United Healthcare on Madani Avenue in Dhaka is conducting what the source describes as Bangladesh’s first robotic surgery. The procedure is being carried out on Monday, August 31, using the advanced Medbot Toumai Endoscopic Surgical Robot.

Professor Dr Rafiqus Saleheen and Professor Dr Shamsad Jahan, also known as Shelly, are leading the surgical effort. The report identifies them as leading surgeons and says the robot is assisting the operation.

The development is being viewed as a historic milestone for Bangladesh’s healthcare sector. The source provides no further details about the patient, the type of surgery, the outcome, or any subsequent clinical plans.

Dhaka University has suspended the ongoing form-filling process for regular, irregular and grade-improvement candidates in the 2025 fourth-year honours examinations at its seven affiliated government colleges. The decision was announced in a notice signed on Monday, August 31, by acting Controller of Examinations Professor Dr Himadri Shekhar Chakraborty, following an order by the university vice-chancellor dated August 31, 2026.

The notice halted the process that had been announced through a memorandum from the Controller of Examinations’ Office dated August 27, 2026. It did not specify how long the suspension would remain in force or when a revised schedule for students’ form filling would be issued. The notice was also sent to the principals of the seven colleges.

Professor Chakraborty said Dhaka Central University was expected to send proposals within the next one or two days. Relevant parties would then decide whether form filling would resume under Dhaka University or Dhaka Central University. He said a new notice would be issued soon. The colleges are Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Girls’ College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College.

Pakistan suffered a 194-run defeat to England in the second Test of the series at Lord’s, failing to chase a target of 389 and being bowled out for 194. Saud Shakeel scored 97, but his effort could not prevent the loss. The result put Pakistan on the verge of an unwanted Test record after 39 years.

Across 473 Tests, Pakistan now have 153 victories, 154 defeats and 166 draws. It is the first time since 1987 that Pakistan have recorded more Test losses than wins. The previous instance came in August 1987, after a draw against England at The Oval, when Pakistan had 39 wins and 40 losses.

Pakistan had remained ahead in the wins column for a long period, but disappointing performances in recent years steadily narrowed the margin. Having lost the first two Tests of the three-match series, Pakistan have already conceded the series. The final Test begins at Edgbaston on September 9, where a win would restore parity between their overall Test wins and losses.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said Bangladesh must give tobacco control the highest priority to tackle noncommunicable diseases, which account for about 71 percent of all deaths in the country. Speaking as chief guest at a seminar at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Monday afternoon, he said effective tobacco control is essential for preventing such diseases and protecting younger generations from nicotine addiction.

The minister said the government has made its highest national-budget allocation for health-sector development, but tobacco remains a major obstacle to better health. He said the tobacco control law was further amended and strengthened and passed in 2026 as part of implementing an election manifesto pledge. He also stressed more effective, coordinated and timely action in line with the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Speakers said 37.8 million people use tobacco products in Bangladesh and tobacco-related diseases cause about 200,000 premature deaths annually, or roughly 546 daily. They expressed concern that e-cigarettes were not included in the amended 2026 law and called for bans on producing, importing, marketing and selling e-cigarettes and other new nicotine products, alongside swift adoption of regulations under the law.

A Dhaka court has granted five days’ remand to each of three arrested suspects in the case over the death of primary school head teacher Ranjila Parvin near the South Plaza of the National Parliament Building. Metropolitan Magistrate Md Siddiq Azad issued the order on Monday afternoon after the suspects were produced before the court.

Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Md Jahidul Hasan Rial of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station sought 10 days’ remand to uncover the case details and identify the main perpetrators. Defence lawyers, including Amir Uddin Amir for accused Ponir, sought cancellation of remand and bail, while the prosecution argued in favour of remand.

According to the case allegation, Parvin was travelling by autorickshaw with her husband Md Abdul Matin on August 29 to see an eye doctor when motorcycle-borne snatchers pulled her handbag near Gate No. 12 on Manik Mia Avenue. She fell onto the road, sustained severe head injuries and was declared dead after being taken to two hospitals. RAB-2 arrested the suspects from different areas of Dhaka and seized a snatched smartphone, cash and a motorcycle allegedly used in the crime.

The Bangladesh Football Federation has announced a final 23-member women’s football squad for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The selection includes major changes from the squad used in the most recent SAFF tournament, with four players omitted, one player receiving a first final national-team call-up and three players returning to the group.

