The Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition by Sukaina Rizvi, a minor Class 11 student at Tagore Public School in Atarsuiya, Prayagraj, seeking permission to wear a hijab with her school uniform. A division bench of Justice J. J. Munir and Justice Indrajeet Shukla ruled that the petitioner had not provided sufficient facts or legal grounds to establish hijab as a mandatory or essential Islamic religious practice.

Rizvi told the court that she had worn a hijab since childhood and had previously been allowed to wear it with her uniform while studying in Classes 6 to 10 at the same school. She argued that denial of permission violated Articles 14 and 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. The court said protection under Article 25 could not be claimed merely through oral assertions without adequate factual and legal support.

The bench emphasized that a neutral, universal and non-discriminatory school dress code could be enforced to maintain discipline and institutional identity. It said uniforms support equality among students and a religiously neutral environment. The school argued that an exemption could disrupt administrative discipline, adding that other Muslim female students followed the prescribed dress code.

Opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Dr Shafiqur Rahman said assigning BNP members from reserved women’s seats additional responsibilities in opposition constituencies is completely unconstitutional. He made the remarks to journalists on Tuesday night after visiting the central office of the National Citizen Party, or NCP.

Rahman said the constitution contains no provision allowing members elected to reserved women’s seats to be given such additional responsibilities in opposition constituencies. He said there had also been no such practice in Bangladesh’s parliamentary democracy in the past. According to him, ministers have offered differing explanations when questioned about the appointments, making the government’s position less clear.

He also said the 50 women members from reserved seats were facing discriminatory treatment. While some allocation or funding arrangements were made after strong criticism in parliament, he described them as inadequate and said allocations should be equal for everyone. Rahman said a strong opposition is essential to a successful democratic state and that the current government bears the main responsibility for maintaining social stability.

The High Court has ordered authorities to dispose of an application seeking an inquiry into businessman and former Eastern Bank chairman Shawkat Ali Chowdhury within 30 days. The order was issued on Tuesday by a High Court bench led by Justice Fahmida Kader over allegations involving the laundering of $25 million to the United Kingdom.

The court also issued a rule asking why legal action should not be taken against the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit for its alleged failure to recover the money from the United Kingdom. The writ petition named the Anti-Corruption Commission and its chairman, the BFIU chief, the National Board of Revenue and the Bangladesh Bank governor as respondents.

According to the petition, the UK National Crime Agency found $25 million in Shawkat Ali Chowdhury’s name while investigating assets allegedly laundered by former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury. UK authorities reportedly sought a freezing order or mutual legal assistance request within four weeks, but the petition alleged no action was taken. It said the funds were later moved to the United Arab Emirates and were declared as undisclosed foreign assets in a tax return.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami held a meeting at its central office to prepare for a Dhaka-Chattogram long march scheduled for September 5. The party said the meeting focused on ensuring that the programme is conducted peacefully, orderly and without disruption. Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, convener of the long march implementation committee, presided over the gathering.

Leaders and representatives from areas along the route attended, including Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Cumilla, Feni and Chattogram. The 11-party alliance plans to stage the march around six demands, including implementation of the referendum verdict, trial of the July killings, resolving shortages of electricity, fuel, gas and fertilizer, curbing rising prices of essential goods, improving law and order, and ending narrow partisan control across the administration.

The programme includes a rally at Shapla Chattar, a human chain from Shapla to Laldighi, roadside meetings in Narayanganj, Cumilla, Feni and Mirsarai, and a final rally at Laldighi. Organisers were instructed to hold preparation meetings, conduct public outreach, distribute leaflets, contact the administration and coordinate with local alliance leaders.

A Dhaka metropolitan sessions court has rejected the bail petition of actor Ashraful Haque Don, who was arrested in the Salman Shah murder case. The order was issued on Tuesday by the court of 11th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Nurul Islam. Don’s lawyer, Tarikul Islam Jewel, sought bail, but the court dismissed the application, according to bench assistant Faruk Dewan.

This was Don’s second unsuccessful bail bid. A Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court had also denied him bail on August 12, and he has remained in custody since his arrest. Immigration police arrested Don at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the early hours of August 9, later handing him to the CID before he was sent to jail through a court order.

CID inspector Md Mujibur Rahman has sought seven days of remand for Don, with a hearing scheduled for August 27. Investigators cited the need to uncover the case’s facts, identify and arrest other associates or relevant people, and examine Don’s reported attempt to travel abroad. The investigation report in the murder case is due on August 30.

