Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman corrected a naming error made by Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam while he presented a proposal to reconstitute the parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts. The incident occurred on Thursday during the third sitting of the 13th National Parliament.

As Nurul Islam read the names of members nominated to the committee, he noticed an apparent mismatch in the names and information and paused, saying there had possibly been an error. When he resumed reading after a correction, Dr Shafiqur Rahman was given the microphone and suggested that Hafiz Ibrahim may have been referred to as Hafiz Uddin.

The chief whip acknowledged the mistake and clarified that the fifth member listed was Md Hafiz Ibrahim, member for Bhola-2 constituency 116. He said he had made another mistake while attempting to correct the earlier one, while the remaining names were correct. Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal praised the opposition leader’s attentiveness, saying he listened carefully at every moment.

A five-working-day Aviation Security Supervisor Training conducted by the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport has concluded at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh. The programme was organised on the initiative of the British High Commission in Bangladesh and managed overall by the Aviation Security division of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh. Aviation security supervisors and officials working at different airports in the country took part.

Trainers from the United Kingdom covered key aviation security issues, with emphasis on addressing changing security risks, improving supervisory capacity and ensuring effective security management. Air Commodore Md Asif Iqbal, CAAB member for security, attended Thursday’s closing ceremony as chief guest, while British High Commission counsellor Ryan Duncanson was a special guest.

Iqbal thanked the British High Commission and DfT for arranging the capacity-building course and stressed regular improvements in aviation security personnel’s knowledge, skills and preparedness. Duncanson highlighted Bangladesh-UK cooperation and expressed the British government’s interest in continuing support for Bangladesh’s aviation security through similar training. Certificates were distributed to participants at the closing ceremony.

Bangladesh’s parliament reconstituted several parliamentary committees on Thursday through proposals presented by Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni on behalf of the prime minister and approved by voice vote. Zahid Uddin Swapan, who was removed from the information and broadcasting minister’s post, was made chair of the standing committee on the Planning Ministry after Abdul Moyeen Khan became local government minister.

The standing committee on the Law Ministry was also reshuffled after its chair, Andalib Rahman Partha, became information and broadcasting minister. BNP lawmaker Naushad Zamir was appointed the committee’s new chair. Jamaat expelled Satkhira-4 lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam, and, at the party’s request, he was removed from the standing committee on the Liberation War Affairs Ministry and from a special committee.

Abdul Warech replaced Gazi Nazrul on the Liberation War Affairs Ministry committee, while Najibur Rahman replaced him on the special committee. Jamaat’s Raihan Siraji joined the Liberation War Affairs committee in place of NCP lawmaker Abdul Hannan Masud. Abdul Moyeen Khan replaced newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on the Business Advisory Committee, while opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam replaced Anwarul Islam on the Public Accounts Committee.

Manchester Airports Group said on Thursday that a cyberattack by an unauthorised third party exposed information belonging to about 8.7 million customers of Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports in the United Kingdom. The group operates the three airports and described the incident as a cyberattack on its systems.

The compromised data relates to bookings for car parking, lounges and fast-track services, as well as airport Wi-Fi sign-ups. According to a MAG spokesperson, the information taken includes email addresses, telephone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes.

MAG said no customer bank-account or payment-related information was affected. It also said the attack did not disrupt normal airport operations. The company has informed the relevant authorities and is working in coordination with them.

The National Committee for Observing the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances has announced a march toward the National Parliament. The programme will begin from Banglamotor in the capital at 3pm on Sunday, August 30, and participants will later submit a memorandum to the Speaker of Parliament.

The announcement followed a preparatory meeting held on Thursday afternoon at an auditorium in Purana Paltan. Speakers alleged that Bangladesh had been a “state of disappearances” for the past 17 years, saying people lacked safety at home and outside. They alleged that state forces took people from their homes, detained victims in Aynaghar, subjected them to inhumane torture, and that many people were killed after being disappeared.

The speakers said the fall of the “fascist Awami League” on August 5, 2024 had raised hopes for building a new Bangladesh. They argued that preventing a return to fascism requires ending enforced disappearances, ensuring public safety and enacting strict laws. Brigadier General Hasinur Rahman Bir Protik urged people across party lines to join the march.

