Following a strike demanding the nationalisation of private schools and colleges, several MPO-listed education institutions are holding classes on Saturday to make up for students’ lost lessons. On Saturday, teachers and staff said the move is aimed at addressing learning gaps and preparing students ahead of the annual exams. “To recover this loss and repay the nation’s debt, on our alliance’s call, schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutions across the country are running full-fledged classes even on Saturdays. Mejbahul Islam Prince, teacher at Bashabo branch of Model School and College in Dhaka, said: “Classes were held during the strike in our institution. After government concessions on Oct 16 and 21, including increasing the house rent allowance to 15 percent of basic salary, the teachers withdrew their strike and resumed classes.

A rally in Chattogram has alleged that plans to hand over the city’s port terminals to foreign companies are part of “a long-term imperialist conspiracy” centred on Bangladesh’s hill regions. It was organised to oppose what the organisers called a “plot” to hand over profitable Chattogram Port terminals to foreign firms. Freedom fighter and Gonomukti Union President Raja Miah said, “Chattogram Port is profitable and fully capable of managing its operations. BaSaD (Marxist) District Coordinator Shafiuddin Kabir Abid said, “An interim government has neither the authority nor the justification to lease out port terminals. The one port that handles most of our imports and exports should never be handed over to foreign companies.”

US ambassador-designate to Bangladesh Brent Christensen has said he would work with the Bangladeshi government and armed forces to clarify the “risks” of working with China and its military. Speaking at his confirmation hearing before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Thursday, Christensen responded to a question about China’s refurbishment of a Bangladeshi submarine base and Dhaka’s reported plan to buy up to 20 Chinese J-10 fighter jets. “I share your concern about Chinese influence across South Asia,” he told senators. “If confirmed, I would engage with the Bangladeshi government and the military to clearly articulate the risks from Chinese activity, involvement with their military in the maritime domain and in critical infrastructure -- as well as highlight the opportunities and benefits of a closer partnership with the United States, especially between our militaries.”

Rapid Action Battalion has said a woman in Shariatpur town was strangled to death for 6 tolas (around 70 grams) of gold ornaments and cash. Ripon, son of Sonai Molla of Damudya Upazila, confessed during primary interrogation, according to RAB-8 Madaripur Camp Company Commander Mir Monir Hossain. At a media briefing, Monir said, Nazma Begum, 45, was murdered on Tuesday afternoon at her rented flat at Rupnagar of Shariatpur Municipality. Quoting Ripon’s statement, the commander said: “Nazma Begum was killed out of greed for 6 tolas of gold and money. Gold ornaments and cash were recovered from him.”RAB handed over the suspect to Palong Police for further legal proceedings.

Bangladesh has started importing wheat from the United States for the first time as part of an agreement between the two nations. In July, Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to import 700,000 tonnes of wheat annually from the US. Bangladesh currently meets its wheat demand through imports from India, Russia, Belarus and other countries. The statement said the wheat import agreement is managed by Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Food and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Samples from the first shipment will be tested before the wheat is unloaded.

Afghanistan is planning to build a dam on the Kunar River to restrict the flow of water into Pakistan, following India’s example of suspending water sharing under the Indus Waters Treaty earlier this year. IMPORTANCE OF KUNAR RIVERStretching nearly 500km, the Kunar River originates in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the Chitral district of the Hindu Kush mountains. It flows south into Afghanistan, passing through the Kunar and Nangarhar provinces, before merging with the Kabul River at Jalalabad. The Kabul River then joins another tributary, the Pech River, before turning eastward into Pakistan, where it flows into the Indus River near Attock in Punjab province. While the Indus Waters Treaty governs river sharing between India and Pakistan, there is no such treaty between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Three children have drowned after falling into a shoal in Austagram Upazila of Kishoreganj, while three others died in a similar tragedy after slipping into a pond in Chattogram’s Rangunia. The dead were identified as Md Mishkat, 5, son of Abul Kalam; Md Mahin, 6, son of Masuk Mia; and Tanil Mia, 5, son of Sattar Mia. Two of the children, Mishkat and Mahin, were rescued from the water in an unconscious state and taken to Austagram Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead. The victims were Sumaiya Akhter, 5, daughter of Md Raju; Habiba Akhter, 6, daughter of Md Kalu; and Jannat Akhter, 5, daughter of Md Naser. They were rescued and taken to a local physician, but were pronounced dead on arrival.

