Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services reported on Thursday, August 27, that five more people died from measles and measles-related symptoms in the past 24 hours. Three deaths from symptoms were recorded in Dhaka division, while two children died with symptoms in Sylhet division. The agency also reported 1,031 new cases of measles or related symptoms during the period.

Since March 15, 955 children have died after being infected with measles or showing measles-related symptoms. Of the total deaths, 856 were attributed to symptoms and 99 to confirmed measles infection. Nationwide, 75 new measles cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours, while another 956 people showed symptoms of the disease.

From March 15 through Thursday, measles-related symptoms were identified in 153,692 people and 18,726 measles cases were confirmed. During the same period, 134,437 people were admitted to hospitals with measles or related symptoms. The health directorate said 129,489 of those admitted had been discharged after recovering.

International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Thursday showed dismissed Major General Ziaul Ahsan arrested and sent him to jail in a crimes against humanity case over the alleged disappearance of current Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed during the Awami League administration. The three-member judicial panel, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, also set 27 October for submission of the investigation report.

Prosecutor Gazi M H Tamim asked the tribunal to show Ziaul arrested in the case, send him to jail and allow two months for filing the investigation report. After a hearing, the tribunal granted the application. Prosecutors Shaikh Mahdi, Tasmiarul Islam and others were also present for the prosecution.

The tribunal had issued a production warrant for Ziaul Ahsan on 10 August following a prosecution application and fixed Thursday for his appearance. On 3 June 2025, Salahuddin filed a complaint with the chief prosecutor’s office against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and six others over his alleged disappearance.

More than a hundred Indian citizens are missing after severe flooding on the Nepal-Tibet border, where they were travelling through Nepal toward Tibet for the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage. The annual journey draws thousands of people along difficult Himalayan routes, but many pilgrims were waiting in different parts of Nepal to cross the border when the disaster struck.

Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar are sacred to Hindus, who visit to pray, perform religious rites and seek spiritual purification. The sites are also important to Buddhists and Jains, and many pilgrims view completing the journey at least once as a long-held spiritual aspiration. Indian travellers commonly enter Nepal before attempting to reach the Chinese-controlled Tibetan region via mountain roads.

The Rasuwa area is a key gateway for the pilgrimage route, but Wednesday's flooding washed away the Miteri Bridge at the Nepal-China border and damaged several roads. Mobile-phone and fibre communications were also disrupted, making it difficult to locate pilgrims, contact them or update their families. Rescue efforts to find the missing have become more complex as floodwaters, glacier ice and landslide debris damaged transport links and isolated border areas.

Bangladesh Bank has completed agreements with 17 banks to provide Tk41,000 crore for its Tk60,000 crore incentive package aimed at reopening closed factories and restoring momentum to the stagnant economy. The package was announced on May 23 to restart shut industrial units, increase private-sector investment and revive economic activity.

The participating banks are Sonali, Agrani, Rupali, BRAC, City, Jamuna, Dutch-Bangla, Mutual Trust, Uttara, Prime, Bank Asia, NCC, Pubali, Eastern, Mercantile, Trust and Southeast Bank. Commercial banks will contribute Tk41,000 crore under the package, while Bangladesh Bank will provide the remaining Tk19,000 crore.

The largest allocation, Tk20,000 crore, has been reserved for restarting industrial factories that have remained closed for a long time. Private-sector borrowers will receive loans from this fund at an average interest rate of 7.5 percent.

Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, said on Wednesday that Iran’s nuclear industry is advancing alongside leading countries in the field despite US sanctions and military attacks. He described the sector as operating at a level comparable with the world’s top nuclear-industry states.

Eslami said Tehran’s adversaries allege that Iran’s nuclear programme is not peaceful because they want to weaken the country. He argued that they know the reality of the programme and that their actions demonstrate an aim to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from progressing.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and intended for civilian uses, particularly nuclear power generation. The source says US President Trump stated that he began a war against Iran with Israel to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, while US intelligence assessments had said Iran was not planning to build a nuclear bomb. Reports have also suggested Iran could become more interested in seeking nuclear weapons after the war.

Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board has extended the form submission deadline for the 2025 Dakhil Class Eight scholarship examination to November 13. The board issued a notice on Thursday announcing the revised schedule and detailed instructions for participating institutions.

Students of board-approved Dakhil, Alim, Fazil and Kamil madrasas may apply based on their Class Six registration records. The notice says that no more than 40 percent of eligible students from an institution can fill out forms to sit for the scholarship examination.

