An opinion article argues that Bangladesh needs institutional political education and training to develop responsible, skilled and forward-looking leaders. It says political debate has long centred on individuals, parties and elections, while democratic stability also requires capable workers, ethical leadership and sustained preparation. The article cites former president Ziaur Rahman’s emphasis on training BNP workers and prospective leaders after the party’s establishment.

It highlights a training workshop for newly elected BNP lawmakers after the 1979 second national parliamentary election, saying the programme covered parliamentary conduct, lawmaking rules and the responsibilities of representatives. The article also says Tarique Rahman, identified as prime minister and BNP chairman, inaugurated a workshop for newly elected BNP legislators covering parliamentary practices, bills, budget documents and committee roles.

The article proposes an inclusive, neutral leadership school for young political workers, local representatives, student leaders and promising social organisers. Suggested subjects include the constitution, public finance, climate change, technology and artificial intelligence, foreign policy, human rights and disaster management. It says practical exercises could include simulated parliaments, draft budgets, public hearings and policy proposals.

A Bangladeshi columnist argues that the armed forces are a source of state strength but should not replace civilian administration. The opinion piece warns that assigning routine administrative responsibilities to the military beyond disasters, emergencies or national crises could create long-term risks. It focuses on what the author describes as growing militarisation within civil bureaucracy and maritime institutions in Bangladesh.

The writer cites a November 2 research-oriented column by Golam Sohrawardy on the militarisation of public employment in South Asia. The article also challenges the leadership structure of Maritime University, alleging that despite its maritime identity, its vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor positions have not been filled from outside the navy. The columnist rejects remarks characterising merchant-marine professionals as “boatmen” and stresses their technical training, operational responsibilities and academic qualifications.

The column further disputes claims that maritime boundary settlements constituted an unqualified historic victory for Bangladesh. It describes the settlements as arbitration in which all sides gained and conceded matters, and raises concerns about EEZ and continental-shelf “grey areas.” These are presented as potential future strategic issues if Bangladesh pursues offshore resources or develops a blue-water navy.

Potato growers and traders blocked the Rangpur-Lalmonirhat-Kurigram highway in the Nabdiganj area of Rangpur city on Thursday, demanding that cold-storage charges be fixed at Tk5 per kilogram. Hundreds of participants gathered before placing wooden logs on the road, halting traffic in both directions and causing long congestion.

Protesters said an agriculture department report put the cost of storing potatoes in cold storage at Tk3 to Tk4 per kilogram, while cold-storage owners were unwilling to charge below Tk7. They said the higher fee would deepen losses after spending heavily on potato production, transport and storage, particularly if market prices fall below production costs.

Farmer leaders including Altaf Hossain and Sarwar Ali spoke during the blockade. The protesters warned that if their demand is not accepted by Saturday, they will go to all cold storages in Rangpur on Sunday, pay Tk5 per kilogram and remove their own potatoes. They also warned of responsibility for any deterioration in law and order. The blockade was withdrawn after about two hours, and traffic resumed.

More than 2,000 concrete blocks have allegedly been removed from the Charhaizda crop-protection embankment in Dingapota Haor, Mohanganj upazila of Netrokona. Local people said the removals began during the night of August 18 in front of Korachapur village in Gaglajur union and have continued on many subsequent nights. Farmers fear the loss of blocks could weaken the embankment and endanger boro crops if early flooding or water pressure rises.

The Bangladesh Water Development Board said the permanent embankment was built in 2019 across 5.3 kilometres of highly vulnerable areas at a cost of Tk39.64 crore to protect boro crops. Its sub-assistant engineer Md Enayet Hossain filed a general diary at Mohanganj police station on August 23. Residents also said parts of the embankment had previously been cut at night, but they saw no effective action.

Police and the upazila administration said they visited the site, identified people involved and instructed them to return the blocks within two to three days. Mohanganj police warned that legal action would follow otherwise. Farmers have demanded prompt inspection and repairs of damaged sections, along with stronger monitoring to prevent further damage or theft.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar criticized the government over crime, alleged public hardships and the unresolved killings of former teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and three family members. He made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with journalists at the metropolitan Jamaat office in Rangpur city.

Porwar said 550 killings had occurred in the past six months and referred to numerous rape incidents, as well as gas, electricity and fertilizer shortages affecting ordinary people. He said the government could not avoid responsibility. Calling the killing of the four-member teacher’s family inhuman, brutal and hateful, he expressed deep disappointment that law-enforcement agencies had not yet found a clue.

