Bangladeshi Islamist group calls Dhaka rally in November to demand Ahmadis be declared non-MuslimsAn Islamist group has called for a mass rally in Dhaka in November to press its demand that the Ahmadiyya minority community, referred to by opponents as “Qadianis”, be declared non-Muslim by the state. The group’s Secretary General Mohiuddin Rabbani told bdnews24.com on Thursday that the rally would push political parties to include the demand in their manifestos for the next general election. Its President is Sajidur Rahman, the current secretary general of Hifazat, while Executive President Junaid Al Habib also heads Dhaka city unit of Hifazat. Secretary general Rabbani himself is a deputy chief (Nayeb-e-Amir) of Hifazat. Wednesday’s preparatory meeting was chaired by Joint Secretary General Habibullah Miaji, with central leader Sultana Mohiuddin moderating.

The Jamaat-e-Islami leaders have warned that no election will be allowed in the country unless the July National Charter is given a legal foundation through a constitutional order or a referendum. The announcement came on Thursday at a protest rally organised by Jamaat’s Dhaka city north and south units at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said, “The people want a transparent, acceptable election. “Unfortunately, we see some quarters using political influence, while the government has bowed to other powers. As a result, they cannot ensure a level playing field,” he added.

Evaly’s Rassel, Shamima handed three more years in prison in another caseA Dhaka court has sentenced Mohammad Rassel, the CEO of e-commerce platform Evaly, and his wife Shamima Nasreen, the company's chairman, to three years in prison in another fraud case. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Monirul Islam delivered the verdict on Thursday, according to the plaintiff’s lawyer HM Ruhul Amin Molla. “In addition to their prison sentence, they have been fined Tk 10,000 each. As the accused are absconding, an arrest warrant has been issued against them in addition to the conviction warrant. The couple has now received a total of 12 years in prison in five different cases of fraud tied to Evaly.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party, has revealed that prior to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on Aug 5 last year, discussions were held to appoint Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as the new head of government. Nahid made the revelation during his testimony in the ongoing trial of the deposed prime minister, former minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former IGP Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun on Thursday. He described how they were forced to withdraw their movement under pressure from the Detective Branch, only to later announce their intention to continue. Nahid also revealed that, due to government preparations to block communication and escalate violence, the date for the march was advanced to Aug 5. As part of preemptive measures, Yunus was proposed as the new leader on Aug 4.

Jalaluddin Ahmad, secretary general of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, has warned that a “national disaster is inevitable” if the July Charter is not implemented immediately. Speaking at a protest rally in Dhaka on Thursday, he urged that the Charter must be enforced through the president's constitutional declaration, forming the basis for the national elections. “The July Charter must be implemented without delay, or the national crisis will be unavoidable. As part of a five-point demand, Khelafat led a procession from the northern gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Jalaluddin accused those delaying the implementation of the July Charter, also called the National Charter, of seeking political advantages.

The Advisory Council has passed amended ordinances of two laws related to the Election Commission (EC). The decisions came at a council meeting presided over by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus at his office on Thursday. At a press briefing in the afternoon at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam presented the agenda of the meeting. He said, “The proposal to amend the Election Officer (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, has been passed in the Advisory Council. The amended ordinance of the Election Commission Secretariat Act, 2009, has also been approved.

A private security guard stands outside the US embassy in New Delhi Dec 18, 2013. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee/File PhotoA private security guard stands outside the US embassy in New Delhi Dec 18, 2013. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee/File PhotoThe US embassy in New Delhi has revoked and subsequently denied visas for some Indian business executives and corporate leaders based on their involvement in trafficking fentanyl precursors, the embassy said in a statement on Thursday. Fentanyl precursors refer to the basic or parent chemicals that form fentanyl, a leading cause of US overdose deaths. The statement from the embassy did not name the people affected, but a spokesperson said they were Indian nationals.

