To facilitate travel for students appearing in the 47th BCS examinations tomorrow, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University has arranged a special bus service.

On Friday, buses will depart from the university campus starting at 7:30 AM for Mymensingh city. After the exams, students will be brought back to campus. Transport administrator Prof. Dr. Ahmed Shakil Hasmi said the buses will head towards Mymensingh Town Hall exam center and stop at designated points along the way for students to board.

As the exam day coincides with Friday prayers, buses will halt near mosques for students to offer prayers before resuming their journey. The initiative has been warmly welcomed by students.

The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) has announced its panel for the upcoming Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) elections. Sajjad Hossain Hridoy has been nominated as the candidate for Vice President (VP), while Shafayat Hossain will contest for General Secretary (GS).

The panel was declared by JCD’s central general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir. The 26-member team includes Ayubur Rahman Taufiq for Assistant General Secretary (AGS), Azharul Islam Dipshnab for Sports Secretary, Joy Barua as Assistant Sports Secretary, and Md. Mozammel Haque Hridoy as Literature, Culture, and Publication Secretary, among others.

Other notable nominations include Nuzhat Jahan as Women’s Affairs Secretary, Md. Wazayer Hossain for Science and Technology Secretary, and Shahriar Limon for Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary. In addition, five candidates will contest for member positions.

BNP standing committee member Abdul Moin Khan stated that mutual trust and respect among political parties are essential for successful reform.

He cautioned against rigid, traditional approaches, warning that clinging to them could lead to disasters like the events of August 5. Moin urged open-minded dialogue, alongside greater use of technology for national security, energy, food supply, media, and social platforms.

On elections, he noted: “All parties agree on one thing—elections must be fair. Whoever the people vote for, they should win. There should be no dispute about this.”

BNP leader Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury declared that the party is committed to political stability, warning that any attempt to destabilize the country will incur “political compensation.”

Speaking after visiting injured leader Nurul Haque Nur, Khasru said the absence of an elected government has removed accountability, as seen in Nur’s case. He added that while differences in political demands are natural, all parties must ultimately engage with the people.

Continuing his testimony in the crimes against humanity case, July uprising leader Nahid Islam directly accused Sheikh Hasina, the former home minister, and top law enforcement officials of bearing responsibility for the July killings.

Nahid told the tribunal that the Hasina administration pressured detained leaders to call off protests and suppressed media coverage from July 16 onward. He demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible.

Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary of civil society group SUJAN, stressed that corruption must be eliminated from politics and elections if Bangladesh’s democratic process is to be restored.

He noted that despite adequate legal frameworks, corruption tainted the past three elections. “If corruption persists in the coming election, democracy cannot be strengthened,” he warned, adding that unethical practices in politics threaten state stability.

In a high-profile crimes against humanity case, political leader Nahid Islam appeared for a second day of testimony against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and two others.

Nahid, the final witness for the prosecution, earlier described alleged repression of students during the July uprising. On Thursday, he continued detailing events before the tribunal, which had heard his hour-and-a-half-long testimony the previous day.

Meanwhile, the tribunal is set to deliver a ruling today on whether charges will be framed against former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman and four others in a separate murder case.

BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman emphasized that the party has consistently modernized itself to meet the demands of time and contemporary challenges.

Speaking on the party’s 31-point program, he said BNP’s policies are built on commitments to education, healthcare, youth employment, climate change, and digital innovation. Ahead of the national election, he stressed the importance of winning every voter’s trust, noting that the party is reaching out across all social classes and professions.

Rahman revealed that over 7,000 members have faced organizational action following complaints, part of efforts to rebuild public trust—especially among the youth, who seek participatory politics rather than a mere “game of power.”

He invoked the legacy of Ziaur Rahman’s multi-party democracy and Khaleda Zia’s uncompromising struggle against autocracy, urging unity, discipline, and commitment to public service.

Police detained Kabir Hossain Patwari, the recently suspended Divisional Forest Officer of Barishal, on Wednesday night amid allegations of contracting 17 marriages.

Authorities say Kabir attempted to leave Barishal under cover of darkness but was intercepted by locals, including contractors, who accused him of borrowing large sums of money without repayment. A scuffle broke out at the scene before police intervened and took him into custody.

Police stated the move was made to prevent unrest and that the complaints against Kabir will be investigated further.

A special drive by the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) in Banani led to the seizure of 15 kilograms of shisha from two popular lounges on Wednesday evening.

The raid, which began around 7:30 PM, simultaneously targeted Al Gecino and Habana Shisha Bar. Officials recovered 10.5 kg of shisha, 10 packs of coal, and various smoking paraphernalia from Al Gecino, while 4.5 kg of shisha was seized from Habana.

Two individuals—Miraz and Rizvi—were detained from Habana during the operation, according to DNC sources.

A deadly shooting in Pennsylvania’s York County left three police officers dead and two others critically injured on Wednesday. The gunman was also killed in return fire from law enforcement.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. local time near a school in the small town of Spring Grove, about 100 miles east of Philadelphia. Authorities said the assailant opened fire indiscriminately at police officers, killing three on the spot.

Police quickly returned fire, neutralizing the attacker. The injured were airlifted to a hospital by helicopter.

Pennsylvania’s governor assured residents that the town of 2,500 people faces no immediate threat, while investigations into the motive and details of the attack are ongoing.

A total of 176 Bangladeshi nationals have been repatriated from Libya’s Tajoura Detention Center with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

They are expected to arrive at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on September 18 via Buraq Airlines.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Libya, Major General Abul Hasnat Muhammad Khairul Bashar, along with embassy officials, bid them farewell at the Libyan Immigration Department’s reception center. He urged migrants to avoid illegal migration routes, warning that such attempts lead not only to financial and physical harm but also cause suffering for families and society at large.

Bangladesh’s foreign currency reserves have once again crossed the $31 billion mark, according to central bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan.

As of Wednesday, gross reserves stand at $31 billion, up from $30.59 billion earlier. Under the BPM6 calculation method, reserves rose to $26.08 billion from $25.75 billion. Sources confirmed that net reserves now exceed $21 billion, though the exact figure remains unpublished.

The reserves had dipped to $30.3 billion on September 7 after Bangladesh Bank settled $1.5 billion in import payments through the Asian Clearing Union.

GOP leader Rashed Khan has demanded that the Awami League, Jatiya Party, and the 14-party alliance be barred from contesting elections until ongoing trials against them are concluded.

Speaking at a press conference, he said, “Their organizational activities must be suspended. If the court later permits them to pursue different politics, we will not object.”

He further alleged that a section of the government is deliberately blocking treatment abroad for ailing leader Nur, fearing it would harm the image of the army and police. Rashed warned, “If the interim government cannot protect the heroes of the mass uprising, and if a 1/11-style situation returns, no one will be safe.”

Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a defense pact under which an attack on either country will be considered an act of aggression against both.

The agreement was signed in Riyadh by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A joint statement described the pact as a reflection of both nations’ shared commitment to enhancing security and promoting peace in the region and beyond.

According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the two leaders also discussed strengthening strategic cooperation across various sectors, as well as regional and international developments.