Independent lawmaker Rumin Farhana told parliament on Thursday that 62,000 people had lost their jobs within six months of the BNP government taking office. Speaking under Rule 71, she questioned the government’s election pledge to create 10 million new jobs, saying more than 900 factories had closed amid energy shortages and rising fuel costs.

Farhana said people faced unreliable gas and electricity supplies, describing public complaints that services come and go without people knowing how long they will last. She said the government had listed improving law and order, controlling commodity prices and ensuring the energy sector among three priorities for its first 180 days.

She also criticised the law-and-order situation and said the home minister either mocked concerns or used rhetoric to obscure the issue. On prices, she said no vegetables were available below 80 taka, egg prices had risen several times, and rice prices, particularly miniket rice, had doubled. She referred to people standing in lines for TCB goods and questioned how long existing workers could retain their jobs.

NCP Chief Organiser Sarjis Alam accused the BNP of deceiving people over a referendum and its own 31-point programme while speaking to journalists on Thursday afternoon in Feni. He made the remarks after a district coordination meeting and political workshop at Hotel Golden Palace in Feni town. Sarjis also said the BNP government had become unpopular within six months of taking power, citing rising commodity prices, electricity and fuel shortages, nepotism and partisan practices.

Sarjis said the NCP is and will remain in the 11-party alliance, but will contest the upcoming local government elections independently. He described the polls as an important opportunity to build the party’s organisational base and improve the skills of its organisers. The party plans to nominate candidates at district, upazila, city, municipality and union levels.

He said the NCP may not win everywhere but would fight to win, adding that independent participation would not create problems within the alliance. Sarjis said the alliance maintained cordial relations and planned long marches across the country on various issues in September to seek government accountability. Joint member secretary Saleh Uddin Sifat also criticised the BNP over shortages of gas, petrol and fertiliser.

Sonamukh Smart Academy held a day-long counselling and guidance seminar for students who failed the SSC examination in Dumuria, Khulna, on Wednesday. The programme, held at the academy hallroom in Andulia, Shahpur, promoted the message that failure is not final and students can recover through planning, practice and confidence. It was organised alongside observances of Eid-e-Miladunnabi and an Islamic cultural competition.

Professor Hafizur Rahman chaired the event, while academy founder A. M. Kamrul Islam, principal Husain Ahmed, teachers and other speakers addressed participants. Speakers said a single examination result does not determine a student’s entire life. They urged students to identify the causes of failure and move forward with regular study, practice and appropriate guidance.

Speakers noted that many students failed English first and second papers this year and stressed regular study, practice and advice from skilled teachers to address weaknesses. The academy announced that from September 1 it would provide special support in different subjects by appointing skilled teachers for students in the area. Participants received prizes, and each unsuccessful SSC student was given the book “Tumio Jitbe.”

Bangladesh’s parliament saw intense unrest after Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed responded to a question from Patuakhali-2 lawmaker Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud about law and order and arrests of opposition activists. Ahmed said, “Giving speeches at Shahbagh Square and speaking in parliament are not the same.” The comment prompted anger and strong protests among opposition members. The third session of the 13th National Parliament began at 3pm on Thursday under the chairmanship of Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

Masud said daylight robberies involving weapons and attacks on parliament members elected by the people were concerning. He alleged that, despite opposition lawmakers filing cases after attacks, actual suspects were not being arrested. Instead, he claimed, opposition leaders and activists were being arrested in false and fabricated cases. He asked the home minister about specific measures.

As the disorder escalated, the Speaker repeatedly urged members to remain calm and hear the minister’s response. The Speaker asked opposition members to show patience, said they had ample opportunities to speak in parliament, and stated that they could criticize the government freely. Members were asked to return to their seats, listen to the full answer, and speak later if necessary.

Germany has recorded an estimated 15,800 deaths linked to high temperatures this year, a figure significantly higher than in any of the past 10 years, according to the Berlin-based Robert Koch Institute. The national public health agency released the estimate on Thursday in its latest weekly report covering the period from April 6 to August 16.

