Residents and local businesspeople staged a human chain and protest at Paikardi Bazar in Narsingdi Sadar, alleging that establishments were demolished through the use of a mobile court. The hour-long programme began at noon on Wednesday on the Panchdona-Danga road and drew more than 100 residents and traders. Protesters said several businesses at the market were torn down on August 12, causing traders financial losses amounting to lakhs of taka.

Speakers alleged that a group linked to beneficiaries of the former government influenced several Roads and Highways Department officials in exchange for large sums of money. They specifically named surveyor Masud Parvez among officials they accused of verbally allowing certain locally influential people to build multistorey structures. Traders further alleged that the group sought unethical monthly payments from small businesses and demolished shops after owners refused.

The protesters demanded a proper investigation, suitable compensation for affected traders and strict action against officials found responsible. Executive Engineer Reza-e-Rabbi said the mobile court was part of a regular government programme to remove all illegal structures along both sides of the Panchdona-Danga road. He said occupants had been asked in advance through notices and letters to remove their structures, and eviction would continue along the full road.

Bangladesh A captain Towhid Hridoy made history in Potchefstroom, South Africa, becoming the first Bangladeshi batter to score a first-class triple century outside the country. He reached 300 on the final day of a four-day match against South Africa A, completing the milestone with two runs pushed to mid-on from Matthew Bost’s bowling. Hridoy is the third Bangladeshi batter overall to reach a triple century, after Raqibul Hasan and Tamim Iqbal.

Hridoy reached his triple hundred from 451 balls, striking 25 fours and six sixes. He came to the crease after Bangladesh A lost two wickets for 37 runs, with Mohammad Naim and Afif Hossain departing early. He then added 151 runs for the fifth wicket with Jaker Ali, who was dismissed for 94, and 185 runs for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Saifuddin, who scored 87.

Despite further wickets falling on the final day, Hridoy continued his innings with Rejaur Rahman Raja. At the time of reporting, he was unbeaten on 333 as Bangladesh A reached 658 for eight. In reply to South Africa A’s first-innings total of 512, Bangladesh A held a 146-run lead, with the match heading toward a draw.

State Minister for Energy Anindya Islam Amit said nationwide installation of smart prepaid meters is essential to permanently resolve customers’ long-running complaints of so-called ghost electricity bills. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, he said billing-related problems would effectively disappear if smart prepaid meters could be installed everywhere in the country.

The minister asked members of parliament to support smart prepaid meter installation work in their respective areas. He said the government has taken special measures to provide immediate solutions to complaints about abnormal bills, and that the number of such complaints has fallen significantly compared with earlier periods.

According to Amit, separate desks have been established at every power centre and customer service centre to hear complaints. The desks include hotline numbers and designated focal persons so customers can obtain solutions more easily. He said discussions have helped resolve many complaints on reasonable grounds, although some isolated faults or problems may remain. He described ensuring smart prepaid meters across all areas as the only effective permanent solution.

Turkish YouTuber and travel blogger Muhammed Ruhi Cenet has presented a documentary-style look at the lives of Hasidic Jews in New York. The report describes a community organized around strict religious observance, limited technology use and a separate social structure within one of the world’s busiest cities. Cenet says visitors were repeatedly asked whether they were Jewish, portraying members as reluctant to interact with non-Jews.

According to the video, community members do not use television or unrestricted internet access. Special mobile phones and computers may have internet features removed or filtered to allow only approved services. One interviewee called internet use the most dangerous thing for a person and said he had never watched television. The report also describes separate patrol groups, ambulance services and religious courts, alongside volunteer modesty patrols.

The documentary says boys focus increasingly on religious study after bar mitzvah at age 13, while high-school academic subjects receive less emphasis. It describes high birth rates in a community said to number about 100,000, and cites a former member with 10 children. Married women are said to shave their hair and cover it, while internal disputes may be taken to rabbis and religious courts before police.

Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCPLC) has dismissed reports that Bangladesh is nearing a bandwidth crisis that could slow internet speeds and raise prices. In a media release issued Wednesday, the state-owned company described the reports as baseless, detached from reality and motivated, saying it aimed to address public confusion about the country’s bandwidth infrastructure and capacity.

BSCPLC said its two existing submarine cables, SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5, have combined capacity of about 7,200 Gbps. Around 4,000 Gbps is already being supplied domestically, while about 3,200 Gbps remains ready for supply. It also said six International Terrestrial Cable operators import bandwidth according to demand.

