Two unexploded crude bombs, locally known as cocktails, were recovered from the Dhaka metro rail track near Kazipara station on Friday morning. The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit’s bomb disposal team responded promptly after being alerted around 11:30 a.m. in the Kafrul police area. According to the bomb disposal report, the explosives had been thrown onto the track but failed to detonate. The team conducted a risk assessment before safely removing the devices from the metro line. The recovered cocktails were later defused at a secure location. All collected evidence from the site has been handed over to Kafrul Police for further legal action. Authorities have not yet identified any suspects or motives behind the incident, and an investigation is underway to determine how the explosives were placed near the metro infrastructure.

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Dhaka and surrounding areas on Friday morning caused visible cracks in six newly built ten-story residential halls at Jahangirnagar University. Students reported fractures in floors, walls, and washrooms, sparking panic and raising renewed concerns about construction quality. Allegations of corruption and substandard work in the university’s recent infrastructure projects have long persisted and resurfaced following this incident. Many students evacuated the buildings and gathered in open spaces for safety. They are now demanding a full structural assessment, accountability for those responsible, and immediate safety measures. The university administration confirmed that the affected dormitories were built under a previous administration and acknowledged visible irregularities. Vice-Chancellor Professor Kamrul Ahsan stated that engineers and experts have been instructed to inspect the damage and ensure safety. The incident has reignited debate over transparency and safety in campus development projects.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday morning, shaking the capital Dhaka and several other districts. The tremor, which occurred at 10:38 a.m. local time, resulted in at least seven reported deaths nationwide. In response, the Dhaka District Administration has established an emergency control room to assess the extent of the damage and coordinate rescue and relief operations. According to an official press release signed by Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Md. Rezaul Karim, the control room will serve as a central point for information exchange and emergency communication. Authorities urged citizens to contact the control room for any earthquake-related assistance or to report incidents. The administration stated that it is closely monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to support affected individuals and communities while ensuring a swift disaster response.

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday morning, with tremors felt in Dhaka and several other districts. The quake, originating in Madhabdi of Narsingdi, caused the deaths of seven people across three districts—Dhaka, Narayanganj, and Narsingdi—and injured more than fifty others. In Old Dhaka’s Bangshal area, three pedestrians, including a child, were killed when a building railing collapsed. In Narayanganj’s Rupganj upazila, two people, including a woman and a one-year-old child, died after walls collapsed during the quake. In Narsingdi, two others, including a 10-year-old boy and a 75-year-old man, were killed in separate incidents linked to structural collapses. Authorities confirmed the casualties and reported widespread panic among residents. Emergency services are assessing damages and providing medical aid to the injured.

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday morning, shaking Dhaka and other parts of the country. Professor Humayun Akhter, a geologist and former vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University, warned that the tremor could be a precursor to a much stronger earthquake in the near future. He explained that the quake occurred along the boundary between the Burma and Indian tectonic plates, which had been locked for years and has now started to release accumulated stress. According to his research, energy equivalent to an 8.2 to 9 magnitude earthquake remains stored in the region, posing a serious risk of future seismic activity. Akhter emphasized that although the current quake was significant, it released only a small portion of the built-up energy. He urged authorities and citizens to conduct regular earthquake preparedness drills to minimize casualties in case of a larger event.

Russia has strongly condemned the joint US-Israel airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, calling it a violation of international norms and a threat to regional stability. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova reiterated Moscow’s commitment to a political and diplomatic resolution of Iran’s nuclear issue, emphasizing that any military action against facilities under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s supervision is unacceptable. She warned that such attacks undermine the global non-proliferation regime and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Zakharova also said that while some foreign powers seek to destabilize Iran internally, Tehran remains committed to dialogue to protect its national interests. She stressed that Iran must receive firm guarantees that its nuclear sites will not be targeted again and urged Western nations to abandon the language of sanctions and threats, returning instead to diplomacy. The statement follows recent talks between Russian and Iranian foreign ministers on the matter.

A 10-year-old boy named Omar was killed and his father, Ujjal, critically injured when a wall of their home collapsed during an earthquake in Gabtali, Narsingdi, on Friday morning. Locals rescued the victims and took them to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 1 p.m., where doctors declared Omar dead upon arrival. His father was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for critical injuries. The hospital’s police camp in-charge, Inspector Md. Faruk, confirmed that the child’s body has been kept in the hospital morgue. Authorities have not yet provided further details about the extent of the earthquake or other casualties in the area. The incident highlights the vulnerability of local housing structures during seismic events and the urgent need for improved building safety measures in earthquake-prone regions of Bangladesh.

A powerful earthquake struck Ghorashal in Palash upazila of Narsingdi, Bangladesh, causing extensive damage to buildings, shops, and the Ghorashal Power Plant. Cracks appeared in several multi-story structures, and merchandise fell from shelves in local markets, injuring around 20 people. The quake triggered a fire at the substation of the Ghorashal Power Plant, leading to significant losses before firefighters brought the blaze under control. Electricity supply to Ghorashal and surrounding areas was disrupted, and authorities are working to restore power through alternative transmission routes. Local shop owners reported heavy financial losses, with some estimating damages worth several lakh taka. Residents and students in nearby buildings were left frightened as cracks appeared in walls and ceilings, prompting temporary closures of shops and educational institutions.

