The investigating officer in the July Uprising-linked crimes against humanity case against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others is giving testimony for a third day. Md Alamgir once again appeared before the three-member International Crimes Tribunal-1 headed by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mozumder on Tuesday. Along with Hasina, ex-home minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are implicated in the case. This marked the beginning of the first trial of Hasina in the same court that her government had formed to try the war criminals of 1971. Several political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP, have been demanding the trial of Hasina and the Awami League as a party to be completed before the elections.

Peaceful election is now biggest challenge for police, says IGP BaharulInspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam believes successfully conducting the parliamentary election is the force’s biggest challenge right now. The police chief was asked what the law-enforcing agency's biggest challenge is regarding the upcoming national election. Referring to the collapse of the police’s position during last year's July Uprising, he said: "Bringing police to a certain stage after those incidents is the biggest challenge. “Successfully executing this effort to achieve that is what I consider the challenge." Highlighting that many groups are working to create obstructions to the election, he said: "I cannot say who exactly is doing it now.

Import and export operations at customs houses and stations are set to continue on a “limited scale” during the government holidays for Durga Puja. In a directive issued on Tuesday, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) instructed authorities to ensure that trade activities remain uninterrupted. “In order to keep the country’s import and export trade running uninterrupted, necessary measures have been taken to carry out import and export operations on a limited scale on the 1st and 2nd of October, which are public holidays for Durga Puja,” the NBR said. Earlier, schools, colleges and universities declared holidays for Durga Puja from Sept 28 to Oct 9. Customs houses and stations also remained partially open during the Eid holidays earlier this year.

The UN will convene a high-level conference in New York on Tuesday to explore ways out of the crisis affecting Myanmar’s forcibly displaced Rohingya Muslims and other ethnic minorities. The objectives of the UN-organised conference are to mobilise political support, sustain international attention on the crisis, review the overall situation, and address its root causes, including human rights issues. It will also review the crisis and exchange perspectives on the ground situation in order to propose a comprehensive, innovative, concrete, and time-bound plan for a sustainable resolution. Key priorities include ensuring the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar. Afterwards, Yunus's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said in a briefing that the overall Rohingya and civil war situation in Myanmar's Rakhine state, along with the pathway of Rohingya repatriation, increase of funding for Rohingyas living in camps, skill building and education of Rohingya children were discussed.

ADB forecasts 5% growth for Bangladesh in FY26, but US tariffs cloud outlookBangladesh’s economy is projected to grow by 5 percent in fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26), but new US tariffs on exports threaten to weigh on performance, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has warned. But industrial growth is expected to slow after the United States imposed an additional 20 percent tariff on Bangladeshi exports in August. SLOWER GROWTH IN FY25The growth outlook follows a difficult year in FY25, when GDP expanded by 4 percent, down from 4.2 percent the year before. Quarterly data showed some improvement as the year progressed, with GDP growth rising from 2 percent year on year in the first quarter to 4.9 percent in the third, helped by stronger manufacturing. The September outlook comes after the ADB in April revised down its FY25 growth forecast to 3.9 percent, citing political instability, high inflation and weak global demand.

TRAVEL PARALYSED:Road links between Khagrachhari and Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangamati and other districts have been suspended, stranding both locals and tourists. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad has appealed to protesters to lift their ongoing blockade during the Durga Puja, the biggest festival for the country's Hindu community. The CHT Adviser had held meetings with local leaders and law enforcement agencies to pursue a stable situation in Khagrachhari. Three people were killed and several others including police and military personnel were injured in recent unrest in Khagrachhari. The Home Adviser has sought cooperation from all to pursue normal situation in Khagrachhari and peaceful and safe celebrations of the Durga Puja.

Lives of tens of thousands of workers on the line as garment titan NASSA shuts 16 plantsNASSA Group, once one of Bangladesh’s largest garment exporters, has permanently shut down 16 of its factories, throwing the future of roughly 30,000 workers into uncertainty and deepening wage arrears across its plants. I don’t know when or if we will get it,” said Nasir Uddin, a helper at Nassa Super Garments in Ashulia, who supported his parents and siblings with his wages. Unrest mounted across NASSA plants as wages and benefits fell into arrears and workers took to the streets. Among them are AJ Super Garments, Feroza Garments, NASSA Super Garments, NASSA Embroidery, NASSA Basic, and NASSA Hi Tech Wash.NASSA workers responded by blocking the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, demanding payment of arrears and reopening of the factories. If the factories don’t reopen, we are doomed.”Rafiqul Islam Sujan, president of the Bangladesh Garments and Industrial Workers Federation, condemned the decision.

