A video has recently been circulated on social media claiming that interim government Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed endorses a “government investment platform that guarantees an income of 121,000 BDT per week! Fact CheckRumor Scanner Team’s investigation reveals that Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed has not made any statements inviting investment or guaranteeing income through any so-called government investment platform. In reality, a video of him speaking on a different topic has been digitally manipulated using technology to create the circulated video. As part of the investigation, a video titled “Reform priorities for Bangladesh’s interim government, with Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed” was found on the Atlantic Council’s YouTube channel, published on October 24, 2024. ConclusionTherefore, the video claiming to show Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed recommending investment in a so-called government platform is edited.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has made it mandatory for individual taxpayers to submit their income tax returns online starting from the 2025-26 assessment year. According to the order, if an eligible taxpayer is unable to file online, they must submit a written application with valid justification to their respective tax zone's deputy commissioner by Oct 31. That led to a record number of returns being filed online, prompting the NBR to expand the mandate this year. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, over 1.71 million taxpayers submitted their returns online. So far, around 11.2 million people in Bangladesh have registered for an electronic taxpayer identification number (e-TIN).

Prof M Shamsher Ali, a nuclear science specialist and former vice-chancellor of Southeast University and Bangladesh Open University, has died at the age of 84. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Dhaka University in 1959 and his Master’s degree in 1960. He went on to teach subjects such as quantum mechanics, nuclear physics and mathematical models of physics. He also was the founding vice-chancellor of Bangladesh Open University from 1992 to 1996 and the founding vice-chancellor of Southeast University from 2002 to 2010. In 1974, he received Dhaka University’s Hari Prasanna Roy Gold Medal for contributions to nuclear physics and was made a life-long honorary professor of physics at his alma mater.

REUTERS/Sofiia GatilovaMore than 120 firefighters were trying to extinguish a blaze at an oil depot in the Russian city of Sochi that was sparked by a Ukrainian drone attack, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said early on Sunday on the Telegram messaging app. In the Krasnodar region where Sochi is located, a fuel tank with a capacity of 2,000 cubic metres (70,000 cubic feet) was on fire, Russia's RIA news agency reported, citing emergency officials. Rosaviatsia, Russia's civil aviation authority, said on Telegram that flights were halted at Sochi's airport to ensure air safety. A woman was killed in the Adler district in a Ukrainian drone attack late last month, but attacks on Sochi, which hosted the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, have been infrequent in the war that Russia launched in February 2022. The Krasnodar region on the Black Sea is home to the Ilsky refinery near the city of Krasnodar, among the largest in southern Russia and a frequent target of Ukraine's drone attacks.

Crimes against humanity: Trial against Hasina starts on Sunday, to be broadcast liveA tribunal will begin hearing testimonies in a crimes against humanity case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Kamal and former inspector general of police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun in a bid to suppress the July Uprising. The state will present its opening statement to the three-strong tribunal headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder. "Before the testimony begins, the prosecution will present its opening statement. The trial will be broadcast live, which has been approved by the permission of the tribunal." The indictment launched the first crimes against humanity case against Hasina.

The website of Flight Expert, an online airline ticket booking platform, has gone offline, sparking rumours that its Managing Director, Salman Bin Rashid, has left Bangladesh without notice. He also reportedly announced the company's closure to employees via a WhatsApp group. As news of the MD’s suspected departure spread, worried customers and travel agency owners who had prepaid for tickets gathered at the company's Motijheel office, seeking answers. Motijheel Police Station chief Mezbah Uddin told bdnews24.com, "[Salman] has reportedly gone into hiding, possibly left the country. Flight Expert launched operations in Bangladesh in March 2017, offering services including domestic and international flight bookings, hotel reservations, tour packages, and visa processing.

Police Headquarters has dismissed a widely circulated letter on social media containing 11 recommendations related to the July movement, including calls to deny amnesty to those responsible for killing policemen, as “fake”. It also pointed out that the signatory named on the letter is not an employee of the department mentioned. Police warned that strict legal action would be taken against anyone involved in creating or distributing such fake documents. The letter in question, titled “Letter under special consideration”, appears to be signed by Assistant Inspector General Menhazul Alam of the Recruitment and Career Planning department. Dated Jul 31, the letter references the Aug 5 anniversary of the July movement and the July Charter, and urges the implementation of 11 specific recommendations by the relevant authorities.

