Jamalganj assistant commissioner (land) Arifur Rahman transferred to Sylhet Divisional Commissioner's office

Deep Depression Turns into Cyclone 'Ornob', Warning Signal No. 2 for Four Ports

The deep depression formed in the Bay of Bengal has turned into Cyclone 'Ornob'. The weather office gave this information in an emergency forecast on Monday (26 October). According to the forecast, it may hit the coast on 28 October.

The Meteorological Department said the deep depression, which was over the east-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining southeast Bay, moved northwestwards and intensified into Cyclone 'Ornob' and is now over the east-central Bay and adjoining west-central Bay. Its position is 15.4 degrees north latitude and 89.0 degrees east longitude.

At 6am today (26 October), the cyclone was located 820 kilometres southwest of Chattogram seaport, 745 kilometres southwest of Cox's Bazar seaport, 785 kilometres south of Mongla seaport and 745 kilometres south of Payra seaport.

The forecast said the cyclone may move west-northwestwards and turn into a severe cyclone over the west-central Bay by midnight tonight (26 October). Later, moving northwestwards, it may cross India's Andhra coast on 28 October as a very severe cyclone.

Within 54 kilometres of the cyclone centre, the maximum sustained wind speed is 62 kilometres per hour, rising to 88 kilometres per hour in gusts or squalls. The sea is very rough near the cyclone centre.

Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra seaports have been asked to lower distant cautionary signal No. 1 and instead hoist distant warning signal No. 2.

Fishing boats and trawlers in the north Bay of Bengal have been asked to remain close to the coast and move cautiously until further notice.

BRTA Extends Deadline to 29 October for Updating Vehicle Papers and Driving Licences Without Fine

The government has extended the deadline to 29 October for updating all motor vehicle documents and driving licences without a fine.

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) gave this information in a post on social media on Monday (26 October).

The post said that within the set time, documents for all types of vehicles can be updated by paying only the original tax and fee, without any additional fine or surcharge.

Under this facility, drivers and owners will be able to renew or update vehicle fitness certificates, tax tokens, route permits and driving licences.

BRTA said this is the last opportunity for customers' convenience. The agency has requested that all processes be completed within the set deadline.

Dakar Rally 2027 Moved Out of Saudi Arabia Amid Middle East Conflict

The 2027 edition of the Dakar Rally, one of the world's toughest and best-known off-road races, has been moved out of Saudi Arabia. Organisers say the January race will be relocated due to recent developments in the region.

The rally was scheduled for January. It will now be held in a different territory, to be announced later. The Amaury Sport Organisation and Saudi Motorsport Company said this in a statement on Sunday. The statement added that a new location will be announced in the coming days. Organisers said they intend to bring the rally back to Saudi Arabia in 2028 to celebrate its 50th edition.

It is the latest in a series of sports events to be moved out of Saudi Arabia this year over the US-Israel war on Iran and deadly attacks by Yemen's Houthis on Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has hosted the Dakar Rally since 2020. Reports in specialist race media said a move to Morocco or Spain is being considered. If it is moved to Morocco, it would be the first time the Dakar has been held in Africa since 2007. The event began as a competition from Paris to Senegal's capital, Dakar. It was cancelled on short notice in 2008 over security concerns in North Africa. Since then, it has been held first in South America, then in Saudi Arabia.

Other events in Saudi Arabia have faced similar decisions. This season's Formula One grand prix in Jeddah was cancelled, while the race in Bahrain was called off and later rescheduled under the same name in Malaysia. The final round of the World Rally Championship in Saudi Arabia next month has also been scrapped.

An exhibition tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia due to feature Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev has been postponed until late December. The WTA Finals, scheduled to be held in Riyadh next month, will instead take place at Indian Wells, California, in the United States.

The last two races of the F1 season in Qatar on 29 November and Abu Dhabi on 6 December are still on the calendar, as is the Qatar MotoGP next month, but they are the subject of intense internal debate.

Organisers had hoped to keep the 2027 race in Saudi Arabia by working on a new route in the northern part of the country. But the latest strikes, including a series of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh this month, which killed 18 people and injured hundreds more, have rendered that impossible.

