Other Headlines

The number of students in public universities is increasing every year and authorities are struggling to provide them with accommodation in halls of residence as the universities can provide only a third of their students with residence. According to University Grants Commission’s 2012 annual report published on January 9, only 32 per cent students were

BNP vice-chairman Selima Rahman was released from Kashimpur jail on Friday morning as she secured bail on Thursday in a case filed under explosives act, reports UNB. Jail sources said she came out from the women unit of the jail around 11:15 am. A Dhaka court granted bail to Selima Rahman on Tk 20,000 bond. ... Read more

Family members of murdered controversial Pir Lutfur Rahman are feeling helpless, as law enforcers have not been able to make much headway in the investigation into the killing of six persons in the Gopibagh area of Old Dhaka on December 21. Despite repeated assurances by the police that they were doing their best, family members ... Read more

Ctg hospitals see increased inflows of patients as temperature drops With the fall in temperature, a large number of children affected by cold related complications have been admitted to the paediatric ward at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and private clinics in the city over the past few days. Most of them contracted pneumonia, asthma, and ... Read more

Kidnappers realise ransom from families thru’ agents in Bangladesh A number of kidnapping gangs run by Bangladeshi nationals are trapping their compatriots working abroad by offering lucrative jobs in some European countries. The gangs, active mainly in some Middle Eastern countries and Greece, lure migrant workers with promises of jobs in Turkey, Italy and some ... Read more

A previously unknown, yet potentially very important, ancient Egyptian kingdom has been discovered by archaeologists working in the Nile Valley. Excavations at Abydos, 70 miles north-west of Egypt’s famous Valley of the Kings, have revealed the existence of an entire royal cemetery. The cemetery

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