With the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) and Hall Council elections slated after 35 years, 38 candidates have won unopposed, with 35 of them from women's halls and three from men's halls. In the women's halls, 27 candidates have won secretarial positions unopposed, while eight have secured executive member positions. While no positions remain vacant in men's halls, four executive member positions in women's halls are unfilled, as no candidates have come forward. The following halls have seen unopposed victories:Mannujan Hall: 1July-36 Hall: 7Rokeya Hall: 9Rahamatunnesa Hall: 9Tapashi Rabeya Hall: 3Begum Khaleda Zia Hall: 6Bijoy-24 Hall: 3Also, vacant positions remain in July-36 Hall, Rokeya Hall, Rahamatunnesa Hall, and Khaleda Zia Hall, where no candidates have run for certain positions. Vice-president positions will see 19 candidates, general secretary positions 14 candidates, and assistant general secretary roles will be contested by 16 candidates.

The interim government has implemented only 2.39 percent of its Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the first two months of FY2026, falling behind the same period last year despite a trimmed budget. In July and August, a total of Tk 57.15 billion has been spent from the development budget, compared with Tk 71.43 billion during the same period in FY2025, when implementation stood at 2.57 percent. The data was released on Monday by the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) under the planning ministry. The slowdown comes despite the government rolling out a reduced, austerity-focused ADP for the current fiscal year. Planning Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud, speaking after an ECNEC meeting in August, warned that the implementation rate was “concerning”.

Jamaat-e-Islami has announced a three-day programme of protest rallies to press home a series of demands, including holding the national elections in February based on the “July Charter”. The party’s deputy chief Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher laid out the plans at a press conference at the Al-Falah Auditorium in Moghbazar on Monday. According to the schedule, protest marches will be held in Dhaka on Sept 18, in divisional cities on Sept 19, and in districts and Upazilas across the country on Sept 26. “We are making a sincere appeal to our countrymen to unite to realise the demands of the people through the implementation of these programmes,” said Taher. “Under these circumstances, there is no alternative to a mass movement to realise the demands of the people.

A modern, non-stop electronic toll collection (ETC) system has been launched on Padma Bridge on a trial basis. An ETC allows a customer to pay the toll automatically without stopping the vehicle when crossing the toll gate. Masud Rana Sikder, spokesman for the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) said, "Live piloting has begun today. However, in order to do this, the vehicle must have an approved RFID from BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority)." The BBA had started collecting tolls in this manner on a test basis in 2023.

Toma went viral for her fiery slogans outside an ex-MP's home. Now she faces extortion chargesFaria Akter Toma had once grabbed the limelight with her controversial slogans outside the residence of former Kishoreganj MP Fazlur Rahman. Last week, Toma was arrested and sent to jail on charges of extortion. On Thursday, Delwar’s brother-in-law, Riaz Uddin Ahmed, filed a case at Uttara West Police Station, naming four people and two unidentified suspects. Later that night, Noman, Tanzil, Toma, Niloy and two unidentified individuals forcibly entered the house at 1:10am.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party- BNP has called for the Supreme Court's opinion on implementing the July Charter, urging the top court to provide legal advice on the constitutional issues involving the implementation process. The discussions took place at the National Consensus Commission on Sunday, which included representatives from 30 political parties. The BNP, however, has softened its previous stance against amendments through ordinances and now seeks the Supreme Court's opinion on whether special constitutional orders could be used to implement the Charter. He stressed that if political parties fail to agree, the people should have the final say through a referendum. Muhammad Yunus, the head of the Consensus Commission, called for unity among the political parties and urged them to sign the July Charter.

There were also claims of election irregularities and strategic interference by the state, the university administration, and student groups like Chhatra League. The success of the Islami Chhatra Shibir is proof of that." Prince believes it is important to evaluate why students didn't resist this, blaming the previous Awami League regime for these circumstances. When asked if this was a deviation from Shibir's ideals, Matiur said: "Chhatra Shibir has 'never deviated' from its fundamentals. "We have driven out the Awami League, now they want to target us (the BNP)... this 'master plan' has people worried today."

Chief Adviser and National Consensus Commission Chairman Muhammad Yunus attended a dialogue between the panel and political parties on Sunday. The National Consensus Commission officially started its work on Feb 15. Printed copies of the six commission reports were sent to all political parties by Feb 28. In the first phase of discussions, consensus was reached on 62 issues. In this round, the commission held discussions with political parties on a total of 20 issues of priority and importance.

