The Election Commission (EC) has added more than 1.3 million new voters in the third phase of the voter list update ahead of the parliamentary polls. The draft voter roll has been published, and the final list will be released on Nov 18 after resolving objections. With the latest inclusion, the total number of registered voters in Bangladesh stands at 127.6 million. Of them, 64.8 million are men, 62.9 million are women, and 1,230 are transgender voters. He added that NID services are already operational in 21 offices across 11 countries, allowing expatriates to register and vote once enlisted as voters.

Police have recovered the decomposed bodies of a man and a woman from a warehouse at the ground floor of a household in Dhaka’s North Badda. The bodies were recovered from the house owned by Atik, known by a single name, on Sunday afternoon, said Safiqul Islam, assistant commissioner of Badda Zone. The man was identified as Saiful Islam, 24. The woman has yet to be identified but it was learned she worked as a domestic help in the neighbourhood, the officer said. As the bodies were already decomposed, it would be possible to know if there was any injury mark only after a postmortem, he said.

NARSINGDI, Nov 01 (bdnews24.com): Two men have been killed in a 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 the online news agency that they had received information about the double murder.

The revival of St Martin's Island has fallen flat on reopening day. Saint Martin's Island, which had been off-limits to tourists for nine months, is now open to visitors. However, under new government rules, no more than 2,000 tourists can travel daily, a limit that has frustrated ship owners. Bahadur said, "It takes seven to seven-and-a-half hours to reach St Martin's Island from Cox's Bazar. With only one hour on the island, tourists lose interest.

With open land scarce in Bangladesh, the textile industry is playing a part in the nation's clean energy transition by using roof space for solar power. To break this deadlock, fashion brands are teaming up with energy companies to co-invest in building rooftop solar capacity for smaller Bangladeshi suppliers, creating a synergy of brand investment and commitment with energy company expertise. Involvement of fashion brands encourages suppliers to switch to solar power faster while making the investment financially safer for the solar energy company that builds the photovoltaic system, she added. SMALLER FACTORIES IN FOCUSMost of the progress in building rooftop solar capacity so far has come from large manufacturers. Large suppliers are more likely to build rooftop solar plants with their own investments using capital expenditure, said Chowdhury.

Heavy overnight rain has flooded large parts of Chapainawabganj, with an average of 191mm of rainfall recorded in 24 hours. The downpour, which started on Friday morning and continued overnight into Saturday, also left roads and railway tracks underwater. Chapainawabganj Railway Station Master Obaidul Haque said the Dhaka-bound Banalata Express train left at 8:17am, facing a two-hour and 17-minute delay. Kabirul Islam of Sadar Upazila said a culvert between Debinagar and Alatuli unions collapsed following the overnight downpour, leaving a large area deluged. Yeasin said that in 24 hours, 260mm of rainfall has been recorded in Sadar Upazila, 175mm in Shibganj, 180mm in Gomostapur, 175mm in Nachol, and 165mm in Bholahat Upazila.

South Africa are playing a World Cup final for the third year in a row, having reached the T20 World Cup finals in 2023 and 2024, losing to Australia and New Zealand. However, this is the first time they have reached a World Cup final in the 50-over format. HIGH STAKESKaur said India have been preparing for the opportunity to play in the World Cup final for the last two years. "Last time we played in the World Cup final, we saw many changes in the sport back home. For South Africa, who have never won a World Cup in men's or women's cricket, the stakes are high as well.

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has met with the chiefs of the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force to discuss preparations for the next national elections and the maintenance of law and order during the vote. The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Waker-uz-Zaman, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Md Nazmul Hasan, and Chief of Air Staff Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan. According to the statement, Yunus instructed them to ensure comprehensive security and smooth conduct of the February elections. For election security, 90,000 Army personnel, 2,500 Navy members, and 1,500 Air Force members will be deployed, with one Army company stationed in each Upazila. The military chiefs also invited Yunus to the Armed Forces Day celebration on Nov 21.

BNP’s Legal Affairs Secretary Kayser Kamal has claimed that a “new fraudster” has emerged in Bangladesh, accusing the interim government of deceiving the people through its actions. He said the activities of the government have raised “public suspicion” as the July Charter, signed with the consent of all political parties, has not yet been presented before the nation. Kayser urged the government to immediately present the signed July Charter before the nation, saying the people of Bangladesh may forgive but never forget, citing Hasina as an example. Addressing Asif Nazrul, he said the law advisor often makes “harsh remarks” about the judiciary, which the legal community does not take positively. He warned that if such behaviour continues, the lawyers would be compelled to take to the streets.

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.

A clash in Bhola between leaders and activists during programmes announced by the BNP and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (JaPa) has left at least 50 people injured, including policemen and journalists. Among the injured are Bhola Sadar Police Sub-Inspector Awal, News24 cameraperson Rana Islam, and Shahriar Milon, Banglabazar Patrika district correspondent. The district Sadar Hospital authorities said that 45 people have received treatment, and eight have been transferred to Barishal. Witnesses, leaders, and activists said counter-programmes were being held outside the Bhola district BNP and JaPa offices since morning. Meanwhile, BNP leaders and supporters took out a procession after a gathering outside the district BNP office in Mohajonpotti.

After 14 years of construction, Khulna’s new prison has been inaugurated, marking a major expansion of the city’s correctional infrastructure. A shortage of personnel means the facility will initially house only 100 sentenced inmates, while operations at the old jail will continue. On Saturday, Mohammad Munir Hussain, the district jail officer, said: “The government has decided in principle to keep both prisons operational. The new prison comprises 57 buildings, including 11 dedicated solely to inmate housing, and has the capacity to accommodate 4,000 prisoners. District Jail Superintendent Nasir Uddin Pradhan said, “We submitted a request for 600 staff members, but currently only 208 are available.

50 injured in clash between BNP and Jatiya Party activists in BholaA clash in Bhola between leaders and activists during programmes announced by the BNP and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (JaPa) has left at least 50 people injured, including policemen and journalists. Bhola Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Shariful Haque said the incident occurred on Saturday outside the district JaPa office in the city's Notun Bazar area. The district Sadar Hospital authorities said that 45 people have received treatment, and eight have been transferred to Barishal. Witnesses, leaders, and activists said counter-programmes were being held outside the Bhola district BNP and JaPa offices since morning. Meanwhile, BNP leaders and supporters took out a procession after a gathering outside the district BNP office in Mohajonpotti.

Although Cyclone Montha has weakened into a low-pressure system, its impact brought intermittent rainfall to Dhaka. The showers were not confined to Dhaka alone; different parts of the country received light to moderate rainfall. Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid said, “Even though Montha has weakened, its effect on the mainland is responsible for the rainfall. It is expected to subside by Sunday.”In the past 24 hours, Tarash in Sirajganj recorded the highest rainfall at 166mm. Maximum temperature was recorded at 35°C at Khepupara, Patuakhali, while the minimum was 20.7°C at Tetulia, Panchagarh.

Only four tourists show up for St Martin’s trip as long journeys, tight rules deter visitorsThe revival of St Martin’s Island has fallen flat on reopening day. Tourists will not opt for this under current conditions.”Authorities deploy eight vessels on the St Martin’s route now, with a combined capacity of 3,600 passengers. Bahadur said, “It takes seven to seven-and-a-half hours to reach St Martin’s Island from Cox’s Bazar. With only one hour on the island, tourists lose interest. This harms tourism rather than helps it.”Couples and students visiting from Dhaka and Chattogram echoed the frustration, lamenting that overnight stays are crucial to enjoying St. Martin’s.