He said differing statements from the district administration, police and intelligence agencies, alongside media reports, had left the motive for the killings unclear. Porwar questioned public safety, conveyed condolences to the victims’ relatives and demanded that the cause be identified immediately. He also said Jamaat would hold a long march in Rangpur on September 19. Party leaders including Abdul Halim, Momtaz and ATM Azam Khan attended.

The Bangladesh government has moved to establish another arms factory in Bhatiari, Chattogram, after Gazipur. Nearly 55 acres of land belonging to Jalil Textile Mills Limited, controlled by the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation, has been allocated to the Bangladesh Army for the project. A land transfer agreement was signed on Thursday in the presence of Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir and Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate, the initiative is intended to expand arms factory operations. The government decided to hand over the 54.99-acre Jalil Textile Mill to the army at a symbolic price after the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave in-principle approval on July 1. The BTMC chairman and the Military Estate Officer of Chattogram Eastern Circle signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

ISPR said the expansion would increase domestic production of modern weapons and ammunition, reduce foreign dependence and strengthen Bangladesh’s defence capability. The industry minister said the government wants products made in the country, including defence equipment, to be appreciated internationally. The army chief thanked the prime minister for measures taken to modernise the army and expressed hope that the continuity would continue.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will visit Turkey in November to attend the United Nations World Climate Conference, COP-31, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir said. He conveyed the information during a meeting with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Musa Kulaklikaya on the sidelines of the 23rd OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.

Representatives of Bangladesh and Turkey exchanged views on a range of regional issues and expressed readiness to work closely on matters of mutual interest. Both sides voiced satisfaction with existing bilateral cooperation and discussed their shared interest in expanding collaboration in trade, investment, diplomacy and other important areas.

The meeting emphasized the need to elevate Bangladesh-Turkey relations to a higher level. During the discussion, Humayun Kabir informed the Turkish deputy foreign minister that the Bangladeshi prime minister would travel to Turkey for the upcoming COP conference.

A Bangladeshi national was killed in a major fire and explosion at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex in Russia’s Amur region, where 15 people were reported dead. Another Bangladeshi citizen remains missing and seven people were seriously injured, according to a senior official at the Bangladesh Embassy in Moscow on Thursday.

Embassy and local sources said the incident occurred during pipeline stability testing at the gas chemical complex, which was under the supervision of China’s Sinopec Engineering Group. A pipeline burst and caught fire suddenly, followed by a severe explosion after the pipeline’s check valve burned.

The deceased Bangladeshi was identified as Zakir Hossain, whose home was in Kishoreganj. The Bangladesh Embassy in Russia said it is maintaining constant contact with local authorities to identify Bangladeshi casualties, ensure treatment for the injured and take necessary steps to rescue the missing person.

Bangladesh’s Water Resources Ministry on Thursday appointed Hasan Mahmud as project director of the Padma Barrage (First Phase) project, one day after Amar Desh reported slow progress in its implementation. Mahmud, superintendent engineer of the Feni Water Development Circle, received the assignment as an additional responsibility.

The report said more than three months had passed since Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approval, but visible progress was absent because a project director, deputy project director and required staff had not been appointed. Ministry and Finance Ministry sources said the staffing organogram had been approved, but disagreement between the Public Administration Ministry and Bangladesh Water Development Board over the project director appointment created complications and also delayed consultant recruitment.

The Tk34,500 crore, seven-year project was approved on May 13. The government says it could address water shortages, revive dying rivers, improve irrigation and protect biodiversity across 163 upazilas in 26 southwestern districts, while its proposal cites about 927,000 permanent jobs. Water experts called the barrage a national necessity amid India’s unilateral water withdrawal, while urging international-standard technical and environmental studies before implementation. The government hopes the prime minister will inaugurate construction in January-February next year.

Rangpur Metropolitan Police said two arrested suspects gave court statements describing the alleged killing of retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and three family members at their Machhuapara home in Rangpur. Police Commissioner Abdul Mabud said the suspects claimed they were seen consuming yaba on the roof after 20 August and then killed the victims by strangulation.

According to the briefing, Ganapati, his wife and daughter were allegedly killed on the roof, while 12-year-old Ayush Chakraborty was killed inside after waking up. The suspects allegedly moved bodies to less visible areas, cut an electrical wire over fears of CCTV, ransacked rooms to portray the incident as robbery, and took gold jewellery and Tk15,000.

Police said Mugdha Das was arrested at a cremation ground about three kilometres away after allegedly seeking water and shelter from caretaker Bidyut Das, who later gave a Section 164 statement in court. Postmortem reports confirmed strangulation in all four deaths, police said. Testing of the suspects’ dope and DNA samples is under way. Police said vaginal-swab tests found no evidence of rape.