21 Platoons of BGB Deployed for Thakurgaon-1 By-Election, with Drones and K-9 Dog Unit

Twenty-one platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members have been deployed to make the by-election to the vacant Thakurgaon-1 seat fair, peaceful and safe.

Thakurgaon BGB Sector Commander Colonel Md Suruj Mia told journalists this information at 10:30am on Monday (26 October). He said members have been deployed in the election area since 25 October.

In the area under Thakurgaon Battalion (50 BGB) of the Thakurgaon sector, a total of 21 platoons of BGB members are on duty across 22 unions and one municipality in three upazilas. They will work as mobile and striking forces.

Drones, body-worn cameras and a K-9 dog unit are being used to strengthen security in the election area. Important places in the area are being monitored by drone. Intelligence surveillance and patrol activities have also been increased. BGB members are on alert to prevent any kind of disorder and violence.

Colonel Md Suruj Mia said BGB's main goal is to ensure that voters can go to polling centres without fear and exercise their voting rights. Work is also being done so that all candidates get equal opportunity and can carry out election campaigning normally. For this, coordination is being maintained with the administration and other law-enforcement forces.

Meanwhile, surveillance and patrols have been strengthened in border areas to prevent criminal activities centred on the election. Maximum alert is being maintained to prevent smuggling, illegal border crossing and possible sabotage activities.

Colonel Md Suruj Mia said duties will be performed with neutrality and professionalism in accordance with the constitution, existing laws and Election Commission directives. The force has also sought the cooperation of local people, political party leaders and activists, candidates, the administration and media workers to complete the election peacefully and in an orderly manner.

After 34 Days of Deadlock, Teachers and Students Return to Classes at CUET on Tuesday

After a long 34-day deadlock, teachers and students are returning to classes at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) from tomorrow, Tuesday (27 October).

The students announced the decision in an open letter addressed to teachers on Sunday (25 October). In the letter they said the long closure of classes and examinations was damaging their education and increasing uncertainty about their future. In this situation they do not want academic losses to grow further, so they have taken a position in favour of returning quickly to classrooms and resuming normal academic activities.

However, they stated in the letter that the decision to return to classes should not be seen as stepping back from the movement. The combined movement of students, teachers, officers and employees continues on the one-point demand to reinstate former vice-chancellor Professor Dr Abu Sadat Muhammad Sayem. They also said the movement will continue until the demand is met.

The students further said the movement will continue until the demand to reinstate the former vice-chancellor is fulfilled. They also warned that if the newly appointed vice-chancellor, Professor Dr Sheikh Shariful Alam, enters the campus, they will go into a tougher movement again.

Masum Billah, a fourth-year student of the mechanical engineering department, said: “Because classes and examinations have been closed for a long time, our education and future have fallen into uncertainty. We want normal academic activities to return quickly. But returning to classes does not mean stepping back from our just demand.”

Auction Begins for BCB's New D-3 Trophy: 269 Cricketers Listed for Six Franchises

The auction for the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) new D-3 Trophy competition has begun. The auction is listing 269 cricketers to form the squads of six franchises for the competition, which aims to bring domestic cricket's three formats under one umbrella.

The auction began at 10am on Monday (26 October) at a five-star hotel in the capital. It is being conducted by Charu Sharma, the experienced Indian presenter and auctioneer.

In this auction, franchises will sign cricketers on the basis of points instead of conventional money. Apart from the icon cricketers, the remaining players will be signed through the auction. Each team will be able to build its squad with a maximum of 23 cricketers.

The D-3 Trophy will feature cricket's three formats — Test, one-day and T20. The competition will have a total of 42 matches: seven four-day matches, 16 one-day matches and 19 T20 matches.

The tournament will start on 15 December with the T20 format. The four-day matches will follow in January. The one-day format will be held in May next year.