Protesters have held a third round of blockades in Faridpur's Bhanga demanding the reinstatement of two unions and protesting redrawing of parliamentary constituencies.Meanwhile, protesters forced passengers out of the trains while blocking the railway, reports say.The protesters blockaded at least 10 areas along two highways and railway lines during a pre-planned demonstration from 6am on Sunday.Detective Police (DB) arrested one coordinator of the movement on Saturday night, said Bhanga Police Station OC Md Ashraf Hossain.Visits to several areas, including Pukhuria, at 10am on Sunday showed locals staging protests by setting fire to tree trunks and tyres on the road.At 9am, protesters blocked the Nakshi Kantha Commuter train at Hamirdi rail crossing in Bhanga Upazila on the Rajbari-Faridpur-Dhaka route, said Bhanga Railway Station official Sakibur Rahman. �"bdnews24.com

July saw the highest toll with 41 deaths, followed by 39 in August.Another 19 patients died in June, 10 in January, seven in April, three each in February and May, while no deaths were reported in March. September has seen 28 fatalities.Hospitalisations have also spiked seasonally. July alone accounted for 10,684 admissions, the highest monthly figure this year, followed closely by August with 10,496.Other monthly totals include 1,161 in January, 374 in February, 336 in March, 701 in April, 1,773 in May, and 5,951 in June. Of them, 702 are in Dhaka and 1,013 outside the capital. �"bdnews24.com

Nearly 8.9 million children have registered for the typhoid vaccine in just a month and a half, as Bangladesh aims to vaccinate 50 million children aged 9 months to 15 years for the first time under a government initiative. The national vaccination campaign will begin on Oct 12, with registration still ongoing, the health directorate Director General Md Abu Jafor said on Sunday. To boost awareness, the health directorate has collaborated with the Islamic Foundation, asking imams to promote the vaccination campaign during Friday sermons. The DGHS chief reassured the public that the vaccine posed no side effects, emphasising that like any other vaccine, it is safe to take. The vaccination will be administered over 18 working days, with the first 10 days focusing on schools and the remaining eight days at vaccination centres.

In addition, workers were sent outside contracts using political influence, bypassing the prescribed rules for recruiting workers in Malaysia. Earlier, in March, the ACC filed a case against 12 recruiting agencies on the same charges. Under the agreement between the two nations, 10 designated recruiting agencies used to send workers to the country until 2016. However, in 2021, the two countries signed a new Memorandum of Understanding, which increased the number of recruiting agencies to 100. Out of the 100 agencies, a syndicate of 20-25 agencies began to control the entire process of sending workers to Malaysia.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has urged the Supreme Court to give its opinion on the implementation of the July Charter, calling for legal guidance on the constitutional questions surrounding the process. The discussions took place at the National Consensus Commission on Sunday, which included representatives from 30 political parties. He stressed that if political parties fail to agree, the people should have the final say through a referendum. He urged legal clarity from the Supreme Court on the constitutional aspects of the Charter and reiterated that once the legal questions were addressed, the party was ready to move forward with the implementation. Muhammad Yunus, the head of the Consensus Commission, called for unity among the political parties and urged them to sign the July Charter.

A moderate earthquake has struck Assam in northeastern India, sending tremors across several parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, reports bdnews24.com. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 5:11pm Bangladesh time on Sunday, with a magnitude of 5.9 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was located 14.4km east of Udalguri, Assam. Rubayet Kabir, an official at the Met Office, said the epicentre was located 380km northeast of Dhaka, approximately 10km below the surface. A similar earthquake of magnitude 4.9 was felt in Bangladesh on Aug 22 from Myanmar.

Illustrious Lalon singer Farida Parveen has been laid to rest beside her parents' graves in Kushtia, as per her final wishes. After her second Janaza, or funeral prayer, which took place at the Kushtia Municipal Cemetery, Farida was buried around 9:00pm. Born on Dec 31, 1954 in Singra, Natore, Farida spent much of her formative years in Kushtia, which became a place synonymous with her musical journey. Farida Parveen began her professional music career at the age of just 14, in 1968, and over the following 55 years, she became widely known as Lalon's “daughter”. Farida Parveen is survived by her husband and four children, and her death marks the end of an era in Bengali folk music.