Bangladesh’s women’s cricket team will seek to reach the final of the 2026 Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai, captain Nigar Sultana Joty said. The eight-team tournament starts on August 28 and runs until September 13, with all 15 matches scheduled in Dubai. Bangladesh are in Group B with defending champions Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia, and open their campaign against Indonesia on August 31.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Group A includes India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Thailand. India are among the leading favourites, having won three of five Women’s T20 Asia Cups and finished runners-up in the other two. Sri Lanka won the 2024 title after beating India and have recorded 10 wins in 13 matches this year.

Sri Lanka are expected to be Bangladesh’s toughest group opponent. They have won 13 of 16 T20 meetings between the sides, who will face each other on September 6. Joty said Bangladesh are placing greater emphasis on their preparation than statistics, citing floodlit training and matches at home to adjust to Dubai’s heat and conditions.

DUCSU General Secretary S M Farhad urged students who earned GPA-5 in SSC, Dakhil and equivalent examinations not to regard the result as life’s ultimate achievement. Speaking as chief guest at a reception for high-achieving students in Anwara, Chattogram, on Thursday at 9am, he said the result marks the beginning of preparation for higher education and future-building.

Farhad said many GPA-5 holders may not secure their desired opportunities in university admission competition, while students without GPA-5 can establish strong positions through hard work. Citing Dhaka University admissions, he noted that although many students achieve GPA-5 each year, available university seats are limited.

He described the two years after SSC as highly important, urging students to target strong intermediate results while preparing for higher education. He advised limiting time spent on mobile phones, social media and unnecessary activities, and stressed planned study, deep focus and regular effort. The Anwara Upazila Chhatra Shibir event also honoured GPA-5 recipients from SSC, Dakhil and equivalent examinations.

Actress Rakhi Sawant said she made special prayers during a spiritual visit to the holy city of Mecca, seeking protection, better education and employment opportunities for young people in her country. She also prayed for the country’s safety from people who mislead others and urged political leaders to carry out their responsibilities with honesty and dedication.

During her prayers, Sawant referred to a recent tragic incident in which three members of a family died by suicide following domestic unrest linked to a demand for an iPhone. Addressing young people, she advised them to become self-reliant and not cause hardship for their parents over expensive items or iPhones.

She called on young people to work hard, earn independently and build their own futures and lives. Speaking about her religious identity, Sawant said she was born Hindu, later became associated with Christianity and now follows Islam, while respecting all religions equally. Her Mecca visit emphasized education, honesty and children’s sense of responsibility toward their parents.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar said grassroots office-bearers must become capable of addressing internal and external organisational challenges, strengthen leadership acceptance through ethical conduct, and create effective opportunities for young people to join the organisation and its leadership. He made the remarks as chief guest at a three-day training camp for upazila and thana-level officials held from August 25 to 27 at Rangpur Boro Alia Madrasa.

Parwar urged officials to improve their knowledge and wisdom, focus on family formation, and uphold organisational discipline and sacrifice. He said candidate selection should begin for all levels of local government elections, including upazilas, municipalities and unions, alongside stronger public engagement. He also said officials should work with MPs to honour the trust Rangpur voters placed in Jamaat candidates in previous elections.

At a separate meeting with journalists in Rangpur, Parwar criticised the BNP government over the implementation of the July Charter referendum verdict and appointments of administrators. He said an 11-party alliance had carried out programmes demanding implementation of the referendum result. He announced a Dhaka-to-Chattogram long march starting September 5 and another march toward Rangpur beginning after a September 19 rally at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka.

BNP health affairs secretary Professor Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam said advanced training for radiology technologists could create extensive overseas employment opportunities and help strengthen Bangladesh’s economy through remittances. He made the remarks at the 17th National Conference and Scientific Seminar-2026, organised by the Bangladesh Association of Radiology and Imaging Technologists in the capital.

Rafiqul Islam said Bangladesh has about 12,000 radiology technologists and called for employment opportunities in both government and private sectors to meet rising healthcare needs. He said the government has planned to recruit about 100,000 health workers and urged prompt effective steps to recruit radiology technologists as well. He described skilled technologists as crucial to modernising health services.

He praised Bangladeshi technologists’ skills, saying the country’s radiology service quality has received international recognition in many cases and that Bangladeshi radiology reports have been accepted in Singapore. He also called for consideration of their demand for elevation to the 10th grade and for MSc and PhD-level education programmes. Technologists from Bangladesh and other countries attended the conference.