RELIANCE

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...

AL-BIREH, West Bank: Palestinian club football is set to resume on Sept. 4 after a nearly three-year interruption, with 226 teams from the West Bank, Gaza and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon scheduled to take part in a tournament created to honour athletes killed during the conflict. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) has named the inaugural competition the “Thousand Martyrs Cup” , describing it as the first step toward restoring organised football after years of disruption. PFA President Jibril Rajoub announced the tournament on Monday at the Joseph Blatter Academy in Al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank. He said the initiative was intended to revive Palestinian sport and provide a source of hope and community life for Palestinians at home and abroad. Rajoub also called for support from FIFA and other international football organisations to help clubs cope with financial and security challenges. 226 clubs from three regions The tournament will bring together 146 clubs from...

DHAKA: Gold prices in Bangladesh have been raised again after an increase in the local price of pure gold, with the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) adding Tk1,108 to the price of each bhori. Under the revised rates, the price of 22-carat gold, including value-added tax, has risen to Tk235,146 per bhori, equivalent to 11.664 grams. BAJUS announced the new prices in a notice issued on Tuesday morning, with the revised rates taking effect from 10 a.m. the same day. Local bullion prices cited BAJUS said the latest adjustment was prompted by an increase in the price of pure gold, locally known as “tezaabi” gold. The association said it had reviewed overall market conditions before setting the new rates. The latest increase follows another adjustment made on Aug. 8, when BAJUS raised the price of 22-carat gold by Tk4,374 per bhori to Tk234,038. The latest move therefore takes the benchmark 22-carat gold price above Tk235,000 per bhori in the domestic market. 101 price adjustments t...

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s main stock market swung sharply on Wednesday, with an early rally giving way to broad-based selling in the final hour, pushing all major Dhaka Stock Exchange indexes into negative territory while turnover also declined. The Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) opened strongly, with prices rising across most listed shares and units. The benchmark DSEX index gained as much as 40 points during the early part of the session before the market reversed direction. The shift became increasingly evident around 12:30 p.m., as a growing number of securities moved from the gainers’ list to the decliners’ list. Selling intensified during the final hour, leaving most issues lower by the close. Most securities end lower At the end of trading, 119 listed issues on the DSE recorded price gains, while 231 declined and 35 remained unchanged. The broad decline pushed the benchmark DSEX down 6 points from the previous session to 5,897. The DSE-30 index, which tracks 30 major companies, fell 4 po...

An Iranian semi-official news agency has reported that seven U.S. Navy personnel were killed and several others injured in an internal clash aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but the claim has not been independently verified.  The report, published Wednesday by Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency, attributed the alleged violence to growing tensions among sailors aboard the carrier, which has been deployed in the Middle East for several months as part of U.S. military operations against Iran. According to Mehr, prolonged deployment in the region and continued participation in military operations had contributed to mounting frustration among members of the crew. The report said the tensions eventually escalated into a violent confrontation aboard the carrier. Mehr reported that at least seven U.S. Navy personnel were killed and several others wounded in the incident. It did not provide independently verifiable details about when the alleged clash occurred, what trigg...

DHAKA, Aug. 10, 2026 — Bangladesh has identified 3,112 Indian nationals whose visas expired some time ago but who are still staying in the country, according to officials familiar with the matter, as authorities step up efforts to identify foreign nationals living and working without valid immigration documents. The Special Branch of Bangladesh Police has recently instructed those whose visas have expired to either renew their visas through the proper legal process or leave the country, officials said. Bangladesh currently has about 18,453 Indian nationals living legally in the country, according to Special Branch data cited by officials. Some of those whose visas have expired are employed in sectors including garments, textiles, telecommunications, information technology, power generation, engineering, education and other private-sector businesses. Authorities seek to verify foreign workers Police officials say they are checking the immigration status of foreign nationals across Dhak...

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...