The medical examination of the Marma victim-survivor in Khagrachhari has found “no signs of rape”, said the lead doctor of the examining team. On Tuesday, Dr Joya Chakma of Khagrachhari Modern District Hospital, who headed the three-member medical board, said: “We have submitted the report to the medical authority. We conducted all possible examinations.”A copy of the medical report, obtained by bdnews24.com, shows that all 10 indicators of the test were recorded as “normal”. Her father subsequently filed a rape complaint at the Sadar Police Station. The same day, Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury claimed that the violence in Khagrachhari was instigated with the intention of disrupting the Durga Puja celebrations.

Poet and political thinker Farhad Mazhar has criticised Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus for taking Bangladesh to a “very dangerous place” by prioritising elections without sincerely implementing the aims of the July Uprising. “We hoped he would understand our hearts and the intent of the Uprising.”“But he did not understand,” Mazhar said. That is my complaint against you.”Mazhar insisted there are no “genuine” political parties in Bangladesh. “Why do you want to hold elections, Yunus? Yet you sit down to talk with political parties, not with the people.

19 arrested in 15 cases over Durga Puja incidents across Bangladesh, says IGPA total of 19 people have been arrested in 15 cases filed over Durga Puja-related incidents across Bangladesh, according to Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam. The police chief said 49 incidents were reported by Monday night during the festival. He also said rumours are often spread on social media during religious festivals, undermining communal harmony. “Sometimes old videos and incidents of idol vandalism are re-circulated on social media,” he said, adding that the cyber unit is working to dispel such confusion. We are vigilant in this regard.”He also highlighted ensuring equal security at every Puja pandal.

Over 5,000 candidates, who were recommended for entry-level MPO-listed teaching and lecturer positions in private educational institutions, have failed to join their jobs. While 41,626 individuals were recommended for these positions through the sixth public notice, 36,343 candidates have joined the posts, as reported by Md Aminul Islam, chief of the Private Teacher Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA), responsible for the recruitment process. Many others have secured alternative jobs, while some candidates failed to join positions, citing distance from their homes. The NTRCA chairman also highlighted issues with some institutions where governing bodies or heads demanded bribes to accept the appointed teachers. The workshop was organised to provide information on the NTRCA’s recruitment process, with participation from NTRCA members and media personnel.

A study has found that two out of three female garment workers in Bangladesh marry before the age of 18, shedding light on the harsh realities faced by women working in the country’s apparel industry. The research, conducted by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), says almost 65 percent have had their first pregnancy before reaching 18. The research, which spans from August 2022 to December 2024, focused on garment workers in the slums of Karail, Mirpur, and Tongi. The findings were presented at a seminar on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women workers in the garment sector, held at icddr,b in Dhaka. Moreover, only one in five women reported workplace violence to the authorities, and this figure did not improve over the two years.

Jamaat-e-Islami has confirmed it is in the process of changing its party logo after a redesigned emblem that dropped Quranic text and introduced flag-like imagery sparked criticism within the party and beyond. “Some of these are being edited, and the final version will be approved unanimously by our decision-making forum. Once finalised, we will inform you.”The controversy began on Sept 28, when a redesigned emblem appeared on the wall of Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman’s office during a meeting with Spanish Ambassador Gabriel Cistiaga Ochoa de Chinchetru and a European Union delegation. I don’t blame them for thinking so, but it's not the final logo,” he said. What you saw is not the final version.

Paramilitary soldiers and rescue workers stand amid the debris after a bomb blast near the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta, Pakistan Sept 30, 2025. REUTERSParamilitary soldiers and rescue workers stand amid the debris after a bomb blast near the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta, Pakistan Sept 30, 2025. REUTERSA suicide bombing killed at least 10 people outside the headquarters of a paramilitary force in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Tuesday, officials said. Ten people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed by the attackers, provincial Health Minister Bakht Kakar told Reuters. Paramilitary soldiers were among those killed but their exact number was not yet known, he added.

Search and rescue officers stand amidst the rubble of a collapsed building, after a hall collapsed while students were praying at the Al-Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, Sept 30, 2025. REUTERSSearch and rescue officers stand amidst the rubble of a collapsed building, after a hall collapsed while students were praying at the Al-Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia, Sept 30, 2025. REUTERSIndonesian rescuers were racing on Tuesday to find 38 people feared trapped beneath the rubble of an Islamic boarding school that collapsed in East Java during afternoon prayers, killing three, according to disaster officials. Earlier on Tuesday, disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said the unstable building collapsed during construction. Nanang Sigit, a local search and rescue official, said 38 people remained missing and authorities would not use heavy equipment for fear of causing the remaining structure to collapse.