Bangladesh has recorded the highest single-day death toll from dengue this year, with six people succumbing to the disease in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of deaths from the Aedes mosquito-borne virus to 167 this year. The deaths occurred at different hospitals, including DNCC Covid-19 Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Chattogram Medical College Hospital, and Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal. As of now, 2,042 dengue patients are receiving treatment across hospitals in Bangladesh. The year 2023 has seen the highest hospitalisation rate, with 321,179 people admitted, and a record 1,705 deaths attributed to the disease.

Four shrines vandalised, torched in Cumilla after ‘loudspeaker announcements’Four shrines in Homna Upazila of Cumilla have been vandalised and set on fire following “loudspeaker announcements” accusing a man of blasphemy. Police said they arrested Md Mohsin, 35, on charges of blasphemy before the violence erupted. On Thursday morning, an enraged “mob” gathered in the village and announcements were made through loudspeakers calling for attacks on shrines and houses. The crowd first targeted Mohsin’s house, then vandalised and set fire to the shrine of Kofil Uddin Shah. "Still, on Thursday morning, the mob vandalised and set fire to the shrines,” he added.

India's Axar Patel celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Salman Agha, caught out by India's Abhishek Sharma on Sept 14, 2025. REUTERSIndia's Axar Patel celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Salman Agha, caught out by India's Abhishek Sharma on Sept 14, 2025. Bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan has been suspended since 2013 and they play each other only in multi-team tournaments. India had cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan last weekend in the first cricket match between the sides since a four-day military conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in May. India and Pakistan could meet for a third time at the tournament if they both reach the Sept 28 final.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight has been stranded at Dubai International Airport for more than 26 hours after a mechanical failure grounded the aircraft, leaving passengers in limbo. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, carrying 178 passengers, had been scheduled to travel from Dubai to Dhaka via Sylhet. The aircraft had landed in Dubai from Dhaka at 10:11pm local time on Tuesday. On Wednesday evening, another Biman flight arrived in Dubai carrying spare parts to repair the Dreamliner. “We were kept in a hotel for 21 hours and then brought to Dubai Airport,” he said over the phone.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight has been grounded at Dubai International Airport due to a mechanical fault, leaving 178 passengers stranded. “To ensure passenger safety, the aircraft was grounded after a fault was detected during routine pre-departure checks,” she said. Replacement parts are due to arrive from Dhaka on a Biman flight on Wednesday night. Once repairs are completed, the aircraft is expected to depart later the same night for Dhaka via Sylhet. Several Biman flights have been plagued by technical issues in recent months, with Boeing aircraft being the most affected.

Polytechnic institute and technical students have launched fresh street protests in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Dinajpur to push through a series of demands. Meanwhile, in Dinajpur, polytechnic institute students blocked railway lines in the morning as part of the same campaign. Appointment of individuals with a technical education background to all administrative posts in the technical education sector. Formation of a separate Ministry of Technical Education and a Technical Education Reform Commission. Earlier, in April, polytechnic institute and technical students had staged similar demonstrations across Dhaka and other parts of the country with six demands.

51% of the population, but Islamist parties resist even 5% direct quota for women MPsDespite women’s prominent role in Bangladesh’s pro-democracy uprising last year, efforts to improve their political representation face resistance, particularly from Islamist parties, as the country prepares for its next general election. But several Islamist parties, including Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and Nizam-e-Islami Party, have opposed even this modest quota. “There’s not much more we can do,” he said after talks with political parties ended in July. While all major parties agree on increasing the number of reserved seats for women from 50 to 100, they remain divided over implementation. ACTIVISTS ‘FRUSTRATED’Women’s groups have condemned the political parties’ failure to commit to stronger representation.

The National Consensus Commission has presented recommendations from political parties and an expert panel on implementing the July Charter, also known as National Charter, which includes a seven-point pledge. Experts have proposed four methods for implementation: ordinances, executive orders, referendums, and special constitutional orders, a statement from the commission said on Wednesday. On the other hand, political parties have suggested implementation through a referendum, special constitutional orders, the formation of a Constituent Assembly, and constitutional amendments via general election. On Sept 11, the Commission finalised the July Charter draft, stating that political parties would be unable to challenge the accord in court once signed. Discussions are now ongoing with representatives from 30 political parties to determine the best path for implementation.