Other Headlines

More than 1,000 rhinos were poached in South Africa last year, a 50 percent increase from 2012, fuelled by the black-market demand for their horns, the government said yesterday. “The total number of rhino poached in South Africa during 2013 increased to 1,004,” the environment ministry announced in a statement. Asian demand

PM tells first cabinet meet of new govt Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Thursday, warned of action against ministers if they are found guilty of corruption. “My self and even my family members are not involved in corruption. So, I will take stern action against those involved in the menace,” the PM told the first ... Read more

Nayapaltan central office reopens after 47 days The government seems to soften its stance on BNP as it on Thursday allowed BNP activists to enter their central office at Nayapaltan in the capital after 47 days. The development followed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Wednesday press conference from where she urged the government to sit for ... Read more

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party appears to be lacking in coordination about its current movement against the government as most of its eight front and two associate organisations are out of touch with one another, giving a lacklustre performance. Top leaders of the front organisations and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal said that they were ... Read more

Police yesterday sealed off The Daily Inqilab and arrested four of its journalists in a raid hours after the vernacular daily ran a report on the participation of Indian forces in the joint forces’ operation in Satkhira. The law enforcers also took away a central processing unit (CPU) from daily’s office at the city’s RK ... Read more

Foreign diplomats stationed in Bangladesh have called for an immediate dialogue between the ruling Awami League and BNP to overcome the ‘ongoing political impasse in the country’. They made the call during a briefing organized by newly-inducted State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shariar Alam to foreign envoys at the UNCLOS

The European Parliament in Brussels has called on all political parties in Bangladesh to de-escalate tensions and engage in an immediate dialogue for new elections as soon as possible. In a resolution, it said all political parties in Bangladesh should engage in an immediate and genuine dialogue in order to find a way to hold ... Read more

Eminent citizens on Thursday strongly condemned attacks on Hindus across the country and demanded a judicial inquiry to bring the perpetrators to trial. Such an effort would end the culture of impunity, they emphasised. The state has failed to protect the minorities’ rights and ensure the security of their lives and properties, they pointed out, ... Read more

Ex-army chief Harun-ur-Rashid found guilty The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday approved two charge sheets against a total of 51 top executives of controversial multi-level marketing company Destiny Group over their alleged involvement in laundering around Tk 4,118 crore. The commission investigation officers Mozhar Ali Sarder and Taufiquel Islam would submit the charge sheets before

The ruling Awami League and independent candidates won two seats, each, in six out of the seven constituencies that went for re-polls on Thursday. Jatiya Party and Tarikat Federation won one seat each. Results were still awaited from one constituency till filing of this report. The Election commission said polling went off

The High Court (HC) on Thursday declared illegal the housing project of Ashiyan City in Uttara area in the capital. In response to a writ petition, a larger three-member bench of the HC delivered the verdict on the basis of majority. “After this verdict the Ashiyan City cannot continue with the housing project,” Petitioners’ counsel ... Read more

The Indian high commissioner in Dhaka, Pankaj Saran, on Thursday told the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, that the Indian government wanted to work with the government of Bangladesh reflecting people’s aspirations. Pankaj made the remarks when he had a meeting with Khaleda at her Gulshan office at 8:15pm, said BNP vice-chairman

The Election Commission (EC) will announce the schedule for elections in 113 upazila parishads under 48 districts on Sunday, sources told The Independent. The EC will conduct the polls in two phases. The decisions were taken by the commission yesterday evening at a meeting presided over by the Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed. Members of ... Read more

There is more bad news for people reeling under thick fog and chilly winds for over two days now. The real bite of the winter is waiting on the wings to sweep the country after January 20, a senior meteorologist said on Thursday. When the fog clears, probably after some rains, the cold winds from ... Read more

At least eight people were killed and 18 others injured in separate road accidents Mymensingh, Sunamganj and Bagerhat districts on Thursday, reports UNB. In Mymensingh, at least five people were killed and nine others injured as a bus plunged into a ditch at Beltali on Mymensingh-Netrakona highway in Gouripur upazila on Thursday afternoon. Identities of ... Read more

Clinical trials show that a combination of pills, one still in the experimental phase and one that was just approved for the US market, are effective at curing hepatitis C, researchers said Wednesday, reports AFP. However, the cost of the treatment is expected to be at least $80,000 per year, making it out of reach to ... Read more

Countrywide rallies Jan 20, black flag processions Jan 29 The BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, on Wednesday said that she was determined to carry forward the movement it is waging to restore democracy and people’s franchise by overthrowing the incumbent ‘dangerous,’ ‘non-representative’ government. She urged the government to immediately take initiatives for a dialogue towards the holding ... Read more

Describing Khaleda Zia’s remarks on the January 5 general election as “full of lies”, Awami League joint general secretary Mahbub-ul-Alam Hanif said on Wednesday that the BNP chairperson was spreading false information in a bid to mislead the nation. Hanif, also a lawmaker, was addressing a press conference at TCB Bhaban in the city. He was ... Read more

A section of the civil society yesterday welcomed BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s strategy to extend the olive branch to the government while renewing the call for dialogue to hold inclusive polls under a non-partisan caretaker regime. They also called for facilitating an understanding by permitting the 18-party alliance to hold peaceful programmes without

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to take effective steps towards ensuring security of the minority people who came under attacks across the country after the January 5 general election. The High Court in the rule asked the government to explain why repression on the minorities should not be stopped and why it should ... Read more