Before the auction, the six franchises had already selected their icon cricketers. Walton Group's icon is Mehedi Hasan Miraz, Fortune Group's is Towhid Hridoy, Acme's is Mosaddek Hossain Saikat, Seven Rings Cement's is Mushfiqur Rahim, Ace Blue Star's is Nurul Hasan Sohan, and Citizens Bank's icon cricketer is Naim Sheikh.

Another Child Dies with Measles Symptoms at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Total Deaths Reach 84

Another child has died with measles symptoms in the past 24 hours at Mymensingh Medical College (MMCH) Hospital. With this, the number of children who have died with measles and measles symptoms at the hospital has reached 84.

Md Mainuddin Khan, the hospital's assistant director (administration), confirmed the information on Monday morning (October 26).

He said the child who died was a resident of Mymensingh Sadar upazila. The child was 9 months old. Alongside measles symptoms, the child was also suffering from pneumonia.

According to the hospital authorities, 39 more children were newly admitted in the past 24 hours. In the same period, 58 children recovered and returned home.

From March 17 to date, a total of 5,501 children have received treatment at the hospital with measles symptoms. Of them, 5,300 children have recovered and returned home. At present, 117 children remain under treatment.

Doctors say that in the context of the measles infection spreading, there is a shortfall in building adequate immunity among children. Many children under treatment at the hospital have not been vaccinated or have not yet reached the age for vaccination. The risk is higher for children suffering from malnutrition, the doctors said.

Mother Allegedly Hacked to Death with a Boti in Feni's Daganbhuiyan, Daughter Detained

An elderly mother named Setara Begum (65) has been killed by sharp boti blows allegedly by her daughter Ranu Akter in Daganbhuiyan upazila of Feni.

The incident took place on Sunday night (October 25) at the house of Hossain Mia at Bara Bari in Deulia village of Purba Chandrapur Union of the upazila. The deceased Setara Begum was the wife of Hossain Mia of that village and the accused Ranu Akter is their daughter.

On receiving the news, after long efforts, police recovered the deceased's body at around 10:30 pm and detained the accused daughter Ranu Akter (42).

Police and local sources said Ranu Akter had started behaving incoherently over the past few days. Recently she also beat her husband. After that incident, family members brought her to her father's house a few days ago for treatment and were continuing various treatments including mental health treatment. On Sunday night, Ranu suddenly confined the others in the house to one room and repeatedly hacked her mother Setara Begum with a sharp boti, killing her on the spot. Ranu then ran from one room to another holding the boti and kept the door locked from inside.

On receiving the news, a team from Daganbhuiyan police station quickly reached the scene. After trying for a long time, police broke the iron door of the house, entered, recovered the body and sent it to the morgue of Feni 250-bed General Hospital for autopsy. The accused daughter Ranu was detained from the scene.

Local residents and relatives said Ranu Akter had been mentally ill from before. She suffered a stroke a few days ago. Because of her mental illness, her husband left her at her father's house. She was scheduled to be sent to Pabna Mental Hospital within the next few days for treatment.

Muhammad Faizul Azim, officer-in-charge (OC) of Daganbhuiyan police station, said on receiving the news police, with the help of local people, broke the house door, recovered the woman's body and sent it to the morgue. There are marks of hack wounds at various places on the deceased's body. A woman has been detained with the boti on allegations of involvement in the incident. Although local people say she is mentally unstable, police are examining the matter seriously and legal action is under process, he said.

Escalator Shut on New Market Footbridge Built for Nearly Tk 10 Crore, Hawkers' Shops Narrow the Walkway

The footbridge built by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) at New Market in the capital to ensure safe crossing for pedestrians has now become a cause of suffering instead of comfortable movement.

With the escalator of the bridge, built at a cost of nearly Tk 10 crore — more than Tk 9 crore 77 lakh 62 thousand — shut, elderly people, women and children in particular are suffering in going up and down. In addition, hawkers have set up shops occupying the bridge's walkway and entrances, narrowing the space for pedestrians to move.

With such a condition of this important infrastructure within eight months of its inauguration, questions have been raised about its maintenance, supervision and management.

Visiting the New Market footbridge on the spot on Sunday (October 25), the escalator was found shut, forcing pedestrians to use the ordinary stairs. Hawkers' shops on the walkway and entrances have narrowed the passage.

