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.

A mother and her one-year-old daughter were killed after a goods-laden truck collided with a CNG-run autorickshaw in Sakhipur, Tangail. The crash occurred around 6pm on বৃহস্পতিবার (27 August) in the Berbari Bottola Millpara area of the Nalua-Tangail road. The woman was identified as 22-year-old Israt Jahan Akhi.

Akhi was the wife of Shuvo Ahmed of Adabari village in Basail upazila. She had left her husband's home in Adabari with her daughter and was travelling by CNG-run autorickshaw to a relative's house in Paharkanchanpur, Sakhipur. Family members and eyewitnesses said the autorickshaw collided with an oncoming goods truck at Berbari Bottola Millpara.

The mother and daughter were thrown from the autorickshaw and crushed beneath the truck's wheels, dying at the scene. Sakhipur police went to the location after receiving information about the accident and recovered their bodies. Police said further legal action was being taken. The deaths have left the victims' relatives and family members in mourning.

Ramganj police arrested a 25-year-old woman, identified by police as Rahena Akter and allegedly using the name Fatema Akter, at 3:15am on Thursday. She had been staging a hunger strike since Sunday, August 23, outside the home of expatriate Imon Hossain in Purba Machimpur village of Chandipur Union, Lakshmipur, demanding marriage.

Residents said the woman had presented herself as Fatema Akter from Chhagalnaiya in Feni. Police said their investigation found that her real name was Rahena Akter, daughter of Nurul Alam, from Uttar Pajura village in Fatikchhari, Chattogram. Police alleged that she used different identities and addresses and targeted wealthy men to obtain large sums of money.

Ramganj police officer-in-charge Firoz Uddin Chowdhury confirmed the arrest. He said the woman had previously come to the same location twice and had earlier been detained and sent to a magistrate court, where she was released on her own custody. Police also alleged that at least 10 men had been victims of her alleged fraud and said she had previously married twice.

Geologists and glacier experts preliminarily believe a massive glacier collapse was a key factor behind devastating flash floods in Nepal on Wednesday. Satellite analysis indicated that a roughly 2,000-foot-wide section of glacier, located at about 17,000 feet, broke away and plunged about 4,000 feet into a valley. The event occurred about 40 miles north of Kathmandu, with ice and water flowing northwest toward the Bhote Koshi River on the Nepal-China border.

Experts said the falling ice released substantial stored energy, breaking into a fast, dangerous mixture of ice, water and rock. Seismic data showed a sudden downslope movement at about 8:40 a.m. local time, followed by signs of floodwater flow. The USGS initially identified a 4.4-magnitude earthquake but later said no earthquake had occurred; it described vibrations from the landslide as equivalent to a 5.2-magnitude seismic event.

Scientists have not confirmed the precise cause, noting that videos show unusually large water volumes that may indicate additional factors. They have not ruled out climate change, as satellite images showed rapidly shrinking snow cover before the event, but say it is too early to establish a direct link. Hundreds remain missing in Nepal and China’s Tibet region, while rescue work is complicated by remote terrain and debris.

Opposition deputy leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Dr Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher accused the BNP of becoming a “champion of inequality” after an opposition walkout during the first sitting of parliament’s third session on Thursday night. Speaking at a press briefing on the parliamentary premises, he alleged that opposition lawmakers were being denied development funds provided to BNP representatives and said reserved-seat women MPs from his side had received little budget allocation.

Taher said opposition MPs had protested remarks by the home minister, which he said created conditions for two walkouts. According to him, the final walkout followed BNP’s position that a referendum was not covered by the constitution, despite earlier support for it. He said the prime minister had also urged a “yes” vote in the referendum.

He said the opposition rejected efforts to pass bills by majority force without fully implementing the public verdict in the referendum and reforming the constitution. Taher named the National Human Rights Commission Bill and the Prevention and Remedy of Enforced Disappearance Bill. NCP convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam said the home minister had made derogatory remarks toward MPs Hasnat Abdullah and Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud during questions on law and order.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have entered a political dispute over the wreckage of the Altalena, an Irgun arms ship sunk in 1948. Ben-Gvir announced on Monday that the wreckage had been found, after which Netanyahu also visited the site. The two leaders issued separate video messages, turning the discovery into a politically significant event ahead of October’s election.

At the Etzel Museum near Jaffa, Netanyahu recounted the Altalena episode and highlighted former Irgun commander Menachem Begin’s order not to return fire when Israeli forces fired on his fighters. The ship had arrived from France in June 1948 carrying weapons for Irgun, but a dispute over control of the arms with the newly formed Israeli army ended with David Ben-Gurion ordering it sunk.

Analysts cited in the report said the renewed attention reflects rivalry between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir rather than broad voter interest. Polls place Netanyahu’s Likud behind rival Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Party, while Ben-Gvir retains support among hardline voters. Chatham House adviser Yossi Mekelberg warned that rhetoric about civil-war fears is politically motivated but dangerous.