The Election Commission of Jahangirnagar University has decided to count votes manually in the ongoing Central Student Union (JUCSU) election, following allegations raised by the Chhatra Dal student group. Professor Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the JUCSU Election Commission and faculty of the Pharmacy Department, confirmed the development to bdnews24.com on Thursday afternoon. “We had initially planned to count the votes using ballot papers and the OMR machine,” he said. “However, a student organization—Chhatra Dal—fialed a complaint regarding the use of the OMR machine. He said that after informing the university administration, the authorities, under pressure, decided to switch from machine-based counting to manual counting.

The Bangladesh national football team, stranded in Kathmandu amid anti-government protests and escalating violence while on a friendly tour, has begun its journey back to Dhaka. From road blockades to arson and widespread unrest, we were deeply concerned for the safety of the Bangladesh football team.”Ensuring the team’s safe return became the top priority. The operation to return the team was coordinated jointly by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu, and the government. The Bangladesh team remained trapped at their hotel. On Wednesday, a statement from the Ministry of Youth and Sports emphasised “maximum effort” for the team’s safe return.

The Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) Election Commission has decided to count votes by hand following a complaint by the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD). Commission member and Pharmacy teacher Prof Mafruhi Sattar confirmed the decision to bdnews24.com on Thursday afternoon. He said, "Initially, we decided to count the ballot papers using Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) machines. “In response, we, as a commission, decided to count the votes manually." Under pressure, the administration immediately decided to count votes by hand instead of using OMR machines," he said.

A central Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader has been detained at Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall during the ongoing Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election. The detainee, Hafizur Rahman Sohan, is serving as the vice president of the central JCD committee. He was a student from the 36th batch (2006-07 academic year) at the university, reports bdnews24.com. The JCD leader was detained in a hall room around 11:00 am on Thursday.

Bangladesh has for the first time put a value on unpaid household and care work, in a move seen as a step towards recognising women's invisible contribution to the economy.The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and UN Women Bangladesh have launched a new Household Production Satellite Account (HPSA), developed with support from the Asian Development Bank under the global Women Count programme.The HPSA estimates that activities such as cooking, cleaning, childcare and caring for the elderly or disabled contributed Tk 6.7 trillion ($56bn) in 2021 - equivalent to 18.9 percent of the country's GDP.Women carried out 85 percent of that work.The initiative follows the interim government's pledge in the 2025-26 budget to reflect unpaid labour in official economic data. The estimates draw on the 2021 Time Use Survey and the 2022 Labour Force Survey.The report recommends changes to laws and budgets to recognise unpaid care, the creation of care-related jobs in the private sector, and the introduction of family-friendly workplace policies.It also urges efforts to engage men and boys in caregiving to reduce the disproportionate burden on women.Women and Children Affairs Advisor Sharmeen Murshid said the findings would help shape gender-responsive policymaking and shift public attitudes towards recognising the care economy.UN Women's Country Representative Gitanjali Singh described unpaid care as "an investment, not a cost".ADB's Principal Statistician Mahinthan Joseph Mariasingham said the estimates provide evidence to address wage gaps and can act as a guide for investment in care services. �"bdnews24.com

Bangladesh football team to set off for Dhaka from Nepal at 3pmThe Bangladesh national football team, which had gone to Kathmandu to play their Nepali counterparts in friendly matches only to be caught in the country’s political unrest, are finally headed back home. The arrangements for their return were made through the combined efforts of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), the Bangladeshi Embassy in Kathmandu, and the Bangladesh government. The Bangladesh football team went to Nepal on Sept 3 to play two friendly matches. Amid the unrest, the Bangladesh football team was stranded in a hotel in Kathmandu. A statement from the Ministry of Youth and Sports on Wednesday said, “The government is making the greatest possible effort for the safe return of the Bangladesh national football team stationed in Nepal.

Voting got underway at the JUCSU polls at Jahangirnagar University slightly after the scheduled time. Following the election at Dhaka University, all eyes have turned to the JUCSU polls at the campus in Savar, near Dhaka. The candidates also called for everyone to come and cast their ballots at the polling centres. This could be a factor in the election, students believe. Jamin Haider, a voter in the JUCSU polls, expected 60 per cent of the votes to be cast.