The escalator was one of the main attractions of the footbridge built at the junction of Dhaka New Super Market and Gausia Market on Mirpur Road in front of New Market. It was included considering pedestrians who have difficulty using ordinary stairs, alongside safe crossing of the busy road. A huge number of shoppers, students and ordinary people move through the New Market area every day.

In this situation, some try to cross the road directly without using the footbridge. Pedestrians fear this may further increase the risk of accidents on the busy Mirpur Road.

Khalid Saifullah, a private service holder who came from Uttara in the capital to shop in the New Market area, said the footbridge was built for people's safe crossing, but with the escalator shut they are forced to use the stairs, which is quite difficult especially for the elderly, with many having to stop midway to rest while climbing. If people do not get the benefit of a structure built at a cost of crores of taka, he said, a question remains over the worth of that spending.

Hosne Ara Begum, a housewife who came from the Jatrabari area to shop at New Market, said extra caution is always needed when crossing the road with children. If the footbridge escalator were running, going up and down with children would have been much easier, but with it shut they are forced to use the stairs and the suffering grows when carrying bags. The authorities should start the escalator quickly and arrange regular supervision, she said.

Md Obaidur Rahman, an elderly citizen who came to use the footbridge to go from New Super Market to Gausia Market, said he is aged and cannot walk as before. The bridge's stairs are very high; climbing step by step leaves him breathless and he sometimes has to stop to rest. He also feels afraid while coming down, because a slip could cause a major accident, he said.

Farzana Islam Laizu, a parent who came to the New Market area with her child, said there is no safe way to cross the road with children other than using the footbridge, but because the stairs are very high, going up and down with small children is quite difficult. If the escalator were running, crossing with children would have been easy, she said.

There are allegations of involvement of some local political leaders in setting up shops on the footpath. Many allege they take money from hawkers and allow them to sit again after eviction. Because shops have been set up on the bridge's walkway, walking holding children's hands, safe movement of the elderly, or pedestrians from both directions moving together has become difficult.

Dr Muhammad Ariful Islam, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) and a planner, said a huge number of people move every day in a busy area like New Market. If proper use of infrastructure built for pedestrians at such an important place cannot be ensured, it will be difficult to build Dhaka city as pedestrian-friendly. The escalator should be made operational quickly and a normal movement environment ensured on and around the bridge, he said, adding that a detailed assessment is needed to identify where new footbridges are required in the capital.

Temperature Drops to 16.1 Degrees in Panchagarh as Fog and Cold Wind Bring a Winter Feel

In Panchagarh, known as the daughter of the Himalayas, the temperature is gradually falling and the feeling of winter is growing. For the past few days the temperature had fluctuated between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius, but today it dropped into the 16s. The temperature fell by 0.9 degrees Celsius in a single day.

On Monday (October 26) at 9 am, the day's lowest temperature of 16.1 degrees Celsius was recorded at the Tentulia weather observation centre. The humidity in the air at the time was 90 percent.

Earlier, on Sunday at the same time, the day's lowest temperature was recorded at 17 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature that day was recorded at 31.9 degrees Celsius.

Local residents said the feeling of cold starts to increase after evening. In the early morning, fog together with a chilly wind makes the winter atmosphere clearer. However, when the sun rises during the day, the feeling of cold decreases.

Jitendranath Roy, the acting officer of the Tentulia weather observation centre, said the temperature has begun to fall gradually. The tendency for fog at night and in the early morning is also increasing. As the temperature stays comparatively higher during the day, it feels warm in the daytime and cold at night and in the early morning.

He also said the temperature may fall further in the coming days and the feeling of winter may increase.

Higher Training Costs for Older Workers Risks Plan to Tackle Youth Jobs Crisis, UK Employers Warn

Britain's largest employers have told the government that forcing businesses to pay more to train older workers risks damaging its goal to tackle the youth jobs crisis.

