The interim government is planning to procure at least 40,000 body-worn cameras, commonly known as bodycams, to bolster security at polling stations during the upcoming general election in February. The Chief Advisor's Special Assistant Faiz Ahmad Tayeb, who attended the meeting, said that the procurement process for the bodycams is in its final stage. “We are aiming to procure the bodycams by October so police officers can receive adequate training on their key features, including AI capabilities,” said Faiz. Police officers and constables will wear the devices on their chests while on election duty, particularly in high-risk polling centres. The meeting also revealed plans for a new Election App, which will offer voters information on candidates, polling locations, and real-time updates, as well as tools for lodging complaints.

Police have recovered the body of a housewife in Kushtia, who was allegedly killed by her husband. The body was found in a rented house in the municipality's Housing area around 10pm on Saturday, said Kushtia Model Police Station chief Mosharraf Hossain. Police recovered the body and sent it to the morgue for an autopsy. Urmi's brother Abu Sayeed said his sister, who had a previous marriage, tied the knot with Rana five years ago. OC Mosharraf said preliminary investigation suggests that Urmi was beaten and strangled after a domestic quarrel.

Police have recovered the missing head of a man whose dismembered body was found in eight pieces inside travel bags on Tongi’s Station Road. Deputy Commissioner (South) Mohiuddin Ahmed of Gazipur Metropolitan Police said the head, wrapped in black polythene, was found on Saturday in a compartment above a toilet at a house on Bonmala Road. Locals first discovered the body parts on Friday when they spotted two abandoned travel bags on the roadside in front of Hajir Biryani restaurant. Upon opening them, they found human remains wrapped in black plastic. Police say the investigation is ongoing to determine the motive behind the gruesome killing and identify everyone involved in the murder.

Major US retailers including Walmart, Amazon, Target and Gap have suspended imports of apparel and textile products from India after President Donald Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods. NDTV Profit, citing industry sources, reported that Indian exporters have received letters and emails from American buyers instructing them to hold shipments of apparel and textile products until further notice. The retailers, unwilling to absorb the additional duty, are seeking to pass the extra cost onto exporters, it added. The US is also the biggest export destination for India’s textile and garment industry. As the world’s sixth-largest textile and garment exporter, India now fears losing orders to Bangladesh and Vietnam, which face a 20 per cent tariff instead.

ABM Abdus Sattar, a former secretary and personal aide to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, has accused eight interim government advisors of “rampant corruption”, claiming he holds evidence of their misconduct. Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid has strongly dismissed the allegations as “baseless”. Sattar also claimed that intelligence agencies already possess evidence against the advisors. “No one is appointed to or transferred from a key post without coordination with the advisors,” he said. Sattar, who also serves as the general secretary of the Officers’ Club, did not name any of the advisors.

The Pakistan Army claims to have killed 14 more terrorists “supported by India” while attempting to infiltrate across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan’s Zhob district. The Pakistani military’s media wing said, “During the conduct of the operation, 14 more Indian-sponsored khwarij were hunted down and successfully neutralised. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed khwarij.”According to the report, this brings the total number of militants from the “Indian proxy Fitna al Khawarij” killed in recent days to 47. It said 33 of them were killed earlier during security operations on Aug 7 and 8 in the same area. Fitna al Khawarij is a term the state uses for terrorists belonging to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Two bodies have floated near Patenga two days after a fishing trawler capsized off the Chattogram coast in the Bay of Bengal, leaving eight fishermen missing. River Police Sadarghat outpost chief Md Arif said on Saturday afternoon that the recovery of the bodies has begun, noting identities must be confirmed to determine if the bodies are from the sunken trawler. He said locals saw one body floating near the Karnaphuli River’s 15th terminal close to Patenga in the afternoon. The owners of the sunken vessel informed the Coast Guard of the incident on Friday morning when the force began searching for the missing individuals at sea. All the missing fishermen are from Noakhali.

Seven dead after wall collapse in India's capitalAt least seven people, including two children, died after a wall collapsed following heavy rain in India's capital, New Delhi, local media reported on Saturday. The victims, casual labourers and their families, were pulled from the debris and taken to hospital after Friday night's rain, the reports said, citing senior police official Aishwarya Sharma. After a brief pause, monsoon rains have lashed most parts of Delhi, a teeming city of 20 million, flooding streets and causing traffic disruptions. Many workers live in illegal settlements built without proper permits, leaving them vulnerable to collapses during prolonged rainfall.