The meeting, held in the presence of Chattogram Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Advisor Supradip Chakma, saw the protesters present an nine-point list of demands. Later, in a statement, the protesters said the civil administration had verbally agreed to accept all of their demands except the withdrawal of Section 144 restrictions. “We welcome this meeting as a formal beginning of dialogue with the government and administration,” the statement read. The protesters were represented by Kripayon Tripura, Bagish Chakma, Shadok Chakma, Pintu Chakma, Monika Chakma and Toshita Chakma. • The families of the dead must be compensated with Tk 2 million each; those seriously injured must receive Tk 1 million, others injured must receive Tk 200,000, and those whose homes, shops or properties were damaged must receive Tk 500,000.

Police have disclosed the identities of three men who were killed in Khagrachhari's Guimara during clashes sparked by the alleged gang rape of a Marma schoolgirl. The victims, all aged between 20 and 22, were residents of Halfchhari Union in Guimara Upazila. They were named as Teiching Marma, 20, son of Alakai Marma from Ramsu Bazar, Athuihpru Marma, 21, son of Thuhlaiang Marma from Amtali Para, and Akhrao Marma, 22, son of Hasu Marma from Cheng Guli Para. He added that 10 others were injured in the violence, with one taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. On Sunday, violence flared in Guimara, where the trio were reportedly shot dead during clashes with security forces.

During the student protests in the July Uprising last year, police fired as many as 305,311 rounds of ammunition across the country under instructions from deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, an investigation has revealed. These bullets were used in an attempt to suppress the movement, with 95,313 rounds fired in the Dhaka Metropolitan area alone, it added. The shocking details were presented by the investigation officer, Mohammad Alamgir, during his testimony at the International Crimes Tribunal. The other members of the tribunal included Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury. Alamgir also said the report included information on the use of helicopters by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has lent weight to suggestions that Indian instigation or fascists may be behind the ongoing unrest in Khagrachhari, sparked by the alleged gang rape of a Marma schoolgirl last week. Jahangir endorsed the claim, saying: “You have raised a very valid question. India or the fascists are instigating these incidents. We are taking all possible measures to ensure they can't succeed.”Authorities in Khagrachhari have been struggling to restore calm after days of protests, blockades and clashes triggered by the rape allegations. Security has been tightened across the hill district, while restrictions on gatherings under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure remain in force.

Based on Mamunur’s initial interrogation, police said in his remand plea on Monday that the Jatiya Party leader had received Enayet at the airport upon his arrival in Bangladesh. Earlier, DB Ramna Zonal Team Inspector Akhtar Morshed, the investigating officer, sought 10 days to grill Mamunur in custody at Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque's court. Enayet was detained on Sept 13 after being spotted “moving suspiciously” in a Prado SUV near Minto Road. According to the case statement, Enayet went to the US in 1988 and received citizenship in 2004. Mamunur, however, was placed in custody for a six-day interrogation.

Bangladesh reports three more dengue deaths with 735 hospitalised in a dayBangladesh has reported three more dengue-related deaths in the past 24 hours, alongside 735 new hospitalisations due to the Aedes mosquito-borne disease. The tally of hospital admissions has reached 46,786 this year, alongside 195 deaths. In the last 24 hours, the total number of dengue patients admitted in September has risen to 15,310. As many as 2,407 dengue patients are receiving treatment in various hospitals across the country. In 2023, the country saw its highest number of dengue hospital admissions -- 321,179 -- along with a record 1,705 deaths.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the "Jumma Chhatra-Janata" announced that the blockade on the Dhaka–Khagrachhari and Chattogram–Khagrachhari roads would be relaxed from noon “until further notice”. The group also requested cooperation in ensuring the arrival of a medical team from Dhaka to treat the injured without obstruction. The protest action was enforced by the Jumma Chhatra-Janata from early Saturday after the alleged gang-rape of a teenage girl from the Marma community. TRAVEL PARALYSEDRoad links between Khagrachhari and Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangamati and other districts have been suspended, stranding both locals and tourists. DEADLY CLASHES IN GUIMARADespite the Section 144 order, three members of the hill community were killed in attacks by assailants in Guimara on Sunday.

Preeti Urang Photo Credit/bdnews24.comMany of you may not know what happened to 15-year-old Preeti Urang. Ashfaqul was charged with culpable homicide for the death of Preeti Urang. 1) A former executive editor named Syed Ashfaqul Haque of Bangladesh English daily The Daily Star and his wife Tania. If the Preeti case has been shelved for years to come then this will create an imbalance and it will be very difficult to serve justice in Preeti’s case. I got the chills seeing a picture of Ashfaqul with his wife Tania in the Business Standard.