With 10 more deaths reported on Tuesday (Nov. 4), the total number of dengue fatalities this year reached 302. Health experts said late hospitalisation remains the major reason behind the growing number of deaths, as most patients ignore early testing and treatment. According to DGHS, most deaths occurred in Dhaka South City Corporation (145), followed by Dhaka North City Corporation (47), Barishal (41), Chattogram (25), Rajshahi (16), Khulna (9), Mymensingh (12), other areas of Dhaka (6), and Sylhet (1).

The total number of dengue cases this year stands at 74,992 as of yesterday morning, according to DGHS data. Most deaths occur among patients who arrive at hospitals in extremely critical condition, not among patients who deteriorate during their hospital stay. "Many die within just a few hours of arrival," said HM Nazmul Ahsan, associate professor at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. "They usually come in profound shock - with almost no blood pressure, no palpable pulse, cold limbs, and fluid in the chest. By that stage, treatment makes little difference."

Bangladesh Bank took control of the five troubled shariah-based banks that were run into the ground by S. Alam Group, after appointing administrators to each as part of a resolution plan to safeguard depositors' interests and restore confidence in the banking sector. The central bank said that shareholders would receive nothing, as the share value of all five banks had fallen to zero. It also said the new bank would initially remain under government ownership and be transferred to the private sector within two years after a strategic partner is selected.

The five banks-First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, and EXIM Bank-will be merged into a single state-owned entity named Sammilito Islamic Bank. Depositors with up to Tk 2 lakh will be allowed to withdraw their entire funds immediately, while those with higher balances will receive payments in phases to be announced later through a government gazette. Over 7.5 million depositors are being protected through the merger.

The government has drafted a new telecom law seeking to permanently ban internet shutdowns and abolish the controversial National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC), marking a major shift in the country's digital governance framework. The draft Bangladesh Telecommunication Ordinance 2025, uploaded on the Posts and Telecommunications Division's website on November 4, proposed that "no telecommunication connection, related service or internet access shall be shut down, disrupted, or restricted under any circumstance."

Officials said the aim was to eliminate arbitrary power to block the internet and overhaul existing surveillance practices long criticized by rights groups and privacy advocates. The NTMC, often accused of enabling unlawful monitoring and enforced disappearances, will be scrapped under the proposed law. Instead of blanket surveillance, the draft introduced the concept of "lawful interception," which will only be allowed with prior approval from a court or quasi-judicial council for a specific purpose and limited duration, following clear principles of necessity and accountability.

A government probe found pilot error as the main cause of the tragic crash of an Air Force training jet into the Milestone School and College ground in Dhaka on July 21, killing 36 people, most of whom were students of its school division. It also revealed that the Milestone School building had not been approved under the Bangladesh National Building Code. The investigation committee led by principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division Lieutenant General Kamrul Hasan also recommended shifting of all the initial Air Force training flights outside Dhaka for public safety.

The seven-member committee interviewed around 150 people, including experts, eyewitnesses, and victims' families. It made 33 recommendations to prevent similar accidents in future. Another major recommendation put forward in the probe report is to expand and improve airstrips in Barishal and Bogura to enhance safety during training operations. The chief adviser directed that this work be carried out on an urgent basis.