Nepal's former Chief Justice Sushila Karki looks on during the launch of her autobiography "Nyaya" at a ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sept 22, 2018. REUTERSNepal's former Chief Justice Sushila Karki looks on during the launch of her autobiography "Nyaya" at a ceremony in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sept 22, 2018. Sushila Karki, 73, who was the first woman to be appointed Nepal's chief justice in 2016 and is now retired, has been the frontrunner to become interim leader of the impoverished Himalayan country, which is wedged between India and China. Local media reported that Karki was in talks with President Ramchandra Paudel and army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel. 'FEARLESS' LEADER"We see Sushila Karki for who she truly is — honest, fearless, and unshaken," said Sujit Kumar Jha, a 34-year-old company secretary.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has suspended two officials following bribery allegations. In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Shipping said the action was taken on the instruction of Advisor M Sakhawat Hussain. The suspended officials are Md Abdur Rahim, additional director (marine) of the preservation and operations division, and deputy director Obaidul Karim Khan. The ministry said the case involved bribery linked to awarding fuel supply contracts. Departmental action will follow against the officials concerned, while legal measures have been directed against any others found involved,” the statement added.

The written exam of the 49th Special BCS to recruit 683 teachers for government colleges across the country is set to be held on Oct 10.The multiple-choice test will only be held in Dhaka from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Friday, according to a notice issued by the Public Service Commission (PSC) on Wednesday.the exam schedule, hall-wise seating plan and further instructions will be published in due course on the PSC's official website (www.bpsc.gov.bd) as well as in national daily newspapers.The PSC issued the 49th Special BCS notification on Jul 21, seeking to recruit 653 teachers for government general colleges and 30 teachers for government teacher training colleges.Applications opened at 12:10pm on Jul 22 and closed at 6pm on Aug 22.Applicants were required to pay a fee of Tk 200, while those from underprivileged communities paid Tk 50.�"bdnews24.com

The government has set Oct 12 as the deadline for preliminary Hajj registration for 2026.The announcement came in a media statement of the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday, signed by Public Relations Officer Md Abubakar Siddique.According to the Saudi Arabian government, no extensions will be granted beyond this date.A total of 127,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be allowed to perform Hajj next year under both government and private arrangements.The Hajj is expected to take place in the last week of May 2025, depending on moon sighting.�"bdnews24.com

Whether this DUCSU model can impact national politics remains a matter of debate. Some experts contend that national political dynamics are far more complex, leaving little room for straightforward translation of Shibir’s campus strategy. They’ve been humiliated, and they’re ready to rise.”WILL IT IMPACT NATIONAL POLITICS? Manna does not believe that the DUCSU election will have any substantial impact on national politics. However, Prof Mahbobor believes that Shibir’s victory in the DUCSU election will not have an impact on national politics.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Abidul expressed hope that the university administration would conduct a “thorough inquiry” on the issues raised during the election. Meanwhile, his running mate for GS, Shaikh Tanvir Hamim, respected the students’ verdict but expressed disappointment with the result. "The support I received from Dhaka University students was not properly reflected in the results," Hamim wrote on Facebook. "My journey is long; I am still a student leader of BNP at Dhaka University,” he added. The new start of student politics at Dhaka University will be led by us, God willing,” Abidul vowed.

The Election Commission has released a draft list of 42,500 potential polling stations for the parliamentary polls, which will serve some 125 million voters. Despite a higher number of registered voters, the commission has moved to reduce both polling stations and booths, citing management convenience. At a briefing at the Election Bhaban, the commission’s secretary said the draft includes 42,618 possible polling centres, with 244,046 polling booths in total. Previously, one booth was provided for 500 male voters and 400 female voters at a centre of 3,000 voters. In the last election, there were 42,150 polling stations for 119.1 million voters, with 261,472 polling booths in total.

A candidate in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election has raised questions over the transparency of the vote count. On Wednesday, independent central member candidate Md Sajib Hossain alleged at Madhu’s Canteen that in Curzon Hall, votes cast for three major posts, including general secretary candidate Samrat Islam, were shown as zero. Where did it go?” he asked, adding that Samrat received zero votes at Shahidullah Hall too, although he had voted for him there. Nineteen candidates contested the general secretary post in this election, where Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed SM Farhad won the position of general secretary. When asked about the complaint, Chief Returning Officer Jasim Uddin told bdnews24.com: “I will hear his allegation.