BNP’s Fazlur Rahman says he is facing ‘death threats’ amid controversy over July Uprising remarksBNP chairperson’s advisor Fazlur Rahman has alleged that “anti-liberation forces” at home and abroad are threatening to kill him, following his recent remarks on the July Uprising. On Monday, Fazlur said “mob instigators” were threatening to kill him and that they were stationed in front of his rented house in Segunbagicha. I heard they belong to a student organisation, but not our party’s.”He claimed the nickname “Fazlu Pagla”, or Crazy Fazlur, was first coined by the Jamaat-e-Islami and later spread by its supporters. “Now they are shouting: arrest Fazlu Pagla, kill Fazlu Pagla,” he said. Controversy erupted after Fazlur told a TV talk show that the Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir were the “dark forces” behind the Aug 5 Uprising.

The “Arakan Army”, Myanmar’s armed rebel group, has abducted 33 Bangladeshi fishermen in three consecutive days. “For several days, Arakan Army members have been holding Bangladeshi trawlers and fishermen hostage at gunpoint on their way back from the Bay of Bengal,” said Sheikh Ehsan Uddin, the Teknaf Upazila administrator (UNO). Quoting a fisherman who was on the trawler, Kalam said members of the Arakan Army pursued them in a speedboat and took them hostage at gunpoint. From December of last year to Monday, the Arakan Army has abducted 244 Bangladeshi fishermen from the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal, according to officials. Of those, 189 fishermen and 27 trawlers have been rescued in several phases through the efforts of the Bangladesh Coast Guard.

Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh's interim government, gives his speech during stakeholders dialogue on the Rohingya situation, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug 25, 2025. REUTERS/Sam JahanMuhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh's interim government, gives his speech during stakeholders dialogue on the Rohingya situation, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Aug 25, 2025. REUTERS/Sam JahanBangladesh has no scope to allocate more resources for its 1.3 million Rohingya refugees, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus said on Monday, urging the international community to find a sustainable solution to the crisis. Children make up half the 1.3 million Rohingya refugees now living in Bangladesh, most of whom fled a brutal 2017 military crackdown in Buddhist-majority Myanmar that UN investigators called a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". In Bangladesh, the refugees live in crammed bamboo shelters amid dwindling aid, closed schools and little hope of return.

The Election Commission has come under pressure from local representatives in Bagerhat, who are demanding that all four of the district’s parliamentary constituencies be retained. At a hearing in Dhaka on Monday, lawyers and political leaders rejected the EC’s draft plan to cut Bagerhat’s seats from four to three in a bid to equalise voter numbers. Under the draft plan, Bagerhat-1 remains unchanged, while Bagerhat-2 would include Sadar, Kachua and Rampal Upazilas, and Bagerhat-3 would combine Mongla, Morrelganj and Sarankhola. A BNP leader argued the district actually deserves five seats, while the National Citizen Party complained its representatives were not given adequate time to present arguments. The EC has proposed boundary changes in 39 constituencies nationwide in a bid to balance voter numbers across constituencies.

Six jailed for life over murder of Jubo Dal leader in NarailA court has sentenced six men to life in prison for the killing of Jubo Dal leader Masud Rana in Narail five years ago. The convicts are Kajal Molla, Shetu Molla, Sirajul Islam alias Shipul Molla, Litu Molla, Linku Sheikh and Tapu Khan alias Hasib Molla. In addition to life imprisonment, each of them was fined Tk 50,000, with an additional six months in prison for default of payment. Four more suspects -- Nazrul Molla, Robi Molla, Abuzar Molla and Samrat Molla -- received one-year jail terms, a Tk 200 fine, with an additional seven days in jail for default. Masud Rana, the office secretary of the Kalia Upazila Jubo Dal in Narail, was shot dead on the morning of Aug 5, 2020.

A group of protesters has staged a sit-in outside the home of BNP leader Fazlur Rahman in Dhaka to call for his arrest over comments he made about last year's July Uprising. Police said the demonstration began around 11am in Segunbagicha, where Fazlur's house is located opposite the Anti-Corruption Commission office. “There are now seven or eight of them, including a leader of the NCP,” said Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam of the DMP's Ramna Division. On Sunday, the BNP issued Fazlur a show-cause notice for “absurd and disorderly remarks” contradicting the party line. Fazlur, a former Awami League member who was elected to parliament from Kishoreganj in 1986, has been given 24 hours to respond.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar holds a July Uprising artwork with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna on Sunday, Aug 24, 2025. Photo: CA GOB FacebookChief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has underlined the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as a “top priority” in his talks with the visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. Dar conveyed greetings from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. “Our prime minister sends you his best wishes,” he said. Yunus and Dar both showed optimism that stronger trade, deeper cultural ties and SAARC cooperation would help build a more stable and prosperous South Asia.