The company said the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable, now under implementation, is expected to add 34,000 Gbps when it begins operating in 2027, taking state-owned submarine cable capacity to 41,000 Gbps. Citing BTRC projections, BSCPLC said total national demand would reach 30,000 Gbps in 2030. It said it has also started work to join a fourth submarine cable and pledged continued bandwidth price reductions and lower-cost supply as internet use grows.

The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate General in Dubai have warned American citizens in the Middle East about the possibility of unexpected escalation amid growing regional instability. They urged US nationals in the region to exercise heightened caution and prepare for possible travel disruption.

The advisory said travelers should be ready for potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and other interruptions affecting travel. It also noted that US diplomatic facilities have previously been targeted in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world.

The warning said Iran and Iran-backed groups could attack other US-linked interests abroad. Potential targets cited include businesses and institutions associated with the United States. The notice did not provide further details about any specific threat, location or timing.

The Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board has instructed all Dakhil-level institutions under its authority to complete selection examinations for students intending to sit the 2027 Dakhil examination between October 11 and November 10. The institutions must also publish the selection test results within the same period.

The instruction was issued on Wednesday to heads of all relevant institutions and concerned parties. A notice signed by the board’s examination controller, Professor Md Faruk Ahmed, described the matter as highly urgent and directed institution heads to take the necessary measures.

According to the notice, form filling for the 2027 Dakhil examination will begin on November 16. The board said a detailed notice, including the form-filling schedule, will be published on the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board website in due course.

During Wednesday’s question-and-answer session in the National Parliament, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam objected after all eight starred questions scheduled for the prime minister came from ruling-party members. Raising the issue on a point of order, he said opposition lawmakers had also submitted questions and noted that the speaker had previously allotted them four opportunities.

Nahid Islam said greater questioning by opposition members would strengthen a culture of government accountability, urging the speaker to give the matter special attention in future. Ruling-party Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni responded that the government wants to remain accountable to the public and said question allocation is determined by rules and priority, not party affiliation.

Moni said members who submit questions earlier receive priority and expressed hope that all lawmakers would compete to file questions on time. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram said a fixed serial order is prioritized in submissions. He described past competition among members to secure early places and advised opposition lawmakers to submit questions earlier, while assuring them the issue would be considered appropriately in future.

The government has formed a 25-member National Committee on Climate Finance to bring climate finance, carbon credits and carbon trading under an integrated national framework. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will chair the committee, while Dr Md Saimum Parvez, the prime minister’s special assistant on environment, forest and climate change, will serve as coordinator. The government disclosed the decision on Wednesday after the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry issued a notification on September 1.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has been named vice-chairman, and the ministry’s secretary will be member-secretary. The panel includes state minister Sheikh Faridul Islam, advisers and secretaries from a range of ministries and divisions. It will set national visions, goals and strategic priorities on climate finance and carbon credits, while providing policy guidance for carbon trading.

A separate 32-member implementation committee will carry out national committee decisions, coordinate agencies and monitor progress. The national body will advise on Bangladesh’s framework under Paris Agreement Article 6, engage climate funds and development partners, and meet at least twice a year. The notification says the committee became effective immediately.

Seventeen-year-old Shahid Sharif Ahmed of Katiadi, Kishoreganj, launched the anti-bribery reporting platform “Ghus.site” on August 21. Within 12 days, the website received 12,202 complaints from people who said they faced bribery demands while seeking government and private services. Based on information submitted by complainants, the total amount allegedly demanded was about Tk361.27 crore.

Shahid said the project grew from his family’s own experience. After his mother, primary school teacher Amina Khatun, died on December 16, 2022, his father said he was forced to pay Tk38,000 in bribes to withdraw provident fund money. The family also alleged that Tk100,000 was demanded to access other dues, with Tk80,000 already paid. Shahid also said Tk1,500 was taken after his passport file was held up.

Shahid built the website’s initial coding and structure in two hours, while co-founder Saif Kabir handles promotion and marketing. A four-member moderation team reviews submissions, and the project has cost about Tk10,000. Shahid said he faces threats and is unwell, while his father sought government protection for the family.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) signed separate memorandums of understanding with five banks to make civic services easier and modernize revenue collection. The agreements were signed on Wednesday at Nagar Bhaban in the presence of DSCC Administrator Freedom Fighter Md Abdus Salam. The participating banks are BRAC Bank PLC, Mutual Trust Bank PLC, Community Bank Bangladesh PLC, Shimanto Bank PLC and Janata Bank PLC.