Journalist Muhammad Kader Gani Chowdhury has been appointed managing director and editor-in-chief of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the national news agency. The contract-based appointment was announced in a notification issued on Thursday, August 27, by the Contract and Foreign Appointment Branch of the Ministry of Public Administration.

The notification, signed by Ministry of Public Administration Deputy Secretary Md Golam Rabbani, said the appointment was made under Section 10(1) of the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha Act, 2018. Chowdhury will serve in the two posts for one year from the date he joins.

The appointment is conditional on Chowdhury ending employment relationships with any other profession, business, or government, semi-government, private institution or organisation. The notification said the remaining terms of the appointment will be set through a contract document and that the order was issued in the public interest.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir met Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the 23rd extraordinary meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. During the meeting, Kabir handed over a letter from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The meeting took place amid heightened discussion over Bangladesh joining the Mecca defence pact.

According to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum in bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to elevating the partnership. Kabir said several high-level visits had taken place since the BNP-led government was formed, creating new opportunities for broader cooperation across sectors. He also referred to possible high-level visits by both sides in the near future.

Prince Faisal said Bangladesh was among Saudi Arabia’s priority countries and stressed stronger economic cooperation. He noted growing interest among Saudi companies in Bangladesh and expressed interest in expanding investment and business engagement. He also praised the valuable contribution of Bangladeshi expatriates to Saudi Arabia’s development. Kabir invited the Saudi foreign minister to visit Bangladesh at a convenient time.

The opposition walked out of the national parliament on Thursday, accusing the government of pursuing partial reforms while bypassing comprehensive reform. The walkout began during the introduction stage of the National Human Rights Commission Bill and the Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Bill. Opposition member Dr Shafiqur Rahman raised the issue on a point of order before legislative proceedings began.

Rahman spoke about the July Charter, a constitutional reform council and a special committee formed for constitutional amendments. He strongly criticised the failure to establish a constitutional reform council. He then said the opposition would not take part in the introduction of the two scheduled bills and led the walkout at 8:06 pm.

During the interim government, 133 ordinances were issued and presented to parliament on 12 March, with 10 April as the deadline for approval or rejection. Sixteen were not introduced as bills in time and lost effect, while seven were repealed. The cabinet approved draft disappearance legislation on 3 August and the human rights commission law draft on 10 August. Human rights activists, political parties and others have expressed concerns and criticised aspects of the drafts.

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed that it will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel until an independent Palestinian state is created along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The statement came amid reports that US President Donald Trump seeks to link a civilian nuclear agreement with Riyadh to Saudi normalization of relations with Israel.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump sent the proposed US-Saudi civilian nuclear cooperation agreement to Congress for review and stipulated that it would not take effect unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords. Citing a US administration official, the report said the president’s position had not changed and that the agreement would not proceed without Saudi participation in the accords.

A Saudi official, speaking to Israel’s Channel 12, rejected reports connecting the nuclear agreement to normalization with Israel. The official said Riyadh’s position remained clear, firm and unchanged, and described the civilian nuclear program as part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategic partnership with Washington rather than a matter that should be conditioned on diplomatic ties with Israel.

Police arrested four suspected criminals, including Kala Mobarak, also known as Golakata Mobarak, during a pre-dawn operation on Wednesday in the Shahnagar Pollanpara area of Lelang Union in Fatikchhari. Officers recovered four firearms, 23 rounds of ammunition, three magazines and spent cartridge cases, Superintendent of Police Masud Alam said at a Thursday press conference at the Chattogram District Police office.

Police said one recovered weapon was a Brazilian-made 9mm foreign pistol that matches the list of government weapons looted from Kotwali police station. After reviewing CCTV footage of the killing of Jubo Dal leader Masudul Haque Chowdhury, investigators identified Kala Mobarak and initially believe the 9mm pistol was used in the murder. Chowdhury was shot dead publicly in Rauzan's Pahartali area on June 13.

The other recovered weapons included a 7.65mm foreign pistol, a foreign revolver and a locally made pistol. Police describe Kala Mobarak as a close associate of David Emon and Raihan and as a principal shooter for the Boro Sazzad group. Investigators will examine serial numbers, official records, ballistic evidence and the weapons' supply route.

The government has assigned 30 ministers, state ministers and members of the National Parliament’s whip group to supervise and coordinate activities across all 64 districts. A notification on the assignments was issued by the Cabinet Division on Thursday. Their responsibilities include maintaining normal law and order, controlling corruption and drugs, and overseeing development and public welfare programmes.

