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The industry minister, Amir Hossain Amu, on Tuesday said that the government had decided to declare newspaper sector as an industry. At a meeting with the leaders of the Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh at his Shilpa Bhaban office, Amu also said that the ministry would issue a gazette notification soon in this regard. Amu told the ... Read more

Sagar-Runi Murder Probe HC summons IO to explain headway The High Court on Tuesday summoned the investigation officer to explain what headway he could make in the probe in the sensational case twin murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi. A bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mohammad Ullah also directed the ... Read more

The High Court yesterday directed the government to take necessary steps to use Bangla, the state language, in all advertisements of electronic media, signboards, personal nameplates, and registration plates of all vehicles. The court also asked the government to introduce Bangla in all spheres within a month and submit a compliance report in this regard by ... Read more

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) continued its drive for the fourth consecutive day yesterday to remove sand, which was dumped illegally to fill up the bank of the Shitalakhya River at Kanchpur under Siddhirganj upazila of Narayanganj. The BIWTA along with the Narayanganj district administration is conducting the drive to free

After disrupting life for the past two days, the rain has stopped, but the cold will linger for another two days, a meteorologist told The Independent on Monday. Thankfully, the vital one-day cricket match between host Bangladesh and Sri Lanka resumed after the irritating drizzle stopped suddenly, perhaps

Use of Bangla in All Offices, Courts HC directive sought A public interest litigation writ petition filed on Sunday sought a High Court directive on the government for the enforcement of the Bengali Language Introduction Act 1987 for the use of Bangla in all offices and courts. The petition that Supreme Court lawyer Md Eunus ... Read more

Picnic Bus Death Mourning in all pry schools today The government declared mourning in all primary schools for today after seven schoolchildren on their way back home in a bus from a picnic died in traffic accident at Chaugachha in Jessore on Saturday night. The deceased schoolchildren were buried in graveyards at Benapole on Sunday ... Read more

At least seven schoolchildren died and 71 others became wounded as a picnic bus carrying them headed off the road into a ditch at Chaugachha in Jessore on Saturday night. The deceased were Akhi, 10, Suriya, 8, Shanta, 6, Mithila, 7, Shahanara, 9, Sabbir, 8 and Aakil, 7. They were student of the Gazipur Government ... Read more

In a major boost to conservation of natural waterways, the government has formed a five-member commission to save the country’s rivers as well as to ensure smooth navigation. The formation of the National River Protection Commission (NRPC) came seven months after Parliament passed an Act to this effect on July 14, 2013. Shipping minister Shajahan Khan

Assault on Female RMG worker in moving bus A Manikganj court yesterday convicted and sentenced a bus driver and its conductor each to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for life for raping a female garments worker in a running bus on the Dhaka-Aricha highway last year. The two convicted rapists are: bus driver Dipu Mia, 30, son of ... Read more

Mortar explodes during training Two army and four Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel were killed and 10 others injured as a mortar shell exploded accidentally during an exercise at Ghatail Cantonment in Tangail yesterday. The deceased were identified as Manjur, senior warrant officer, and Parvez, a junior

The journalist community yesterday urged the government to solve the mystery behind the murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi and bring their killers to book. Sagar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Runi, senior reporter of ATN Bangla, were brutally killed in their rented apartment in East Rajabazar on February 11, 2012. ... Read more

Fifteen eminent personalities, including journalist Golam Sarwar, have been named for the ‘Ekushey Padak-2014’ for their outstanding contributions to the society. The ministry of cultural affairs announced the names of the recipients in a media statement yesterday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to formally confer the honours at

2nd death anniv of Sagar & Runi Even though two years have passed, the police have made no headway in the Sagar-Runi murder case yet. This has sparked confusion and uncertainty among those who are seeking justice for the murder of the journalist couple in their rented apartment. So far, law enforcers have arrested eight ... Read more

A total of 6,778 students were absent in the Bangla first paper test on the first day of the Secondary School Certificate and equivalent Dakhil and vocational examinations on Sunday, the education ministry’s control room said. The control room also said nine students were expelled for adopting unfair meanson the day. Of the nine, six were ... Read more

The Secondary School Certificate and equivalent dakhil and vocational examinations begin today with students taking the Bangla first paper exams amid rumors of question papers being leaked. Guardians and students alleged that ‘questions’ for Sunday’s Bangla and others exams were making rounds on social networking sites and were being texted among examinees on

A child was burnt to death and more than 100 shanties were gutted in a fire that broke out at a densely populated slum at Madhubagh in the capital on Saturday morning. The victim was identified as Sabuj, a boy of two years and a half. Fire Service and Civil Defence deputy director Jahirul Islam ... Read more

Saturday’s fire in soap and plastic factories in densely populated Bangshal in Old Dhaka brought back haunting memories of the Nimtoli blaze. On June 3, 2010, a fire broke out in chemical warehouses and spread to houses claiming 124 lives. After the Nimtoli blaze, voices were raised from different quarters, urging relocation

465 beds against 12 lakh patients: study The facilities available for treatment of cancer in the country is widely disproportionate to the spread of the disease, say healthcare experts working in the field. According to them, the country is heavily short on treatment centers, radiation facilities, doctors and physicists, leaving the approximately 12 to 13 ... Read more

Emission of black smoke by unfit vehicles and brick kilns, and dust are causing severe air pollution in capital Dhaka, posing health hazards for millions of city people. A group of environmentalists expressing concern over the alarming air pollution yesterday demanded immediate government action to ensure