The Bangladesh Football Federation has announced a final 23-member women’s football squad for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The selection includes major changes from the squad used in the most recent SAFF tournament, with four players omitted, one player receiving a first final national-team call-up and three players returning to the group.

Arpita Biswas has been included in the final national squad for the first time. She travelled with the team for the SAFF tournament in Goa, India, last May but did not play, and the Asian Games could mark her international debut. Midfielder Munki Akter and defenders Irene Khatun and Nabiran Khatun have returned to the team.

Surma Jannat, Halima Akter, Umehlar Marma and Saurabhi Akand have been left out from the SAFF squad. Bangladesh will depart for China tonight as part of their Asian Games preparations. The team will play two warm-up matches against Guangzhou FC on September 7 and 10. The squad includes three goalkeepers, 10 defenders, five midfielders and five forwards.

The cabinet has approved Bangladesh’s long-awaited ninth pay scale for government employees at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat on Monday afternoon. The new structure will be implemented in three phases, raising salaries by between 100% and 142%. Basic pay for Grade 1 has been set at Tk156,000, while the minimum basic pay for Grade 20 will be Tk20,000.

The pay scale retains the existing 20 grades and introduces a monthly Tk3,000 allowance for employees’ children with disabilities for the first time. The cabinet also approved the Joint Services Instructions-2026 for the armed forces to align with the new salary scale. A 10-member committee, formed on April 21 and led by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani, finalized the draft after reviewing recommendations from the Ninth National Pay Commission.

The commission had proposed raising minimum basic pay from Tk8,250 to Tk20,000 and maximum basic pay from Tk78,000 to Tk160,000. It estimated that implementation could require about Tk106,000 crore in additional annual funding, posing a major financing challenge for the government. The finance minister had said on June 11 that phased implementation would begin from July 1.

Germany retained the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup title by defeating Spain 1-0 in the final on Sunday night at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre, Belgium. The European side became world champions for a second consecutive time, preserving its position at the top of the sport.

The final was closely contested from the start. Spain held a slight edge in attack, but Germany’s defence remained firm. The decisive moment came in the third quarter, when Michel Struthof scored in the 44th minute. His strike proved to be the only goal of the match.

Spain, known as the Redsticks, pushed hard for an equaliser after conceding and created several attacks. However, Germany’s defensive unit and goalkeeper prevented them from converting their chances. The victory lifted Germany’s total World Cup titles to four, following triumphs in 2002, 2006 and 2023, drawing them level with Pakistan as the most successful men’s Hockey World Cup team.

The government has approved the long-awaited National Pay Scale 2026 for public-sector employees, with implementation scheduled to begin on 1 July. The approval was granted at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday afternoon.

Under the new pay scale, salaries will increase by between 100% and 142%, with the plan to be implemented in three phases. The salary for Grade 1 has been set at Tk156,000, while employees in Grade 20 will receive Tk20,000.

The Finance Ministry recommended rolling out the new scale in three stages across two fiscal years. According to the recommendation, the phased implementation is intended to reduce pressure from inflation and on the budget.

Bangladesh’s government is preparing to introduce the Electronic Business Registration System, or eBRS, to digitize company registration through the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies and Firms. At a Monday meeting at the Ministry of Commerce, officials said the system aims to let entrepreneurs complete every step, from name clearance to final registration, from home. During its initial phase, the target is to complete registrations within hours after rapid official verification.

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said applicants would no longer need to visit the RJSC office, as the institution’s operations would be fully automated. The system will allow applications at any time and will pre-verify national ID, e-TIN and mobile numbers in real time to identify inaccurate or inconsistent information and help prevent fraud.

Entrepreneurs will be offered model, customized and pre-approved MOA and AOA options. BUET’s CSE department is advising on technical quality and security, while registration-module testing has been completed. Integration work with EC, BTRC and BDCCL is nearing completion. Developer Dynamic Solution Limited is scheduled to complete final transformation and handover by January 15, 2027.