Ashraful Alam, a former driver in Saudi Arabia, lost his left thumb in a road accident in 2024. Unable to continue working, he returned to his home in Kapasia, Gazipur, and visited several hospitals without success -- until he found hope at Cumilla People’s Hospital. In what doctors say is the “first of its kind” in Cumilla, a team of surgeons has successfully transplanted a toe onto Ashraful’s hand to replace the severed thumb, marking a breakthrough in limb reconstruction in a Bangladeshi district hospital. Speaking to reporters, Dr Mamun said: “This is the first case of organ transplant of its kind in Cumilla. Dr Kausar Hamid, associate professor of orthopaedics at Cumilla Central Medical College Hospital, described the operation as a landmark for regional medical services.

Police have recovered two bodies floating in the Padma River near the border of Chapainawabganj. Locals claim they died due to the Indian Border Security Force’s (BSF) torture while travelling to the neighbouring country for smuggling. Local police station chief Golam Kibria said the bodies were recovered from the river in the Batasi intersection of Manakosha Union in Shibganj Upazila at 3pm on Saturday. Chapainawabganj-53 BGB Battalion Commander Lt Col Fahad Mahmud Rinku said the two bodies were spotted floating in the Padma River, 2.5km inside Bangladesh from Border Pillar 4/2-S. Locals later identified them. When the incident was reported to Shibganj Police Station, the authorities took custody of the two bodies.

Hasan, Nowfel, Saifuzzaman named in chargesheet over mass protest death in ChattogramPolice have submitted a chargesheet to court accusing three former Awami League ministers, two ex-city mayors, and eight former MPs over the death of a shop employee during the anti-discrimination movement in Chattogram. This is the first chargesheet among 151 cases filed over deaths and injuries in the student-led mass movement in Chattogram. The chargesheet names former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhoury Nowfel, former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, and former mayors AJM Nasir Uddin and Rezaul Karim Chowdhoury. The chargesheet claims that to suppress the “legitimate movement”, the Awami League and its associate bodies -- including Bangladesh Chhatra League, Jubo League, Sramik League, and Krishok League -- held armed rallies in Chattogram city and surrounding districts. His body was later transferred to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where the death certificate confirmed gunshot wounds as the cause.

Mitford murder: Two more arrested, total now 14Police have arrested two more people in connection with the murder case of scrap trader Lal Chand alias Md Sohag outside Mitford Hospital in Dhaka. The two new arrestees are Roman Byapari and Abir Hossain, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 14. According to Talebur, 12 suspects were arrested earlier, nine of whom have given confessional statements. Of the 19 accused named in the case, nine have now been arrested. Police and locals claim those involved in the murder and named behind the scenes are all known to each other, with some being former business associates of Sohag.

Two Bangladeshi expatriates have died and another has been injured after being hit by a car in a road accident in Malaysia. Malaysian English-language daily The Star reported that the accident around 8:45pm local time on Friday in the Parit Salam, Parit Yusuf area of Muar, in Johor province. Altogether, five Bangladeshis lost their lives in separate road accidents across Malaysia on Friday. One victim died on the spot, while the other two were taken to Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital. The impact threw two victims to the side of the road, leaving them with serious head and body injuries.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convenor Nahid Islam has said his party “will not hand over” the reform process outlined in the July Charter to the next elected parliament. “We won’t leave the reform process to the elected parliament. Nahid noted that the party has also demanded a resolution on the July Charter by Aug 5. Nahid announced that the NCP’s ongoing nationwide “July March” will conclude on Sunday afternoon with a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar. “We’ve said in multiple NCP gatherings that while the ‘fascist’ government may have fallen, the ‘fascist’ system hasn’t.

Jordan says two armed people killed after 'infiltration attempt' via Syrian borderJordan's armed forces said on Saturday that its forces killed two armed people after a 'foiled infiltration attempt' through its border with Syria the previous day. The Jordanian Armed Forces did not provide further details in its statement but said that the rest of the armed group were pushed back to the Syrian territory. Jordan's armed forces often report foiling border infiltration attempts, sometimes for drug smuggling. In January, Jordan and Syria agreed to form a joint security committee to secure their border, combat arms and drug smuggling and work to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State militants.

The newly-built Dayaganj–Jurain road in Dhaka is riddled with potholes in front of Gandaria Railway Station. Rain has left the damaged road waterlogged, as vehicles continue to pass through it at risk. Photo: Abdullah al Momin