China and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday to establish the China-Bangladesh Vocational Education, Training and Research Centre. The agreement was signed at the China-Bangladesh Education Exchange Conference, organised by the Jiangxi provincial government and Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University. Technical and Madrasah Education Division Secretary Md Daud Miah signed for Bangladesh, while Professor Zheng Pengwu signed for the Chinese side.

The cooperation framework covers technical training programmes, bilingual learning materials, education-industry links, research centres, industrial training, visits to China and specialised training. The conference also inaugurated three platforms: the China-Bangladesh Vocational Teachers Training Centre, the Bangladesh Vocational Education Research Centre, and the Bangladesh Chinese Language+ Skill Development Cooperation Centre.

Officials said the initiatives are expected to expand teacher training, practical student training, industrial experience, curriculum development, research cooperation, exchanges and employment-oriented skills. Education Minister Ehsanul Haque Milon said vocational education must be closely linked to industry and employment needs. Prime Minister’s education adviser Mahdi Amin said the aim is to implement the cooperation in practice and create employment and opportunities for young people.

Native freshwater fish species are declining in the haors, canals and beels of Mohanganj, Madan and Khaliajuri upazilas in Netrokona, according to the report. Several species have disappeared, while others are nearing extinction as their breeding has steadily decreased. Threatened large fish include chital, baghair, banehar, beush, shilong and rita; smaller species include rani, kajli, gilachaki, bacha and shrimp.

These fish were caught in rivers and beels in Netrokona and nearby Sunamganj areas 8 to 10 years ago, then sold through Mohanganj’s fish market to traders from Dhaka and elsewhere. Their numbers have fallen over the past 12 years, leaving people more dependent on farmed fish. Fishers attribute the decline partly to reduced water depth and sediment filling rivers, canals and wetlands.

Market representatives and fisheries officials cited illegal nets, gas tablets, pesticide use and drying rivers to catch fish as additional causes. Officials said such practices are prohibited and reported seizing and burning China duari and current nets worth Tk 5 million in several drives this year. They called for continued enforcement, awareness, training and dredging to protect breeding grounds.

Members of the Haldigram and Barmari camps of the 39 BGB Mymensingh Battalion detained 12 Bangladeshi nationals while they were allegedly returning from India through an illegal route in Nalitabari, Sherpur. The detentions took place around 4am on Friday near border pillar 1111 in the Burunga Kalapani hilly area. Three Hiace microbuses sent to transport them and their three drivers were also detained.

Haldigram BGB Camp Commander Nayek Subedar Nurul Islam said the detainees, from Godagari in Rajshahi, had travelled to India illegally about a year earlier and worked there as labourers. He said they planned to return through brokers because they feared arrest amid increased activity by Indian police.

According to BGB, 30 Bangladeshis entered the country near pillar 1111 as planned. Acting on confidential information, separate BGB patrol teams detained 12 people, while the others fled into different parts of the hills. BGB said the detainees and the drivers would be handed over to Nalitabari police station after cases are filed under the Passport Act.

Iran has prepared new weapons and what it described as “surprising” measures for use on future battlefields, according to Defence Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik. Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported his comments, which said the preparations include weapons, equipment, technology and tactics for potential future conflicts.

Talaei-Nik said recent wars, despite causing damage, had created opportunities for progress in Iran’s military and defence industries. He linked the claimed advances to the conflict described as the “12-day war,” which began after Israeli air strikes on Iran in June 2025.

According to Talaei-Nik, Iran’s weapons production doubled after that conflict. He said the newly prepared capabilities would appear as surprises on the battlefield if another war occurs. The report did not provide details about the weapons, equipment, technologies or tactics cited by the Defence Ministry spokesperson.

Bangladesh has expressed a positive view of the Mecca Joint Defense Treaty involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan, but has not decided whether to join. Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman told parliament that Bangladesh would positively consider membership if the current members extend an invitation. The agreement, signed by the three leaders in Mecca, has drawn attention for its military dimension and has been described by some as a “Muslim NATO.”

Analyst Hasib Aziz said membership could expand Bangladesh’s joint military capabilities through cooperation with Turkey and Pakistan, including technology, AI partnerships and intelligence sharing. He said existing imports from Turkey, including Bayraktar drones and Otokar Cobra vehicles, could be broadened. Saudi Arabia’s development cooperation, remittance links and an existing naval defense arrangement with Bangladesh could also support stronger supply routes across the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

Risks include a collective-defense principle that could draw Bangladesh into conflict if another member is attacked, Aziz said. Concerns also surround India-Pakistan tensions because Pakistan is a member. Professor Lailufar Yasmin said Bangladesh should weigh trade and investment priorities, noting that it has never joined a military alliance since independence and that any first such move requires national discussion.