The National Pay Commission of Bangladesh is expected to submit its final recommendations for a new pay scale by the end of December 2024. According to commission member Dr. Mohammad Ali Khan, around 50 percent of the work has been completed, and opinions from secretaries will be collected next week before finalizing the report. The commission has dismissed a 15-page document circulating on social media as fake, clarifying that no official draft or decision has been released yet. The leaked document falsely claimed details about salary grades, increments, and allowances. Meanwhile, interim government economic adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed stated that the new pay scale will likely be implemented after the national elections in February 2025. However, the Bangladesh Government Employees Unity Council has warned of strict action if the official gazette is not published by December 15. The 23-member commission, led by former finance secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan, was formed in July to review and recommend updates to the government salary structure.

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale struck Bangladesh on Friday morning, shaking Dhaka and several surrounding districts. The epicenter was located in Madhabdi, Narsingdi. The tremor, felt at 10:38 a.m., caused panic and structural damage in parts of the capital, with reports of buildings tilting and partial collapses. At least four people, including a child in Rupganj, were killed due to falling structures. Meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department stated that the quake was of moderate intensity and not powerful enough to cause widespread destruction. He added that there is currently no indication of potential aftershocks. Typically, earthquakes of this magnitude cause noticeable shaking and minor damage but rarely result in major casualties or large-scale devastation. Authorities are assessing the situation while urging residents to remain cautious.

At least 16 people were killed and more than 24 injured when a passenger bus lost control and plunged from a bridge into a river in Cambodia’s central Kampong Thom province early Thursday morning. Police said the bus, carrying 37 passengers from Oddar Meanchey province to the capital Phnom Penh, fell into a canal around 3 a.m. The vehicle had stopped in Siem Reap, a major tourist hub, to pick up passengers before the crash. Authorities suspect one of the two alternating drivers may have fallen asleep at the wheel. Cambodia’s Interior Minister Sar Sokha shared images of the rescue operation showing a crane lifting the half-submerged bus. The death toll initially stood at 13 but rose to 16 after the recovery operation concluded. All victims were Cambodian nationals. Injured passengers were admitted to Kampong Thom Provincial Hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families. Road safety data show nearly 700 people died in traffic accidents in Cambodia during the first half of 2025, slightly down from 800 in the same period last year.

At least 15 people were killed and seven others injured after a boiler explosion ripped through a glue manufacturing factory in Faisalabad’s Malikpur area early Friday, according to reports by Dawn. The blast caused the building to collapse, damaging nearby houses and structures. Preliminary investigations suggest that a gas leak triggered the explosion. Officials said most of the victims were residents of houses adjacent to the factory. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is personally overseeing the rescue and relief operations. Rescue teams continue to clear debris, fearing more people may be trapped under the rubble. Several nearby homes were also destroyed, leaving residents injured or missing. The death toll, initially reported as three, rose to 15 as more bodies were recovered from the site. Authorities have launched an inquiry into the cause of the incident and are assessing the extent of structural damage in the surrounding area.

Bangladesh’s opposition parties, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, have softened their long-standing demand for an immediate caretaker government before the upcoming national election. Despite previously insisting that no election should occur without a caretaker administration, both parties now support reinstating the system only for future polls. The change follows a Supreme Court verdict restoring the caretaker provision in the constitution but specifying that it will take effect after the next parliament dissolves. BNP and Jamaat lawyers argue that constitutional and procedural constraints make immediate implementation impossible without a sitting parliament. Legal experts, however, view this as a strategic retreat from their earlier position. The attorney general described the verdict as historic, asserting that it reaffirms the caretaker system’s constitutionality and will strengthen democratic practices. The ruling has also reignited debate over the 15th Amendment, which abolished the caretaker system in 2011, and whether the new judgment conflicts with previous rulings.

A powerful earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale struck Bangladesh on Friday morning, shaking the capital Dhaka and several other regions. The tremor, which occurred at 10:39 a.m., had its epicenter in Madhabdi, Narsingdi, about 13 kilometers from Dhaka, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. The quake caused widespread panic as residents rushed out of buildings, reporting falling objects and trembling furniture. The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed the magnitude and location of the quake. Tremors were also felt across the border in India, including in Kolkata and nearby areas, Indian media reported. The earthquake lasted only a few seconds but was strong enough to alarm residents in both countries. As of now, there have been no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage, though authorities are monitoring the situation closely.

A new report by Beirut-based digital rights group SMEX has raised serious concerns over the presence of Israeli-developed software AppCloud on certain Samsung Galaxy A and M series smartphones sold in the Middle East and North Africa. The program, created by Israeli company IronSource, reportedly has deep system integration, allowing access to users’ location, IP address, and device identifiers without explicit consent or a clear privacy policy. The issue has gained attention amid Israel’s ongoing attacks in Gaza, where 33 Palestinians were killed in a single day despite a ceasefire. Digital security experts warn that AppCloud cannot be fully removed without rooting the device, posing potential surveillance risks, particularly in conflict zones. Palestinian and regional media have questioned the sudden influx of smartphones into Gaza, suggesting possible espionage motives behind the imports. The controversy has intensified debates over digital privacy, surveillance, and the use of consumer technology in warfare.