Punjab National Bank found counterfeit notes worth about Rs 74 million in a currency chest in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The discovery emerged after a Rs 436,000 cash shortfall was detected while reconciling money sent to the Reserve Bank of India on August 10 and 11. An audit team identified the fake notes during a regular verification process.

PNB chief manager Nisha Singh said the accounting discrepancy prompted an inquiry that uncovered broader irregularities involving notes held in the currency chest. A senior PNB official informed police. The bank said the counterfeit notes had not entered the market and had not been sent to any other bank branch.

Media reports said police filed an FIR against four bank officials and one other person, while a special investigation team has been formed. PNB suspended four officials and took disciplinary action against another employee. Separately, cleaner Vishal Kumar was accused in connection with the cash shortage. Police are examining transaction records and CCTV footage, treating the shortage and counterfeit-note case as two separate matters.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called on Ansar and Village Defence Party members to play a more effective role in constructive national work alongside maintaining law and order at the field level. He made the call on Tuesday afternoon at বঙ্গভবন during a courtesy meeting with Ansar and VDP Director General Major General Abdul Motaleb Sajjad Mahmud, according to Presidential Press Secretary Md Sarwar Alam.

The president praised the force’s work in ensuring public safety after the mass uprising, the thirteenth general election and other state activities. He stressed improving members’ professionalism, discipline and public engagement, while providing foreign-language, technical and technological training to make them more skilled and employable.

The director general congratulated the president on assuming office and briefed him on training programmes, a members’ database, microcredit activities and grassroots solar-power initiatives. The president described Ansar and VDP as the country’s largest public-engagement security and discipline force. He also praised its contributions to solar energy, human-resource development, sports, culture and public-oriented programmes, and assured continued overall support for the force’s development.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has instructed all secondary schools and colleges in Bangladesh to organise cultural competitions under their own arrangements to mark Nazrul Year. The directive was issued in a letter sent on Tuesday and applies to institutions offering higher secondary and equivalent, undergraduate and postgraduate education under the directorate.

The instruction cites memorandums from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs dated August 27, 2026, and the Ministry of Education. DSHE said the competitions must be arranged in accordance with guidelines set by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The government has decided to observe Nazrul Year from May 25 through May 25 of next year, and the ministry prepared the guideline for institution-based competitions nationwide.

Under the guideline, winner lists from schools and colleges in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Chattogram, Rajshahi and Khulna city corporations must be sent to the relevant city corporation’s chief executive officer. Winner lists from institutions in Sylhet, Barishal, Narayanganj, Cumilla, Rangpur, Mymensingh and Gazipur city corporations, as well as all upazilas including municipalities, must be sent to the respective upazila nirbahi officer.

Fifty-two members of four pirate groups active in the Sundarbans surrendered to Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion on Monday, August 31, according to RAB-6. The surrender came a day before the forest was scheduled to reopen to tourists and forest-dependent workers on September 1 after a three-month closure.

A RAB-6 press release said the surrendering members included 16 from the Boro Jahangir group, 13 from the Anarul group, 15 from the Afzal, also known as Dulabhai, group, and eight from the Aftab group. RAB said piracy and forest banditry, including kidnapping and ransom collection, had created insecurity among fishers, woodcutters and honey collectors.

RAB said it had maintained intelligence surveillance and conducted operations to control such crimes. It also cited sustained operational activity, the difficult forest environment and uncertainty in criminal life as factors behind the surrender decisions. The forest had been closed from June 1 to August 31 to protect wildlife breeding, movement and biodiversity. RAB-6 said legal action would be taken against the 52 men under existing laws before they are produced before a court.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon said the prime minister wants national budget allocations for education raised to 5 percent. He made the remarks on Tuesday as chief guest at the KUET Day programme at Khulna University of Engineering and Technology. He said Bangladesh has talented human resources that must be properly used for national development and progress.

Milon said a decision has been made to provide a tablet each to 116,000 students who achieved GPA-5, aiming to encourage strong academic results. The government is also planning to provide bicycles to encourage girls’ education at the secondary level. He said complications involving the recruitment of about 4,500 teachers at the Education Ministry are under discussion for prompt resolution.