Under the agreements, the banks will collect holding tax, trade licence fees and other charges in DSCC areas through online and offline channels. DSCC said the arrangement is intended to reduce residents’ time and inconvenience while ensuring greater transparency, accountability and modernization in revenue collection.

Abdus Salam said DSCC aims to build a technology-based system that brings civic services closer to residents. He said only 290,000 holdings are currently registered, a figure lower than the actual number, and the corporation wants to bring new holdings under taxation without increasing tax rates. DSCC also plans training for relevant officials to improve revenue collection efficiency. He urged the banks to invest CSR funds in civic facilities and urban beautification.

Bangladesh’s Culture Affairs Ministry Secretary Ms Kaniz Mowla has been removed from her current post and attached to the Ministry of Public Administration for a subsequent posting. The decision was announced in a notification issued on Wednesday, September 2, by the Senior Appointment-1 branch of the Ministry of Public Administration. The order said it would take effect immediately in the public interest.

Following Kaniz Mowla’s removal, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Ms Yasmin Begum was promoted and appointed as secretary of the Culture Affairs Ministry. The notification carrying the changes was signed by Deputy Secretary Jeti Pru.

Kaniz Mowla came into discussion after being elected president of the Bangladesh Administration Service Association, an organisation of administration cadre officers, on January 27 this year. After an elected government took office, she was first transferred to the post of secretary at IMED. She was then transferred shortly afterward to serve as secretary of the Culture Affairs Ministry before the latest reassignment.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has reduced the September retail price of a 12-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder to Tk1,585 from Tk1,598. The regulator announced the revised prices on Wednesday, September 2, and said they would take effect after 6pm that day.

BERC also set prices for other cylinder sizes. A 5.5kg cylinder will cost Tk727, a 12.5kg cylinder Tk1,652, and a 15kg cylinder Tk1,982. The listed prices include Tk2,114 for 16kg, Tk2,378 for 18kg, Tk2,642 for 20kg, Tk2,907 for 22kg and Tk3,303 for 25kg cylinders.

For larger cylinders, the commission fixed prices at Tk3,964 for 30kg, Tk4,360 for 33kg, Tk4,624 for 35kg and Tk5,945 for 45kg. BERC said the newly announced rates will remain in force until a further order is issued.

Jamaat-e-Islami members Salah Uddin and Sabikun Nahar raised concerns in Bangladesh’s parliament on Wednesday over reported increases in mugging, theft, robbery and extortion in Dhaka and other parts of the country. Speaking under Rule 71 on an urgent matter of public importance, they called for action to improve law and order, including a coordinated operation involving police, RAB and Border Guard Bangladesh.

Salah Uddin, elected from Gazipur-4, said deteriorating security conditions had created fear among residents. He cited recent incidents including the death of a female teacher after an attack by a mugger in front of parliament, alleged snatching at the airport, and reported public incidents in Dhanmondi, Mugda Hospital and Jatrabari. He also said theft and robbery were increasing in rural areas, alleging that excessive load-shedding was being exploited by criminals.

Sabikun Nahar highlighted alleged encroachment on footpaths and extortion linked to roadside businesses in the capital and other cities. She said pedestrians were being forced onto roads, increasing accident risks. She urged the Home Ministry to identify and bring extortionists to justice, while Salah Uddin sought a special operation similar to Operation Clean Heart.

Bangladesh’s government has sought Japan’s support in its effort to develop the country into a regional aviation hub and deepen cooperation in civil aviation and tourism. The request was made during a Wednesday morning courtesy meeting at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism between Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat and Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi. The ambassador congratulated Millat on assuming responsibility as a full minister.

The two sides discussed the current government’s plans for developing Bangladesh’s civil aviation and tourism sectors. Millat described Japan as a trusted development partner and cited Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ recently launched direct Dhaka-Narita flight as reflecting Bangladesh’s growing interest and firm commitment to expanding connectivity and cooperation between the two countries.

On Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal, the minister said the government is determined to inaugurate it on time and must begin Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer activities quickly. He said techno-financial evaluation of a Japanese sub-working group proposal has been completed, with negotiations set to begin next week. The ministry is also working on a letter of assurance for the terminal’s operation. Japan’s ambassador reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to closely support implementation of the government’s election manifesto.