Today’s top 5 news stories

Beyond Headlines brings together the five biggest news stories of the day in one concise news digest to keep readers informed about the developments that matter. Here’s the news digest for 1st October 2026.

PM visits Feni to launch Tk 1,542 crore project

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left for Feni today to inaugurate several development projects in his first district tour since taking office. Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said the prime minister travelled to the district by road from Dhaka.

According to his itinerary, the PM is scheduled to inaugurate the Tk 1,542.16 crore Muhuri-Kohua irrigation project in Parshuram. The project includes the rehabilitation of 67.92 kilometres of embankments, protection of 11.73 kilometres of riverbanks, re-excavation of 83.50 kilometres of waterways, and construction of 77 water-control structures.

In Fulgazi, the prime minister is expected to take part in a tree-planting programme and inaugurate the integration of rooftop solar systems with the national grid. Government buildings in Fulgazi, Parshuram and Chhagalnaiya will supply a combined 962.5 kilowatts of solar power to the grid.

At Fulgazi Pilot High School, he is scheduled to distribute 510 Family Cards and 7,643 Farmer Cards. Financial assistance will also be provided to 238 local religious leaders before he addresses a public rally.

Source: BSS

BERC raises furnace oil price by Tk 11.92 a litre

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission raised the price of furnace oil by Tk 11.92 a litre for October, fixing the consumer rate at Tk 108.78. Effective from Thursday midnight, the adjustment represents an increase of over 12 per cent from September.

Furnace oil was previously sold at Tk 100.39 a litre in August before dropping to Tk 96.86 in September. BERC said the adjustment followed distributor proposals, reflecting international Platts benchmarks, September crude prices and foreign exchange fluctuations.

Power generating plants increasingly rely on furnace oil to manage peak electricity demand as domestic natural gas supplies remain below required volumes. BPC supplies the fuel to the Bangladesh Power Development Board, state facilities, private producers and industrial consumers.

Meanwhile, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division kept other retail fuel prices unchanged for October. Under existing rates, diesel remains at Tk 135 a litre, kerosene at Tk 155, petrol at Tk 160 and octane at Tk 165 nationwide.

Source: BSS, New Age

Inquiry probes MP over Tk 1 crore clinic destruction

The government has launched an inquiry into allegations that local lawmaker Mir Ahmad Quasem was involved in demolishing the Radda health centre in Mirpur, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said yesterday, adding that no one would be spared if his involvement is proven.

Using heavy machinery, attackers demolished parts of the centre on September 24, looting ultrasonography machines and causing more than Tk 1 crore in damage, according to the case statement. Authorities have since withdrawn a police officer for alleged negligence and initiated departmental proceedings while probing possible political links.

The attack disrupted maternal healthcare services and wiped out child vaccination records, along with digital equipment, forcing health workers to rely on parents' recollections. Staff later resumed limited measles and routine immunisation services from two partially repaired rooms after administering vaccines under roadside tarpaulins.

Police have filed a case against up to 250 people, including local BNP leader Hanif Mia. Reconstruction of the boundary wall and damaged rooms is underway, with authorities aiming to reopen the maternal healthcare facility within a week.

Source: bdnews24.com

Mirpur eviction clashes injure nine police and torch three trucks

Clashes during a municipal eviction drive in Dhaka's Mirpur-10 left nine police officers injured and three garbage trucks torched on Wednesday. Demonstrating hawkers threw brickbats and vandalised vehicles following an electrical market fire, prompting police to discharge tear gas.

The confrontation intensified after the blaze gutted several shops beneath Baitul Quddus Jame Mosque during demolition. Hawkers injured a passer-by and assaulted journalists, leading police to detain 30 individuals before the drive resumed with Special Response Battalion personnel.

Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan Milton said activists from the banned Awami League planned the disturbance. Milton said the city would file cases, adding that authorities had allocated 204 temporary trading cards to vendors who refused relocation.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed ordered an inquiry into the violence, saying poor coordination between the executive magistrate and police contributed to clashes. Ahmed said drives against extortionists would intensify nationwide, adding that police would prosecute offenders regardless of political identity.

Leader of the Opposition and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman expressed surprise that the drive occurred without consulting local lawmakers. Shafiqur said authorities must arrange alternative sites before evicting vendors, urging an end to extortion while condemning the destruction of state property.

Source: New Age

DU removes Osman Hadi inscription from Mujib Hall gate

Dhaka University authorities on Wednesday removed the name of Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi from the main gate of a residential hall and reinstated its former name, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall.

The move came amid conflicting accounts from university officials over whether the Syndicate had formally approved the restoration of the hall's original nameplate.

Dhaka University Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammed Almujaddade Alfasane said the decision followed discussions with students and was in line with an earlier Syndicate resolution.

However, hall Provost Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said he was unaware of any formal directive, suggesting the nameplate may have been removed inadvertently during routine cleaning work.

At a joint press conference, DUCSU Literary Secretary Mosaddek Ali Ibn Mohammad and hall union leader Ahmed Al Sabah demanded the hall be renamed without delay. They said the current name had led to political misunderstandings among residents and added that students would accept any other suitable name.

Students first installed the Osman Hadi nameplate in December 2025 following his death. Student leaders warned that they would continue democratic protests if the administration sought to retain the Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall nameplate without consulting resident students.

Source: UNB

That concludes today’s briefing. Stay with Beyond Headlines for in-depth news and analysis, explainers, opinion pieces, long reads, and more.