Bangladesh could face a major infrastructure challenge in its internet sector as decisions on new submarine cable connections remain unresolved despite rapidly rising demand for international bandwidth. Speakers raised the concern on Monday at a workshop near Dhaka organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Association of Bangladesh on protecting digital sovereignty and meeting future bandwidth needs.

International bandwidth use rose from 50 Gbps in 2013 to nearly 13.5 Tbps in 2026, an increase of about 260 times in 13 years, participants said. Demand is projected to reach 19.1 Tbps in 2027, 54 Tbps in 2030 and 432 Tbps in 2036, driven by video streaming, cloud services, data centres, AI, online education, digital payments and industrial digitalisation.

Bangladesh currently relies mainly on two state-run cables, SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-5, with capacities of 4.6 Tbps and 2.5 Tbps respectively; remaining bandwidth is imported through international terrestrial cables. Metacore Subcom CEO Mohammad Aminul Hakim said private cable connectivity could reduce internet prices by 50 percent and improve service quality. Experts said cable planning, financing and construction take years, making early decisions essential.

Mohammad Ismail Jabiyullah, adviser to the prime minister on public administration with ministerial status, has directed that Annual Development Programme projects under the Ministry of Public Administration be implemented swiftly within their scheduled timeframes. He issued the instruction on Monday while addressing a meeting reviewing July implementation progress for the ministry’s projects in the 2026-27 fiscal year. State Minister for Public Administration Mohammad Abdul Bari, MP, was present.

Jabiyullah said the physical and financial progress of ongoing projects must be reviewed regularly. Problems affecting implementation should be identified quickly and necessary action taken. He highlighted infrastructure development, capacity building for BCS cadre officers, modernization of training centres and digitization among the priorities of projects being implemented under the ministry.

He said that if a project nears the end of its approved duration and needs more time, an extension should be pursued through proper procedures. However, he said no increase in project costs would be allowed when extending a project’s duration. At the start of the meeting, Jabiyullah unveiled publications including the Organisation and Management Guidelines 2026, the first and second volumes of the O&M Manual, and Government Employees Statistics 2025.

Nazrul Year was observed across Bangladesh on Monday to introduce National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s life, work, literature and humanist ideals to younger generations. Programmes included rallies, discussion meetings, cultural events and education institution-based competitions in districts including Jamalpur, Rangpur, Barishal, Naogaon, Shariatpur and Gopalganj.

In Madarganj of Jamalpur, students joined a gathering at the upazila premises before an opening and cultural programme at Kharka Hall Room, organized by the upazila administration. In Taraganj, Rangpur, the upazila administration inaugurated an institution-based cultural competition at the upazila auditorium. In Bakerganj, Barishal, a colourful rally travelled through major roads of the municipal town before a discussion meeting and performances of Nazrul’s songs.

Sapahar in Naogaon opened a competition at the upazila parishad hall room, while Bhedarganj in Shariatpur launched its observance with a discussion featuring a keynote paper by lecturer Ashraful Alam. In Kotalipara, Gopalganj, local officials, teachers and a journalist addressed an opening programme at the upazila parishad auditorium.

National Citizens Party spokesperson Asif Mahmood Sajeeb Bhuiyan has described the Bangladesh government’s interest in joining the Mecca Pact as positive, while stressing that national interests, strategic independence and balance must guide foreign relations. He made the remarks to journalists at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Monday morning after returning from Saudi Arabia following Umrah.

Asif Mahmood said Bangladesh should keep its doors open to relations with all sides before entering any commercial or military agreement. He said foreign policy should avoid damaging Bangladesh’s interest-based ties with other states or regions while deepening relations with one party. He also expressed concern over the country’s oil, gas and electricity situation, saying citizens are not receiving adequate gas and power despite high prices and alleged ghost bills.