Daughters of a couple killed in Sylhet’s Raynagar triple murder held a human chain on Friday afternoon at Shahi Eidgah, demanding the swift arrest of the real perpetrators and justice. Organised by residents of Greater Shahi Eidgah, the programme warned of broader protests if authorities fail to show visible investigative progress and bring those responsible under the law within three days.

The victims’ daughters, Tahmina Sattar Eni and Selina Sultana Shikha, called for exemplary punishment for their parents’ killers. Family members said three people were brutally killed in the Mitali area of Raynagar on August 12, an incident that shocked Sylhet residents and Bangladeshi expatriates at home and abroad.

Speakers said law enforcement agencies had offered differing explanations for the killings, including a romantic relationship, alleged mistreatment, and efforts to obtain money from theft or house rent. They said these changing accounts had created serious doubts about the actual motive. The family demanded a fair, impartial and credible investigation, while urging that no innocent person be harassed or punished. They also alleged that no visible progress had emerged nearly three weeks after the killings.

Residents of flood-affected Banshkhali are calling for durable rehabilitation and permanent housing rather than relief alone after losing their belongings in severe flooding. The director general of the Prime Minister’s Office NGO Bureau, Dr Mohammad Zakaria, is scheduled to visit Banshkhali on Monday, 31 August, to formulate plans for rehabilitation. He will also inspect activities by several NGOs and distribute relief supplies to at least 1,500 affected families.

Thousands of affected people in Khan Khanabad, Gunagari, Baharchhara, Chhanua, Puichhari, Shekherkhil, Chambal, Gandamara, Jaldi, Saral, Sadhanpur, Pukuria and Bailchhari have sought permanent resettlement and house construction alongside temporary aid. Volunteer organisations, individuals and institutions have begun initiatives to distribute relief, build homes for those left homeless and pursue longer-term rehabilitation.

Upazila Executive Officer Md Ruhul Amin said authorities are prioritising rehabilitation as well as relief distribution, including repairing damaged homes, roads and culverts to restore normal life. Administrative sources said flooding inundated about 54 wards in 12 unions, damaging an initial estimated 11,110 homes.

Six months after the war began, Iran’s Supreme Leader Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly in photographs, videos or direct audio messages, according to the report. He was appointed supreme leader during the first week of the war after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in Israeli and US air strikes on 28 February. Mojtaba was seriously injured in the same attack and has remained out of public view.

Iranian officials say his location is being withheld for security reasons, citing fears of further attacks. They maintain that he receives major reports, meets senior officials and gives final approval on major decisions. President Masoud Pezeshkian said on 10 August that he held a seven-hour meeting with him, while a source close to Mojtaba said his health has improved.

Doubts persist among hardline supporters and reformists, who seek visible proof of his leadership. Sources said the Revolutionary Guard’s influence has increased, with decision-making centered more on the Supreme National Security Council. The report also cites mounting economic pressure from disrupted oil exports and war costs, alongside warnings that prolonged uncertainty could deepen leadership questions.

Nepal’s police have confirmed 552 deaths after sudden flooding on Wednesday, as authorities struggle to store the growing number of bodies. Strong currents carried many bodies into distant districts, and local hospital morgues no longer have enough space. Officials have designated a government building as a temporary location for keeping bodies.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 221 bodies were recovered in Chitwan, about 186 kilometres south of Kathmandu. Another 134 bodies were found in the Nawalparasi East area, about 200 kilometres south of the capital. The continued recovery of bodies has added pressure to local authorities and hospitals.

Chitwan Chief District Officer Ganesh Aryal told the BBC that many bodies were not in good condition, making their preservation and management difficult. The shortage of morgue capacity could also make identifying victims and handing over bodies to relatives more challenging, according to the report.

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has ordered the withdrawal of 10 products, including Bombay Sweets spices and Baghbari ghee, after laboratory tests found they failed to meet Bangladesh Standards. BSTI also issued show-cause notices asking why the licences granted for the products should not be cancelled and advised consumers not to buy the items.

Five Bombay Sweets & Co. Limited spice products failed tests because total ash and salt levels exceeded prescribed limits. They include duck meat spice, tehari spice, kala bhuna spice, beef spice and fish spice. BSTI said Baghbari-branded ghee was marketed as ghee although testing found no milk fat and indicated it was made with palm olein and vanaspati.