Bangladesh Auto Biscuit and Bread Manufacturers Association President Shafiqur Rahman Bhuiyan has criticised the interim government's decision to impose additional VAT on bakery staples like bread and biscuits.He said the tax is "discriminatory, regressive and defies both research and expert opinion".At a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Saturday, he likened the move to shrinking product value.He said: "How small will the packets become? One day, we may see packets that have no biscuits inside. "Shafiqur argued the government persisted with higher VAT despite warnings from World Bank reports, economists, researchers and media outlets.He called it "deeply regrettable" that widely consumed staples were being taxed to the detriment of the poor.Earlier this year, the caretaker administration raised VAT on bread and biscuits from 5 percent to 7.5 percent, prompting protests from the industry.Negotiations with the National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman led to assurances that VAT would be cut back to 5 percent in the budget.Shafiqur said those promises were broken. "When the budget was announced, the VAT stayed at 7.5 percent, it wasn't reduced to 5 percent," he said.Describing the move as "more discriminatory and regressive" than previous policies, he said it stood in direct opposition to the spirit of Anti-discrimination Student Movement.He said the government had turned basic food items into tools of exploitation, what he decried as shameful and appalling. �"bdnews24.com

For the first time in more than 13 years, a Pakistani foreign minister’s visit to Bangladesh has yielded a visa waiver agreement for government and diplomatic passport holders, along with five memoranda of understanding (MoUs). THE AGREEMENTSUnder the visa waiver agreement, Bangladeshi holders of government and diplomatic passports will no longer need prior visas to travel to Pakistan, and the same will apply to their Pakistani counterparts. The five MoUs include:- Enhanced cooperation between the state news agencies Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). - Agreements to promote cooperation in higher education, trade and other fields. Current annual bilateral trade remains under $1 billion.

Bangladesh has rejected a claim by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar that unresolved issues between the two countries related to the 1971 war have already been “settled twice”. Speaking after the ministerial-level talks in Dhaka on Sunday, Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain said: “Of course I don’t agree. If we agreed, the problem would have been resolved in the way they claim, right? Our religion tells us to make a clean start and move forward together.”Bangladesh has long maintained that key issues remain unresolved. These include a formal apology for the atrocities committed by the Pakistani occupation forces during the 1971 war, when an estimated 3 million people were killed and 300,000 women raped by the Pakistani occupation forces.

The Chattogram Metropolitan Police has appealed to city residents to share information on extortion, intimidation and other crimes through its mobile application in a bid to curb rising incidents. The call was made on Sunday through a post on the CMP’s official Facebook page and a WhatsApp message sent to journalists. Police said complaints had surfaced that groups were using “false identities” to demand money from businesses, organisations and individuals, both openly and in secret, while issuing threats and spreading fear. The force urged city residents to report any such activity through the Hello CMP app to help police maintain security across the city. The Hello CMP app is available for download from Google Play:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hellocmp.design.

A third grader has been charred to death, while three others have been injured in a fire at a government residential school in Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh, NDTV reports. The incident occurred at a hostel of Papikrung Government Residential School around 2am on Sunday, the report cited PTI. The child has been identified as 8-year-old Tashi Jempen from Chango village, according to the report. The injured have been identified as Lukhi Pujen, 8, Tanu Pujen, 9, and Tayi Pujen, 11. A police team has been sent to the remote village, located 17km from Monigong town, to look into the incident, the officer was quoted as saying.

Speaking at the Election Commission (EC) headquarters in Dhaka on Sunday, Nasir said: “We have tried to work professionally and impartially. As per the law, an opportunity has been given to file objections and appeals regarding the draft boundaries. Now it is your turn to present logical arguments during the hearings.”The hearings on objections to the draft boundaries began on Sunday afternoon. By Aug 10, the EC had received 1,760 objections regarding 83 constituencies. Officials said the hearings will continue until Aug 27, after which the final boundaries will be announced.

Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain has held a bilateral meeting with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who is in Dhaka on a two-day visit. National Security Advisor Khalilur Rahman, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and other senior foreign ministry officials joined the meeting. Officials from the foreign ministry said afterward that five to six agreements and memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed between the two countries. Dar’s trip to Dhaka is aimed at strengthening ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh. His arrival on Saturday marked the first visit by a Pakistani foreign minister to Bangladesh in nearly 13 years.

The VP race has drawn the largest field with 48 candidates, followed by 19 for GS and 28 for AGS. Asked about the provosts’ concerns, VC Prof Niaz Khan said the decision lay with the Election Commission. ‘CONCERNS’ OF PROVOSTSDiscussions with five participating provosts revealed details of the meeting, though none wished to be named. WHAT VC SAYSAsked about the provosts’ concerns, VC Niaz said provosts from different halls spoke on up to 13 issues during the meeting. Asked whether he was worried about the election, the VC said: “Of course there are concerns.