Bangladesh

Sajek reopens to tourists through 21 October after four-day closure

The Rangamati administration has reopened the valley for Durga Puja; a resort owners’ association says about 800 visitors arrived on Friday.

ScrollBeat DeskPublished: 16 Oct 2026, 17:37

At dawn, a lone tree rises from Sajek Valley’s mist-covered hills; file photograph from 5 December 2016. — File photograph: Sajek Valley at dawn on 5 December 2016. It does not depict the October 2026 reopening or arriving tourists. G'son Biswas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tourists can visit Sajek Valley in Rangamati from 16 to 21 October after the district administration lifted a four-day restriction for the Durga Puja period, according to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

A Dhaka Tribune report credited to United News of Bangladesh (UNB) said around 800 tourists entered Sajek on Friday, the first day after reopening. Suparna Deb Barman, president of the Sajek Cottage-Resort Owners’ Association, gave the estimate. The report said resorts, restaurants and transport services had resumed activity.

The Rangamati administration first suspended tourist entry on 11 October, citing security concerns. BSS reported that the Sajek Karbari Association and the Sajek Public Rights Protection Committee had called an indefinite road blockade, which they later suspended after talks with the administration.

The latest notice allows visits through 21 October. Travellers planning to go after that date should check for a further announcement before setting out.

Sources & further reading

All tourist spots in Sajek Valley reopened for tourists — Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, 15 October 2026 Sajek Valley travel ban lifted, tourists allowed from 16 Oct — The Business Standard, 15 October 2026 Sajek reopens to tourists after four days; 800 flock to popular destination — UNB, published by Dhaka Tribune, 16 October 2026

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Malaysia agrees in principle to 10,000 zero-cost Bangladeshi hires

The government says recruitment will run through 338 agencies; the approved medical-centre list is still being finalised.

ScrollBeat Desk16 Oct 2026, 17:41Open this article

At Dhaka airport in November 2025, then-adviser Asif Nazrul addresses a reception for workers departing for Malaysia. — File photo: Bangladesh adviser Asif Nazrul speaks at a 25 November 2025 reception for workers departing for Malaysia at Dhaka airport. This is not a photo of the newly announced 10,000-worker recruitment. Press Information Department, Bangladesh / Wikimedia Commons (public domain in Bangladesh)

Bangladesh says recruitment of workers for Malaysia has restarted through 338 approved agencies, while Malaysia has agreed in principle to recruit 10,000 Bangladeshis at zero cost, according to a Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment statement reported on Thursday.

The group comprises the state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL), 25 private processing or service agencies and 312 recruiting agencies. Under the announced process, recruiting agencies may find Malaysian employers, collect job demand letters and select workers. BOESL and the 25 service agencies will help with administrative steps, including calling visas and e-visas, the ministry said.

Recruiting agencies will then seek Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training clearance for selected workers under their own licences. The government has said the 10,000 positions will be zero-cost, but its latest announcement does not give a timetable or individual application criteria.

One step is still pending: the ministry said Bangladesh and Malaysia are finalising the list of medical centres authorised to conduct health checks. The ministry’s statement said final approval of a revised list is expected after a joint Malaysian delegation inspects centres in Bangladesh.

The announcement sets out a broader route for recruitment, but prospective workers should wait for official instructions on the specific jobs, selection dates and authorised medical centres. The 10,000-worker commitment was described as an agreement in principle.

Sources & further reading

Malaysia begins recruiting process of Bangladeshi workers thru 338 agencies: Expat ministry — The Business Standard, 15 October 2026 Recruitment process of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia begins, 338 agencies listed — Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, 15 October 2026 Zero-cost Malaysia jobs for 10,000 workers — The Daily Star, 5 October 2026

NEXT STORY Bangladesh

CyberStation says dark-web review found 1.8m Bangladesh-linked records

The firm says its scan found 17,362 credential sets across a review of 767 domains; its report is not publicly available for independent review.

ScrollBeat Desk16 Oct 2026, 17:24Open this article

Illustration of a laptop displaying abstract data rows beside a city skyline at night. — Illustration: a laptop displaying abstract data rows, representing the CyberStation report; it is not a photograph of an actual breach. ScrollBeat illustration generated with OpenAI ImageGen

CyberStation, the cybersecurity division of Brain Station 23, says it found more than 1.8 million Bangladesh-linked user records and at least 17,362 sets of login credentials on the dark web. The company’s findings were reported separately by The Daily Star and Dhaka Tribune on Friday.

The company said it reviewed 767 domains across 15 sectors. Government services accounted for the largest share of exposed citizen data, while technology and telecommunications had the highest exposure rates, according to the two reports.

CyberStation described the totals as minimum estimates and said the actual number could be higher. The published accounts do not identify affected organisations or specify the kinds of personal information involved.

The figures come from CyberStation’s own assessment. The underlying report was launched at an invitation-only briefing on Thursday, and the news reports do not provide its methodology or a public copy for independent checking.

Sources & further reading

Personal data of 18 lakh Bangladeshis exposed on dark web — The Daily Star, 16 October 2026 Report: Data of 1.8 million Bangladesh users found on dark web — Dhaka Tribune, 16 October 2026