'Unfortunate' I'm having to spend life abroad, says acting BNP chief TariqueBNP's Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has expressed regret at spending his life away from Bangladesh, saying he is “unfortunately” living abroad. “Unfortunately, I have had to spend many years abroad and continue to do so.”Tarique was arrested after the military-backed government of 1/11 came to power in 2007. In the meantime, Tarique had to seek political asylum in the UK after his passport expired. Following the announcement of elections in February, there is talk of Tarique Rahman returning to Bangladesh. By attending the DAB council session, he called for democratic reforms everywhere to “ensure accountability”.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said that the erosion of public confidence in the electoral system poses a major challenge in bringing voters to polling booths. In a bid to redress the issue, he emphasised that the Election Commission (EC) was making the "utmost effort" to conduct the upcoming parliamentary polls in a transparent and orderly manner. "The commission is preparing the election framework, mobilising substantial manpower, and taking every possible measure to ensure a fair and impartial election,” he said during an event in Rangpur on Saturday. “EC officials will not work for or against anyone in the upcoming election. Our goal is to hold a free, fair, and impartial election on behalf of the country’s 180 million people.”Nasir also assured that action would be taken against presiding officers who caused problems in vote collection during the last election.

Ex-BNP leader among three Bangladeshis shot in ItalyThree Bangladeshi expatriates, including a former BNP leader, have been shot in Italy. They were admitted to the hospital after the incident in Rome's Tor Bella Monaca around 11:30pm local time on Thursday. The three people shot are BNP Italy unit’s former organising secretary Kamruzzaman Ratan, his friend Humayun Kabir, and Mohammad Yunus. Members of the Bangladeshi community in Italy claim Ratan was in his business establishment when a group of armed men entered and opened fire. Former acting president of BNP Italy unit, Aminur Rahman Salam, said: “Ratan is hospitalised in critical condition after a terrorist attack.

India shot down six Pakistani military aircraft in May, air force chief saysIndia shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in May, India's air force chief said on Saturday, in the first such public claim by the country after its worst military conflict in decades with its neighbour. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected the statement, saying India had not hit or destroyed a single Pakistani aircraft. At an event in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, Indian Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said most of the Pakistani aircraft were downed by India's Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system. Islamabad, whose air force primarily operates Chinese-made jets and US F-16s, has previously denied that India downed any Pakistani aircraft during the May 7-10 fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The Indian Air Force has not commented on the claims.

Jatiya Party Secretary General Mujibul Haque Chunnu has offered an unconditional apology to the nation for what he called past “moral mistakes” during his nearly four years in the post. On Saturday, Chunnu said party decisions had sometimes prevented them from taking the right course. The council was held without Chairman GM Quader, who on Jul 7 had removed Chunnu and nine others from leadership posts. Accusing Quader of violating the constitution and acting autocratically, Chunnu said the presidium had resolved unanimously to press ahead. He called the council a “historic turning point” marking new decisions, responsibilities and aspirations for the party.

Two dead after car crashes into road divider in Dhaka's BananiTwo people have died after a car veered out of control and slammed into a road divider near the Setu Bhaban in Dhaka’s Banani. The accident occurred around 2:15am on Saturday when the Toyota Corolla was heading from Banani towards the Mohakhali flyover, according to Banani police chief Russell Sarwar. The car subsequently burst into flames. “The speeding car hit the road divider before getting on the Mohakhali flyover and caught fire. However, the firefighters did not find anyone inside the car after putting out the flames, Yasmin added.

And Bangladesh descended into a lawless mobocracy after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 last year. An unelected interim government headed by Mohammed Yunus has run the show so far, unleashing a wave of vendetta-driven retribution against the Awami League and its allies. As president, Yunus, now 85, will have enough influence on policy but will be spared the stress of routine daily governance. But can Yunus live up to his promise of organising truly free and fair polls if the Awami League is not allowed to contest? advertisementMyanmar lifts emergencyUnlike Yunus, the Myanmar military junta seems to be in a hurry to hold elections.