The notification said the government had observed with deep concern that development allocations in various districts had existed on paper but were widely looted through corruption. It said part of the looted money was allegedly transferred abroad, while another part was used for activities involving drugs, social degradation, public security and threats to state security.

The district-level oversight roles were introduced to coordinate overall government operations. The stated objectives include strengthening governance, transparency and accountability, alongside monitoring law and order, anti-corruption and anti-drug measures, public welfare initiatives and development activities.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament on Thursday that an inquiry into alleged partisan recruitment in the police under the previous “fascist” government is nearing completion. Responding to a supplementary question from Noakhali-2 MP Zainul Abdin Faruk, he said the findings would be made public once the investigation is finalized.

The minister said investigators had found information indicating irregularities in police recruitment in several districts. He alleged that thousands of constables, sub-inspectors and personnel in other posts were recruited during the previous government’s tenure, and that some applicants changed permanent addresses to access district quotas. He identified Faridpur, Gopalganj, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Kishoreganj among four or five districts under scrutiny.

Ahmed also said operations to recover looted weapons were continuing, with some recovered weapons identified through their serial numbers. A separate committee has been formed for their recovery. He said plans include creating 4,000 unarmed SI posts, 400 sergeant posts and 100,000 constable posts, while vehicle and watercraft shortages would be addressed gradually over five years through the revenue budget.

Malaysia has finalised the first phase of a voluntary repatriation programme for Myanmar nationals, with 1,476 people scheduled to return to Myanmar on September 29. The Malaysian government announced the plan on Thursday, saying Myanmar authorities had confirmed the identities of those set to be repatriated. The operation will use two Myanmar naval vessels and one hospital ship.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had previously said Myanmar agreed to take back 5,000 ethnic Rohingya refugees amid rising tensions with local communities in Malaysia. The Home Ministry said about 4,008 people, most of them ethnic Rohingya, would be included this year under the Refugee Registration Document, or DPP, programme.

Under an understanding with Myanmar’s government, a further 5,000 people will be considered for voluntary repatriation, the ministry said. As of August 15, Malaysian immigration detention centres held 10,388 Myanmar nationals, though not all could be regarded as refugees. Immigration authorities and police are verifying detainees’ identities, nationalities and security information, with the process expected to finish by the fourth quarter.

Rapid Action Battalion personnel arrested two alleged drug traffickers and seized 100,000 yaba tablets from a pickup truck in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar. The operation was conducted at a checkpoint set up in front of the RAB Teknaf camp on the Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar road at about 6pm on Wednesday, August 26.

The detainees were identified as Jafar Alam, 55, of Notun Para in Ward No. 3 of Sabrang Union, and Md Tariq, 19, of Karachi Para in Ward No. 2 of the same union. Both are residents of Teknaf Upazila. RAB-15 Assistant Director for Law and Media and Assistant Superintendent of Police A. M. Faruk confirmed the matter.

According to RAB, a patrol team signalled the suspicious pickup to stop during regular duty and searched the vehicle and its occupants. The tablets were found concealed behind the driver’s seat. Officers also seized the pickup and two mobile phones. The suspects and recovered evidence were handed over to Teknaf Model Police Station for a regular case under the Narcotics Control Act.

Bangladesh has offered Nepal all necessary assistance to address devastating flash floods and landslides, Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman said on Thursday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He spoke by telephone earlier in the day with Nepalese Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal and said Bangladesh was ready to respond once Nepal identifies its needs.

Khanal told his Bangladeshi counterpart that Nepal was still assessing the scale of damage and the types of assistance required. He said Nepal would inform Bangladesh by the evening or the following day about its specific requirements. During the call, Khalilur Rahman conveyed deep sympathy and condolences on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the people of Bangladesh.

The minister said Bangladesh had not received any information so far that a Bangladeshi citizen had been affected. Nepalese authorities were asked to immediately inform Dhaka if any Bangladeshi was found, alive or dead. Bangladesh is prepared to provide support and take necessary measures, including arranging flights for repatriation if needed. Nepal’s foreign minister thanked Bangladesh for its solidarity and pledged cooperation regarding any affected Bangladeshi citizens.