Other Headlines

Apprehension of massive political violence runs high among the general public as both the ruling and opposition alliances stick to their uncompromising stands over Sunday’s Dhaka march programme. Talking to The Independent, the country’s civil society leaders have also expressed deep concerns over the escalation of the tension centing the opposition’s programme.

Nearly 500 people, most of them Opposition activists, have been arrested from different parts of the country during the ongoing drive by the joint forces in the past 24 hours on charges of vandalism and acts of sabotage. The joint forces, comprising the police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB), are conducting the ... Read more

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday wrapped up the 1st leg of her two-day electioneering in three districts ahead of the 10th national election calling upon the countrymen to go the polling centers and cast their votes, fully prepared to resist anyone trying to foil the polls, reports UNB. “I’ll call upon you to go ... Read more

Thick fog yesterday blanketed most parts of the country, disrupting normal life and delaying a number of flight schedules and hampering waterway communications. Huge traffic congestion was created on both sides of Mawa-Kawrakandi and Paturia-Daulatdia ghats following the disruption of the waterway services.

Awami League and BNP have become unbending over their stands centering the Dhaka march programme despite all symptoms that the ongoing political impasse is taking a turn for the worse. The hardening stances of the country’s two major political parties have also added to the concerns of all quarters, including civil society representatives. The BNP has ... Read more

Locally assembled Honda bike on sale Japanese auto giant Honda has begun selling locally assembled motorcycles in Bangladesh. The sale came a year after Honda partnered with state-run Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation (BSEC) to forge a joint venture, Bangladesh Honda Private Ltd (BHL), to cater to the demand of the booming local market. A total of ... Read more

RAB-1 is going to take over the investigation into a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) racket at Uttara in the city. As many as 37 foreigners and six Bangladeshis were arrested for their alleged involvement in the racket. “As per directives from RAB higher ups, we decided to unearth the mystery behind the illegal VoIP ... Read more

At least five people were injured as activists of the banned Islamist outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir clashed with police near the National Press Club in the capital on Friday. Police arrested 24 suspected Hizb-ut-Tahrir supporters after the clashes. Witnesses said members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir brought out processions from High Court and Segunbagicha mosques after Jum’a

Money to be obtained from maintenance and development fund The Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) will finance the 341-MW Bibiyana Unit-1 power plant with cash from the ‘maintenance and development fund’. The maintenance and development fund was created following a directive from the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) in 2011. PDB chairman Muhammad Abduhu Ruhullah

Burnt in a petrol bomb attack on December 21, a victim died on Friday at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, doctors said. The deceased was Shahjahan Miah, 28, a cook at a hotel in Mymensingh and resident of Nahata of Gouiripur under the district. Family sources said Shahjahan was going

The Election Commission on Friday dispatched ballot papers amid tight security to returning officers in various districts for the January 5 parliamentary elections, reports UNB. The commission started dispatching the ballot papers to various districts in the morning under strong escorts of police, Rab and BGB members for vote casting in the country’s 146 constituencies

The visit of Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin to Bangladesh has been postponed due to flight cancellation over bad weather conditions, the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka informed the media on Friday night. Liu Zhenmin was scheduled to arrive in the capital today at noon on a two day visit to discuss political as well ... Read more

A Bangladeshi national was beaten to death by members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along Baradi border in Damurhuda upzila on Friday, reports UNB. The victim was identified as Abu Hasan, 50, son of Rahim Bakhs of Nastipur village in the upazila. Commanding officer of Border Guard Bangladesh

Two young men were gunned down by unidentified miscreants in the city’s Bildakatia area on Friday, reports UNB. The deceased were identified as Ripon Sardar, 27, son of Dr M Jafar Iqbal, and his friend Mithun Sheikh, 26, son of Mannan Sheikh. Both are residents of Dewana Uttarpara in the city. Dr Jafar Iqbal has a ... Read more

A police constable died after he along with eight others had became wounded as miscreants exploded several crude bombs into a police car in the Rajshahi city on Thursday when the BNP-led alliance was holding a procession. Constable Siddhartha died from his injuries in Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday night after he had been ... Read more

In order to aid the civil power to maintain law and order ahead of the January 5 Parliamentary poll, members of the armed forces have been deployed in 57 districts of the country. The members of the armed forces have started their duties in the districts, even in the upazilas, as per the requirements of ... Read more

PM says as she launches polls campaign Accusing the opposition leader of unleashing terrorism and militancy and killing people in the name of a movement, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the trial of Khaleda Zia would be held one day on Bangladesh soil for the offences, reports UNB. “We believe in justice. The ... Read more

March To Dhaka BNP activists start arriving in capital Grassroots and mid-level leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its associate organisations have started coming to the capital in advance to join the ‘march to Dhaka’ programme on December 29. Some leaders of BNP and its different wings told New Age on Thursday that leaders ... Read more

Election Commission to spend Tk 291cr for polls All the 146 constituencies in the country have been declared vulnerable by the intelligence agencies ahead of the January 5 polls boycotted by BNP-led 18-party alliance. While mostly Awami League and its rebel candidates are going to take part in the upcoming election, the intelligence agencies declared ... Read more

Opposition activists start to gather in capital Ruling Awami League yesterday formally announced to resist the opposition’s Dhaka march programme, triggering apprehension of further escalation of the ongoing political violence as BNP leaders said they would observe the programme at any cost. Ruling Awami League’s high-ups have asked the