RELIANCE

DHAKA: An 11-party political alliance has announced a march toward Bangladesh’s National Parliament, with families of people who allegedly became victims of enforced disappearance expected to take part in the demonstration. The alliance said the programme would be held on Sunday, August 30, at 3:00 p.m., as part of events marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. The announcement was made on Wednesday at a press conference held at the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition on Minto Road in Dhaka. Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad announced the programme on behalf of the alliance. Azad said a number of people had allegedly been subjected to enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing in Bangladesh in the past, but that justice had yet to be delivered in many of those cases. Against this backdrop, the alliance plans to organise the march, bringing together family members of people who have allegedly been su...

DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir and opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman has paid tribute to the late Islamic scholar and former Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh chief Allama Junaid Babunagari on the fifth anniversary of his death. In a Facebook post published on Wednesday night, Shafiqur Rahman said that scholars with the wisdom, courage and dedication of Babunagari remain greatly needed for the welfare of the country, society and the Muslim community. Babunagari died on August 19, 2021 , at the age of 68. In his message, Shafiqur Rahman recalled the late scholar’s longstanding role in religious affairs and his contribution to Islamic education and values. He said Babunagari’s work for the welfare of religion, the country and the wider community, as well as his prolonged efforts to promote Islamic education and values, would remain memorable. Shafiqur Rahman also described the late scholar as a person whose wisdom, courage and commitment could serve as an example at a ti...

DHAKA, Bangladesh: Power outages have increased across Bangladesh after a shortage of LNG cargoes forced US-based Excelerate Energy to suspend operations at its floating LNG terminal in the Bay of Bengal, reducing gas supplies to the national grid and putting additional pressure on electricity generation. The disruption became more visible after evening demand for electricity began to rise. Several areas of the capital reported repeated power cuts, while the situation was also reported to have worsened in rural parts of the country. The outages have added to public hardship during a period of intense heat, with households and businesses facing repeated interruptions at a time when demand for electricity typically rises sharply in the evening. According to Petrobangla sources, the LNG stored at Excelerate Energy’s floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) was completely depleted at around 2:40 p.m. on Wednesday because of a shortage of LNG cargoes. The terminal subsequently stop...

DHAKA: A public opinion survey conducted as the BNP-led government marked six months in office found that 66.30% of respondents approved of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s performance , while 54.50% expressed satisfaction with the government’s overall performance . The findings were presented on Wednesday in Dhaka at an event held at the BIDA Bhaban in Agargaon, where Doppler Opinion Research released the results of its “Approval Rating Survey 2026.” Respondents were asked how well or poorly they believed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was performing his responsibilities. About two-thirds— 66.30%—said he was doing a good job . The survey found relatively little variation in this assessment across respondents of different ages, genders, educational backgrounds and income groups. The prime minister also received comparatively positive assessments across political affiliations. Among supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami, 65.50% rated his performance positively, while the corresponding figur...

DHAKA, Bangladesh: Gas supplies from Excelerate Energy’s floating LNG terminal in Maheshkhali were suspended on Wednesday after the facility ran out of its remaining LNG stocks, highlighting renewed pressure on Bangladesh’s gas supply system amid a shortage of LNG cargoes. The floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), operated by Excelerate Energy, stopped supplying gas to the national grid at around 2:40 p.m. after its remaining LNG inventory was exhausted, according to an official of state-owned Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd. (RPGCL). Petrobangla data showed that Bangladesh was receiving about 2,289 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas at noon on Wednesday. Domestic gas fields accounted for approximately 1,628 mmcfd , while LNG contributed around 661 mmcfd . By about 6 p.m., however, LNG supplies had fallen to roughly 562 mmcfd , while domestic gas production remained almost unchanged at around 1,627 mmcfd . As a result, total gas flow into the national transmis...

