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.

More than 17,000 children need urgent humanitarian assistance after severe flash floods in Nepal, according to the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF. UNICEF’s representative in Nepal, Alice Akunga, said children in affected areas had seen their lives swept away before their eyes, with many losing their lives and loved ones.

Akunga said children who survived the floods now face increased risks of disease, malnutrition, violence and exploitation. UNICEF said it is providing assistance on the ground, but requires more resources urgently to reach every child in need.

The agency has appealed for $17.2 million, or about £12.6 million, to continue initial emergency relief and support operations while the full scale of damage is assessed. UNICEF warned that without the required funding, its services for children and women would be severely limited.

Leaders of the Small Meat Processing and Sellers Society alleged that corporate pressure, past government failures and corrupt officials have pushed retail meat prices higher for small vendors. President Md Abdul Halim Quraishi (Chan) and General Secretary Md Bhutto said meat that could be sold for Tk400 per kilogram is now being sold by small traders for Tk800 to Tk900 per kilogram.

In a statement, the leaders said wealthy corporate companies and corporate farm operators were using multiple strategies against small meat sellers. They alleged that dishonest businesses seek to halt small-scale meat sales and shift the trade entirely toward packaged products controlled by departmental stores, leaving ordinary consumers dependent on those outlets.

The group also claimed that shortages of cattle and buffalo had made horse meat readily available and alleged that official statistics during the previous government had misrepresented livestock availability. It protested what it described as misleading and one-sided media reports, and said comments by Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam showed reluctance to clearly disclose the truth.

Several isolated incidents were reported in Indian states on Wednesday during Eid Milad-un-Nabi processions. In Ankola town of Karnataka’s Karwar district, police arrested Mohammad Raja Akbar Ali, a resident of Vithalghat in Krishnapur, after allegations that he brought and displayed a Palestinian flag at a procession. Deputy Superintendent of Police Girish said legal action had been taken against him.

A similar incident was reported in Islampur district in West Bengal, where a Palestinian flag was displayed during a procession. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said in a post on X that police had seized two foreign flags across the state during Eid celebrations. Police filed FIRs against those accused in connection with the incidents.

In Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, allegations were also raised over singing and displaying weapons during a Muslim procession that included children. A video reportedly showed some Muslim men and a child sitting atop a moving vehicle, waving knives and singing. The source says Indian law contains no specific provision or ban treating the display of a friendly country’s flag, such as Palestine’s, as a crime.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has sought specific proposals on rebuilding the country from political parties including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party, BNP standing committee member and prime ministerial adviser Nazrul Islam Khan said on Thursday. He made the remarks at a memorial meeting in the capital’s National Press Club marking the death anniversary of former prime minister and Jatiya Party chairman Kazi Zafar Ahmed.

Khan said the government is not rigid in addressing the country’s problems and wants concrete advice from political parties, academics, journalists and intellectuals. According to him, the government intends to consider suggestions and proposals from different groups in seeking solutions to existing problems. He said cooperation is needed to reduce public suffering and move the country forward.

Describing the administration’s condition, Khan alleged that it had been damaged and polluted over the past 17 years, with unqualified people appointed to key positions on partisan and regional considerations while qualified officials were removed. He said the government began work amid a fragile economy and disorganised administrative structure, and asked citizens to remain patient while the administration is rebuilt.

Real Madrid secured a second straight Spanish La Liga victory, beating Real Sociedad 4-1 at home on Wednesday night. Kylian Mbappe was the central figure at Santiago Bernabeu, scoring a hat-trick as Real moved to the top of the table with six points from two wins. Vinicius Junior also scored once and provided an assist.

Real Sociedad challenged the hosts strongly during the first half. Vinicius missed an early chance after receiving a pass from Mbappe, with goalkeeper Alex Remiro making a foot save. Mbappe opened the scoring in the 40th minute after a pass from Valverde, but Sociedad levelled four minutes later by exploiting weakness in Real's defence.

Real Madrid took control after the break. Mbappe completed his hat-trick with goals in the 60th and 80th minutes, including one following an exchange with Bellingham and another from Vinicius's through ball. Vinicius scored in the 68th minute after Bellingham won back possession and delivered a pass from the byline. Dias had a late goal ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

American music star Beyoncé Knowles has pledged $1 million, about Tk 119 million, to support people affected by a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Colombia. The funding is intended to provide food and emergency housing supplies for residents of the Chocó region, identified as the area hit hardest by the disaster.

According to the report, 331 people had died as of the latest update. More than 29,000 homes were destroyed, while nearly 69,000 people were left homeless by the earthquake. Beyoncé’s announcement comes amid efforts to assist communities facing severe disruption after the natural disaster.

Colombian singer Shakira separately pledged $1.25 million to help rebuild schools damaged by the disaster in her home country. In a statement, she said schools are vital to helping children return to normal life and regain mental stability after a disaster. Both artists called on other wealthy individuals and international organizations to contribute to relief efforts.