The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is set to launch a large-scale immunisation drive to administer typhoid vaccines to around 1.2 million children to curb the spread of the disease. The campaign will run from Oct 12 to Nov 13 across 10 regions under the DNCC's jurisdiction. As many as 760,790 students from 2,181 educational institutions and 533,279 local children will be immunised during the drive, according to him. Each vaccination team will include two vaccinators and three volunteers, operating from 8am to 3:30pm daily. The DNCC will officially launch the programme at Dhaka Residential Model College, with its Administrator Mohammad Azaz attending as chief guest.

Activists of Islamist group Hifazat-e Islam have staged street protests in Chattogram's Hathazari for more than three hours after one of their leaders was killed in a road accident. The protesters began the blockade around 8am on Wednesday, occupying sections of the Chattogram-Khagrachhari and Chattogram-Rangamati highways. The protests brought road connectivity between Chattogram and the hill districts of Rangamati and Khagrachhari to a standstill. Later, after discussions with us at Hathazari Police Station, they agreed to lift the blockade,” he said. By 11:30am, traffic between Chattogram, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari had returned to normal, according to police and witnesses.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has relaxed the passport validity requirement for Hajj registration, allowing applicants to sign up even with expired passports. Previously, Bangladeshi pilgrims needed a passport valid for at least six months at the time of registration as well as travel. The ministry has made it clear that while expired passports may be used for registration, visa issuance will require a valid passport, reports bdnews24.com. The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), meanwhile, announced three private travel packages on Sept 30. According to Saudi Arabia's Hajj roadmap, initial registration began on Jul 27 and will continue until Oct 12.

The Jamuna River in Sirajganj is swelling rapidly due to the onrush of water from the upstream and heavy rainfall. According to Nazmul Hossain, sub-divisional engineer of the Sirajganj Water Development Board (WDB), the water level began to climb on Sunday. Nazmul said that the Jamuna River at the Kazipur point suddenly rose by 75cm at 6am on Tuesday, flowing 194cm below the danger level. At the hard point area, the water level rose by 64cm, flowing 170cm below the safety level. Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of the Sirajganj WDB, said despite the unusual rate of increase in the Jamuna's water, there is no need to panic.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has detained 24 people, allegedly attempting to illegally enter India through the Jhenaigati border in Sherpur. They were detained around 9:30pm on Monday under the Haldigram Border Outpost, said Lieutenant Colonel Mehedi Hasan, captain of BGB Battalion-39 in Mymensingh. Four autorickshaw drivers: Md Jahangir Alam, 40, Md Faruk, 40, Emon, 20, and Sulaiman, 40, were also among the detainees. According to a BGB media statement issued on Tuesday morning, a patrol team from the Haldigram BOP detained the group, who were attempting to illegally cross the border into India with the help of traffickers. Primary interrogation revealed that the group had paid Tk 5,000 each to a man from Nalitabari Upazila to secure their illegal entry into India.

Foreign Advisor Md Touhid Hossain has urged Saudi businesses to pour money in Bangladesh’s port, power and energy sectors. He made the call on Tuesday night at the launch of the Saudi Arabia–Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SABCCI) in Dhaka, where a 20-member Saudi delegation was present. “Bangladesh welcomes Saudi investment not only in manpower but also in power plants and renewable energy,” he said. “There is strong potential in our ports, power and energy sectors. The Saudi delegation was led by Sheikh Omar Abdul Hafiz Amir Baksh, head of the Majd Al Omran Group, which operates in hospitality, real estate and other sectors.

Bangladesh has, for the first time, been elected as president of the UNESCO General Conference, marking a historic milestone 53 years into its membership. The statement says initially four countries -- Bangladesh, Japan, India, South Korea -- were in the race. Ambassador Talha currently serves as Bangladesh’s permanent representative to UNESCO and as ambassador to France, Monaco and Côte d’Ivoire. He is set to succeed Romania’s Ambassador Simona Mirela Mikulescu as president at the 43rd General Conference, to be held later this month in Uzbekistan’s Samarkhand. Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Education Advisor CR Abrar and Cultural Affairs Advisor Mostafa Sarwar Farooki thanked UNESCO’s Executive Board for selecting Bangladesh for this prestigious role.

