Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, has claimed it shot down a United States MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian news agencies Fars and Mehr reported the claim, citing an IRGC statement that said Iran’s air-defence system detected the long-range US drone in the sky over the strategic waterway and brought it down.

According to the IRGC statement, the air-defence system intercepted what it described as a long-range American MQ-9 drone after identifying its presence above the Strait of Hormuz. The statement said the drone later fell into the Gulf. The source does not include confirmation of the claim from US authorities or independent verification of the reported incident.

The claim comes as military tensions between Iran and the United States have risen again. The source says both sides have been carrying out attacks against each other after a comparatively calm period of about a month. Iran said its air-defence forces acted after detecting the US drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

Police arrested four people, including three BNP leaders and a Chhatra Dal leader, in Pirojpur over allegations of demanding extortion money from a contractor working on a power substation project. The detainees include former Kadamtala Union chairman and union BNP president Abdus Salam Sheikh, union Sramik Dal general secretary Raju Sheikh, former president Ashraful, and union Chhatra Dal president Hasib Sheikh.

Pirojpur Sadar police said Salam Sheikh was arrested in Dhaka with assistance from Rapid Action Battalion-10, while the other three were detained from different areas of Pirojpur and handed over to police. Pirojpur Sadar police station officer-in-charge Shariful Islam confirmed the arrests in connection with an extortion case.

According to the case statement, contractor Zakir Hossain began sand-filling work at the under-construction substation in Kadamtala village on August 13. He alleged that Salam Sheikh pressured him to take him as a partner and later demanded one taka for each cubic foot of sand. The complaint says that after Zakir refused, Salam and associates broke about one kilometre of sand-filling pipeline, causing an estimated loss of Tk150,000. The case names six accused and four or five unidentified people.

At least eight people died after a passenger ferry sank off the coast of Kyrenia in northern Cyprus. The ferry was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it overturned after water entered the vessel during bad weather, authorities said.

Authorities said two large waves struck the ferry in succession, allowing water to enter before it capsized. About 100 people have been rescued and brought ashore, while many passengers remain missing.

Turkey and northern Cyprus have launched a joint search operation using vessels and helicopters to find the missing people. The ferry captain and seven crew members have been detained as an investigation into the cause of the accident proceeds. Authorities said action would be taken against those responsible if any negligence is found.

Farmers in Shobhan area of Faridganj upazila, Chandpur, are turning discarded water hyacinth from the Dakatia River into floating beds for chemical-free vegetable cultivation. The practice has become an income source while supplying consumers with safer vegetables. Farmers grow 15 to 17 varieties, including bottle gourd, pumpkin and red amaranth, and later use the remaining beds as organic fertilizer.

Farmer Sahid Talukdar began experimenting with the method after seeing floating-bed seedlings brought from Barishal by a plant seller three decades ago. More than 100 farmers in Shobhan village now follow the approach, while trainees and farmers from other districts and upazilas visit Faridganj to observe it. Talukdar said he made 60 floating beds this year at a cost of about Tk350,000 and expects earnings of around Tk1 million.

Farmer Abu Taher said creating a one-decimal bed costs about Tk5,000 and can generate Tk10,000 to Tk12,000. Faridganj agriculture officer Kallol Kishore Sarkar said the department has arranged 28 demonstrations and that expanded training and technical support could raise production several times.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran does not want war but will not remain silent in the face of any aggression. He made the remarks while travelling to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to attend a summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states, following a US attack on Iran's Larak Island.

According to Iran's Fars news agency, Pezeshkian said any party attacking Iran would receive a “final response.” He said Iran would never sit still before aggression. He also said instability and unrest in the region serve no country's interests and would create challenges for everyone.

The US Central Command said it conducted a “limited and precise” operation against an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mine-laying force, citing an “imminent threat” in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran described the attack as an act of aggression. The strike has renewed tensions in the Middle East, while Pezeshkian's comments combined stated opposition to war with a firm warning of retaliation if Iran is attacked.

A World Bank report published this year says Bangladesh’s primary education system remains fragile despite its large scale and progress in access and gender equality. The report found that 51 percent of 10-year-old children cannot read and understand age-appropriate basic Bangla and English texts, while also failing to attain grade-appropriate mathematics skills. Bangladesh has 20,183,048 students from pre-primary through grade five.

