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 21st September 2026.

Government raises fuel prices by Tk 20 per litre

The Power Ministry raised retail fuel prices by Tk 20 per litre on Sunday night, effective from Monday. The adjustment pushed diesel to Tk 135, petrol to Tk 160, octane to Tk 165 and kerosene to Tk 155 per litre.

According to a gazette notification issued by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the surging global oil prices and elevated freight rates caused by Middle East conflicts drove the revision. It also stated that maintaining frozen domestic rates for five months caused Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation to incur Tk 22,875.66 crore in losses, while creating risks of fuel smuggling.

Economists and trade leaders predicted that the price adjustment will immediately escalate transportation fares and agricultural irrigation expenses. With roughly 70 per cent of irrigation pumps running on diesel, higher operational expenditure will elevate farming costs and raise food prices for poor households across the country.

Business leaders also stated that increased fuel tariffs will inflate factory generator expenses, weaken industrial export competitiveness, and dampen broader economic growth. Policy analysts Dr Fahmida Khatun suggest that the government must introduce strict market monitoring to prevent unauthorised transport fare hikes, while providing targeted financial support to protect vulnerable families from inflation.

Source: The Business Standard, Dhaka Tribune, Samakal

PM Tarique with 38 delegates departs for New York to attend UNGA

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman departed Dhaka for New York early Monday to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Accompanied by his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, the prime minister boarded a scheduled flight from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport ahead of high-level multilateral proceedings.

Tarique is leading a 38-member delegation including Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, who will preside over the assembly. Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said the entourage represents a substantial reduction from past delegations that exceeded 100 members.

In his maiden address on 24 September, the prime minister will outline Bangladesh's renewed democratic journey and address the protracted Rohingya crisis. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam said the speech will present the government's political vision alongside calls for the safe and dignified repatriation of refugees.

Alongside attending climate summits and a Bangladesh-hosted Rohingya side event on 23 September, Tarique will hold bilateral talks with leaders from Kuwait, Pakistan and Thailand. The prime minister will also meet global business executives and United Nations officials before concluding his official visit on 25 September.

Source: BSS, UNB

3 confess to Apratim’s murder; 29 charged over Khulna student killing

A murder case was filed against unidentified individuals at Sadar South Police Station after 13-year-old student Ishayat Shahriar Apratim was found dead on Saturday. According to police records, Apratim left home on Friday carrying his mother's phone before officers retrieved his body with head injuries from Lalmai hills.

Speaking at funeral prayers held at Comilla University, Apratim's father KM Firoz Shahriar said no other parent should endure losing a child. Shahriar questioned why attackers killed his only son over a device, demanding justice alongside university students and teachers who staged protests on campus.

Three accused, Saiful Islam Tuhin, Mozammel Hossain Fahad and Kamrul Hasan, gave confessional statements before Comilla Magistrate Abida Sultana Moli on Sunday. Court officials said the three admitted beating Apratim with bamboo sticks over the phone before being sent to jail, while a fourth suspect was held for questioning.

In a separate incident in Khulna, North Western University student Azmul Hossain died on Friday after residents beat him over food theft accusations before he fell from a hostel roof. Police said his father filed a murder case at Harintana Police Station against four students and 25 unidentified individuals.

Source: The Business Standard, Prothom Alo

Police question MP Gazi Nazrul and his first wife after second wife found dead

Police recovered the body of 19-year-old Mariam Khatun hanging from a ceiling fan inside a NAM Bhaban flat in Dhaka on Sunday evening. The deceased was the second wife of expelled Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam, who was present in an adjacent room.

Officers from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station took the Satkhira-4 lawmaker and his first wife Makshuda Begum into custody for questioning later that night. Forensic teams from the Criminal Investigation Department and the Police Bureau of Investigation gathered evidence before breaking open the locked bedroom door.

Jamaat-e-Islami expelled Nazrul on 22 July on grounds of moral lapse following the circulation of private video footage involving Mariam on social media. The lawmaker had submitted a bail bond in an attempted murder case filed by Mariam's maternal uncle before the death occurred.

Police sent the body to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College morgue for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Deputy Commissioner Ibn-e-Mizan said investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, while officers continued interrogating the lawmaker and his first wife at the police station.

Source: New Age, UNB, Samakal

Dengue and measles claim ten lives across Bangladesh

Six people died from dengue while 1,593 new patients were hospitalised across Bangladesh in the 24 hours ending Sunday morning. According to Directorate General of Health Services data, two deaths occurred in Chittagong and Khulna divisions each, with one each in Dhaka and Barisal.

The latest fatalities raised the national dengue death toll to 184 this year. Health directorate records show that 61,972 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals nationwide since 1 January, with 57,610 individuals recovering and being discharged following medical care.

Meanwhile, four children died from suspected measles symptoms within the same period, with Dhaka recording two fatalities. The directorate recorded 1,148 suspected infections and 88 laboratory-confirmed cases, lifting the national tally to 179,814 suspected cases and 20,562 confirmed infections.

The recent deaths pushed the cumulative measles fatality count to 1,057, comprising 956 suspected and 101 confirmed deaths. Since 15 March, 158,589 suspected measles patients were hospitalised across the country, with 152,225 patients successfully recovering and leaving hospitals.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

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