The institute linked about 9,600 deaths to an intense heatwave in late June and roughly 4,000 deaths to unusually high temperatures during the first two weeks of August. It said the current estimate is comparatively conservative, meaning the actual number of heat-related deaths this year could be higher.

Heat exposure can directly cause death in cases such as heatstroke, RKI said, but in most cases it combines with pre-existing health conditions. Medical director Uwe Janssens said many such deaths are not recorded as heat-related because death certificates may cite causes such as organ failure. More than half of the deaths, about 7,960, involved people aged 85 or older. Women accounted for more deaths than men, partly because women outnumber men among older people.

Dhaka University honored 62 teachers and researchers whose Google Scholar profiles have received 2,000 or more citations, recognizing their research contributions and role in raising the university’s international visibility. The awards were presented on Thursday at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A B M Obaidul Islam attended the event as chief guest.

The ceremony was chaired by Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education Professor Dr Abdus Salam, while Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Administration Professor Dr Mohammad Al-Mojadded Al-Felchani and Treasurer Professor Dr M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury spoke as special guests. Honorees represented a wide range of disciplines, including science, engineering, health, social sciences, business, computing and fine arts. Professor Dr Md Anwarul Islam delivered introductory remarks and presented on the importance of citations in assessing research quality and international acceptance.

The vice-chancellor congratulated the recipients and called for a stronger researcher role in developing the university into a research-oriented institution and improving its international ranking. He said work is under way on a 20-year academic development plan, alongside proposed funds of Tk1,000 crore each for research and student welfare. He also highlighted efforts to strengthen industry-academia links, alumni networking and international research collaboration.

Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah questioned Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed in parliament over whether he had restored law and order during the past six months. The exchange took place on Thursday afternoon, the opening day of the third session of the 13th National Parliament, during supplementary questions. Abdullah also asked whether the minister had played a sufficient role in establishing the rule of law and whether he had failed.

Abdullah said music events and boat races had been stopped in Brahmanbaria, despite the minister previously describing it as a cultural district. He said music performances and film screenings in the district were nearly halted, and cited figures on killings and injuries. Salahuddin replied that he could not tell whether the remarks were a question or a speech at Paltan, and said he did not know the basis for the statistics presented.

The minister said law and order had improved since the current government took office, claiming suspects in crimes were brought under the law within 24 to 48 hours. He cited the recent four killings in Rangpur among cases in which police and other forces quickly arrested accused persons. He said specific allegations could be debated in parliament with notice.

Recruitment agency associations from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar have raised concerns over Malaysia’s foreign worker recruitment system and called for equal opportunity, transparency and fair competition for all legally licensed agencies. The groups issued a joint statement on Thursday, urging Malaysia and relevant stakeholders to review the FWCMS recruitment system.

The statement was signed by representatives of Nepal’s Association of Foreign Employment Agencies, Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Association and Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association. They said they support digitalisation, transparency, efficiency and responsible recruitment, but warned that no digital platform or system should enable syndication, monopoly or exclusive control over migrant worker recruitment.

The associations said thousands of agencies in sending countries are properly licensed and deserve equal, transparent and non-discriminatory access to legal recruitment. They warned that preferential access for a limited number of agencies could weaken fair competition, transparency and ethical recruitment, while potentially increasing costs and limiting choices for employers and migrant workers. They listed four demands, including open competitive distribution of recruitment opportunities and prioritising migrant workers’ rights and welfare. On August 21, FWCMS published a list of 25 agencies for recruiting workers from Bangladesh to Malaysia.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said there is no clear evidence that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear facilities after US and Israeli attacks. Grossi made the remarks in an interview with the Argentine newspaper Clarin, according to Al Jazeera.

He said Iran’s nuclear facilities were severely damaged and that it could not be ruled out that some infrastructure reconstruction had begun. However, he said there was no clear evidence indicating that rebuilding was underway, leaving the matter a major unresolved issue.

Grossi said discussions over Tehran’s nuclear programme have stalled because of the war. He added that Iran’s roughly 440 kilograms, or 972 pounds, of highly enriched uranium remains where it was during last year’s 12-day war. The UN nuclear watchdog chief said the agency was ready and hoped to resume its work there as soon as possible.