NOAKHALI, Bangladesh, Aug. 18 — A bakery in Bangladesh’s Noakhali district has been fined 40,000 taka ($325) for allegedly using rotten and broken eggs to make cakes and other food products in unhygienic conditions, officials said. The action was taken on Monday during an inspection at Ruchika Food Industries in the Datterhat area of Sadar upazila, according to the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection. The inspection was led by Md. Asadul Islam, assistant director of the Noakhali office of the consumer rights agency. Officials said inspectors found that the bakery was mixing fresh and rotten eggs collected from the market to prepare cakes. Rotten and broken eggs were emitting a foul smell, they said. The inspection also found that the bakery was using dirty syrup containing impurities to make a bun locally known as “Honeycomb”, allegedly without following basic hygiene standards. Authorities subsequently fined the establishment 40,000 taka under Section 43 of Bangladesh’...

DHAKA, Aug. 18 — Bangladesh has appointed former Appellate Division judge A.K.M. Asaduzzaman as chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), putting a retired senior judge at the helm of the country’s principal anti-graft agency. Agricultural economist Jahangir Alam Khan and former tax commissioner Md. Sajjad Hossain Bhuiyan were appointed as commissioners, completing the new three-member commission, according to a government notification issued on Monday. The appointments were made under Section 6(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004, and took effect from the date of appointment. The government had earlier begun the process of selecting new ACC leadership after inviting applications and forming a selection committee. Under the notification, Asaduzzaman will receive the salary, allowances, benefits and status equivalent to a judge of the Supreme Court’s Appellate Division. The two commissioners will receive benefits and status equivalent to judges of the High Court Divi...

DHAKA — Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the National Citizens Party’s (NCP) southern region and a lawmaker from Cumilla-4, has said his party accepts the six-month challenge issued by the prime minister to the opposition to present a plan for resolving the country’s electricity crisis. In a Facebook post on Saturday night, Hasnat said solutions had already been proposed by the opposition and that the government should now consider them and move towards implementation. According to Hasnat, the NCP has already outlined 15 proposals covering short-, medium- and long-term measures to address the power crisis. ‘Solutions Were Already on the Table’ Hasnat argued that the government should have been aware of the proposals before challenging the opposition to produce a solution. He said NCP convener, lawmaker and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam had proposed a 15-point plan, including five measures that could be implemented within 30 days, six medium-term measures for the next six to 1...

DHAKA — Faham has called for an end to attacks and harassment against Awami League leaders, activists and supporters, citing an incident involving a man who was allegedly assaulted while attempting to place flowers at Dhanmondi 32. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Faham said political disagreement or opposition should never be used as a justification for physically attacking people. He argued that political opponents should be defeated through justice, fairness and political principles—not through violence or intimidation. ‘It Is Time to Stop These Actions’ Referring to footage he had seen of a man being slapped and beaten by several people at Dhanmondi 32, Faham said he could not independently verify the authenticity of the incident. However, he suggested that those involved appeared to be associated with his own political side. He urged supporters to stop such behaviour, saying that simply being associated with the Awami League should not make someone a target of physical assault. Ac...

DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to travel to New Delhi for a bilateral visit in the third week of August, with Aug. 21-22 emerging as the likely dates, according to several government sources in Dhaka. The dates could shift by a few days, the officials said, adding that the proposed visit originated with India and that Bangladesh has indicated Rahman is prepared to travel. Preparations are already under way for what would be Rahman’s first visit to India as prime minister. However, Bangladeshi officials said Dhaka has raised several issues that it wants addressed before the trip is finalised. Bangladesh seeks assurances over Hasina’s political activities One of the key issues concerns former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in India since Aug. 5, 2024, following her removal from power. Bangladeshi officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Dhaka wants assurances that Hasina will not continue making political statements or engaging in polit...

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has nominated its secretary-general and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its candidate for the country’s 23rd presidency, according to senior party leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. Rizvi, the BNP’s senior joint secretary-general, told reporters at the Secretariat on Thursday that BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman finalised Fakhrul’s candidacy during a meeting with senior party leaders. Fakhrul resigned from his positions as BNP secretary-general and a member of the party’s standing committee after being selected as the presidential candidate, Rizvi said. Presidential election could be contested Thursday is the deadline for submitting nominations for the presidential election. Under the Election Commission’s schedule, nomination papers can be filed with the returning officer at the Election Commission headquarters between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. A separate nomination has already been submi...