A provisional student list will be published on the board website on September 2. Online form submission is scheduled from September 2 to September 12, while the deadline for online payment of board fees is September 11. Each candidate must pay a Tk400 board fee online and a Tk200 centre fee to the relevant madrasa. Institutions must log into the Online Service-2 panel using their EIIN and password, select candidates, verify the temporary list, and print the final list within 24 hours of payment through Sonali Bank’s gateway.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said he would perform his state duties in a fully nonpartisan manner and put the interests of the country, state and people first. Speaking at his first durbar with Bangabhaban officials and employees at 11:30am on Thursday in the Darbar Hall, he said he had resigned from positions in his party, parliament and the cabinet before assuming the presidency.

He said he would hold no personal anger or favour toward anyone while carrying out his responsibilities. The president stressed earning public trust and working with honesty, dedication, sincerity and responsibility. He urged Bangabhaban staff to show love, respect and loyalty to the country and its people, and described Bangabhaban as a symbol of state dignity and sovereignty whose prestige must be protected.

Mirza Fakhrul called for strict confidentiality in Bangabhaban’s daily activities and matters involving important state decisions so that state security is not disrupted. He also urged economical and responsible state spending, prevention of waste, and transparent, accountable use of public resources. He paid tribute to the 1971 war martyrs, remembered Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, and said staff should work together as one family.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that governments are not yet prepared for the social and economic changes expected from the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. In an article of about 6,000 words, he said AI could eliminate large numbers of jobs within the next decade and deepen inequality if its development is poorly managed. He described the AI era as potentially one of the most disruptive periods in human history.

Gates said AI’s impact differs from earlier shifts from agricultural work to industrial and office employment because those transitions unfolded over generations. AI, he argued, could directly substitute human thinking. He identified law, healthcare, customer service, software and manufacturing as sectors likely to face major change, while reduced entry-level and mid-level opportunities could make it harder for young people to begin careers.

He also warned of risks from AI-enabled cyberattacks against hospitals, banks, water systems and power grids, and raised concerns about addictive chatbots affecting young people’s social development. Gates proposed considering taxes on AI and robots to fund retraining and social protection, while calling for international cooperation among major powers to establish a global AI governance framework.

Nepal’s flood death toll rose to 359 after bodies were recovered from eight districts by 5 p.m. Thursday, police said. The deadly flooding began Wednesday, and Nepal Police spokesperson Abhi Narayan Kafle confirmed the updated figure to The Post. The previous reported death toll on Thursday was 289.

Police reported 132 bodies in Chitwan, 82 in Nawalparasi East, 33 in Dhading, 30 in Gorkha, 28 in Nuwakot, 22 in Tanahun, 17 in Rasuwa and 15 in Nawalparasi West. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said at least 826 people, including residents, security personnel and domestic and foreign tourists, remain missing.

The missing include 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police members and 13 Armed Police Force members. Authorities said 644 tourists are missing, including 517 foreign nationals and 127 Nepalis. Reuters reported that about 1,500 people were missing across Himalayan areas of Nepal and Tibet in China. Government agencies and security forces continue rescue, search, relief, information collection and verification work in affected areas.

Traditional shitalpati mat-making in Kamarkhand, Sirajganj, is gradually disappearing as modern products, plastic materials and declining artisan interest weaken demand for the rural craft. Once widely used in homes during hot weather, for hosting guests and in everyday life, the mats were also important sources of supplementary income for women in artisan families.

Artisan Mononjoy Chandra said shitalpati once had much higher demand, but producers are leaving the trade because they do not receive fair prices despite spending several days to a week making a mat. Worker Anita Rani cited higher raw-material costs, low pay relative to labour and the dominance of modern mats and plastic goods. Elder Billu Chandra said the craft remains closely tied to rural culture and social customs, though its use has declined.

About 300 families in the upazila remain involved in the work, and artisans sell mats in different parts of the country, according to rural development officer Abdur Razzak. He called for modern equipment, training, marketing and low-interest loans. District Commissioner Aminul Islam said the administration would take steps to protect artisans, including credit access and marketing support to help secure fair prices.

The Rickshaw, Battery-Powered Rickshaw-Van and Easybike Struggle Council has demanded dedicated lane services for battery-powered rickshaws, autorickshaws and other slow-moving vehicles operating in Dhaka and across Bangladesh. At a Thursday press conference in front of the National Press Club, the group presented six demands, including parking facilities and charging stations at key road points.