The government has decided to introduce gas rationing at CNG stations to address an intensifying energy shortage and sustain industrial and commercial production in Bangladesh. The decision was made at a second consultation meeting with private-sector entrepreneurs chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Entrepreneurs will also be allowed to transport gas from Bhola gas fields to their factories by truck under their own arrangements, subject to required approvals.

Bangladesh Bank and the Energy and Mineral Resources Division have been assigned to implement time-based allocation of gas supplied through CNG stations for industrial and commercial purposes. The government expects gas saved through limits or temporary closures at CNG stations to be redirected to factories and power generation. The source says industrial output has been disrupted, while transport operators have faced long waits at filling stations and households have experienced unreliable gas stoves.

Business leaders welcomed the measures as potentially helpful, while calling for broader solutions. DCCI President Taskin Ahmed urged diversified LNG sources, stronger storage capacity and faster domestic exploration. BGMEA proposed prioritising gas connections for garments and textiles and shifting gas from gas-fired power plants to oil-fired plants for industrial use.

Israeli forces entered a facility operated by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in the Qalandiya area of the occupied West Bank and raised an Israeli flag there. The training center, which had operated for more than 70 years, has now been closed. It previously provided technical training each year to more than 300 Palestinians from different parts of the occupied West Bank.

UNRWA said Israeli forces entered the site without its permission or consent. Israel said it plans to establish a new educational center and community complex at the location. Palestinians said they view the move as part of a broader Israeli campaign against them.

Protests were held against the operation, during which Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at Palestinians. A Palestinian teenager was wounded by gunfire amid the clashes. Israeli forces had previously entered the UNRWA facility in February last year and ordered it to be vacated. UNRWA, founded in 1949, provides various forms of assistance to about six million Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Dhaka North branch honored more than 400 students who achieved GPA-5 in this year’s SSC, Dakhil and equivalent examinations. The ceremony was held on Tuesday morning at Al-Falah auditorium in Moghbazar, Dhaka, where guests presented the students with commemorative crests and gifts.

Speaking as chief guest, the organization’s central president Nurul Islam Saddam said it aimed to build a welfare-oriented, justice-based Bangladesh with young people. He urged high-achieving students to contribute their talent, youth and energy to that goal. He also said success requires perseverance, advising students to make their highest effort consistently for at least two years and not be discouraged by others’ achievements.

Central publication secretary Amirul Islam told students not to become arrogant because of success and to remain humble and responsible toward parents, teachers and society. Central publicity secretary and DUCSU general secretary SM Farhad said Chhatra Shibir encourages students to become highly skilled and qualified in their respective fields through its syllabus, programmes and training activities. Dhaka North president Saiful Islam Sayem chaired the event.

Gold smuggling through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka continues despite seizures and intensified surveillance, according to customs, police and intelligence-linked accounts cited in the report. From 2021 to 2026, more than 100 operations seized nearly 2,000 kilograms of gold, valued at about Tk5,000 crore. Authorities recorded large consignments concealed in aircraft compartments, cargo and fruit crates, while alleged ringleaders remain beyond reach.

Dhaka Custom House data show 697 kilograms were seized in 2021-22, followed by 554 kilograms in 2022-23 and 417 kilograms in 2023-24. Airport police registered 541 gold-smuggling cases over the past five years. Intelligence sources said the networks use more than 50 concealment methods and may involve passengers as well as aviation-related workers. An aviation expert said coordinated support within airport operations was likely needed for repeated large shipments.

Three major consignments were seized this year, including 17.901 kilograms from a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight on March 28 and 18.720 kilograms on July 2. Customs and airport officials said surveillance and operations will continue, while police said they are working to identify the principal figures, particularly on the Dubai route.

Israeli forces raided a training centre run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, in occupied East Jerusalem. Staff members were ordered out of the facility, and an Israeli flag was later raised in its compound. Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, welcomed the operation and expressed satisfaction after the raid and flag-raising.

UNRWA said the action was a direct violation of international law. International law experts were also cited as viewing the incident in the same way. The entry of Israeli forces into a facility operated by a United Nations agency and the removal of its staff have been described as serious, raising legal questions over interference with UN agency operations.

UNRWA provides education, healthcare and other humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees. The raid on its premises and the raising of the Israeli flag have generated renewed concern, according to the source. Ben-Gvir, described as a hardline politician known for his strict stance toward Palestinians, publicly supported the operation, which the report presents as reflecting that position.