DHAKA: Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have agreed to significantly expand air connectivity between the two countries, increasing the permitted number of weekly passenger flights from 49 to 84 and introducing new opportunities for cargo operations and airline cooperation. The expanded framework was outlined by Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq , chairman of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB), during a meeting with media representatives at CAAB headquarters in Dhaka on Thursday. Under the new memorandum of understanding between the two countries’ civil aviation authorities, designated airlines will be permitted to operate up to 84 passenger flights a week , an increase of 35 flights from the previous limit. The agreement also provides for 21 cargo flights a week , fifth-freedom traffic rights, code-sharing, co-terminalisation and aircraft leasing arrangements. More Flights for Pilgrims and Migrant Workers CAAB said the additional passenger capacity is expected to help...

FENI: A police station chief in Bangladesh’s Feni district who had been ordered to be withdrawn from his post was rebuffed by a judge after entering a courtroom without permission and attempting to draw the judge’s attention by saluting three times, according to court sources and officials. The incident involving Mohammad Faizul Azim Noman , officer-in-charge of Daganbhuiyan Police Station, took place on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at the Feni Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, where Judge A.N.M. Morshed Khan was presiding. Court-related sources said Noman had earlier sought permission to meet the judge before the hearing began but was told that he could not meet the judge without authorization. He later entered the courtroom after proceedings had begun and saluted the judge three times. The judge then asked court staff to identify the officer and, after learning who he was, told him that there was no personal relationship between them and that an order had already been issue...

Special Report A railway hospital in Chattogram that once treated only a handful of patients has reportedly expanded its services to a much larger number of people after steps were taken to make better use of its existing facilities. The account was shared by Mohammad Fouzul Kabir Khan , former adviser to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. According to Khan, during his tenure as an adviser, he visited a railway hospital in Chattogram and found a large facility serving only three patients. Around 20 people—including doctors, nurses, cleaners and security personnel—were working at the hospital. The facility also had some modern medical equipment. However, its services were largely restricted to railway employees and their dependants. The situation contrasted sharply with that of Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where, according to Khan, overcrowding had left some patients receiving treatment on the floor. Seeking to understand why the railway hospital was u...

DHAKA, Aug. 10, 2026 Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC has filed a formal complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against former President Mohammed Shahabuddin, widely known as Chuppu, businessman S Alam and 36 others over alleged embezzlement of 5 billion taka ($500 crore) through a loan scheme, according to the complaint submitted to the anti-graft agency. The complaint was filed at the ACC headquarters in Dhaka on Monday afternoon. According to the complaint, irregularities occurred after the S Alam Group took control of the bank in 2017. A company described in the complaint as financially weak, Suprabh Composite Knit Ltd, allegedly had its credit limit increased fivefold—from 1 billion taka to 5 billion taka—through fraudulent means. The complaint alleges that the funds were subsequently withdrawn and misappropriated. Alleged irregularities in loan approval The bank alleged that businessman S Alam played a role in securing the loan facility for Suprabh Composite Knit Ltd, des...

DHAKA: Bangladesh is facing a political and constitutional crisis, opposition Chief Whip and National Citizens Party (NCP) convenor Nahid Islam said on Sunday, as opposition parties stepped up discussions over the country’s political situation and the upcoming presidential election. Nahid made the remarks after a meeting of 11 political parties at the opposition leader’s residence on Minto Road in Dhaka. The meeting focused on the presidential election and recent political developments in the country, he told reporters after the talks. He also criticised the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), alleging that the party had sought at various times to retain control during periods of political transition. “Attempts to retain power during political transitions have been made by the BNP at different times,” Nahid said, adding that such actions had contributed to political and constitutional uncertainty. 11-party alliance to field joint presidential candidate The 11 parties have agreed to co...