The minister called for reviewing the need before opening new university departments and stressed technology-based education. He said courses related to electric vehicles, artificial intelligence and robotics should be introduced. He expressed frustration that an application to introduce an AI course had been pending at the UGC for two years. KUET observes its university day annually on September 1, marking its 2003 conversion from BIT into a full engineering and technology university.

Bangladesh’s Meteorological Department on Tuesday afternoon issued local cautionary signal number 3 for the seaports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra due to a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. The warning was announced in a department bulletin as the system continued to affect maritime conditions.

The well-marked low was located over the northwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining West Bengal-Odisha area, according to the bulletin. It was expected to move west-northwest. The department said squally weather could affect the seaports, the northern Bay of Bengal and adjacent coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Fishing boats and trawlers operating in the northern Bay of Bengal were instructed to remain close to the coast and navigate carefully until further notice. The weather department said the sea could become rough under the influence of the low-pressure system and advised vessels to monitor weather conditions while operating.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami expressed deep sorrow and condolences over extensive loss of life and destruction caused by severe floods and a glacier collapse in Nepal. On Tuesday afternoon, the party’s Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar visited the Nepal Embassy in Dhaka, signed the condolence book and conveyed sympathy to the Nepali government and people.

After signing the book, Porwar held a courtesy meeting with Nepal’s ambassador to Dhaka, Ghanashyam Bhandari. The ambassador briefed him on the recent disaster and fatalities, and thanked Jamaat for regularly offering assistance and sincere sympathy since the onset of the calamity.

Condolences were also conveyed on behalf of Jamaat ameer and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Dr Shafiqur Rahman MP. Porwar said Bangladesh and Jamaat stood with Nepal’s people, expressing solidarity with the government, rescue teams and affected people. He hoped humanitarian efforts to address the disaster would succeed and said the longstanding friendly ties between the peoples of Bangladesh and Nepal would become stronger during this difficult period.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the government will strengthen technology-based surveillance along Bangladesh’s borders to curb smuggling, drug and arms trafficking, human trafficking and illegal entry. Speaking Tuesday as chief guest at the inauguration of the Border School of Surveillance and Drone Warfare at the BGB Sector Headquarters in Sylhet, he said thermal-capable and night-mission drones would be used in difficult border areas.

Ahmed said effective monitoring of remote border zones is difficult using personnel alone. He said drones could identify activities on the other side of the border and enable authorities to take necessary action quickly. After the event, the minister inspected the training centre’s activities and watched a practical drone demonstration.

The minister said Border Guard Bangladesh is being modernised to tackle crime in border areas, alongside efforts to establish technology-based surveillance and build skilled, trained personnel. He also said initiatives are being considered to manufacture and assemble drones in the country, and that drone technology could assist relief distribution and rescue operations during disasters. He added that the government remains alert to prevent mob culture and has brought it under control to a significant extent.

Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh has made fingerprint registration mandatory for female candidates sitting Dawra Hadith examinations under its authority. The directive was issued in an official statement on Tuesday, following a decision at the organisation’s 68th standing committee meeting on July 4. The measure is intended to protect veiling requirements while making candidate identification more accurate and modern.

For the past 10 years, male students have had photographs taken online during registration for the examinations, while female candidates’ photographs were not taken because of concerns related to veiling. Office manager Md Asiur Rahman said fingerprints will replace photographs for female candidates from this year, and registration will not be completed without them.

For registration for the 1448 Hijri, or 2027, Dawra Hadith (Takmil) examinations, madrasas have been instructed to use the ZKTeco SLK20R Biometric Fingerprint Scanner. The body warned against purchasing other models because of possible software integration and data-matching problems. It said no supplier has been designated, and madrasas unable to obtain the device may use a nearby madrasa that has one.

Dhaka South City Corporation conducted an integrated drive from Chankharpul to Bakshibazar in Old Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon, in the presence of administrator freedom fighter Md Abdus Salam. The operation targeted illegal occupation, mosquito control, waste management and verification of trade licences at business establishments.

Authorities removed illegal structures and shops built by occupying roads and footpaths, saying the action was intended to keep public walkways clear and restore urban order and appearance. Teams also identified potential mosquito breeding sites, applied larvicide and carried out mosquito-control work where required. Accumulated waste was removed from roads, footpaths and nearby areas, while residents were urged to dispose of waste at designated locations.