Arpita Biswas has been included in the final national squad for the first time. She travelled with the team for the SAFF tournament in Goa, India, last May but did not play, and the Asian Games could mark her international debut. Midfielder Munki Akter and defenders Irene Khatun and Nabiran Khatun have returned to the team.

Surma Jannat, Halima Akter, Umehlar Marma and Saurabhi Akand have been left out from the SAFF squad. Bangladesh will depart for China tonight as part of their Asian Games preparations. The team will play two warm-up matches against Guangzhou FC on September 7 and 10. The squad includes three goalkeepers, 10 defenders, five midfielders and five forwards.

The cabinet has approved Bangladesh’s long-awaited ninth pay scale for government employees at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat on Monday afternoon. The new structure will be implemented in three phases, raising salaries by between 100% and 142%. Basic pay for Grade 1 has been set at Tk156,000, while the minimum basic pay for Grade 20 will be Tk20,000.

The pay scale retains the existing 20 grades and introduces a monthly Tk3,000 allowance for employees’ children with disabilities for the first time. The cabinet also approved the Joint Services Instructions-2026 for the armed forces to align with the new salary scale. A 10-member committee, formed on April 21 and led by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, finalized the draft after reviewing recommendations from the Ninth National Pay Commission.

The commission had proposed raising minimum basic pay from Tk8,250 to Tk20,000 and maximum basic pay from Tk78,000 to Tk160,000. It estimated that implementation could require about Tk106,000 crore in additional annual funding, posing a major financing challenge for the government. The finance minister had said on June 11 that phased implementation would begin from July 1.

Germany retained the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup title by defeating Spain 1-0 in the final on Sunday night at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium. The European side became world champions for a second consecutive time, preserving its position at the top of the sport.

The final was closely contested from the start. Spain held a slight edge in attack, but Germany’s defence remained firm. The decisive moment came in the third quarter, when Michel Struthof scored in the 44th minute. His strike proved to be the only goal of the match.

Spain, known as the Redsticks, pushed hard for an equaliser after conceding and created several attacks. However, Germany’s defensive unit and goalkeeper prevented them from converting their chances. The victory lifted Germany’s total World Cup titles to four, following triumphs in 2002, 2006 and 2023, drawing them level with Pakistan as the most successful men’s Hockey World Cup team.

The government has approved the long-awaited National Pay Scale 2026 for public-sector employees, with implementation scheduled to begin on 1 July. The approval was granted at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday afternoon.

Under the new pay scale, salaries will increase by between 100% and 142%, with the plan to be implemented in three phases. The salary for Grade 1 has been set at Tk156,000, while employees in Grade 20 will receive Tk20,000.

The Finance Ministry recommended rolling out the new scale in three stages across two fiscal years. According to the recommendation, the phased implementation is intended to reduce pressure from inflation and on the budget.

Bangladesh’s government is preparing to introduce the Electronic Business Registration System, or eBRS, to digitize company registration through the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms. At a Monday meeting at the Ministry of Commerce, officials said the system aims to let entrepreneurs complete every step, from name clearance to final registration, from home. During its initial phase, the target is to complete registrations within hours after rapid official verification.

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said applicants would no longer need to visit the RJSC office, as the institution’s operations would be fully automated. The system will allow applications at any time and will pre-verify national ID, e-TIN and mobile numbers in real time to identify inaccurate or inconsistent information and help prevent fraud.

Entrepreneurs will be offered model, customized and pre-approved MOA and AOA options. BUET’s CSE department is advising on technical quality and security, while registration-module testing has been completed. Integration work with EC, BTRC and BDCCL is nearing completion. Developer Dynamic Solution Limited is scheduled to complete final transformation and handover by January 15, 2027.

Bangladesh could face a major infrastructure challenge in its internet sector as decisions on new submarine cable connections remain unresolved despite rapidly rising demand for international bandwidth. Speakers raised the concern on Monday at a workshop near Dhaka organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Association of Bangladesh on protecting digital sovereignty and meeting future bandwidth needs.

International bandwidth use rose from 50 Gbps in 2013 to nearly 13.5 Tbps in 2026, an increase of about 260 times in 13 years, participants said. Demand is projected to reach 19.1 Tbps in 2027, 54 Tbps in 2030 and 432 Tbps in 2036, driven by video streaming, cloud services, data centres, AI, online education, digital payments and industrial digitalisation.

