Yunus’s Malaysia trip ‘fruitful’ with many gains, says press secretaryChief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’s visit to Malaysia yielded “fruitful” results on labour welfare, new employment, investment, and economic cooperation, according to his Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. Speaking after an Advisory Council meeting, Shafiqul outlined the gains from Yunus’s three-day state trip to Malaysia. Yunus travelled to Malaysia on Aug 11 and returned to Dhaka late on Aug 13. Bangladesh also sought the “Graduate Plus” work privilege for over 10,000 Bangladeshi students in Malaysia. Yunus met top Malaysian investors, including Petronas, Proton, sovereign wealth fund Khazanah, Sunway Group, palm oil producers, and Axiata.

Expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman Sumon have been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison each in a case over the illegal acquisition of wealth. The case statement also said that Papia and her husband had deposits totalling Tk 3.05 million in multiple bank accounts. At the time of their arrest, authorities seized seven passports, Tk 212,270 in cash, counterfeit notes worth Tk 25,600, $11,481, some Sri Lankan and Indian currency, and two debit cards. Later, the ACC filed a case against Papia for amassing illegal wealth. In a separate money laundering case, the court sentenced Papia to four years of rigorous imprisonment on May 25.

A teacher who was injured in a fire after a jet crash at Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara has died, bringing the death toll from the incident to 35, authorities said.The victim, Mahfuza Khatun, was a primary school teacher at the institution.Shawon Bin Rahman, resident surgeon at the emergency department of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said 25 percent of her body had been burnt in the fire.She died at 12:45pm on Thursday while undergoing treatment.�"bdnews24.comOn Jul 21, a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into a building at Milestone College, killing and injuring dozens.In total, 35 people have been killed and 69 injured in the crash and ensuing fire.Of the 56 people who were taken to the burn institute that day, 19 have died, 14 have been discharged, and 23 remain hospitalised.�"bdnews24.com

Osmani International Airport’s Assistant Engineer Golam Mostafa has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect for “disobeying” a transfer order. He told bdnews24.com: “[Golam Mostafa] was given a standing release this afternoon. The Osmani International Airport director also released him.”Golam’s transfer order was issued on Jun 3. “Whenever his transfer order is issued, he delays it on one pretext or another. There are also allegations of corruption against him.”Golam has been working on the Osmani International Airport expansion project for over five years.

A Dhaka court has issued arrest warrants against 286 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, in a case over alleged anti-state activities carried out during an online meeting. The order came on Thursday after Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam accepted a police report submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The judge issued the warrants as all accused were shown as fugitives, and fixed Sept 11 for an update on whether they have been arrested. CID Assistant Superintendent Md Enamul Haque, who is with the Cyber Investigation and Operations unit, submitted the report naming 286 individuals. Court bench assistant Md Jahangir later briefed the media on the development.

Housing ministry revokes residential plots of 15 former PMO drivers in KeraniganjThe Ministry of Housing and Public Works has cancelled the allocation of plots to 15 former Prime Minister’s Office drivers in RAJUK’s Jhilmil Residential Project in Keraniganj. On 7 Feb, 2024, a letter signed by Joint Secretary Mizanur Rahman directed RAJUK to allocate Jhilmil Project plots to 15 drivers working at former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s office at the time. Drivers Borhan Uddin, Belal Hossain, Saiful Islam, Shafiqul Islam, Matiur Rahman, Nur Hossain Bepari, Mahbub Hossain, Shaheen, Mizanur Rahman, Bacchu Hawladar, Nurul Islam, and Razon Madbor were each allocated half shares in six 0.036-hectare plots. The ministry’s Public Relations Officer Md Alamgir Hossain said the plots had been allocated in violation of rules. The committees recommended cancelling all 15 allocations, which the ministry has now implemented.

Rising water in the Padma River has inundated low-lying and Char areas in Daulatpur Upazila of Kushtia, marooning thousands of residents and damaging farmland across two unions. According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), Kushtia, the river is currently flowing 98cm below the danger mark. At 12pm on Thursday, the water level at the Bhagjot point in Ramkrishnopur Union stood at 14.72 metres (m), while the official danger level is 15.70m. BWDB Executive Engineer Rashidur Rahman said the river’s water level has been rising for 10 consecutive days, increasing by 10 to 15cm per day. He also noted that the lowlands of Rajshahi, which were previously inundated, are now seeing water levels fall—suggesting conditions may stabilise soon.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will file a case against Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her ICT advisor, on charges of amassing assets worth around Tk 600 million “outside of known sources of income”. The ACC says Joy has amassed and laundered a huge amount of wealth by abusing his power. On Thursday, ACC Director General Md Akhtar Hossain told reporters: "Information has emerged that Sajeeb Wazed has assets worth a total of Tk 611,805,869, including movable and immovable assets. Of this, immovable assets account for Tk 543,920,978 and movable assets Tk 67,884,891." Of this, information has been found on suspicious transactions worth a total of Tk 575,054,315, it said.