Officials checked trade licences at shops and businesses and warned operators against running without valid licences or violating licence conditions. The administrator said those concerned were initially being warned and given time to comply, with legal action planned at a later stage if they fail to act under the law. DSCC said such field operations would continue regularly in different areas to ensure clear footpaths, cleaner surroundings, mosquito control and orderly business practices.

Bangladesh recorded five dengue deaths and 1,324 new infections nationwide in the past 24 hours, according to a dengue bulletin released Tuesday, September 1, by the Directorate General of Health Services’ Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room. The figures marked the highest single-day death and infection totals reported so far this year.

With the latest update, the country’s dengue death toll for the year rose to 102 as of Tuesday. Total infections during the same period reached 37,170, the bulletin said.

On Monday, August 31, four people died from dengue across the country and 1,097 people were infected. That infection count had previously been the highest daily total recorded this year before Tuesday’s reported increase.

The Adarshanagar Tourism Centre beside Dingapota Haor in Mohanganj, Netrokona, is reportedly largely empty despite being built at a cost of Tk 85 million. Constructed under the supervision of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, work began on December 23, 2019, and the facility was inaugurated on November 14, 2023.

The two-storey building, built on a three-storey foundation, has seven rooms including VIP accommodation and can host 14 overnight guests. It also includes a 40-seat multicuisine restaurant and car parking. However, poor road connectivity and insufficient promotion have been cited as major reasons for the lack of visitors.

Managing director Chowdhury Md Saifuddin said only five tourists visited in the previous week, while none came the week before. He said some weeks pass without a single visitor, requiring annual government subsidies to operate the centre. Local residents urged improved road links and stronger promotion, warning that the investment could face losses without prompt action.

Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin ur Rashid said martyred President Ziaur Rahman was the only president to declare independence and take part in the Liberation War with arms. He made the remarks on Tuesday at a discussion meeting at Cumilla Shilpakala Academy, organized by Cumilla Metropolitan BNP to mark the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s founding anniversary.

The minister described Ziaur Rahman’s sense of responsibility toward the people, honesty and simple lifestyle as examples for political workers. He urged BNP leaders and activists to follow Ziaur Rahman’s ideals and work for the welfare of the country and its people. He also said that, in a democratic state, people hold the highest authority and are the true source of state power.

Amin ur Rashid said about 75 percent of the country’s people are directly or indirectly involved in agriculture. He said the government was prepared to take necessary steps for agricultural development and farmers’ welfare, including loan waivers and assistance. He said onion import dependence had declined and that the government planned to consider exports in the future.

A South Asia Monitor analysis published on August 31, 2026, argues that Imran Khan’s imprisonment is increasingly becoming an international humanitarian and political issue. The article says Pakistan’s authorities may be able to keep the former prime minister in custody, but struggle to contain the global resonance of his cricket legacy and symbolic political influence. It links international attention to concerns over his health and detention conditions.

Former England captain Michael Atherton interviewed Khan’s sons, Suleiman and Kasim, at Lord’s for 18 minutes. They alleged that Khan was being held in extreme isolation, that his health was deteriorating, and that authorities were trying to kill him; the final claim was presented as the family’s allegation. The Pakistan Cricket Board strongly objected and lodged a formal complaint with Sky Sports. Twenty-two former international captains also urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure proper medical care and humane treatment.

The analysis says cricket personalities can create moral and international pressure but may not directly alter decisions within Pakistan’s security and military structures. It calls for an independent medical examination, regular health reports, adequate access for family and lawyers, and transparent disclosure of Khan’s actual health condition.

A July fighter, Gias Uddin, has filed a case application in a Dhaka court against 14 officials and employees of the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation, alleging fraud, assault and an extortion demand. He submitted the application before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbub Alam on Tuesday, September 1. The court recorded his statement and ordered the Criminal Investigation Department, or CID, to investigate the allegations and submit a report.

According to the case application, Gias Uddin went to collect a cheque from the foundation as a July fighter. After not receiving it, he informed the matter to Sarjis Alam, Hasnat Abdullah, Tasnim Jara and Snigdha at the Banglamotor NCP office. They assured him that he would receive the cheque if he went to the July Foundation, the application says.

The application alleges that on May 3 last year, the accused demanded Tk150,000, or half of the Tk300,000 cheque amount, before allowing him to cash it. It says he was assaulted after refusing to pay and later received initial treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Gias Uddin said police did not register his case and advised him to file it in court.