Bangladesh currently relies mainly on two state-run cables, SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5, with capacities of 4.6 Tbps and 2.5 Tbps respectively; remaining bandwidth is imported through international terrestrial cables. Metacore Subcom CEO Mohammad Aminul Hakim said private cable connectivity could reduce internet prices by 50 percent and improve service quality. Experts said cable planning, financing and construction take years, making early decisions essential.

Mohammad Ismail Jabiyullah, adviser to the prime minister on public administration with ministerial status, has directed that Annual Development Programme projects under the Ministry of Public Administration be implemented swiftly within their scheduled timeframes. He issued the instruction on Monday while addressing a meeting reviewing July implementation progress for the ministry’s projects in the 2026-27 fiscal year. State Minister for Public Administration Mohammad Abdul Bari, MP, was present.

Jabiyullah said the physical and financial progress of ongoing projects must be reviewed regularly. Problems affecting implementation should be identified quickly and necessary action taken. He highlighted infrastructure development, capacity building for BCS cadre officers, modernization of training centres and digitization among the priorities of projects being implemented under the ministry.

He said that if a project nears the end of its approved duration and needs more time, an extension should be pursued through proper procedures. However, he said no increase in project costs would be allowed when extending a project’s duration. At the start of the meeting, Jabiyullah unveiled publications including the Organisation and Management Guidelines 2026, the first and second volumes of the O&M Manual, and Government Employees Statistics 2025.

Nazrul Year was observed across Bangladesh on Monday to introduce National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s life, work, literature and humanist ideals to younger generations. Programmes included rallies, discussion meetings, cultural events and education institution-based competitions in districts including Jamalpur, Rangpur, Barishal, Naogaon, Shariatpur and Gopalganj.

In Madarganj of Jamalpur, students joined a gathering at the upazila premises before an opening and cultural programme at Kharka Hall Room, organized by the upazila administration. In Taraganj, Rangpur, the upazila administration inaugurated an institution-based cultural competition at the upazila auditorium. In Bakerganj, Barishal, a colourful rally travelled through major roads of the municipal town before a discussion meeting and performances of Nazrul’s songs.

Sapahar in Naogaon opened a competition at the upazila parishad hall room, while Bhedarganj in Shariatpur launched its observance with a discussion featuring a keynote paper by lecturer Ashraful Alam. In Kotalipara, Gopalganj, local officials, teachers and a journalist addressed an opening programme at the upazila parishad auditorium.

National Citizens Party spokesperson Asif Mahmood Sajeeb Bhuiyan has described the Bangladesh government’s interest in joining the Mecca Pact as positive, while stressing that national interests, strategic independence and balance must guide foreign relations. He made the remarks to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday morning after returning from Saudi Arabia following Umrah.

Asif Mahmood said Bangladesh should keep its doors open to relations with all sides before entering any commercial or military agreement. He said foreign policy should avoid damaging Bangladesh’s interest-based ties with other states or regions while deepening relations with one party. He also expressed concern over the country’s oil, gas and electricity situation, saying citizens are not receiving adequate gas and power despite high prices and alleged ghost bills.

He said Saudi airline tickets, which had fallen to about $350 or Tk40,000 during the interim government, now cost Tk60,000 to Tk70,000 and sometimes Tk80,000 due to alleged syndicate manipulation. He also called for action against intermediaries and syndicates in overseas labour recruitment, saying Bangladeshi workers can face costs of up to Tk800,000 to go to Malaysia. He said the announced 11-party alliance long march would highlight public hardship.

A Dhaka court has barred Faisal Karim Masud, the main accused in the murder case of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, and his wife Shahida Parveen Samiya from travelling abroad. Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Shahjahan Kabir issued the order on Monday following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) linked to corruption allegations.

ACC public relations officer Akhtarul Islam confirmed the information. Assistant Director Md Saifur Rahman filed the application on behalf of the commission, seeking the travel restriction for the couple.

The application said an inquiry is under way into allegations of Tk127 crore in transactions through bank accounts belonging to Faisal Karim and people linked to his interests. It cited information from reliable sources that those connected to the allegations could flee abroad, making the restriction necessary for a proper inquiry. Faisal was arrested by West Bengal Police and the Special Task Force in the Bongaon border area on March 8 and has remained in prison in India since then.