Chairman of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), to review progress on the Payra Port First Terminal and associated facilities project. Funded by the Government of Bangladesh with CCECC’s support, discussions included increasing Chinese investment in shipbuilding, agriculture, transport, and port infrastructure. The meeting also focused on finalizing a G-to-G loan agreement for the project and accelerating the expansion of Mongla Port.

A three-member delegation from the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) met with leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami at their central office on Tuesday evening.

The delegation included Stephen Sima, Asia-Pacific Regional Director; Deputy Director Matthew Carter; and Senior Program Manager Amitabh Ghosh. Jamaat was represented by Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.

The discussion focused on Bangladesh’s current political situation, post-uprising developments, judicial processes, state reforms, and progress toward free, fair, and inclusive elections.

Bangladesh is set to receive three LNG cargoes from the UK’s TotalEnergies Gas & Power for October, with unit prices ranging from $11.34 to $11.54. Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmad emphasized stable supply and low prices despite pressure to raise gas rates. In the same advisory meeting, the government approved procurement of fertilizers, including MOP from Canada and Russia, TSP and DAP from Morocco, and authorized textbook printing, ensuring steady essential supplies for the upcoming months.

BNP leader Sultan Salahuddin Tuku has criticized young students in first and second years of higher education for getting involved in administrative lobbying alongside secretaries and directors.

“The impact of this involvement will be felt in society after some time. Gradually, society is being corrupted. Many, posing as student representatives, have become entangled in corruption similar to past authoritarian governments,” Tuku said. He added that evidence of embezzlement—ranging from BDT 150 crore to 250 crore—by personal secretaries of officials has already been exposed to the public.

“If state structures are undermined at this early stage, the country’s future governance will suffer. Young people should focus on responsibilities appropriate for their age,” he emphasized.

Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Rashed Khan has alleged that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Chhatra League retaliated with repeated attacks after Daksu student leaders rejected a proposal to grant Hasina lifetime membership of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Daksu).

Writing on social media, Rashed stated that before former Daksu VP Nurul Haque Nur and ex-Social Welfare Secretary Akhtar Hossain joined the meeting, leaders of the Student Rights Council had already decided against Hasina’s lifetime membership. Nur and Akhtar later echoed the same stance. “Hasina and the Chhatra League could not tolerate this ‘insult’ and took revenge through continuous attacks,” Rashed claimed.

He added that although the 2019 Daksu election was dominated by the Chhatra League panel, the Student Rights Council won 11 posts, including VP and GS. “That election sowed the seeds of Hasina’s downfall. Our formal student politics began from there,” he said, pointing to the 2018 quota reform movement and subsequent Daksu election as pivotal moments that shaped the generation’s leadership.

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not yet seem willing to end the war in Ukraine. Macron emphasized that any peace agreement must include strong security guarantees for Kyiv. He also stressed that if negotiations fail, the U.S. and allies should increase pressure on Moscow with stricter sanctions. Macron underlined that Ukraine’s territorial decisions are solely for its people and leadership, and that the conflict’s impact extends beyond Ukraine, affecting Europe’s security and global credibility.

The Government Procurement Advisory Committee has withheld approval for the upcoming academic year’s textbook tenders for three secondary school grades, citing irregularities and corruption.

According to sources, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board’s (NCTB) recommendations for all tenders for grades six, seven, and eight for 2026 have been annulled. For sixth grade, 97 tenders covering 4.32 crore textbooks had a total procurement value of BDT 18,04 crore. Seventh grade tenders—94 in number, covering 3.9 crore books—amounted to BDT 20,02 crore, while eighth grade’s 89 tenders for 3.66 crore books totaled BDT 22,31 crore.

Altogether, recommendations worth around BDT 600 crore have been canceled. The decision comes after reports of irregularities and corruption in the tender process. Earlier reports revealed that 30% of textbooks supplied to students were of substandard quality. Due to the absence of a regular chairman, no disciplinary action had been taken against the responsible officials.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced plans to expand his country’s nuclear weapons stockpile while inspecting a naval destroyer. He accused the U.S. and South Korea of including nuclear elements in joint military drills, which Pyongyang views as invasion rehearsals. Seoul and Washington insist the exercises are defensive. South Korea’s defense ministry said live-fire drills will continue despite border tensions. Experts warn of possible North Korean retaliation, while President Lee Jae-myung urged peace and de-escalation on the peninsula.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged tougher sanctions on Russia if Vladimir Putin refuses a peace deal in Ukraine. Speaking after talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders at the White House, Macron stressed the need for a strong Ukrainian military capable of resisting aggression. He dismissed reports that Ukraine was pressured to cede territory. Macron also expressed hope that Russia and Ukraine would resume dialogue soon, with a potential trilateral summit involving Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy within weeks.

Adviser Prof. Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar urged devotees of Lord Krishna to embrace unity and self-reliance in expressing their devotion.

“Krishna was a multifaceted personality. True devotion requires self-dependence. Strengthen your own position instead of relying on others, and inner strength will naturally awaken.”

At the same event, DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md. Sajjat Ali emphasized the importance of religious harmony, noting that people of the subcontinent have celebrated festivals together for centuries.

He added that just as Zakat in Islam helps the poor, wealthy members of the Hindu community should also stand by the underprivileged.

A European Union (EU) delegation met with Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin in Dhaka on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The six-member team, led by EU Ambassador Charles Whiteley, exchanged views on the Election Commission’s plans, political climate, and measures to ensure transparency, security, and inclusivity. They also discussed an EU-funded project. Officials said the EU is holding a series of meetings, and a pre-election observer mission is expected in mid-September.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the White House meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders was “very successful,” focusing on security guarantees for Kyiv but not ground troop deployment. Trump revealed he is working to arrange a meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin after speaking with Putin by phone during the talks. Leaders from the EU, UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Finland joined the discussions aimed at ending the nearly four-year war.

BNP leader Hafiz Uddin Ahmed accused the ruling government of promoting parties with no sacrifices for the nation, including the newly formed NCP, which is still unregistered yet opposing elections.

He said such groups, along with Jamaat, are trying to derail democracy and impose a backward fundamentalist state system.

Hafiz warned that attempts to create confusion around the PR system were aimed at weakening BNP’s role in reforms:

“Only elected representatives in parliament have the authority to amend the constitution—no one else.”

He added that many fear elections in February because BNP would likely return to power.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir rejected the idea of conducting national elections under the proportional representation (PR) system, saying:

“The people of Bangladesh are not accustomed to PR. Such elections will not fully ensure their rights.”

Speaking at the airport on his return from medical treatment in Bangkok, Fakhrul said the nation demands elections, the only solution to its political and economic crises.

He also hoped the upcoming DUCSU elections would be conducted inclusively and fairly.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus paid tribute to teachers Maherin Chowdhury, Masuka Begum, and Mahfuza Khanam, who died in the Milestone fighter jet crash, calling them enduring symbols of humanity and bravery.

During a visit to meet their families in Jamuna, Yunus said:

“Though time has passed, the memory of this tragedy remains raw. We can share condolences, but we cannot erase the pain.”

The husband of Maherin Chowdhury recalled her final moments:

“She pulled children out of the burning wreckage, even as she remained unharmed. When I asked why she didn’t save herself, she replied, ‘They are also my children. How could I leave them behind?’”

Yunus remarked that listening to such stories is painful yet fills the nation with pride.