The report cited weak teaching, gaps in school leadership, inadequate infrastructure, climate-related disruptions and low funding as key factors behind learning deficits. Annual Primary School Statistics 2024 recorded more than 20 million children in 118,607 institutions, including 10,617,962 pupils in 65,567 government schools. Of 65,553 head-teacher posts, 27,734 are vacant, with assistant teachers serving in acting roles.

Teacher association leader Khairun Nahar Lipi disputed the report’s broad portrayal, saying primary education has improved despite challenges. The government has started recruitment for 32,000 head teachers. A proposed World Bank-financed PEDP-5 project worth Tk 417.61 billion awaits approval, covering teacher training, classrooms, WASH blocks and other targets.

US President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated video on his Truth Social account depicting an aerial bombing of Iran’s Kharg Island, a major oil port. The video shows explosions involving an oil storage tank and an oil tanker. Trump accompanied the post with a message saying Kharg Island was being crushed.

The footage does not show a real attack, according to the source, but an AI-created depiction. Before the war, most of Iran’s oil exports were handled through Kharg Island, making it a highly important center for the country’s economy.

Trump has threatened to seize or destroy Kharg Island since the war began and has previously referred to the possibility of taking control of or destroying it. The new AI video presents an imagined scenario of a possible attack and again highlights US military threats concerning the key oil facility.

Local BNP leaders were accused of attempting to take control of a newly emerged river char in the Meghna River at Char Ramani Mohan Union of Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila on Sunday morning. Farmers resisted the effort, and the group ultimately left without gaining control, according to the report. Union BNP president Abdul Kader, along with BNP members Md Ripon and Md Milon, reportedly travelled from Majuchowdhury Hat in two trawlers with supporters.

Farmers said they had cleared weeds and made the river chars suitable for cultivation, growing rice, soybeans and various vegetables. They alleged that the leaders arrived with around 50 people and locally made weapons, and that they sought Tk20,000 per acre in exchange for renting the char land. Farmers said the alleged attempt to evict them followed their refusal to pay.

Abdul Kader denied the allegations, saying some party activists had gone to the char for a picnic and that it remained controlled by Awami League and Jubo League members. Police and river police later went to the area, brought the situation under control and moved both sides away to prevent any untoward incident.

US President Donald Trump said Iran would not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons, reiterating Washington’s position in an interview with Fox News. Trump said plainly that Iran could not be permitted to acquire such weapons and would not get them.

He described Iran’s leadership as highly violent and evil, claiming Tehran would use nuclear weapons if it possessed them. Trump said an Iranian nuclear capability would effectively devastate the Middle East and destroy Israel, while also raising the possibility that the United States or Europe could later become targets.

Trump also called Iran a failed state and said he was surprised when Tehran began attacking Gulf countries at the start of the war. He said others were shocked as well. However, he ultimately characterized the move as positive, saying it caused Iran to lose the support it had received.

Bangladesh repaid more than twice the foreign loans disbursed by development partners in July, the first month of the current fiscal year. New external loan disbursements totalled $180.18 million, while repayments of principal and interest on earlier borrowing reached $453.23 million, according to an updated Economic Relations Division report released on Sunday. The repayment outflow exceeded new disbursements by $273.05 million.

For every dollar newly received during the month, Bangladesh spent about $2.5 servicing existing external debt. Loan disbursements were 13.39 percent lower than in July of fiscal year 2025-26, when development partners released $208.04 million. Meanwhile, foreign debt repayments increased by about 4 percent from $446.68 million in that earlier July.

The widening gap at the start of the fiscal year reflects slower new financing alongside rising instalment payments on past loans. Experts said pressure could increase as grace periods for loans linked to major projects end and principal repayments begin. They warned that if new disbursements do not rise as expected, foreign-currency inflows and financing management for development projects could be affected.

Rajshahi University has assigned AHM Aslam Hossain, deputy registrar of its academic branch, as acting registrar, triggering criticism over his educational qualifications and appointment. A university office order issued on Sunday afternoon gave him the responsibility and relieved Professor Dr Iftekharul Alam Masud of the acting registrar’s duties. The report says Hossain does not hold an honours degree, though he claims to have a postgraduate degree.