National Parliament Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said he is somewhat concerned about the future of parliament, warning that continued violations of rules could prevent it from lasting long. He made the remarks at the opening of the third session of the 13th National Parliament on Thursday at 3pm, which he chaired.

The speaker said the tendency among members to obstruct one another while speaking during proceedings is not a good sign for parliament. He called for discipline and said democracy had been achieved after considerable hardship. According to him, every member of parliament has a responsibility to ensure that democracy remains in place.

Ahmed urged lawmakers to read the Rules of Procedure. He said that when the speaker instructs every member to sit in their assigned seats, disregarding or violating that rule and convention would mean parliament would not continue for long. He called on all members to follow the rules and thanked them.

President appointed Justice Md. Habibul Gani, a serving judge of the Supreme Court’s High Court Division, as a judge of the Appellate Division. The appointment was made under Article 95(1) of the Constitution, according to a notification issued Thursday by the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.

The notification said the appointment of Justice Md. Habibul Gani will take effect from the date of his oath-taking. He had been carrying out his duties as a judge of the High Court Division before being named to the Appellate Division.

With his appointment, the number of judges in the Appellate Division, including the chief justice, has risen to five. The source did not provide the date or venue for his oath-taking.

Basanta Raj Adhikari, director of Tribhuvan University’s Center for Disaster Studies in Nepal, has warned that second and third waves of flooding could strike today or tomorrow. He said the situation’s course remains uncertain and that researchers do not yet know how events will develop.

Adhikari said discussions are continuing with colleagues monitoring conditions in China. While there has not been heavy rainfall, he said landslides could occur. His team has been monitoring natural hazards in the Himalayan region for a long time.

The disaster studies director said climate change is genuinely occurring in the region. He added that researchers had been watching the situation, but could not determine the specific day on which such an event would happen.

Rescue teams in Nepal are facing major challenges after a devastating flash flood left people trapped under debris and stranded in remote areas. Many roads and bridges were destroyed, making overland access to affected communities difficult and forcing rescuers to rely on helicopters. Local survivor Janak Bahadur told Reuters that the floodwater arrived suddenly, “exploding like a bomb.”

Bahadur said the river had appeared small from a distance before water levels suddenly rose and the current swept through the entire area. Another flood victim said the loss of road connections had become the biggest problem. Debris has prevented access to many locations, leaving authorities unable to confirm how many people remain stranded or buried beneath rubble.

The powerful floodwaters damaged homes, roads, bridges and other structures across remote affected areas. Rescue workers said restoring communications and transport links, while delivering food, water and emergency assistance, is now urgent. They are also working against time to find anyone who may still be alive under the debris.

Bangladesh recorded 868 new dengue patients admitted to hospitals in the 24 hours from Wednesday 8am to Thursday 8am, with no deaths reported during the period. The figures were released on Thursday by the Health Directorate’s Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room in a dengue-related press statement.

Khulna reported the highest number of admissions, at 205, followed by Dhaka division outside the city corporations with 150. Barishal recorded 110 admissions, Chattogram 109, Dhaka South City Corporation 98, Rajshahi 73, Dhaka North City Corporation 68, Mymensingh 38 and Rangpur 17. During the same period, 865 dengue patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery.

In the first 27 days of the current month, 16,938 people have been infected and 34 have died. Since January, total dengue infections this year have reached 32,248 and deaths have totaled 88. Of those deaths, two occurred in January, two in February, one in May, 13 in June and 36 in July. Men account for 61.8 percent of reported patients and women for 38.2 percent.

Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin said preparations for local elections have been completed, with Union Parishad polls set to be held first. Speaking to journalists at the Election Building in Agargaon, the capital, on Thursday, he said the first phase will cover 371 unions.

The chief election commissioner said election preparations are planned for September, followed by the announcement of the schedule in November. Voting for the first phase is expected to take place in December.

Nasir Uddin also said the Election Commission will hold a meeting with the Local Government Ministry next week to discuss financial matters related to the elections. No further details on the voting timetable or the financial discussions were provided.