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Apparently shifting blame to the opposition for not reaching a consensus on participatory polls, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali yesterday said BNP and its alliance partners never negotiated in ‘good faith’ for taking part in the elections, rather they were always insisting on ‘certain pre-conditions’, reports UNB. “Though the opposition was agitating in the name ... Read more

A metropolitan magistrate court in Dhaka on Monday remanded Bangladesh Nationalist Party vice-chairman Hafizuddin Ahmed in police custody for two days for interrogation in a case filed for the killing of a police constable in an arson attack on a parked bus in the capital’s Banglamotor on December 24. The metropolitan magistrate, Harun-or-Rashid, passed the order

None of 20 best primary schools from rural area Results of the Primary Education Completion and Ibtedayi Education Completion examinations were published on Monday demonstrating that the success rate and the number of highest Grade Point Average 5 scorers increased this year compared with that of past year. The pass rate in general education primary schools ... Read more

At least 70 journalists were killed on the job around the world in 2013, including 29 who died covering the civil war in Syria and 10 slain in Iraq, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, reports AP. The dead in Syria included a number of citizen journalists working to document combat in their home ... Read more

Police are yet to make any headway in the case filed over the killing of photojournalist Aftab Ahmed. Aftab was found dead at his residence in the capital on Wednesday morning. Inspector Nasim Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Rampura Police Station yesterday told The Independent that there was no progress in the investigation of

Police recovered the bodies of three youths from a paddy field at Sorail village under Panchbibi upazila in Jaipurhat Monday afternoon. The identity of the youths, aged between 22 and 25, could not be known immediately. Two of them were beheaded. Panchbibi police said that locals

The government has declared general holiday for January 5 in 59 districts to facilitate voters to exercise their franchise in the 10th parliamentary elections, reports UNB. The public holiday was announced for all government, semi-government, autonomous and private offices, organisations, agencies and educational institutions in all the districts except Joypurhat, Shariatpur,

The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance could not hold its Dhaka March programme on Sunday in the face of unprecedented obstructive measures from law enforcers that crippled life in the capital for the second day and prompted the opposition to extend the programme to Monday. Two persons were killed in the capital during the police action against the ... Read more

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Sunday said the opposition will continue its anti-government movement ‘to rescue the country’s democracy and sovereignty’. “We will continue our March for Democracy programme tomorrow and even day after tomorrow. It will go on as long as you (the Sheikh Hasina government)

Terming BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s attempt to come out of her residence and join the March for Democracy programme “a drama” staged by her, Awami League (AL) general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam on Sunday claimed she had no intention of going to the party headquarters to join the march. “On Sunday, Opposition chief Khaleda Zia just ... Read more

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam yesterday accused the government of resorting to unprecedented autocratic path to foil the opposition’s ‘March for democracy’. In a statement, he said that the government stopped the movement of vehicles, rails and vessels in the last two days in bid to foil their programme. The BNP leader also ... Read more

DU teachers, journalists hurt in attacks at DU, Press Club Awami League (AL) activists, armed with sticks and meat cleavers, carried out a sudden attack on pro-BNP lawyers on the Supreme Court premises and created mayhem on Sunday. The AL activists broke through the locked entrance of the SC building, which was being guarded by ... Read more

Taking a swipe at a section of the country’s “eminent citizens” who suggested the government to defer the January 5 polls, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said the actors of 1/11 have become active again, reports BSS. “I have seen in today’s newspapers that some “eminent citizens” have given some suggestions to us. I don’t want ... Read more

The mounting sufferings of people in the absence of transport and lack of safety concerzning political programmes of the two major political parties have made life miserable in the city. On Sunday, people faced great hardships in going out of the capital in the absence of transport and long-distance buses. Even trucks carrying

Enam Ahmed detained, released The police detained Bangladesh Nationalist Party vice-chairman M Hafiz Uddin Ahmed immediately after the declared programmes at a briefing on Sunday. They also detained BNP chairperson’s adviser Enam Ahmed Chowdhury, who was, however, released in the evening. The police picked up Hafiz Uddin

All parties and citizens of Bangladesh have the right to freely and peacefully express their opinions and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that, the United States said on Sunday. Washington is also of the opinion said that the opposition should use this scope peacefully. “The United States believes that in a democracy all ... Read more

The National Control Laboratory set up to test drugs and vaccines is likely to begin operation without adequate preparations in January. The lab has already started testing drugs, pending a formal inauguration, with inadequate manpower but the regular tests would begin in January,

A 60-year-old woman died gasping and screaming on a rickshaw van as her son desperately tried to negotiate police barricades put up to foil BNP’s ‘March for Democracy’ on Sunday morning. Mohammad Ali, a resident of Kaundia Nayabazar near Savar, said his mother may have survived if they had reached a hospital in Dhaka in time. ... Read more

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Sunday exonerated two journalists of a UK-based news magazine The Economist — Adam Roberts and Rob Gifford — from contempt charge as they were not involved in the hacking of the Skype account of former ICT chairman Justice Nizamul Huq. The three-member tribunal, headed by Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, also ... Read more

The Election Working Group (EWG), a forum of 29 non-government organisations, will send observers to 79 constituencies for the 10th parliamentary poll scheduled on January 5. EWG president M Abdul Alim, in a press release on Sunday, said the EWG will continue its long-term election observation, despite the volatile political situation of Bangladesh. Earlier, the ... Read more