According to case documents, Belal “concealed information” about assets valued at Tk 40.72 million. The documents added that Belal accumulated a total of Tk 49.75 million in movable and immovable assets. On Jul 26, 2022, he submitted a statement to the ACC, where he provided information about assets worth Tk 88.31 million. However, the ACC’s verification revealed his total assets were worth Tk 134.33 million. The investigation report also said Belal purchased land, plots, flats, and shares in Dhaka, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, and Noakhali districts with “illicit” wealth.

For the first time under the interim government, two news-based television stations have been granted broadcasting licences. The stations, named Next TV and Live TV, are linked to prominent figures from the National Citizen Party (NCP) and the National Citizens’ Committee. The station’s office is located in Karatitala Lane of Old Dhaka’s Gendaria. Currently, 50 private TV stations exist in the country, 36 of which are fully operational, while 14 are awaiting broadcast approval. When asked about the status of Live TV, Aranya said: “Some paperwork is still pending.

UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis has said serving the people of Bangladesh has been "one of the greatest honours and privileges" of her career. The statement noted that Lewis described her tenure in Bangladesh as highly memorable and significant. Reflecting on her tenure, Lewis said: "Serving the people of Bangladesh over the past three and a half years has been one of the greatest honours and privileges of my career. His leadership inspires millions globally and is reshaping the global conversation on inclusive development." During her term, the UN and the Bangladesh government jointly worked to implement the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2022–2026), which is aligned with the country's 8th Five-Year Plan.

Ahead of the parliamentary polls, former election officials have recommended that the Election Commission swiftly take control of field administration and law enforcement to ensure equal opportunities for all political parties. The recommendation came during a meeting between the EC, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasir Uddin, and former officials on Tuesday. The former officials also urged the government to make necessary administrative changes to build public trust by maintaining a “neutral” stance in election-related matters. On Tuesday, the EC convened at the Nirbachan Bhaban, where CEC Nasir Uddin and four other commissioners, alongside other officers, listened to the insights and experiences of the former officials. Nasir Uddin said, “The advice from former staff will provide valuable input.

The National Citizen Party has informed the Election Commission that it will not choose any symbol from the commission’s list. NCP Convenor Nahid Islam expressed hope that one of three variations: Shapla, White Shapla or Red Shapla, would be allocated to the party. The EC has already decided not to allocate the Shapla symbol to any party. Despite granting NCP registration, the commission said the party could not be assigned that symbol as it was not included in the official list of election symbols. As part of that process, on Sept 30, the EC sent a letter to NCP asking it to select a symbol from the approved list within a week.

The prosecution has stopped defence lawyers from questioning an investigator about police killings during the trial of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who are facing charges of crimes against humanity. The exchange took place on Tuesday during the questioning of investigating officer Md Alamgir. State-appointed defence counsel Md Amir Hossain, representing Hasina and Kamal, faced objections when he raised the issue of police killings in several districts. The tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder, sided with the prosecution after reviewing the tribunal law. Justice Mozumder initially noted that “there is no limit to cross-examination”, but the prosecution cited legal provisions restricting witness questioning.

Constable claims former officer ordered corpses to be covered during July UprisingA police constable has revealed in court that he was ordered by the chief of Ashulia Police to “cover the bodies” of several victims with banners during the July-August protests. The testimony was given by Constable Rashedul Islam, 46, on Tuesday at the International Criminal Tribunal-2, in connection with the case of six bodies being burned in Ashulia. Rashedul, a driver constable at Ashulia Police Station, said he was not on duty that day and was on the fourth floor of the police station building. Rashedul also described taking refuge in an eight-story building on the west side of the station for about an hour. Rashedul, the 12th witness in this case, hails from Medur West Para village in Sarishabari, Jamalpur.

Gwyn Lewis, the United Nations resident coordinator in Bangladesh, has met with Shafiqur Rahman, the chief of Jamaat-e-Islami. Lewis was accompanied by Huma Khan, the human rights advisor to the UN resident representative. According to a statement released by Jamaat, the meeting was conducted in a “sincere and cordial atmosphere”. Discussions focused on the political and human rights situation in Bangladesh, the Rohingya crisis and the country’s upcoming national elections. The meeting also expressed hope for the continued support of the UN in advancing women’s rights, improving workplace skills and contributing to the country’s overall development, the statement said.