Headlines

Staff Reporter BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia yesterday blamed Awami League government for shifting from their pre-election promises. “The government has promised to do a lot before election and after assuming power it has shifted from its earlier promises,” she said at an election rally at Chatkhil upazila for by-election of

Kailash Sarkar Stolen cars are sold between Tk 1 and 2 lakh each while a stolen motorbike costs Tk 25,000 to 35,000 on the black market in and around the capital. The car thieves with the help of a section of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) officials even provide the buyer with fake papers and ... Read more

Abdullah Juberee . Comilla The Bangladesh Nationalist Party will dissolve all the committees of all tiers of the organisation and its associate bodies from the grassroots level and reorganise them through elections. The party chief, Khaleda Zia, announced the decision in the aftermath of the party’s election debacle. ‘We will dissolve all the committees of ... Read more

Staff Reporter Devotees assembled at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque were divided during Jumma prayers yesterday over the appointment of a new Khatib, which caused scuffles and shoe-throwing during the prayer. Fazle Hossain, a devotee told reporters: “As the senior pesh imam Maulana Mufti Md Nuruddin stood

BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday claimed that 13 people were killed and innumerable others injured by the Awami League activists since the day after the December 29 elections. In a statement, Delwar condemned the home minister’s remark, terming the post-election violence an ‘outcome of BNP’s internal conflict’. “Government is patronising the criminals who ... Read more

Azad Majumder Bangladesh will look to maintain their recent success record against Zimbabwe when the two teams will meet in the opening match of the tri-nation one-day tournament at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium today. Bangladesh, who still have a poor head-to-head record against Zimbabwe with 15 wins against 18 defeats, have won both the series ... Read more

Nazrul Islam The council of ministers headed by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, at its maiden meeting Wednesday night, resolved not to let law and order deteriorate and to tackle any trouble with an iron hand, a minister told New Age. ‘The meeting reviewed the country’s overall situation, particularly a few violent incidents, and asked

Staff correspondent The MPs-elect of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance will take oath from the new Jatiya Sangsad speaker who will be elected in the first sitting of the ninth parliament. They will also participate in the proceedings of the first session of the new parliament. The MPs-elect of BNP took the decision at a ... Read more

Death toll in Gaza crosses 700; Israeli cabinet okays expanding offensives Agencies, Gaza City Hopes of a diplomatic resolution to the conflict in Gaza were dampened yesterday as two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike after the army resumed bombings in Gaza City after a three-hour lull. The strike hit the eastern Gaza City ... Read more

Alpha Arzu Five women will, for the first time in Bangladesh, lead 10 important ministries, including the defence, foreign, energy and home, for the next five years. The 32-member council of ministers includes five women, including Sheikh Hasina, sworn in as prime minister for the second term on Tuesday. She leads six ministries — energy ... Read more

Ministers’ Maiden Pledges Extortion, extremism to be stamped out Says Sahara Staff Correspondent Newly appointed Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun yesterday vowed to establish rule of law in the country by rooting out terrorism, extremism and extortion from the society. The country’s first female home minister believes that terrorism and extremism cannot be eliminated only ... Read more

M Abul Kalam Azad and Hasan Jahid Tusher Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet colleagues on their first day in the new government yesterday joined offices with promises to fulfil their electoral pledges to the people. Before going to her new office in the morning, the premier advised her ministers not to waste even ... Read more

UNB, Dhaka The High Court yesterday directed the law not to arrest or harass newly elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina until disposal of its rules on the quashing petitions against the Niko and Barge-mounted power plant graft cases. These two are among as many as 16 criminal cases, filed during the just-out interim regime and ... Read more

UNB, Dhaka The High Court, after browsing the fresh laboratory test reports, including from the World Health Organisation (WHO), yesterday lifted its embargo on the sale, display and marketing of five brands of powdered milk earlier suspected to have been contaminated with the harmful textile chemical melamine. Diploma and Red Cow of Australia, Dano of ... Read more

United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka Ashura will be observed across the country today as also in other Muslim countries to commemorate the Karbala tragedy in which Hazrat Imam Hossain ® embraced martyrdom along with his family and friends. On the tenth of Muharram, the fateful day, Muslims vent remorse over the martyrdom of Imam ... Read more

Rakib Hasnet Suman BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will soon bring changes to the committees of the party’s associate bodies to make them more effective, party sources said. There have been little activities of BNP’s front organisations as their leaders and activists are still in distress following the party’s debacle in the December 29 parliamentary election. ... Read more

UNB, Dhaka Kazi Tajul Islam Farooq, who sued Sheikh Hasina during the interim period on charge of extortion, has been removed from the post of Chairman of the Westmont Power (Bangladesh) Limited company. Company officials in a statement issued on Wednesday said he was “removed” on January 5 following a meeting of the company’s board ... Read more

Staff Reporter President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed has formally invited Awami League President Sheikh Hasina to form a new government and take oath today at Bangabhaban. The invitation was made over telephone at 12:30pm yesterday, Secretary to the President Md Sirajul Islam told reporters. The President congratulated her (Sheikh Hasina) and invited her to form ... Read more

AL plunges into campaigns, BNP fears attacks Staff Correspondent Campaigns for the January 22 elections to 481 upazilas across the country has gained some momentum with the Awami League plunging into electioneering in the wake of its landslide victory in the general elections though the Bangladesh Nationalist Party is yet to start electioneering apparently in ... Read more

Hasan Jahid Tusher The cabinet of the Awami League-led grand alliance government may be medium in size with around 35 members initially and is expected to be dominated by young lawmakers. AL advisory council member HT Imam yesterday confirmed speculations that there will be technocrats among the cabinet members who will be given charge of ... Read more