Former pro-vice-chancellor for education Professor Dr Mohammad Farid Uddin Khan questioned the appointment in a Facebook post, saying an honours degree was mandatory in deputy registrar recruitment criteria but had been relaxed in Hossain’s case. He also alleged that educational qualifications and seniority had been violated, and said he had heard of strong political recommendations. Masud said Hossain did not appear qualified based on the file he had reviewed.

Hossain rejected the allegations as false and said his appointment complied with university rules. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Faridul Islam said Hossain was selected on merit and that no exception was made for the acting role. The report says Hossain earned an MA in History from Rajshahi University in 1992 and joined the university as deputy registrar in January 2007.

Central Depository Bangladesh Limited data show that 8,570 investors were added to Bangladesh’s stock market during the first six months after the BNP government took office on February 17. The number of BO account holders rose from 1,647,916 to 1,656,486 by August 16. This was about half the 16,960 net increase recorded in the first six months of the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus after its August 8, 2024 swearing-in.

During the BNP government’s first six months, 55,814 new BO accounts were opened while 47,244 were closed. Under the interim government, 39,172 accounts were opened and 22,212 closed. In contrast, the number of investors fell by 49,680 in the first six months after the Awami League government formed in 2009, despite 141,158 new accounts being opened and 190,838 closed.

Market participants said government formation may affect account openings, but economic conditions, fiscal policy, listed companies’ finances, IPO approvals and securities regulator leadership also matter. They noted that annual June BO-account renewal fees can lead to account suspensions. BSEC leadership changed on June 4, about four months after the BNP government formed.

International oil prices rose by more than 1% in early Asian trading on Monday after a US military strike on Iran-linked targets at Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz and an Iranian retaliatory attack on two US air bases in Jordan. Brent crude gained $1.08, or 1.23%, to $89.18 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose 92 cents, or 1.10%, to $84.32.

US Central Command said its forces targeted two Iranian missile or rocket launchers on Larak Island in the first direct US attack on Iranian targets there since late July. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched its response on Monday morning. IG Markets analyst Tony Sycamore said the conflict appeared to have entered a renewed phase of escalation, though its duration remained uncertain.

Talks aimed at ending the conflict remain stalled as mediators seek to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping data showed visible cargo vessel traffic through the waterway fell to five ships a day over the weekend. ANZ analysts said increased oil flows had eased supply worries somewhat, but full reopening remained uncertain.

Bangladesh’s government has ordered preparation of a specific action plan to raise exports from five promising sectors and reduce reliance on ready-made garments. The directive was issued at a second consultation meeting with leading private-sector entrepreneurs, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The initiative aims to accelerate economic growth, diversify exports and attract foreign investment.

The source says ready-made garments generate 80 to 85 percent of export earnings, while five to six other products account for 10 to 15 percent. Priority sectors for the plan include information technology, light engineering, agricultural processing and leather goods. Investment Bangladesh Authority Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun stressed stronger public-private coordination, a business-friendly environment and needed policy reforms.

A high-level committee led by the Export Promotion Bureau’s director general has been formed and has held one meeting, according to a Commerce Ministry official. The government also ordered research into district-level production, existing capacity and future export potential. It has directed stronger implementation of the One Village One Product concept to develop local small and cottage industries for international markets.

Six months after taking office, the BNP-led government has made no visible progress on key banking-sector reforms pledged in its election manifesto, according to the report. The government formed after the February 12 parliamentary election, and the new cabinet led by Tarique Rahman took oath on February 17. Commitments included ensuring Bangladesh Bank’s autonomy, abolishing the finance ministry’s Banking Division, ending political interference and acting against major defaulters.

The manifesto also promised an Economic Reform Commission comprising economists, researchers, experienced bankers, corporate leaders and administrators. A proposed amendment to the Bangladesh Bank Order, 1972 had earlier been drafted with IMF technical assistance and sent to the finance ministry in mid-October last year. It proposed greater independence in appointments, budgeting, financial control, staffing and policymaking.

Stakeholders say continued finance ministry influence over state-owned banks weakens central-bank oversight and creates conflict-of-interest risks. Economists argue that lasting reform requires genuine central-bank independence, accountable boards, improved loan approval and recovery systems, and banking free of political influence. CPD fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya said the government had not moved toward institutional reform in its first six months.