State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Nurul Haque Nur said the government is working to arrange overseas employment for 10 million working-age young people over five years. He made the remarks while answering journalists’ questions during a visit to Barishal Government Brojomohun College campus at 12:30 pm on Monday, ahead of a freshmen reception.

Nur said loans of up to Tk300,000 without collateral are being provided to 1 million students seeking to go abroad and to expatriates. He said overseas employment policy is placing importance on skills, arguing that certificate-based education alone cannot ensure jobs in the current labour market.

The state minister said textbooks, syllabuses and curricula are being assessed to align with areas of demand in the job market. He also said the cyber law would soon be amended to make social media safer, and stated that the government has taken a strong position against drugs. Later, he attended a freshmen reception organised by the BM College unit of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad.

Four people died from mosquito-borne dengue fever in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours, while 1,163 newly infected patients were admitted to hospitals. The admissions figure is the highest recorded in a single day this year. The Health Directorate’s Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room released the update in a dengue bulletin on Monday, August 31.

With the latest deaths, the country’s dengue death toll for the year rose to 97. Total infections reported so far this year reached 35,846, according to the bulletin. The update identifies hospital admissions among newly infected patients during the latest 24-hour reporting period.

On Sunday, August 30, three people died from dengue and 1,097 people were infected in one day. The latest daily admissions therefore exceeded the previous day’s reported infection figure, while the cumulative totals were updated following the four additional deaths and new hospitalizations.

Astronomy in Islamic civilization developed from a discipline serving religious needs into an increasingly independent science, according to the source. Muslim thinkers including Ibn Sina, Imam Ghazali, Nasir al-Din Tusi, al-Jurjani and Ali Qushji played important roles in this intellectual shift. Mathematical and astronomical centers in Maragha and Samarkand strengthened the field through observation, calculation and mathematical modelling.

The discipline had practical importance for determining prayer times, the direction of qibla, the start of Ramadan and the Islamic calendar. Its study therefore extended beyond philosophical and courtly discussion to mosques and madrasas. Ibn Sina distinguished astronomy from astrology and sought to ground it in observation and mathematical proof, although his work remained connected to Aristotelian ideas of the universe and nature.

Ghazali and Adud al-Din al-Iji recognized astronomy's mathematical and practical value but questioned its ability to determine ultimate reality. Al-Jurjani argued that astronomical models could relate to reality, while Tusi pursued stronger mathematical foundations. Ali Qushji advanced the separation of astronomy from Aristotelian physics and metaphysics, emphasizing observation, insight and mathematics as routes to reliable knowledge of nature.

Nagorik Oikya president Mahmudur Rahman Manna on Monday, August 31, called on the government to clearly present its specific plan for addressing Bangladesh’s energy and electricity crisis. Speaking as chief guest at a discussion titled “Energy and Life Security” at the National Press Club in Dhaka, he said the government’s actions in the sector appeared to show populism rather than a defined roadmap.

Manna said irregularities and mismanagement in the power and energy sectors over the past 15 years had affected public safety. He questioned why the government was saying that meaningful action could not be completed within two years, warning that a prolonged power crisis could threaten the economy, garment sector and other industries. He also cited claims that solar generation by Dhaka garment owners could produce 1,700 megawatts.

Referring to United Nations information, Manna said solar panels in major cities could potentially generate about 6,000 megawatts, while the current shortfall was 3,500 megawatts. He urged rapid alternative measures and called for an investigation into allegations that none of six expected LNG cargoes arrived. He said the government should explain the causes of the shortage and its timetable for improvement.

An Israeli airstrike on Abu al-Duhur airbase in rural Idlib, Syria, on August 18 has heightened tensions involving Turkey, the United States and Israel. Israeli warplanes targeted the runways of the largely inactive airbase near the Turkish border. The strike was widely viewed as a message to Turkey rather than an operation against a militarily significant target.

Israel said Syria was preparing to deploy Turkish forces at the base, a claim denied by both Syria and Turkey. US Ambassador to Turkey and Syria special envoy Tom Barrack said Israel had informed Washington about possible Turkish activity about six days before the strike. After checking its own intelligence, the United States told Israel that no Turkish military activity was present, but Israel carried out the attack anyway.