Other failed products included Arunn Baghbari, New Radhuni and City branded ghee, as well as Elders butter oil. BSTI said refractive index, iodine value, saponification value and Polenske value were outside limits in these products. Director General Kazi Imdadul Haque said licensed companies have legal and ethical duties to maintain quality, while consumers should check BSTI marks, licence numbers, dates and ingredients before buying.

Tehran-based analyst Ali Akbar Dareini said the war has changed the Middle East’s strategic situation and taught Iran that making concessions to US President Donald Trump would be a mistake. Dareini, an analyst at Tehran’s Center for Strategic Studies, made the comments to Al Jazeera.

He said Iran sought to raise the cost for the United States of pursuing conflict, while Washington is now trying to economically suffocate Iran. According to Dareini, Trump believed displays of force and threats of military action would make Iran retreat, but Iran did not do so. He added that US envoy Steve Witkoff had acknowledged Trump’s frustration.

Dareini said Iran would not surrender under secondary sanctions because it believes Washington cannot fully isolate the country. He argued that Iran’s connections with the outside world cannot be cut off, citing its land and maritime borders with 15 countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held an emergency meeting with relevant officials on rescue and relief operations after severe flooding and landslides in Nepal, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua. The report did not specify when or where the meeting took place.

Several people remain unaccounted for after the disaster, including citizens of China and other countries. Xi instructed authorities to give the highest priority to a broad search operation for missing people. He also stressed that rescue work should be conducted in a planned and scientific manner.

Xi emphasized the need to ensure safety and coordination while carrying out operations in remote and hazardous areas. China has decided to provide emergency assistance to flood-affected Nepal, Xinhua said. Beijing also indicated that it would coordinate with other countries in rescue and relief efforts.

An email from India’s presidential office early this month said a Change of Guard ceremony would be cancelled to rehearse a formal welcome for Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, before any visit had been announced. The email was withdrawn within hours, intensifying speculation over a possible Delhi trip. Rahman has not yet agreed to travel, and his press secretary AAM Saleh told the BBC that no decision has been made.

India formally invited Rahman after his BNP won February’s parliamentary election and formed the government. Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Trivedi said Rahman would receive the “highest honour” and a “memorable welcome” if he visited. Delhi sees the new government as an opportunity to rebuild bilateral ties, but Sheikh Hasina’s presence in India remains a major complication.

Bangladesh has formally requested Hasina’s return after a special tribunal sentenced her to death over allegations related to lethal force during the 2024 uprising; she denies the allegations. India says it is considering the request. India will host a BRICS summit in mid-September and has invited Bangladesh as a special guest, potentially providing a platform for rebuilding relations.

Five children drowned while bathing in the Moranadi river in Charchakla village of Debinagar Union, Chapainawabganj Sadar Upazila, on Friday afternoon, August 28, during Friday prayers. The incident occurred after the children entered the river together to bathe.

The deceased were Sumaiya, 9, and Abida, 7, daughters of Masud Rana; Sumaiya, 12, and Suraiya, 9, daughters of Nezam Uddin; and Sharifa, 8, daughter of Shariful Islam. Local residents and eyewitnesses said one child began drowning and the others went forward to rescue her.

All five children subsequently drowned one after another, according to local accounts. Residents later recovered them from the water. The deaths have cast a shadow of grief over the area. Additional Superintendent of Police ANM Wasim Firoz confirmed the incident and said a police team was heading to the scene, where necessary measures would be taken after its arrival.

Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, located in Tibet, a Chinese autonomous region near the borders of Nepal and India, remain major pilgrimage destinations for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and followers of Tibet’s ancient Bon religion. The high-altitude region is difficult to reach because of severe cold, changing weather, rugged mountain routes and limited oxygen. Recent flash flooding during a pilgrimage left several people missing, including foreign nationals, bringing renewed attention to the site.

Kailash stands about 6,638 metres above sea level, while the freshwater Lake Manasarovar lies to its south at roughly 4,600 metres. UNESCO identifies Kailash, Manasarovar and nearby Rakshastal as part of a wider sacred mountains and lakes area, and says the headwaters of the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Karnali rivers are in the region. Religious worship there has a history of about 3,000 years, according to UNESCO.

Pilgrims do not climb Kailash but circle it on a roughly 52-kilometre route, generally completed in three days. Hindus and Tibetan Buddhists usually travel clockwise, while Bon and Jain followers travel counterclockwise. Foreign pilgrims, including Bangladeshis, generally enter Tibet through Nepal and require Chinese visas, Tibet travel permits and approved tour operators.