Bangladesh has reported 651 new hospitalisations due to dengue in the past 24 hours without any fatalities. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) count on Saturday, this year, as many as 70,513 dengue patients have been admitted to hospitals across the country, of whom 278 have died. As of 8:00am Saturday, the health directorate reported that among the 651 newly admitted patients, 416 were male and 235 female. The highest number of new hospitalisations was in the Barishal Division, where 129 patients were admitted. The highest annual hospitalisations occurred in 2023, with 321,179 cases, while the highest deaths in a single year were 1,705, also in 2023.

Hegseth says US ready to share tools to help allies counter 'aggressive' ChinaUS Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth walks with his staff prior to a ministerial lunch at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Nov 1, 2025. "You live it on the threats we all face from China's aggression and course of actions in the South China Sea and elsewhere," he said. Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a line on its maps that overlaps with parts of the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. On Friday, its Defence Minister Dong Jun said it was necessary for China and ASEAN to work together to "pool Eastern strength" and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. We do not seek conflict, but we must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate you or anybody else," Hegseth told ASEAN counterparts.

Dhaka, Nov. 1 -- The body of another child who went missing while bathing in the Jhinai River in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur has been recovered, bringing the death toll to 4. Another child remains missing, reports bdnews24.com. Madarganj Fire Service official Delwar Hossain said the body of a child named Kulsum was recovered from the river on Saturday morning. Earlier, on Friday afternoon, five children drowned while bathing in the river at the Anar Sarkar Bari terminal under Sidhuli union. After being informed, a team of divers from the Fire Service launched a rescue operation.

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has said changes of government in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka over the past three and a half years stemmed from “poor governance”, according to The Hindu. On Friday, he described governance as the central pillar of nation-building and stability. Doval said strong, accountable governance was vital not only to nation-building but also to national security and the pursuit of national aspirations, according to the report. “I believe governance plays a seminal role in the nation-building process, as well as in securing a nation and helping it achieve its goals and aspirations,” he was quoted as saying. He drew parallels with the collapse of historical empires weakened by internal decay and inept leadership.

‘Mentally unwell’ man beaten to death by locals on theft suspicion in GaibandhaIn a remote riverside area of Tista in Sundarganj Upazila, locals have allegedly beaten a man to death on suspicion of stealing cattle. The victim’s relatives, however, told police that he was mentally unwell and that his killing appeared to be premeditated. Sundarganj Police chief Abdul Hakim Azad said the incident occurred on Saturday at Belka Nawabganj village under Belka Union. Salam’s relatives said he had recently become mentally unstable and had been surviving on alms with his children. They added that he had never been accused of theft before and that he was “deliberately tortured to death”.

Senior BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has accused some forces of attempting to overshadow Bangladesh’s struggle for independence in 1971 by magnifying the July Uprising. Fakhrul added, “We see today much more agitation from those forces. At that time, you called the Liberation War chaos… tried to describe it as an uprising by some criminals. Fakhrul pointed out that under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, all newspapers except four were banned and those four were under government control. “Ziaur Rahman envisioned a democratic state, Begum Khaleda Zia later restored parliamentary governance and caretaker elections,” he added.

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has said changes of government in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka over the past three and a half years stemmed from “poor governance”, reports bdnews24.com, citing The Hindu. On Friday, he described governance as the central pillar of nation-building and stability. Doval said strong, accountable governance was vital not only to nation-building but also to national security and the pursuit of national aspirations, according to the report. “I believe governance plays a seminal role in the nation-building process, as well as in securing a nation and helping it achieve its goals and aspirations,” he was quoted as saying. He drew parallels with the collapse of historical empires weakened by internal decay and inept leadership.

Bangladesh sees 35% more foreign loan released in first quarter of FY2026The government has said the disbursement of foreign loans in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year 2025-26 increased by 35 percent compared with the same period last year. According to data released by the Economic Relations Division (ERD) on its website on Saturday, foreign loan disbursement during the July-September period reached $1.15 billion. In the same period last year, the government had to repay $1.13 billion for foreign loan principal and interest. In the last fiscal year, foreign loan disbursement was $8.57 billion, which was $10.28 billion in the preceding fiscal year. Despite the reduction in disbursement, loan repayment in the 2024-25 fiscal year increased to $4.08 billion.

