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Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad on Thursday said that his party would quit the ruling ‘grand alliance’ in a day or two and form a new political alliance. `We have discussed [the plan] with some parties, including Islam-based ones. An announcement of a new alliance will be made very soon,’ Ershad said

The holy Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hossain (RA), grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM), is being observed in the country on Friday with due religious solemnity. On this day in the Hijri year of 61, Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) along with his family members and 72 followers embraced martyrdom in the hands ... Read more

Two more hartal victims, who sustained critical burn injuries during the 84-hour-long countrywide hartal at Phulgazi of Feni and Mohammadpur in the city, succumbed to their injuries at burn and plastic surgery unit of the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) early on Thursday. So far, four persons have died of burn injuries. The deceased were

Hay Festival Begins A day out with great minds  Hay Festival Dhaka 2013 got under way yesterday in the morning with a celebration of human sensibilities and the courage to speak out, drawing to the capital literary minds from all over the world. At the inaugural session of the festival hosted at Bangla Academy, its ... Read more

Students urged not go to brokers for visa assistance The number of students from Bangladesh in the United States has marked a rise by 15.5 percent to 3,828 in 2012-13, says the 2013 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, reports UNB. Overall, the number of international students at colleges and universities in the United ... Read more

Azmeri Osman, son of Nasim Osman, a Jatiya party lawmaker, led a team that brutally killed Tanvir Hossain Toki, said an accused in his confessional statement. Shokat alias Vromor gave the confessional statement before the court of senior judicial magistrate KM Mohiuddin under section of 164 on Tuesday. The

Rivers Turag, Balu Grabbers feast on faulty demarcation The demarcation of the rivers Turag and Balu is grossly flawed, and if the authorities do not take prompt measures to rectify it, both the rivers will disappear, the task force for saving the four rivers around the capital was told yesterday at its 23rd meeting. “Demarcation ... Read more

Money Laundering Case Verdict on Tarique, Mamun Sunday A court in Dhaka on Thursday set Sunday for its verdict in a case filed against BNP senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman, now living in London, and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun, on the charges of laundering money to Singapore. Dhaka Special Court-3 judge Md Motahar Hossain set the ... Read more

Girl Raped Father takes his own life  Unable to take the rape of his 13-year-old daughter by two local goons, an elderly indigenous man took poison to end his life Wednesday night in Mirsarai of Chittagong. Around 8:00pm on Tuesday, Joynal Abedin, 25, raped his daughter when she went out to respond to nature’s call ... Read more

Jeeps Collide Head-on 6 killed, 31 hurt At least six Rohingyas were killed and 31 others injured in a head-on collision between two jeeps on Teknaf-Cox’s Bazar highway in Ukhia yesterday. The deceased are Ali Ahmad, 45; Abul Bashar, 35; Md Belal, 35; Nurul Haque, 37; Abdus Salam, 21; and Saydul Amin, 30. The accident occurred ... Read more

The government has decided in principle to allow factory workers in Export Processing Zones (EPZs) to conduct trade union activities from January 1, 2014, as part of its measures to fulfil the conditions set by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). It has been decided that workers can observe

Despite their preliminary opposition, garment factory owners on Wednesday night agreed to pay workers Tk 5,300 as the minimum monthly wage fixed by the government. Representatives of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association

The arrival of foreigners, mostly business representatives and apparel buyers, into the country has dropped sharply in 2013, causing an adverse impact on the country’s over US$22 billion apparel industry, according to a report prepared by the government security agency concerned. People familiar with this aspect said arrivals of

The main Opposition BNP-led 18-party alliance is likely to call hartal again for three days next week to force the government to concede to their demand of holding the general election under a non-party caretaker government (CG). “Another nationwide hartal for three consecutive days from Monday may be enforced as we have not seen any ... Read more

One person was killed, around 350 people including law enforcers were injured while over 300 opposition activists were arrested across the country during the 84-hour hartal enforced by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led 18-party alliance to realise their demand for holding the next general election under the caretaker government. During the hartal

The festival of words and imagination begins today at Bangla Academy, bringing renowned writers and thinkers from different parts of the world closer to their readers and connoisseurs. Hay Festival Dhaka 2013 will open with renditions of spiritual songs at 9:00am on the Bangla Academy lawn. Then the inaugural ceremony will

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday announced that the verdict in the war crimes case against Jamaat chief Motiur Rahman Nizami would be delivered later. The three-judge ICT gave the decision after the senior defence lawyers failed to turn up for the fourth consecutive day to submit their closing arguments.

The Bangladesh government is planning to grant dual citizenship to Bangladeshi expatriates residing in different countries, except those staying in SAARC nations, by amending the Citizenship Act, 1951. Currently the government awards dual citizenship to Bangladeshi expatriates of some countries, including the USA, the UK, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

She flies to Colombo today to attend CHOGM Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to inquire about the ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement and Teesta water sharing deal when Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will meet her in Colombo on the sidelines of the 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Hasina will ... Read more

Jasmine granted bail in Hall-Mark scam cases A Dhaka court yesterday took cognisance of charges against 25 people, including Hall-Mark Group Chairman Jasmine Islam and its Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, for swindling over Tk 2,600 crore out of Sonali Bank. The court also issued arrest warrants against 17 of them as they have been absconding since ... Read more