Barrack said Israel withheld operational details, fearing Washington might warn Turkey. Israeli aircraft came within about 80 kilometres of the Turkish border, creating a risk of an unintended encounter with Turkish jets. Analysts said Syria has the sovereign right to renovate airbases and pursue defence cooperation with Turkey. The report also cited previous US-Israeli differences over a proposed Israeli ground operation in Iran.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized seven sacks of Indian sarees valued at an estimated Tk 1.92 million during an operation in Khagrachhari. The Khagrachhari Battalion, 32 BGB, confirmed the seizure in a statement issued on Monday afternoon. The goods were intercepted while they were allegedly being smuggled.

According to BGB, the operation was conducted on Sunday night at a border-area location known as Janmaratila Down. Suspected smugglers fled into hilly forest areas after noticing the presence of the patrol team, the force said.

The sacks contained 160 pieces of Indian silk and Jamdani Katan sarees. Lieutenant Colonel Md Shahriar Rajib, the battalion commander, said Border Guard Bangladesh remains actively engaged around the clock in border security and in preventing drug trafficking and smuggling.

The source says a new prospect of regional stability is emerging in the Middle East as armed-group activity has declined in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. It identifies the reported dissolution of the PKK and affiliated groups, alongside moves to integrate them into state structures, as a significant development. Turkey’s “terror-free Turkey” initiative is described as expanding beyond its borders toward a vision of a “terror-free region.”

In Syria, the source says YPG forces linked to the PKK faced government troops in recent clashes, after which the national army defeated armed groups and restored state authority in several areas. Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara said Kurdish citizens would enjoy equal rights and dignity. The YPG then announced its dissolution and integration into Syria’s state structure, while Ferhat Abdi Shahin was reported to have been appointed a presidential adviser.

Turkey’s parliament has approved an anti-terrorism framework law and formed a special commission to oversee the process, chaired at its first meeting by Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. Iraq has called on all armed groups to disarm, surrender or join the national army from September. The source says reduced border threats could lessen Turkey’s military activity along Syrian and Iraqi borders.

The National Editors Council (NEC) held its first general meeting at a hotel in the capital on Monday, attended by editors of 29 daily newspapers published in Dhaka and other regions. Jaijaidin editor Shafik Rehman was elected president for an interim period, while Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman became secretary general. Wada editor Shafiqul Alam was elected treasurer. Participants approved the council’s constitution with amendments.

Editors discussed press freedom and improving professional standards. Mahmudur Rahman said the organisation aimed to expand communication among journalists and help editors remain united for independent journalism. Shafik Rehman said journalists had an important role in maintaining peace and stability and called for cooperation to bring editors nationwide onto one platform.

Jugantor editor Abdul Hai Shikdar proposed an award named after Kazi Nazrul Islam for contributions to journalism, and the meeting accepted the proposal. The council decided to award the Nazrul Medal annually for journalism. Other participants called on the NEC to work toward press and freedom of expression and to become a voice for editors across Bangladesh.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “serpent,” accusing him of drawing the United States into a war against Iran for Israel’s interests. In a social media post cited by Al Jazeera, Araghchi said Netanyahu had openly described influencing the US administration in a Hebrew-language address to Israelis.

Araghchi said Netanyahu boasted of having “suckered” the US administration into war with Iran and of influencing America through 1,000 hours of airtime on US networks. He contrasted that claim with Netanyahu’s English-language remarks praising US President Donald Trump’s leadership.

The accusation has emerged in international reporting on the ongoing Iran war. The source says reports have previously examined Netanyahu’s role in bringing Washington into conflict with Iran following joint US-Israeli military operations.

A police officer testified before International Crimes Tribunal-2 on Monday about the February 21, 2015 deaths of two BNP leaders, Tipu Howlader and Kabir Mollah, in an alleged crossfire in Agailjhara, Barishal. Ali Ahmed, now a CID police inspector in Barishal, appeared as the 15th witness in the case against four people, including former Barishal MP Abul Hasanat Abdullah, who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity in connection with the incident.