Private travel agencies have announced three Hajj packages for next year following the government’s announcement of its official packages. Two packages were announced under the banner of “general Hajj agency owners” and three others under the banner of “Hajj agency owners against discrimination”. The general Hajj agency owners set the price of the general Hajj package at Tk 523,000 including food expenses, and the price of the special Hajj package at Tk 699,000. The Hajj agency owners against discrimination offered three packages. Religious Affairs Advisor AFM Khalid Hossain unveiled three government Hajj packages for 2026 on Sunday at the Secretariat.

The investigating officer in the July Uprising-linked crimes against humanity case against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others is giving testimony for a third day. Md Alamgir once again appeared before the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder on Tuesday. Along with Hasina, ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are implicated in the case. This marked the beginning of the first trial of Hasina in the same court that her government had formed to try the war criminals of 1971. Several political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP, have been demanding the trial of Hasina and the Awami League as a party to be completed before the elections.

Peaceful election is now biggest challenge for police, says IGP BaharulInspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam believes successfully conducting the parliamentary election is the force’s biggest challenge right now. The police chief was asked what the law-enforcing agency's biggest challenge is regarding the upcoming national election. Referring to the collapse of the police’s position during last year's July Uprising, he said: "Bringing police to a certain stage after those incidents is the biggest challenge. “Successfully executing this effort to achieve that is what I consider the challenge." Highlighting that many groups are working to create obstructions to the election, he said: "I cannot say who exactly is doing it now.

Import and export operations at customs houses and stations are set to continue on a “limited scale” during the government holidays for Durga Puja. In a directive issued on Tuesday, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) instructed authorities to ensure that trade activities remain uninterrupted. “In order to keep the country’s import and export trade running uninterrupted, necessary measures have been taken to carry out import and export operations on a limited scale on the 1st and 2nd of October, which are public holidays for Durga Puja,” the NBR said. Earlier, schools, colleges and universities declared holidays for Durga Puja from Sept 28 to Oct 9. Customs houses and stations also remained partially open during the Eid holidays earlier this year.

The UN will convene a high-level conference in New York on Tuesday to explore ways out of the crisis affecting Myanmar’s forcibly displaced Rohingya Muslims and other ethnic minorities. The objectives of the UN-organised conference are to mobilise political support, sustain international attention on the crisis, review the overall situation, and address its root causes, including human rights issues. It will also review the crisis and exchange perspectives on the ground situation in order to propose a comprehensive, innovative, concrete, and time-bound plan for a sustainable resolution. Key priorities include ensuring the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar. Afterwards, Yunus's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said in a briefing that the overall Rohingya and civil war situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state, along with the pathway of Rohingya repatriation, increase of funding for Rohingyas living in camps, skill building and education of Rohingya children were discussed.

ADB forecasts 5% growth for Bangladesh in FY26, but US tariffs cloud outlookBangladesh’s economy is projected to grow by 5 percent in fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26), but new US tariffs on exports threaten to weigh on performance, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has warned. But industrial growth is expected to slow after the United States imposed an additional 20 percent tariff on Bangladeshi exports in August. SLOWER GROWTH IN FY25The growth outlook follows a difficult year in FY25, when GDP expanded by 4 percent, down from 4.2 percent the year before. Quarterly data showed some improvement as the year progressed, with GDP growth rising from 2 percent year on year in the first quarter to 4.9 percent in the third, helped by stronger manufacturing. The September outlook comes after the ADB in April revised down its FY25 growth forecast to 3.9 percent, citing political instability, high inflation and weak global demand.

TRAVEL PARALYSED:Road links between Khagrachhari and Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangamati and other districts have been suspended, stranding both locals and tourists. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad has appealed to protesters to lift their ongoing blockade during the Durga Puja, the biggest festival for the country's Hindu community. The CHT Adviser had held meetings with local leaders and law enforcement agencies to pursue a stable situation in Khagrachhari. Three people were killed and several others including police and military personnel were injured in recent unrest in Khagrachhari. The Home Adviser has sought cooperation from all to pursue normal situation in Khagrachhari and peaceful and safe celebrations of the Durga Puja.