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Defending their decision not to monitor elections, Head of the European Union (EU) delegation to Bangladesh William Hanna on Saturday hoped that the political parties would make the best use of their times to reach some sort of understanding for a sustainable, inclusive and credible election. “We’ll follow what happens next, and I’ll be asked ... Read more

As many as 1,086 condemned prisoners, including four Jamaat leaders—Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid, Delwar Hosaain Sayedee and Abul Kalam Azad, alias Bachchu Razakar—involved in atrocities against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War, are awaiting the gallows, according to sources in the department of prisons. The

At least 30 long-distance buses, plying with police protection, were vandalized by blockade supporters in different districts on Saturday. These buses had left the inter-district bus terminals in the capital ahead of the fifth-phase of countrywide blockade enforced by BNP-led 18-party

Meeting Dhaka Central Jail Inmates Greasing palms provides the short cut An unauthorized system is in place in Dhaka Central Jail that allows visitors to meet inmates without delay by greasing palms. The payments are collected against ‘special slips’. Apparently not authorized by the jail authorities, guards charge Tk 300 as the ‘fee’ from each visitor ... Read more

Unnayan Onneshan, an independent multidisci-plinary think-tank, in its monthly economic update reveals that the situation of banking sector in Bangladesh has been deteriorating in terms of growth and disbursement of credit and risk management, lowering the rate of growth of the economy. It also observes that the decade-long policy of liberalisation in the sector has

Awami League lawmaker Mizanur Rahman Khan Dipu of Dhaka-6 constituency died at Apollo Hospitals in the city on Saturday.  He was 49. Doctors declared Mizanur Rahman dead after he was brought to the hospital around 6:59 am, said Aminur Rahman, duty manager of the hospital.

An eight-year-old Bangladeshi boy who was walking with his sister to school was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer on Friday at an intersection in Queens, New York, just two blocks from his home, reports The New York Times. Friday was the last day of school before winter break, and the boy, Noshat Nahian, was carrying ... Read more

Temperatures dipped across Bangladesh as winter set in forcing people especially those living in the northern districts to bring out their best woolens. Residents in the capital felt the extra chill since last nights drizzles. Mild to severe cold wave might sweep across the

Thailand’s main opposition Democrat Party on Saturday announced it would boycott snap elections in the crisis-gripped kingdom, piling further pressure on the government as protesters prepared to ramp up rallies aimed at suspending democracy. Members of the kingdom’s oldest political party—who resigned as MPs en masse to join the demonstrations that have rocked

The Tanzanian president, Jakaya Kikwete, has sacked four government ministers following accusations of abuses committed by security forces during a huge operation against wildlife poaching. The dismissals, which did not affect the key finance and energy portfolios, come after reports of arbitrary murder, rape, torture and extortion of

GM Quader, a Jatiya Party presidium member, said on Friday JP will not join the coming election, reaffirming his party’s position. “There is no scope for any confusion over party’s stand regarding participation in the next polls,” Quader, brother of JP Chairman HM Ershad and former commerce minister, told a press conference at his Uttara ... Read more

A fresh spell of the countrywide road-rail-waterway blockade began from 6am today. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led 18-party alliance is enforcing the 83-hour blockade to mount pressure on the government to hold the next national polls under a non-party interim management and postpone the 10th parliamentary election scheduled for January 5. BNP Standing

CEC decision draws flak from civil society Army personnel will be deployed from December 26 till January 9 to maintain law and order before, during and after the general election, to be held on January 5, chief election commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad announced on Friday. “A total of 154 candidates has already been elected unopposed ... Read more

Awami League Presidium Member Syeda Zohra Tajuddin died at the United Hospital in the capital on Friday morning. She was 80. Her daughter Simin Hossain Rimi, an AL parliamentarian, said that her mother died at around 10:20 am. Zohra was the wife of the country’s first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad, who was assassinated inside the Dhaka ... Read more

In response to prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s remarks on dialogue and consensus over the 11th parliamentary polls, Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Friday said it saw no chances of a consensus in future if the ruling party did not change its stubborn attitude. The BNP said the prime minister had made the statement to ‘mislead’ the people. ... Read more

Mollah execution internal affairs of Bangladesh Pakistan has described the execution of Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah as an internal affair of Bangladesh, adding that the Pakistan National Parliament did not mean to interfere in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by passing a resolution. Islamabad also said that it did not want to respond to ... Read more

A drastic drop in the price of winter vegetables at the growers end caused by supply chain disruption because of recent blockades of roads, railway and waterways has left thousands of farmers in the country in dire straits. Farmers in Rangpur, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Sirajganj. Rajshahi, Bogra, Gazipur and Manikganj reported a fall in price to ... Read more

At least five people were injured in a bomb attack inside the auditorium of the National Press Club immediately after the inauguration of the Jatiya Party’s(Zafar) special council on Friday afternoon. Kazi Zafar had announced the special council after he was expelled from the Jatiya Party by party chairman HM Ershad on November 28. The Juba ... Read more

The ruling Awami League (AL) would go for a massive election campaign from Sunday, in a bid to increase voter participation in the upcoming 10th parliamentary election slated for January 5. “To increase people’s participation in the coming election, we’ll form several election teams, comprising the party’s senior leaders, who will visit different constituencies across ... Read more

The European Union has said it will not send observers to monitor the January 5 elections in Bangladesh, as the necessary conditions for holding inclusive polls were not created. The spokesperson for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, in a statement on Friday, said “The high representative has decided to halt for now ... Read more