Another shipment of highly radioactive uranium fuel reached the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna amid tight security supervision by the Bangladesh Army. Members of the police, SRB and intelligence agencies were also deployed to ensure security during the transportation. The convoy carrying the uranium entered the plant premises shortly after 10am on Wednesday (Oct. 21), said Asaduzzaman Rahman, OC of Ishwardi Police Station. The special cargo aircraft carrying the uranium arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Tuesday night.

Officials of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority received the shipment there. With the latest delivery, three uranium shipments have reached the Rooppur plant this year. The first two shipments of uranium fuel for the plant's first unit arrived on October 3 and October 11, respectively. According to project officials, a total of nine uranium consignments are scheduled to be brought to Bangladesh - seven for the second unit and two for the refuelling of the first unit. All the consignments are scheduled to be delivered by December.

Protesters announced the third round of a blockade on the Sajek tourist road in Baghaichhari upazila of Rangamati, slating it to start Thursday (after evening). Ahead of the resumption, they urged all tourists to leave Sajek by Wednesday. It may be mentioned that this blockade had been suspended from last Friday until Wednesday at the request of the Durga Puja celebration committees of Baghaihat and Machalong markets. Seeing their demands were still unmet, the movement's leaders said they would be resuming his blockade.

One of the protesters' three demands is the withdrawal of armed members of the Parbatya Chattogram Jana Samhati Samiti (JSS-Santu Larma) from Sajek. They first announced an indefinite blockade on October 11 over the same demand. The programme was suspended for 48 hours that afternoon following assurances from the administration. The statement alleged that armed JSS members were active in Sajek and threatening and intimidating local residents.

A Bangladesh delegation led by Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood paid a courtesy call on Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb on Tuesday (Oct. 20). State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir and Bangladesh Ambassador to Algeria accompanied the delegation. They discussed a wide range of issues to further advance bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of Bangladesh and Algeria, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Energy Minister urged the Algerian authorities to collaborate in organising knowledge-sharing and training programmes for engineers and experts in this field. State Minister Kobir expressed satisfaction over the signing of the MoU on cooperation in the field of hydrocarbons between Bangladesh and Algeria. State Minister Kobir expressed satisfaction over the signing of the MoU on cooperation in the field of hydrocarbons between Bangladesh and Algeria. He commented that this engagement had opened a new horizon for Bangladesh to import LNG, LPG and other petroleum products from Algeria.

The government has cancelled the contractual appointments of the managing directors (MD) of three state-owned banks -- Sonali Bank, Janata Bank, and Rupali Bank. The decision was revealed in a letter, signed by Afroza Akter Riba, deputy secretary of the Financial Institutions Division under the Ministry of Finance, issued on Monday (Oct. 19). The letter was sent to the chairmen of the concerned three banks.

The ministry recommended cancelling the remaining terms of Sonali Bank MD Shawkat Ali Khan, Rupali Bank MD Kazi Md Wahidul Islam, and Janata Bank MD and CEO Mazibur Rahman. Shawkat joined Sonali Bank as the MD in October 2024 for a three-year term. Before that, he served as the MD of Bangladesh Krishi Bank. Wahidul was appointed the MD of Rupali Bank in December 2024 for a three-year term. Mazibur was made MD and CEO of Janata Bank in November 2024.