Verdict in case over Papia’s illicit wealth on ThursdayThe verdict in the illicit asset acquisition case against expelled Jubo Mohila League leader Shamima Nur Papia and her husband Mofizur Rahman Sumon is scheduled for Thursday. ACC Deputy Director Shahin Ara Momtaz initiated the case on Aug 4, 2020, accusing the couple of acquiring Tk 60.25 million in illicit assets. The case statement also said that Papia and her husband had deposits totalling Tk 3.05 million in multiple bank accounts. Later, the ACC filed a case against Papia for amassing illegal wealth. In a separate money laundering case, the court sentenced Papia to four years of rigorous imprisonment on May 25.

“We’ve formed a committee to look into what’s happening at Sada Pathar and why. The committee will submit its report by Sunday.”‘STRAIN’ IN TOURISM BUSINESSThe Sada Pathar tourist centre had supported the livelihoods of many locals. Our families are struggling badly.”Boatmen who take tourists from Bholaganj Ghat to Sada Pathar also reported a steep decline in activity. “Sada Pathar has been covered by the media, but the plundering of Jaflong, Lalakhal, Lawachara and many other areas hasn’t received the same attention.”A researcher on stone quarries, Zahirul said: “Restoring Sada Pathar to its original condition involves both environmental factors and human intervention. Companiganj Police Station chief Uzair Mahmud Adnan said, “We’ve already filed 20 cases in connection with the looting of Sada Pathar.

Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has said the interim government is not the “only centre of power”, adding he will not remain in it during the election period as he intends to pursue a political career. "If I don’t even contest the election, still, I should not remain in the election-time government," he said. During the hour-and-forty-minute-long show, Asif responded to a wide range of questions in measured tone -- from political controversies to corruption allegations. When the interim government was formed on Aug 8, he and another student leader were appointed as advisors representing the movement. He said, "As I’ve said before, no one who is involved in politics should remain in the interim government.

In June, he fell and injured his thigh bone. He was then taken to Dhaka for treatment. Last week, he was taken back to Mymensingh and was continuing his treatment there.Jatin was the president of the Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi central committee for two terms. His body will be taken to Netrokona for final respects and cremation.After tributes, his last rites will be held there. �"bdnews24.com

Bangladesh's amount of outstanding short-term foreign debt has decreased by nearly $1.34 billion in June, a nearly 11.75 percent drop year-on-year.The latest data from Bangladesh Bank says that short-term foreign debt stood at $10.06 billion in June. During this time, interest and principal payments from the private sector amounted to $1.85 billion.This means, Bangladesh's private sector paid more in interest and principal payments on short-term financing in June than it brought in as foreign loans.In May, private sector entrepreneurs took out short-term foreign loans worth $1.85 billion. During this time, interest and principal payments amounted to $1.98 billion. The security situation is still unstable.Given all this, the expectation that anyone will jump into investments right now is, I would say, fanciful. "Since the government changeover last August, the flow of foreign loans to the private sector has declined, as has investment in various sectors, leading to a slowdown in the economy.In January this year, the short-term foreign debt fell below $10 billion after four years.

Private sector credit growth in Bangladesh has slumped to its lowest level in a decade, in keeping with a downward spiral beginning during the July Uprising.According to Bangladesh Bank data released on Monday, credit growth stood at 6.49 percent at the end of June.Some experts view this persistent decline as "a cause for concern".Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Distinguished Fellow Mustafizur Rahman said the country's economy has yet to overcome its investment slump.He cited high bank interest rates, political uncertainty, and contractionary monetary policy as the main reasons behind the decline.Fresh data shows that letters of credit for capital machinery imports fell by 25.41 percent in FY2025 compared with the previous fiscal year -- a decline Mustafizur warns could weigh heavily on employment. "The fall in capital machinery imports is having an adverse impact on job creation. I see it as a serious concern," he said.He noted that while there are signs of "some stability" returning to the macroeconomy, investor "unease and uncertainty" remain.The researcher believes such conditions may persist until the next election.He also argued that if inflation drops to 7 percent, the policy interest rate should be cut, as high lending rates are having a significant negative effect on the economy.For the July-December period, Bangladesh Bank has kept the policy interest rate at 10 percent, maintaining the same rate as in the first half of the year.The private sector credit growth target has been set at 7.20 percent.Governor Ahsan H Mansur has indicated that the policy rate will remain unchanged until inflation falls below 7 percent.The central bank's website holds credit growth data from 2015, which shows that June recorded the lowest rate in that period. The second-lowest rate was in February this year, at 6.82 percent. �"bdnews24.com

Interim government is the weakest despite support from all political parties, says NurGono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur has described the interim government as the “weakest” in Bangladesh’s history, despite what he said was broad support from all political parties. Speaking at an event on Wednesday, Nur claimed that the government has consistently lacked firmness in its actions. “Our Army, police, RAB, even those seen as heroes of national transformation didn’t speak up while the destruction was ongoing. But now, after the damage is done, they are raising their voices,” Nur said. He noted that following the fall of military dictatorship through nationwide student unity, no student leaders stepped into government either.