The Bangladeshi government has formally announced that a draft agreement to purchase Chinese J-10CE multirole fighter jets has been finalized. Prime Minister’s Strategic Adviser Dr. Jahed Ur Rahman made the announcement at a Tuesday weekly briefing for journalists at the Secretariat. He said Bangladesh was now making an independent decision on the matter, describing such a move as unimaginable before August 5, 2024.

Ur Rahman cited the aircraft’s reported performance in the recent short India-Pakistan conflict, saying the J-10 received broad praise after Pakistan used the Chinese-made fighter and an Indian French-made Rafale was brought down. He said Bangladesh was giving serious consideration to the advanced aircraft based on its demonstrated performance in real combat conditions.

The report said discussions on buying fighter aircraft took place during former caretaker government chief adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s visit to China, followed by expert-level talks between the two countries. Diplomatic sources said India has reservations about the proposed purchase, while a diplomatic source in Dhaka said the United States had no concern over it.

Rajbari District Detective Branch police arrested two women Union Parishad members with 30 yaba tablets in Pangsha. The arrests were made during an operation in the Pangsha Model Police Station area, at around 10:30pm on Tuesday, according to DB police officer-in-charge Md Mofizul Islam. The women are reserved-seat members of Majhbari Union in Kalukhali upazila.

The detainees were identified as Mosa Hamida Khatun, 47, wife of Abdul Mannan Mondal of Mohanpur and representative for wards 1, 2 and 3, and Sajeda Begum, 40, wife of Kadar Ali Mondal of Char Kultia and representative for wards 7, 8 and 9. Police said they were arrested from the paved road in front of Wood World Furniture on College Road in Pangsha municipality.

Majhbari Union Parishad chairman Kazi Shariful Islam said he had heard that two women members of his council had been arrested with yaba. However, he said the administration had not yet officially informed him about the matter.

Bangladesh’s Padma Barrage project has shown no visible progress more than three months after approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council on 13 May, according to the report. The government has yet to appoint a project director, deputy project director and other required staff, despite allocating funds under the annual development programme. The project, approved at an estimated cost of Tk34,500 crore, is expected to take seven years to implement.

Officials said an approved 120-person staffing structure has not resolved disagreements between public administration officials and Bangladesh Water Development Board engineers over appointments, particularly the project director post. The board had proposed 460 positions, but the inter-ministerial meeting approved 73 deputed positions, including the project director, and 47 outsourced posts. Consultant recruitment for environmentally and economically sustainable implementation also remains pending.

The proposal says the barrage could store 2.90 billion cubic metres of water within 10 to 15 days near the end of monsoon and supply water for irrigation. It envisages work across 163 upazilas in 26 districts, reviving five dying rivers and creating 927,000 permanent jobs directly or indirectly. Water resources officials said they hope visible construction work will begin in January or February next year.

An opinion article warns that misinformation and rumours have become a serious social problem in Bangladesh and worldwide in the digital era. It says smartphones and social media enable news to travel instantly, but also make it harder for people to distinguish verified information from false claims. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok and WhatsApp are identified as channels that can spread unverified content rapidly.

The article says rumours have contributed to tragic incidents in Bangladesh, including mob attacks based on child-abduction suspicions. It cites the 2019 killing of Taslima Begum Renu in North Badda of the capital after a child-abduction rumour. It also says religiously provocative rumours have led to communal violence, while false health information has put lives at risk. Some people spread rumours for political, religious or business interests, while others seek online engagement.

The writer calls for stronger fact-checking systems, media literacy in schools and training for parents and older people. Media outlets should maintain dedicated verification teams, while platforms should coordinate with authorities to identify and remove false information. Citizens should verify sources before sharing, and the state should provide timely, reliable information to prevent information gaps from being filled by rumours.

Former South Africa batter AB de Villiers says Bangladesh can put up a competitive fight during its South Africa tour beginning in November. Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side is scheduled to play two Tests, three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals after drawing the Australia series 1-1 with a Darwin Test win. The first Test is set to begin in Johannesburg on November 15.

Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, 360, de Villiers said South Africa is among the toughest places for batters because the ball swings, seams and moves after pitching. He advised Bangladesh’s batters to be active and adaptable in seaming conditions, citing options such as advancing down the crease, covering the stumps or standing outside them depending on conditions.

De Villiers said players need not completely change their batting methods or suddenly employ unusual shots, but should make small adjustments that force bowlers to alter their plans. He declined a viewer’s request to become Bangladesh’s batting coach, citing family and other commitments, though he said short consulting or pre-season work could be possible. Bangladesh have lost all eight Tests in South Africa and won two of 12 ODIs there.