Other Headlines

Muggers shot and injured a young man and snatched Tk 13.5 lakh from his possession in the capital’s Hazaribagh area on Tuesday. The victim was identified as a hardware accessories supplier Abul Kashem, 35, son of Abdul Manik Sarkar, a resident of 25, BDR No 1 Gate.Police said six miscreants came in two

Blockade-hit Schools Nahid rules out promotion without exams Ruling out the possibility of giving automatic promotion to school pupils, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has said students must appear at and pass the annual examinations in order to be promoted to the next grades. “There will be no such promotion; the examinations will be held soon,” ... Read more

In a bid to resolve the current political impasse, visiting United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco continued his hectic parley with top leaders and civil society members of the country on the Monday, the third day of his visit. Amid this frantic move, he talked to the press for the first time, ... Read more

Blockade extended until 6am Friday; Jamaat calls strike today Two persons, including a schoolboy, were killed and over 50 others injured in sporadic incidents of violence on the third day of the nationwide 72-hour blockade, enforced by BNP-led 18-party alliance, and Jamaat-e-Islami called hartal on Monday. Meanwhile, the 18-party alliance has extended the road-rail-waterway blockade ... Read more

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday told her Cabinet colleagues that her government has taken up the challenge to hold the upcoming parliamentary election by January 5 and also deal with the ongoing political violence by opposition activists, a senior minister told reporters at the Secretariat. “There is no way the upcoming election can be held ... Read more

Defence, UN rights experts, HRW urge govt to halt execution Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on Monday said Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah can be executed any day as the International Crimes Tribunal’s death warrant has cleared the way for his execution. The chief counsel of Mollah, Barrister Abdur Razzak, however, asked the government not to ... Read more

WICB asks team to leave Dhaka At the earliest The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) cancelled the Under-19 team’s tour of Bangladesh following a crude bomb explosion outside of the hotel in Chittagong where they were staying. Citing the reason ‘acting in the best interest of the safety and security of the team’ the West ... Read more

The BNP-led 18-Party Alliance would go in for a harsher, non-stop and one-point oust-the-government movement from next week if United Nations (UN) assistant secretary general for political affairs Oscar Fernández-Taranco’s initiatives for an inclusive parliamentary polls under a non-partisan management go in vain, according to party insiders.

JP members skip cabinet meeting Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad on Monday said he has asked his party candidates for the general elections to withdraw their nomination papers by December 13. “The election now seems meaningless without the participation of the opposition parties,” he said while talking to reporters at his Baridhara

Repeated blockades have put the garment sector in a tight corner as exporters are counting losses from order cancellation and rising transport costs. Buyers are cancelling orders as exporters fail to meet the lead time due to transport crisis, said Atiqul Islam, president of Bangladesh Garment

Bangladesh to gain from trade facilitation; duty privileges are still without legally binding commitment: CPD The country stands to gain considerably from the ‘Bali package’ struck at the ninth WTO ministerial meet in Bali on Saturday if it acts judiciously, the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) said yesterday. The keystone of the agreement, the first in ... Read more

Early Winter Crops Growers frustrated with heavy loss due to blockade The growers were frustrated with heavy loss as seasonal crops including winter vegetables were being perished due to disruption of supply chain during the ongoing nationwide blockade enforced by the BNP-led 18-party alliance. The growers were compelled to sell their crops in local markets at ... Read more

Fifty-three heads of state and government have so far confirmed attendance at upcoming memorial events for peace icon Nelson Mandela, South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Sunday. Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid left Dhaka for South Africa on Monday on a three-day visit to attend the funeral of Nelson Mandela. A special

At least 10 people were injured as miscreants vandalised and set fire to the houses of national minority at Godagari in Rajshahi Sunday night. Among the injured Gonesh Mardy and Sonaton Marady were taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital on Monday as their conditions were critical.

Miscreants gunned down Kabir Hossain Palash, vice president of Jessore districts Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, at Civil Court intersection near Jessore Press Club at around 6:35 pm Monday. Police said 5/6 persons riding on two motorbikes shot Palash from point blank range while he was having tea with some friends. Another JCD

British minister of state at foreign and commonwealth office Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi is likely to arrive in Dhaka on a day’s visit on Thursday with the current political standoff over elections on top of her agenda. Baroness Warsi is likely to meet the prime minister, the opposition leader, the foreign minister and different stakeholders during ... Read more

Bangladesh High Commissioner in Singapore Mahbub-uz Zaman yesterday called on the Bangladesh community to remain calm and show restraint, and cooperate law enforcement agencies following a riot in Little India district Sunday night. The rare riot broke out after international media reported that a Bangladeshi worker had been hit and killed by a bus in

Many things possible if rival camps reach consensus: CEC The visiting UN assistant secretary general Oscar Fernández-Taranco on Sunday inquired whether it was possible for the Election Commission to defer the polls after political parties and civic forum leaders preferred its rescheduling for an inclusive election. The chief election commissioner, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad,

Another victim of bus arson dies Sporadic clashes between the police and opposition activists, torching of vehicles and crude bomb blasts at places across the country marked the second day of the 72-hour rail-road-waterway blockade on Sunday leaving one killed. Besides, another victim of bus arson by blockaders succumbed to her injuries in Savar on Sunday ... Read more

Frequent blockades organised by the BNP-led 18-Party Alliance have become a cause of suffering for justice-seekers. “I have been coming to court almost every working day since November 27 to learn about the position of my case, which has been pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The case has been on the apex court’s ... Read more