The Guardian understands ministers plan to overhaul Labour's apprenticeship funding scheme to increase the cost of training a worker over the age of 25 in England by 25 percent, to encourage firms to train young people instead. Drawn up before Wednesday's budget, the proposal, first reported last week, is expected to form part of the government response to Alan Milburn's review into why so many young people are unemployed.

The chancellor, John Healey, is widely tipped to announce measures to bolster opportunities for young people to help the 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (Neet) across the country. However, business leaders urged the government to reconsider the plan to make training older workers more expensive.

Robert Halfon, a former Conservative skills minister who is now executive director of policy at the manufacturing lobby group Make UK, said: 'It will just mean opportunities are shifted around instead of creating new ones.' He added: 'We agree that getting young people back into employment and training is a moral and economic imperative. But making it more expensive for employers to train older workers isn't the answer.'

Calling on Healey to 'break the cycle' of cutting and reallocating the apprenticeship budget in England, Halfon said the system was already struggling to deliver what businesses and young people need.

Andy Burnham has placed youth jobs at the heart of his agenda, including sweeping changes to retool technical education and plans to reverse a 40 percent drop in youth apprenticeship starts over the past decade. With over-25s accounting for more than half of new apprenticeship enrolments, ministers have been clear they want to rebalance the system towards supporting more younger people.

Under the latest proposal, which is yet to be finalised, employers would be able to fund the full cost of an apprentice under the age of 25 using the money they contribute to the growth and skills levy — the 4 billion pounds a year tax used to fund the national apprenticeship system. However, for an older worker, they would face a 'co-investment rule' whereby levy funds would cover 75 percent of the costs, with the rest covered separately.

John Foster, the chief policy and campaigns officer at the CBI lobby group, said: 'We can't make skills a zero-sum game. While it is right to focus on supporting young people who are Neet into work, adult training also has a vital role to play in opening up entry-level opportunities and helping people adapt and update their skills mid-career, particularly as AI reshapes the workplace.'

Kate Shoesmith, the director of policy and insights at the British Chambers of Commerce, said that at a time when businesses are under pressure to improve productivity and drive growth, employers need greater flexibility and support to invest in skills at every stage of a person's career. The best way to encourage more youth apprenticeships, she said, is to make it easier and more affordable for firms to take on young people by reducing the wider costs of doing business, rather than creating new barriers to training.

A government spokesperson said: 'It's right that we focus on reversing the 40 percent decline in the number of young people starting an apprenticeship and give them the skills they need to succeed.' That is why the government has reformed the system backed by 3.3 billion pounds to deliver 50,000 additional apprenticeships for young people and support employers with a new hiring payment of 2,000 pounds for SMEs who take on a 16- to 24-year-old apprentice, the spokesperson said, adding that the Milburn Review is due in the autumn and the government will not pre-empt its findings.

Iran Warns Oil Could Pass $150 a Barrel If a New War Begins

Iran has warned that crude oil prices on the international market could pass 150 US dollars a barrel. Hojjatul Islam Musa Ahmadi, head of the Iranian parliament's energy commission, said such a jump would happen if a new war were launched against Tehran or if the global oil supply system were disrupted.

He expressed the concern in an interview with Iranian local media on Sunday. The matter was reported by Iran's Mehr News outlet.

Ahmadi noted that amid the existing tensions the international oil price has already crossed 117 dollars a barrel, while the United States' own strategic reserves are also falling significantly. If the energy crisis is prolonged, he said, countries dependent on oil imports, besides Washington, would fall into severe economic and domestic political crises.

He said fuel inflation would not stay confined to a particular sector; costs across transport and industrial production would rise abnormally and inflationary pressure would intensify in import-dependent states. The US government would face an extreme challenge in protecting its own consumers and keeping the oil market stable, he added.

Reiterating Iran's firm position on keeping prolonged pressure on the fuel market, the parliamentary leader claimed Tehran can maintain this control because of its geographical strategic advantage and its armed forces' defence capability. Referring to the ongoing energy crises in several European countries including France, Italy, Portugal and Albania, he warned that even the slightest disruption to oil supply would push the economic foundations of the United States and the whole European region into extreme disaster.