He said Saudi airline tickets, which had fallen to about $350 or Tk40,000 during the interim government, now cost Tk60,000 to Tk70,000 and sometimes Tk80,000 due to alleged syndicate manipulation. He also called for action against intermediaries and syndicates in overseas labour recruitment, saying Bangladeshi workers can face costs of up to Tk800,000 to go to Malaysia. He said the announced 11-party alliance long march would highlight public hardship.

A Dhaka court has barred Faisal Karim Masud, the main accused in the murder case of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi, and his wife Shahida Parveen Samiya from travelling abroad. Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Shahjahan Kabir issued the order on Monday following an application by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) linked to corruption allegations.

ACC public relations officer Akhtarul Islam confirmed the information. Assistant Director Md Saifur Rahman filed the application on behalf of the commission, seeking the travel restriction for the couple.

The application said an inquiry is under way into allegations of Tk127 crore in transactions through bank accounts belonging to Faisal Karim and people linked to his interests. It cited information from reliable sources that those connected to the allegations could flee abroad, making the restriction necessary for a proper inquiry. Faisal was arrested by West Bengal Police and the Special Task Force in the Bongaon border area on March 8 and has remained in prison in India since then.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain alleged that two MRI machines in Faridpur and Barishal have remained unused for nine years despite being bought at a stated value of Tk18 crore. Speaking as chief guest at a coordination meeting in Manikganj on Monday morning, he said the machines were acquired without technicians or manpower and may now only be sold as scrap.

The minister alleged that the previous Awami League government bought equipment and left it unused, claiming that large sums were stolen through such purchases. He also called for uncompromising action against narcotics, saying people involved in drug activities and those who shelter them should be brought under the law. He said repeat offenders released on bail should be rearrested where necessary.

Hossain said sustainable district development requires security, healthcare, education, employment and improved living standards alongside infrastructure. He urged attention to medicine, equipment and staffing shortages at public hospitals in Manikganj, and said the government was working toward major changes in the health sector within three years. Food Minister Afroza Khanam Rita also called for coordinated work among government offices and urged BNP leaders not to engage in factionalism.

Operations of the Social Development Foundation (SDF) have collapsed across all 10 unions of Badarganj in Rangpur, amid allegations that crores of taka were misappropriated. The programme, launched in 2011 to organize and provide loans to women from poor and disadvantaged households, is now inactive in every local association. Many offices have been abandoned, overgrown, or damaged, while some are reportedly being used to store crops, fuel and livestock.

The project was funded by the Bangladesh government and the World Bank, with land purchased and association offices built at union level. Local residents alleged irregularities and corruption in land purchases and construction. Members were expected to deposit instalments collected by association presidents into the project’s own bank, but activities weakened after about a year and eventually stopped in most associations. Several members said they have not recovered savings deposited with the groups.

Sources said about $600 million was invested in the SDF project, which began in 2011 and was scheduled for three years before activities ended around November 2015. SDF officials did not provide requested records or comments on spending, land purchases, construction, loan disbursement or recovery.

India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has launched a campaign to raise 5 million rupees for Sheikh Abdul Hafiz after his father, Mafik, died following an alleged assault in Karisunda village under Indas police station in Bankura. CJP said Hafiz and his father were attacked at their home on August 13, and Mafik died on August 15 after sustaining a serious head injury.

According to CJP, 25-year-old Hafiz had visited a government school in the village on August 13 under its “Fix the School” campaign and highlighted poor infrastructure. The party alleged that armed people identified as local BJP workers assaulted the pair and pressured Hafiz to record an apology video and say he had acted at others’ instigation. CJP said Hafiz was seriously injured in the neck and later moved to Kolkata for security reasons.

Hafiz has declined government compensation, saying he wants a world-class school named after his father instead. A CJP national working committee delegation led by co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka visited Hafiz and his family on August 17. The party said the fundraising will support the family and sustain its demand for improved government schools in the area.

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.