Sunday, January 18, 2026

Hasina urges Fakhrul to initiate talks with Ashraf

In a new turn of event in the country’s volatile political landscape, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam to initiate talks with his ruling party counterpart to resolve the ongoing political crisis, reports UNB. The Prime Minister made the call as she met

Non-inclusive polls could deepen crisis

Us Congressional Hearing On Bangladesh Non-inclusive polls could deepen crisis A US congressional hearing on Thursday expressed concern at the ongoing political stalemate in Bangladesh and feared escalation of violence in case a non-inclusive election took place. The subcommittee on Asia and Pacific of the house committee on foreign affairs of the US Congress made ... Read more

Another spell of hartal on the cards

President-oppn meeting minutes sent to govt The BNP-led 18-party alliance on Thursday threatened to launch another spell of countrywide hartal if the government failed to initiate talks with the Opposition to end the stand-off within a couple of days. Apparently irked over the government’s reluctance for a compromise, senior Opposition leaders threatened to intensify their ... Read more

Nationwide transport strike immobilises life

A 24-hour nationwide transport strike paralysed road communication across the country, particularly on long distance routes since Thursday morning. No long distance bus or truck was seen on the highway causing sufferings to people. Transport workers began the strike responding

AL never uses armed forces in politicking: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday asserted that an unprecedented development and modernisation of the Bangladesh Armed Forces had been accomplished during the tenure of the Awami League government. She said Awami League (AL) never used the armed forces for its political interests. “Rather, the party has done everything required for building an efficient,

Minimum wage for garment workers at Tk 5,300

Reducing the basic wage by Tk 200 from Tk 3200 of the proposed recommendation, the minimum wages board for the garment workers on Thursday made its final recommendation of Tk 5,300 as minimum monthly wage for entry-level workers. The board also recommended for five

ACC law to spark mass protests

ACC chief says anti-graft body made subservient The countrymen would wage a movement against the amended Anti-Corruption Commission law, as it made the graft watchdog subservient, acting ACC chairman Mohammad Shahabuddin said yesterday. He said the move to give government officials impunity and protection would not see the light of the day. According to the new law, ... Read more

European Parliament urges calm in Bangladesh

The European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday, expressing deep concern over recent violence and urging calm in the run-up to elections in Bangladesh. “MEPs (Members of European Parliament) call on all groups and individuals to exercise tolerance and restraint, especially in the lead-up to, during, and after the elections,” said a European Parliament

BoI to review pay structure for foreign workers

The Board of Investment has decided to review the pay structure for foreigners working in the private sector in Bangladesh amid widespread allegations of tax evasion against the foreign nationals and their local employers, BoI officials said. They said that most of the foreign

Against all odds, Kadar triumphs

He was detained and tortured by police two years ago. Yet he was determined to overcome the odds and become a first-class government officer. It was yesterday that his hard work finally paid off. Abdul Kadar, who was tortured in police custody in July 2011, has been recommended for the education cadre by the Public Service ... Read more

8,529 get govt job

33rd BCS Exams 8,529 get govt job The Public Service Commission (PSC) yesterday published the final results of the 33rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examinations, recommending 8,529 successful candidates for recruitment in different government cadres. This is the highest number of appointees to government services through a single BCS exam, AYM Nesar Uddin, examinations controller (cadre)

7,627 secondary schools have poor education environment

Headmasters of 7,627 of the 18,598 secondary schools have said their institutions have poor teaching and learning facilities and those schools as have been categorised as ‘poor’ or ‘non performing’ ones in a government survey. The survey titled ‘Performance-Based Institutional Self-Assessment Summery 2013’ was prepared by Secondary Education Sector

Drug addict kills 4 of his family in Sylhet

A drug addict youth hacked to death four members, including his four-year-old boy, mother, sister and a distant relative, of his family at Golapganj in Sylhet on Thursday afternoon. Local people handed over the killer, Abdus Salam alias Furuk, 35, a carpenter and son of the late Abdul Aziz of village Dakkhin Bhag Puranpara

Fast food outlet owner shot in city

An unknown miscreant injured the owner of a fast food outlet by firing shots at him in Moghbazar area under Ramna Police Station in the capital on Thursday morning, reports UNB. The victim was identified as Masum Billah Joy, 40, owner of Chitrangan Fast Food in the area. Witnesses said an unidentified miscreant entered

Hamid okays Hasina to head govt

A day after the opposition called for presidential intervention to end the current political stand-off over the forthcoming national election, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told parliament that the president has given her permission to head the poll-time government. Urging opposition leader Khaleda Zia to take part in the upcoming election

BNP rejects polls under Hasina-led government

Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Wednesday rejected the decision to hold the next general elections under the government, led by prime minister Sheikh Hasina, as stated by her in parliament. BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, flanked by the party senior leaders at a news briefing at the party chairperson’s

10 hurt, 50 RMG?factories shut as unrest continues

At least 10 more people, including two police men, were injured on Wednesday in clashes between RMG workers and police at Pagar area of Tongi, Ashulia, in a continuing labour unrest over pay hike. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel, along with additional police and Rab members, have been deployed in the area to maintain law and ... Read more

Some ministers get portfolios

The prime minister is learnt to have allocated portfolios to ministers of the poll-time government. The portfolios were allocated on Wednesday night and a gazette notification in this regard will be issued on Thursday. According to sources, Awami League (AL) advisory council members Tofail Ahmed has been given the charge of industries and land ministries

Violence in Sitakunda continues

The police fired several hundred shots to contain a wave of violence on Dhaka-Chittagong highway on Wednesday as activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir went on the rampage at Sitakunda vandalising vehicles and attacking houses of ruling party activists. The news of the killing of a local leader

1.6 lakh absent on 1st day of pry completion exams

1 held for question leak in Dinajpur Primary and ibtedayi education completion examinations began on Wednesday amid allegation that question paper was leaked in Dinajpur. The police arrested a coaching centre director Masud Rana in Dinajpur town in connection with the alleged leak of question. Dinajpur Kotwali