The government has decided to suspend the gazette that declared Cox’s Bazar Airport as an “international airport”, just 11 days after the announcement was issued. On Oct 13, the government had issued a notification granting Cox’s Bazar the status of the country’s fourth international airport. Although the change of government created uncertainty over several development initiatives taken by the previous administration, construction at Cox’s Bazar Airport continued without interruption. Despite the government’s enthusiasm to elevate the airport to international status, most airlines have shown little commercial interest in operating international routes from Cox’s Bazar. State-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines had planned to launch flights from Cox’s Bazar to Kolkata via Dhaka later this month.

FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, Jun 29, 2019. REUTERSFILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with China's President Xi Jinping during the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, Jun 29, 2019. REUTERSUS President Donald Trump will test his deal-making prowess in a region battered by his hardball trade policies on a trip to Asia next week, as doubts hang over his highly anticipated meeting with China's Xi Jinping. Then, in South Korea, Trump plans to meet Xi ahead of an international trade summit. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wants Trump to pursue peace with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

Fakhrul says BNP will build ‘Rainbow Nation’ representing all groupsBNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said his party will build a “Rainbow Nation” embracing all ethnic communities if it comes to power. Fakhrul said the party’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman had announced a 31-point reform plan in 2022, which clearly pledged to build a “Rainbow Nation” -- a nation where every community can contribute equally. The discussion was organised by the Dhaka Wangala Committee on the occasion of “Dhaka Wangala Festival 2025”, held at Banani Bidyaniketan School and College grounds. Fakhrul said the ethnic communities must align with the country’s broader national identity and rise as citizens of Bangladesh. Fakhrul said the BNP has always recognised the Garo community and worked to preserve their traditions, adding that improving their economic conditions remains crucial.

According to a list compiled by the Chattogram Industrial Police, around 22 factories across the city and the Chattogram EPZ have ceased operations in the past year. SM Abu Tayyab, former first vice-president of BGMEA, said survival has become “very difficult” for garment factories in the current global context. He pointed out that Chattogram factories are particularly affected because they produce more goods for the American market. 30 OTHER FACTORIES CLOSEThe Industrial Police data shows that 50 factories of different categories, including the 22 garment factories, have shut down permanently in Chattogram over the past year. More than 8,000 workers have lost their jobs in the permanently shut factories, while around 43,000 workers have been affected by temporary closures.

India will not rush into signing any trade agreements and will reject conditions from partner countries that restrict its trading choices, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. The country is negotiating a long-pending free trade agreement with the European Union, with differences remaining over market access, environmental standards and rules of origin. Trade talks with the United States, which has imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian exports, and several other countries are also underway. "India will not sign any trade deal in a hurry," Goyal said while speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue during an official visit, referring to European concerns over India's continued purchases of Russian oil. The EU, United Kingdom and the United States are pressuring New Delhi to scale back imports of discounted Russian crude, which the Western nations argue help fund Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.

The interim government has condemned Israel’s plan to impose its laws on the occupied West Bank, calling the move “a violation of international law and a threat to regional peace.”In a statement on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary approval of draft legislation to assert so-called Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. Palestinians regard the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, as part of their future independent state. Following preliminary approval, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the measure, saying Israel has no sovereignty over Palestinian land. Israel has built roughly 160 settlements and 700,000 housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where 3.3 million Palestinians live. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the West Bank annexation could backfire and threaten the peace process.

Former chairman of the capital development authority Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Siddiqur Rahman Sarker has died. He was visiting a friend in Faridpur.”Siddiqur was appointed chairman of RAJUK on contract for two years on Apr 4, 2024. His contract was cancelled on Sept 17 the same year, removing him from the post. However, on Sept 22, that cancellation order was revoked and he was reinstated as chairman. On Apr 17 this year, the court imposed a travel ban on him and his wife following an ACC petition.

At least 25 passengers have burnt to death after a private bus crashed into a motorcycle in India’s Andhra Pradesh before catching on fire, according to local media reports. The private sleeper coach carrying 40 passengers was travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru when it collided with the motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction around 3:30am local time on Friday, reports Indian daily The Hindu. Reports say that immediately after the crash, flames erupted on the front of the bus and spread quickly, causing the fuel tank to explode. The bus was then engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds. Since it was an AC bus, passengers had to break open the windows.