After the government’s implementation of mandatory handset registration, some “grey market” traders have warned that mobile phone prices could rise. Local manufacturers, however, dismiss these concerns and assure that not a single taka will be added to handset prices. Grey market traders claim they control 90 percent of the handset market. They warn that NEIR will harm thousands of businesses and increase mobile phone prices. “Globally, mandatory handset registration is a prerequisite for sustaining the mobile manufacturing industry.

The interim government has condemned the attack on BNP’s Chattogram-8 candidate Ershad Ullah during a campaign event. A statement from the Chief Advisor’s Office on Wednesday said a full investigation has been ordered into the incident. “Initial findings by Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) indicate that Ershad was not the main target of the attack,” it read. The victims include Sarwar Hossain Babla, Irfanul Haque Shanto, Aminul Haque, and Mortuza Haque. Among the injured, Shanto is the joint convenor of Ward No.

Ganosamhati Andolon has announced its candidates for 96 constituencies ahead of the elections. On Wednesday, at a press conference held at the party’s central office in Hatirpool, Executive Coordinator Abul Hasan Rubel unveiled the list of nominees. Speaking at the event, Chief Coordinator Zonayed Saki said: “Elections are essential for the country. According to the announced list, Saki will contest from Brahmanbaria-6, while Executive Coordinator Abul Hasan Rubel will run from both Pabna-4 and Dhaka-10. Saki’s wife Taslima Akhter will contest from Dhaka-12.

Police say the shooting incident during the campaign of BNP’s Chattogram-8 candidate Ershad Ullah was a planned attack, and that the slain man Sarwar Hossain Babla was the intended target. The target was Sarwar, who has died,” he told reporters at Evercare Hospital. There are also allegations of criminal activities against Sarwar.”The shooting took place around 5:30pm near Chalitatoli East Mosque under Bayezid Bostami Police Station while Ershad Ullah was campaigning. Police said Sarwar was a listed top criminal who had recently begun identifying himself as a BNP activist. Among the injured were Irfanul Haque Shanto, joint convenor of Ward-3 Swechchhasebak Dal, and Aminul Haque and Mortuza Haque, both involved in BNP.

CHATTOGRAM, Nov 05 (bdnews24.com):A man has allegedly been killed with sharp weapons in an attack by his cousins over a land feud in Chattogram. The victim, 65-year-old Zakir Hossain, was a resident of Banshkhali Upazila's Puro Ilsha village. They are Nurul Absar, 64, his brother Nurul Akhter, 60, and Akhter's son Foyez Uddin, 32. Saiful Islam, chief of Banshkhali Police Station, said that Zakir had an ongoing feud with his cousins Absar and Akhter over land. Absar, Akhter and Foyez attacked Zakir over the feud on Tuesday.

Rights group Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) has criticised the government’s decision to scrap the recruitment of music and physical education teachers in government primary schools, calling it a reflection of a “lack of liberal outlook”. Expressing concern, the organisation said the move was an “unfortunate and regressive step” that would hinder the improvement of education quality and the nurturing of human values. Under the new rules, two new positions: assistant teachers for music and physical education, were created. Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlis, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon also voiced strong opposition to the decision. Amid this pressure, the Ministry of Education cancelled both the music and physical education teacher positions on Sunday.

The government has declared the Halda River, a natural breeding ground for carp and home to the endangered Gangetic dolphin, as a “Fish Heritage” site. According to the gazette, the 94km-long Halda River flows through the Upazilas of Ramgarh and Manikchari in Khagrachhari district, and Fatikchhari, Raozan, Hathazari and the city’s Panchlaish in Chattogram district. • No new rubber or concrete dams can be built on the Halda River or its connected canals. • Establishing new water treatment plants or irrigation projects to extract river water requires prior approval from the Halda River Fish Heritage Monitoring Committee. • Domestic or foreign research involving the river’s water, fish, or biodiversity cannot be conducted without the committee’s approval.

Depositors of five merging banks to get money this month, shares ‘wiped out’, says BB governorDepositors at the five Islamic banks set for merger will be able to start withdrawing their money later this month, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur has announced. The government is overseeing the formation of a new Shariah-based bank by merging the five existing ones — First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, EXIM Bank, and Social Islami Bank. Oversight lies with the regulator.”He added that if any bank violates regulations, Bangladesh Bank must intervene. Neither Bangladesh Bank nor the government will bear that burden.”“We are not recovering money from shareholders even though they have gone negative. Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Bank officially launched the process of merging the five financially distressed banks.