Ahmed said former Barishal superintendent of police A K M Ehsan Ullah visited Uzirpur police station on the night of February 20, 2015, before the officer in charge instructed him to issue special-operation deployment orders for ASI Jasim Uddin and ASI Mahbul. The next morning, he saw television headlines reporting that the two men had died in a gunfight with police in neighboring Agailjhara.

He said the two ASIs were kept off duty for 10 days and later requested another 10 to 15 days away from duty. Ahmed said he later learned they acted under the SP's instruction and supervision, and heard they received a Tk25,000 reward for the crossfire.

Doping test results for Siddhartha Das and Mugdha Das, accused in the killing of Ganapati Chakraborty and his family in Rangpur, have returned negative, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sanatan Chakraborty confirmed on Monday afternoon. A court has also allowed investigators to question each accused for two days and three hours at the gate of Rangpur Central Jail.

Chakraborty said the tests found no presence of drugs. The accused had said in statements recorded under Section 164 that they used yaba. Police sought the tests following those claims and the recovery of certain evidence from the scene.

Samples were collected through Rangpur Medical College Hospital and sent for testing, but testing could not be conducted on the day of their arrest. Samples were taken 10 days after the incident, and Chakraborty said detecting drugs in samples after that period is generally very difficult, with experts better placed to explain. The investigation remains ongoing. Police and a medical team collected the samples from the central jail on Sunday afternoon.

Senior US military commanders have warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against prolonging a large-scale operation against Iran, according to US media reports cited by Al Jazeera. The warning was reported by The Washington Post and involved the heads of the US Army, Navy and Air Force, along with commanders responsible for US forces in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The concerns appeared in a regularly issued confidential report outlining the United States' global military deployments. Senior officers submitted a formal notice saying they disagreed with the deployment order but would carry it out. They said ships, military aircraft and equipment had been moved from different regions for the war against Iran.

Commanders said those transfers had reduced the capacity to conduct other military operations and train troops in affected regions. More than 50,000 US personnel have reportedly been kept on alert for months amid concerns that new attacks on Iran could be ordered. President Donald Trump has continued pressuring Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept US conditions to end the war.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks has risen to 73,449 since October 2023, while 174,472 people have been wounded. In the past 48 hours, nine Palestinians were reported killed and 18 injured, with several bodies also recovered from rubble. The source says deaths and casualties have continued despite a ceasefire being in effect.

According to the ministry’s figures, Israeli attacks and other alleged violations since the ceasefire began have killed 1,313 Palestinians and injured 4,361. A study by the Palestinian Center for Missing and Forcibly Disappeared estimated that roughly 2,500 to 3,000 people may have been forcibly disappeared during the war, based on an analysis of 317 cases.

Many people are still believed to be trapped beneath debris from destroyed buildings, raising concerns that the actual death toll could exceed official figures. The war, which began in October 2023, has extensively damaged residential areas, hospitals, infrastructure and other civilian facilities in Gaza, while fatalities have continued in recent days.

National University has released the results of its 2024 Honours fourth-year examinations, reporting an average pass rate of 65.10 percent. The results were announced Monday by the university’s Controller of Examinations office. A total of 232,624 candidates from 881 affiliated colleges took part in the examinations.

The university said the results were published within 47 working days of the examinations ending, describing it as a new record in its examination administration. Last year, publication of Honours final-year results took 89 days. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A S M Amanullah said faster procedures from conducting examinations through publishing results were intended to consider students’ time and future.

The 2024 Honours final-year, or fourth-year, examinations began on April 30 and ended on June 15. Candidates can view their results from 5pm on the National University results website, https://results.nu.ac.bd. The university said it retains the authority to correct any detected inconsistencies or errors in the published results, or to cancel results entirely if necessary.

National University has announced a new date for the suspended 2025 first-year honours examination. The examination, held under the university, will take place on September 22, according to a press release issued by the institution on Monday.

The rescheduled examination is listed under examination code 2201. It is scheduled to begin at 1:30 pm. The university did not provide further details in the announcement about the reason the examination had been suspended.

The duration of the examination will be determined by the time stated on the question paper. Students sitting the examination are expected to follow the revised schedule and the instructions indicated in their question papers.