Convener Khalekuzzaman Lipon said battery-powered vehicles have long been blamed for traffic congestion, accidents and load-shedding, while the reasons people drive and use them are overlooked. He cited severe unemployment as a factor pushing people into rickshaw driving and said passengers use the vehicles because they lack another easy and affordable transport option. He added that charging is generally done after 10pm, when load-shedding is lowest.

The group called for a unified policy covering training, registration and route permits, while protecting the local automobile industry. It also sought approval for local producers to manufacture government-approved e-rickshaw designs, training for mechanics, subsidies to replace batteries with environmentally friendly lithium batteries, and at least two years to modify locally made vehicles to approved designs.

India’s plan to expand nuclear power generation nearly tenfold over the next two decades faces fresh obstacles under proposed rules for foreign-designed reactors. The country aims to raise nuclear capacity to about 100 gigawatts by 2045, requiring an estimated $210 billion in investment, as New Delhi seeks lower carbon emissions and stronger energy security amid heavy reliance on coal-fired electricity.

A new atomic law last year opened India’s tightly controlled nuclear sector partially to private and foreign companies, with the aim of drawing technology, capital and expertise for faster plant construction. However, the recently published draft regulations impose additional requirements on overseas reactor designs. A foreign-designed reactor must be approved by the regulator in its country of origin and must already be operating in that country or elsewhere.

Before construction can begin in India, the design must also receive separate approval from India’s nuclear regulator. Industry participants fear the conditions could delay access to newer technologies, particularly small modular reactors, many of which remain at an early commercial stage. Tata Power, Adani Power, Reliance Industries, Rosatom, EDF and GE Hitachi have shown interest, but remain cautious pending final regulations. NPCIL is pursuing nearly 14 gigawatts of added capacity by 2032.

A 45-year-old man, Mamunur Rashid Mamun, has been accused of killing his mother, Anwara Begum, 58, in Baje Durgapur village of Jessore Sadar on Thursday at about 5:30pm. Local residents said Mamun used a sharp boti to sever her head from her body after an argument at their home. He fled after nearby people responded to screams, leaving the weapon behind.

Jessore Kotwali police station officer-in-charge Mamun Khan said investigators suspect Mamun held resentment toward his mother over the breakdown of his two marriages. Locals said he blamed her for the separations and had previously argued with and assaulted her. His two wives reportedly left following marital disputes.

Residents said Mamun had mental health problems and was admitted to Pabna Mental Hospital about three years ago, where he received treatment for two to three months. They also said he returned home on Thursday after living away for nearly five years. Police reached the scene and were preparing to send the body to Jessore General Hospital morgue, while efforts continued to detain the accused.

A new lake formed by a landslide near the Nepal-China border is raising fears of another major disaster after severe flooding in the area. The lake, located in Nepal near the Gyirong port area, has accumulated about 2 million cubic metres of water, while another 3 million cubic metres could enter it over the next three days. Authorities fear the natural dam created by the landslide could fail, unleashing floodwater, mud and rocks downstream.

Drone footage released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV showed water filling a large depression left by an earlier landslide. According to CCTV, the lake is expanding rapidly and has already begun to overflow. Continued rainfall is forecast in Gyirong County over the next three days, increasing risks of landslides, mudflows and flash floods.

A local Chinese military commander, Chen Shi, said mountain slopes could collapse at any time because roads run along steep mountain edges. Several military units are on standby for rescue and relief operations. Rescue efforts are already being hampered by rugged terrain, expected rain and the risk of further landslides, while authorities closely monitor the lake.

Bangladesh’s University Grants Commission (UGC) has warned that it will take action against universities that fail to address sexual harassment complaints or neglect their responsibilities. UGC Chairman Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed made the remarks on Thursday at a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between the UGC and UN Women at the UGC building in Agargaon. He said universities must ensure safe and supportive environments for female teachers, students and staff.

Ahmed said forming sexual-harassment prevention committees alone is insufficient, and the committees must work effectively. Under High Court directives, all public universities and several private universities have formed such committees, but UGC monitoring found that many were not performing as expected. He stressed that every complaint must be investigated promptly and resolved through necessary action.

The UGC is also moving to form a national committee to coordinate and monitor university complaint and remedy systems and prevention activities. The EU-funded UGC-UN Women project will strengthen institutional capacity at five universities. At the event, a 2024 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics survey said 16 percent of women aged 20 to 24 had experienced technology-facilitated gender-based violence.