NCP ready to contest in election by itself, Nahid saysThe National Citizen Party (NCP) is ready to contest in the next parliamentary elections on its own without joining an alliance, according to the party’s Convenor Nahid Islam. Nahid made the remarks after visiting the family of slain July activist Gazi Salauddin in Narayanganj’s Godnail on Wednesday afternoon. Asked about the possibility of an electoral alliance, Nahid said: “There may be a compromise or alliance from a political or ideological point of view. In addition, Nahid said the NCP would nominate candidates under the Shapla Koli (water lily bud) symbol in the maximum number of constituencies. “Otherwise, many more like our brother Gazi Salahuddin will continue to die.”Before speaking to the media, Nahid visited Salahuddin’s grave.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has permanently expelled its southern region organiser Muntasir Mahmud on charges of breaching party discipline. Muntasir, who had been working at the Red Crescent Society, was reportedly involved in a dispute with the organisation’s chairman. Muntasir, then deputy director of the Red Crescent’s youth department and an NCP leader, was reportedly present during the incident, an officer said. Following the incident, he was temporarily relieved from his duties with NCP, and the party sought a written explanation as to why he should not be permanently expelled. Therefore, under the direction of Convenor Md Nahid Islam and Member Secretary Akhter Hossen, you are hereby permanently relieved from the party.”Following the announcement, Muntasir wrote in a Facebook post: “Thank God.

High Court Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar has been removed from his position for “failing to properly discharge his duties”, according to an official gazette issued by the law ministry. The Judicial Council’s findings concluded that Justice Khurshid was unable to carry out his judicial responsibilities “in an appropriate manner”. On Oct 16, 2024, Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed sent 12 such judges on leave -- Justice Khurshid was one of them. He had been appointed as an additional judge of the High Court in 2011, later made permanent two years later. The Supreme Court had announced on Jan 6 that the Supreme Judicial Council was investigating allegations against several High Court judges under the president’s directive.

The Bangladesh Army believes that once the election is held, law and order will gradually improve, permitting troops to return to barracks. He underlined that resuming barracks duties will enable the Army to restore full operational readiness, which is “critical” for peacetime preparation and training. The law and order will gradually normalise, and the Army will then be able to return to the barracks. The Army is now more united and cohesive than ever before.”Mainur described the past 15 months as “challenging” for the Army. HALF OF TROOPS WILL BE WITHDRAWNThe Army Headquarters confirmed that the government has decided to withdraw half of the troops currently deployed for law enforcement.

Jamaat calls for deployment of armed forces in February electionsThe Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded that, in the next national elections, armed forces be deployed alongside the existing law-enforcing machinery. The demand was made during a meeting with the chief election commissioner on Wednesday afternoon. The Election Commission is preparing for the parliamentary elections scheduled before Ramadan in February, and the government has already begun election campaigning. The July National Charter implementation order and the question of a referendum, however, remain unresolved. On Wednesday, a two-member Jamaat delegation met with the CEC to convey their demands.

The interim government has claimed that 75 percent of Chattogram’s waterlogging has been resolved following the implementation of 88 percent of planned measures. The information was shared by Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder on Wednesday after a meeting on the city’s waterlogging situation held at Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’s official residence. “Commander of the 34 Engineering Construction Brigade, General Shamsul Alam, informed the meeting that following the chief advisor’s directives, various initiatives have already led to a 75 percent reduction in Chattogram’s waterlogging,” he added. According to the report presented at the meeting, in 2023, 113 locations in Chattogram city experienced waterlogging lasting up to eight hours. Poor waste management was identified as the primary cause of Chattogram’s waterlogging, with around 400 tonnes of waste being dumped daily into the city’s rivers, canals, and drains.

Cars swept away by floods brought by Typhoon Kalmaegi are left on a street in Cotcot, Liloan, Philippines, Nov 5, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezCars swept away by floods brought by Typhoon Kalmaegi are left on a street in Cotcot, Liloan, Philippines, Nov 5, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa LopezResidents of the central Philippines on Wednesday began scraping mud from streets and homes that survived after Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 85 and left dozens missing as it tore through the region. Kalmaegi, the 20th storm to hit the Philippines, is forecast to gain strength while over the South China Sea. In September, Super Typhoon Ragasa swept across the northern Philippines, forcing schools and government offices to shut down as it brought fierce winds and torrential rain.