Alleged collusion among dealers and retailers to hike fertiliser prices by “creating an artificial shortage” through hoarding and supply control is causing discontent among farmers, according to a report prepared by the Special Branch of the police.

Four people, including the bride’s brother and sister, were killed and seven others injured when a lorry hit a microbus carrying relatives returning home after a wedding programme in Karnaphuli upazila in Chattogram early yesterday.

Three teachers of a madrasa in Gazipur have been arrested for allegedly beating two students and burning them with a hot iron.

Bangladeshi mountaineer and Everest summiteer Ikramul Hasan Shakil is set to embark on a new high-altitude expedition to conquer Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russia and Europe, later this month, said a press release.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir yesterday said Bangladesh wants to “reset” its ties with India after what he described as an “uncomfortable” relationship over 15 years under an “authoritarian, corrupt and exploitative” regime.

The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance believes its long-march programmes have put the government under pressure to respond to people’s demands.

The High Court yesterday declared any strike or hartal called in protest against a court verdict or order illegal and directed the authorities to take legal action, including criminal proceedings, against those involved.

Former army officer Major (retd) Md Muzaffar Hossain told investigators that Lt Col (retd) Matiur Rahman shot President Ziaur Rahman during his assassination at the Chattogram Circuit House in 1981, an International Crimes Tribunal prosecutor said yesterday.

The government is not pursuing a policy of revenge and does not want to do so in the future, said Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman yesterday.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed yesterday said the proposed Cyber Security (Amendment) Act 2026 will help restore decency in the digital space, protect women and young people from cyber-bullying, and ensure professional safeguards for journalists while preventing any misuse of the law.

Dr Zubaida Rahman, vice president of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, yesterday stressed the need to ensure accessible, quality healthcare for every citizen, irrespective of income, location or social status.

PM Tarique to leave for New York on Sept 21 to attend UNGA, he says

Courtesy meeting covered shared heritage, cultural relations and mutual interests

Born on June 26, 1940, in undivided Bengal’s Kushtia, Ketaki Kushari Dyson graduated in English Literature from Presidency College in 1958

Madrasa education in Bangladesh faces structural problems, with Alia institutions affected by unequal state support, curriculum changes and social prejudice, while Qawmi madrasas remain isolated from wider society and lack accountability, academics and researchers said yesterday.

The government will take steps to align Bangla- and English-medium curricula and establish common minimum standards for students’ basic knowledge and skills, said Bobby Hajjaj, the state minister for primary and mass education.

A single runway, high operating costs, and shortages of pilots and engineers continue to constrain Bangladesh’s aviation sector, while foreign carriers dominate the market.

While authorities continue to assure adequate fertiliser supply, official data shows allocations for T‑Aman paddy and early‑season winter vegetables in Kurigram have been barely half the amount recommended by the agriculture office during the current Kharif‑2 cropping season.

Forty-year-old Nazma Begum, a garment worker, found herself in a precarious situation after her husband, Asad Mia, verbally divorced her and forced her out of their home.

At 83, Razia Samad Dahlia, known as “Dahlia Khalamoni”, continues to serve the poor, sick and vulnerable in Sherpur, where locals affectionately call her “Sherpur’s Mother Teresa”.