The Election Commission (EC) has announced that it will publish the final updated voter list on November 18, ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. According to an EC notification, the process will include registration of citizens born on or before October 31, 2007, ensuring their inclusion in the final list. To facilitate this, the commission has set a detailed schedule covering the publication of the draft voter list, filing of claims, objections, and corrections, as well as resolution of those applications. October 25: Deadline for preparing the PDF version of the draft list and sending links to registration officers’ CMS portals. November 1: Draft voter list to be printed and made public. November 16: Final date for submitting claims, objections, and correction requests. November 17: Deadline for resolving all submitted applications. November 18: Official publication of the final updated voter list. The EC said these measures aim to ensure a transparent and accurate voter database ahead of the national polls.

A Sylhet court has ordered four BNP-affiliated student and youth leaders to jail in connection with a protest that blocked the motorcade of two government advisers. The accused are: Ajir Uddin (President, East Jaflong Union Chhatra Dal), Suman Shikder (Senior Vice President), Sohel Ahmed (Joint General Secretary, District Chhatra Dal), and Zahid Khan (former Joint Convener, Upazila Jubo Dal, recently expelled). Prosecutors said the four had been out on four weeks’ bail from the High Court. On Monday, they surrendered before the lower court, which rejected their bail plea and ordered their imprisonment. The case stems from a June 14 incident when sand and stone traders blocked the motorcade of advisers Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan in Gowainghat. The case names nine individuals and 100–150 unidentified others.

Routine maintenance work will cause traffic diversions in the Karnaphuli Tunnel, Chattogram, from September 25 to 30, the Bridge Authority has announced. Traffic will be regulated nightly from 11 PM to 5 AM, with diversions alternating between the Patenga-to-Anwara and Anwara-to-Patenga tubes as needed. Commuters may face delays of 5–10 minutes depending on traffic volume. Authorities urged public cooperation to ensure safe and efficient maintenance operations.

Police have arrested a Begum Rokeya University staff member in connection with arson and explosives charges tied to last year’s student protests. Shafiqul Islam (36), an office assistant in the Physics Department, was detained Monday from Shaheed Abu Sayeed Chattar in Rangpur, police confirmed. Tajhat Police Station OC Md. Shahajan Ali said Shafiqul was a named accused in a case filed by BRUR Registrar Dr. Harun-or-Rashid during the anti-discrimination student movement. He allegedly participated directly in violent attacks. Police said Shafiqul has already provided “important information” during initial interrogation, which is being verified before he is presented in court.

Bangladesh’s revenue collection grew by 21% year-on-year in the first two months of FY2025–26, according to the National Board of Revenue (NBR). In August 2025 alone, revenue stood at Tk 27,174 crore—up from Tk 23,089 crore in the same month last year, reflecting an 18% growth. Combined revenue for July–August 2025 reached Tk 54,423 crore, compared to Tk 45,005 crore in the same period of 2024. VAT collection at the local level surged by 33.83%, while income tax and travel tax rose by 24.17%. However, import-export sector revenues dipped slightly to Tk 7,647 crore, down from Tk 8,007 crore in August 2024.

Positive discussions are underway on a potential merger between Gonoadhikar Parishad (GOP) and the Nationalist Citizens’ Party (NCP), though attempts to derail the process are ongoing, GOP leader Rashed Khan has revealed. In a social media post, Rashed wrote that a youth-led political unity could give rise to a new force in Bangladesh’s politics. He urged leaders of both parties to act responsibly, warning that failure to do so would betray the hopes of many supporters. He emphasized that successful unification requires compromise and mutual understanding. “If we fail this time, people will see all sides as deceivers,” Rashed cautioned.

BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has vowed that if the party wins the next election, it will create a new administrative division named Cumilla. The announcement came after local political and social leaders held a human chain protest in front of the National Press Club. Mosharraf said, “Cumilla must become a division for administrative necessity, and the people of Cumilla will not accept any other name.” NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah added that if Cumilla’s leaders unite and press their case before the chief adviser, the division could even be formed under the interim government. He hinted at possible movements to achieve the demand.

The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka has issued a warning against illegal border crossings into the United States, calling them a threat to international security. In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, the embassy said that securing borders helps prevent displacement, exploitation, and loss of life. It emphasized that ending illegal migration ensures greater safety for all.

Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain has accused ministry advisers of obstructing key development projects. Speaking at an event, he alleged that three city projects are stuck at the Ministry of LGRD because “an adviser takes the files home instead of keeping them in the ministry, and then they disappear.” He said foreign-funded projects from the UK, Japan, and South Korea have been stalled, costing the city dearly. “This is not only Chattogram’s failure—it is a failure of the state and the government,” he declared. Shahadat further alleged that a Tk 400 crore infrastructure project was slashed to Tk 298 crore by the Finance Ministry, which then imposed a Tk 160 crore loan with 5% interest. “If I fail, it means the state fails,” he said, urging immediate resolution of Chattogram’s waterlogging and funding crises.

To meet growing passenger demand, Dhaka Metro Rail is set to extend its operating hours and shorten train intervals. Under the new schedule, services will begin 30 minutes earlier in the morning and end 30 minutes later at night. Train frequency will also increase, with departures every 4 minutes 15 seconds during peak hours—down from the current six-minute gap. The changes will be introduced after a short trial phase, during which the additional morning and evening trains will also carry passengers. Currently, the first train leaves Uttara at 7:10 AM and the last at 9:00 PM, while from Motijheel, the first leaves at 7:30 AM and the last at 9:40 PM. Under the revised timetable, Uttara’s first train will depart at 6:40 AM and the last at 9:30 PM, while Motijheel’s first train will leave at 7:00 AM and the last at 10:10 PM. Officials say this will maximize the metro’s operational capacity.

A BNP leader in Jashore’s Bagachra has been expelled from the party on allegations of attempting to forcibly seize a petrol pump. The expelled leader, Anwar Hossain alias Anwar Member, was serving as joint general secretary of the Union BNP. In a statement, the party announced that he was relieved of all positions, including primary membership, due to specific allegations of land grabbing. The BNP emphasized that it does not take responsibility for individual crimes committed by its members, dismissing media attempts to link the party to such actions as politically motivated. District BNP’s general secretary reiterated, “There is no place for criminals in BNP. He has been expelled for his offense.” However, at a press conference, Anwar Hossain denied the allegations, calling them false.

Brigadier General Mohammad Zahid Kamal, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, has assured that the government is taking the “highest possible measures” to treat the firefighters injured in Monday’s devastating chemical warehouse explosion in Tongi, Gazipur. Visiting the burn victims, Kamal said that if necessary, the injured will be flown abroad for advanced treatment. Four firefighters, including a warehouse officer, sustained burns while battling the blaze; two of them suffered 100% burns, one 42%, and another 5%. Doctors have confirmed that three of the victims remain in critical condition. The explosion occurred at Sahara Market in Tongi BSCIC Industrial Area on Monday afternoon, after several fire units had rushed to contain the initial fire.

On the occasion of Durga Puja, BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has extended festive gifts to the Hindu community in Faridpur-1 constituency. Cash gifts were distributed among leaders of 382 Durga Puja mandaps across Alfadanga, Madhukhali, and Boalmari upazilas, handed over to each temple committee’s president and general secretary as a token of goodwill.

Nasiruddin Patwari, Chief Coordinator of the Nationalist Citizens’ Party (NCP), has declared confidence that his party will secure victory in 150 constituencies in the upcoming polls. Speaking after a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner, he stressed that NCP will not compromise on its demand for the lotus (Shapla) symbol. “If denied, we know how to claim what is rightfully ours,” Patwari warned, insisting that the party’s electoral symbol must be either the white or red lotus. He added that NCP will form a separate electoral bloc, distinct from both the BNP and religion-based groups, by uniting smaller parties that have led protests in recent years. “The coming election will be a referendum against corruption and extortion, and it will not feature Awami League or Jatiya Party as contenders,” he said.

GOP leader Abu Hanif has said that most leaders of the National Committee Party (NCP) are disciples of Nurul Haque Nur, chairman of the Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP). Given political experience and the current reality, he believes that if the two parties unite, Nur should naturally lead the alliance. Hanif emphasized GOP’s “clean image,” saying: “In the past year since the mass uprising, not a single allegation of extortion or land grabbing has been raised against our leaders. This is why our party, representing the youth, is seen as the most promising force today. GOP activists will not defect to other parties. Born out of street movements against fascism, GOP emerged from the quota reform movement in 2018 and officially launched in 2021. Before that, our youth wings under the banners of student, youth, and workers’ rights councils protested against corruption and fought for democratic rights.” Hanif added that the political ideology of NCP leaders closely aligns with GOP’s principles. Discussions are ongoing about unity, but he clarified: “Unity does not mean dissolving one party to merge with another—it means building strength together while maintaining identity.”