The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested eight people with 11 firearms from the riverine areas of Raipura in Narsingdi, saying the weapons were kept to “assert territorial dominance”. According to the RAB, the arms were smuggled in from a neighbouring country through river routes, while some were also sourced from Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar, reports bdnews24.com. The arrests were made during an overnight raid on Friday in Saidabad under Raipura Police Station. The arrestees are Mohammad Shafik Mia, 32, Mohammad Mostafa, 38, Md Ainal, 38, Mohiuddin Hridoy, 22, Mohammad Bachchu Mia, 62, Kalu Mia, 69, Mohammad Bashed, 40, and a 17-year-old boy. Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar, RAB-11 Commanding Officer Lt Col HM Shazzad Hossain said: “These weapons were brought across the border through river routes.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has said it expects to complete the investigation into the killing of Tanvir Mohammad Twaki in Narayanganj “soon”. RAB-11 Commanding Officer Lt Col HM Shazzad Hossain said the investigation had made “much progress” and that the process was ongoing. The court then ordered the investigating officer, RAB Additional Superintendent of Police Dipak Ranjan Majumder, to submit it without delay. Asked about the progress, Shazzad said: “All details will be disclosed once the investigation is complete. It’s a long-running investigation -- we want to complete it properly and reach a good outcome.

12 killed in stampede at Venkateswara temple in India’s Andhra Pradesh on EkadashiAt least 12 devotees, most of them women and children, have died in a stampede at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, India, during the observance of Ekadashi. According to NDTV, the stampede occurred early Friday when a massive crowd gathered at the Kasibugga temple premises for prayers. Horrific videos showed hundreds of women holding Puja baskets jostling on a staircase as panic spread, the report added. Several bodies were later seen strewn across the temple compound, while many others sustained injuries. The report said the temple is not managed by the state’s endowments department, which oversees thousands of temples in Andhra Pradesh.

Two hacked to death over ‘land dispute’ in NarsingdiTwo men have been killed in a machete attack over a land dispute in Narsingdi’s Raipura, police say. The incident took place in the remote Char Subuddhi on Saturday, said Raipura Police Station chief Adil Mahmud. He told bdnews24.com that they had received information about the double murder. “We are on our way to the scene and will be able to share more details later,” he added.

Canada's Carney says he apologised to Trump over Reagan adUS President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' dinner hosted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Gyeongju, South Korea, Oct 29, 2025. REUTERSCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday he had apologised to US President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff political advertisement and had told Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to run it. "I did apologise to the president," Carney said, confirming comments by Trump made on Friday. When departing South Korea earlier this week, Trump remarked he had a "very nice" conversation with Carney at that dinner, but did not elaborate. The trip to Asia had been part of efforts to reduce Canada's reliance on the United States, Carney said.

Assistant teachers from government primary schools have given the government a deadline until Nov 15 to resolve long-standing disputes over pay grades and promotions. The Primary Assistant Teachers Unity Council, an alliance of six teacher groups, announced these programmes at a press conference at the National Press Club on Saturday. Shahinur Al Amin, president of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers Society, a member of the platform, presented the main statement at the briefing. "However, it is extremely regrettable that the dignity and financial security of primary school assistant teachers have never been properly considered. Anisur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers Society, another group under the platform, announced the programmes at the press conference.

Government officials have been told to avoid foreign trips until the upcoming national election, unless travel is deemed “absolutely essential”, according to a directive from the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO). The order was issued on Oct 21 and sent to all senior secretaries and secretaries in ministries and divisions, including the Cabinet Division. It noted that despite earlier restrictions, officials continued to travel abroad without adhering to the rules. “Advisors and secretaries in charge of ministries are travelling abroad at the same time. The new order reiterates earlier instructions issued on Dec 9 last year, which discouraged overseas travel by government officials and outlined strict conditions.