Jatiya Oikya Front (JOF) has accused the Awami League of playing fowl game to foil their public hearing program of the scheduled for February 24 to air what its leaders call gross irregularities and corrupt practices adopted in the December…
Year: 2019
The hidden economic costs of displacement
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 14 2019 (IPS) – While the impacts of displacement on wellbeing are well-known, one group has pointed to the equally burdensome economic costs for those displaced as well as host communities. In a new report, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre…
How devastating is climate change for world peace, security?
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 13 2019 (IPS) – When the Security Council, the most powerful body at the United Nations, met last month to discuss the growing new threats to world peace and security, the discussion veered away from international terrorism, nuclear…
Emojis with disabilities a step for inclusion
As a person with a disability, I have never seen myself represented in the vast range of emojis – those small digital images – found on smartphones. There are magician, mermaid and merman, zombie, and vampire emojis. There are thousands…
Power plant final deal with Reliance Group ‘soon’
Dhaka, Feb 15 (UNB) – The final deal with Indian Reliance Group is finally going to be signed for its proposed LNG-based 750 MW power plant as the Power Division has recently received clearance from the ministries of Law and Finance…
BNP trying hard to make Dec-30 election questionable: PM
Munich, Feb 15 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said BNP had an evil intention to make the 2018 general election questionable and they are still trying to do so. “Their [BNP’s] intention was to make the Dec-30 election…
29 Bangladeshi apparel makers take part in Paris Texworld
Dhaka, Feb 15 – A total of 29 Bangladeshi apparel, fabric and leather manufacturers took part in the four-day Texworld or Apparel Sourcing Paris that ended in Paris on Thursday. Additional Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh visited the show and…
Clean air act in the offing
The government is working on enactment of a law with a provision for imprisonment up to 10 years against air polluters aiming to ensure clean air for all. The Department of Environment (DoE) with support from Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association…
Roblox, the game platform teaching young kids to code
With its Lego-like avatars and easy-to-learn coding for budding programmers, the online gaming app Roblox has cornered the market in younger gamers, with 80 million monthly users, many of them under 16. Now the platform, which has already taken the…
Deadline of submitting films for National Award March 7
Culture Desk The jury board made by the Ministry of Information for the National Film Award Competitions 2017 and 2018 yesterday asked the film producers to submit their films by March 7 for taking part in competitions. Bangladesh Film Censor…
Oscar organizers struggle to keep show relevant
From going without a host to handing out key awards during commercial breaks, to a quickly nixed idea for a popular film category. Oscar organizers are struggling to keep Hollywood’s biggest night relevant while dealing with a string of messy…
Only immediate climate action can save the future
by John Scales Avery Only immediate climate action can save the future. If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. A new book. I have…
Make hunger thing of past Pope Francis at IFAD annual meet
Rome, 14 February 2019 – Pope Francis set the tone for the 42nd session of the annual Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) by saying that hunger can be made a part of the world’s past,…
Committed to Constitution, not party, says Bd election boss
Dhaka, Feb 14 – Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda yesterday said as a state official, we are committed to the constitution, not to any political party and person. He urged the election officials to arrange the Upazila polls…
Bd regulators block 1279 more pornographic websites
Dhaka, Feb 14 – The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Thursday blocked 1,279 more pornographic websites in the country to all International Internet Gateway (IIG). Confirming the matter an official of an IIG said the BTRC ordered to block…
Thakurgaon shooting: Home minister vows action ‘as per law’
Dhaka, Feb 14 – Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that the authorities concerned are inquiring the incident of killing three people by Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) shooting at Thakurgaon’s Haripur recently. “No one is above the law. Action…
74 JOF candidates file petitions with HC for reelection
Dhaka, Feb 14 – At least 74 Jatiya Oikya Front leaders filed separate writ petitions with the High Court seeking cancellation of the December 30 national election to their constituencies, citing widespread irregularities. In their petitions, they sought HC directives…
112 killed a year in waterway accidents, Minister says
Dhaka, Feb 14 (UNB) – A total of 4,732 people were killed in 639 waterway accidents in the country over the last 42 years. State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury came up with the statistics in parliament while responding…
Four-day Tablig Biswa Ijtema begins Friday
Gazipur, Feb 14 (UNB) – Biswa Ijtema, one of the largest Muslim congregations in the world, begins on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi here on Friday. The Ijtema to be held for four days this time will…
Dredging of 25 rivers underway, Minister tells Parliament
Dhaka, Feb 14 (UNB) – State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Thursday told parliament that the dredging of 25 rivers, including 13 almost dead ones, are now underway to maintain the navigability of river routes. “The ongoing dredging…
Burma again shows St Martin’s as its territory: Envoy called
Dhaka, Feb 14 – Myanmar keeps distorting facts showing Bangladesh’s St Martin’s Island as part of its territory in Myanmar’s government maps prompting Dhaka to react sharply and lodge a strong protest officially against the ‘deliberate’ attempt. The Ministry of…
Climate change may destroy Sundarbans tigers in 50 years
Dhaka, Feb 14 (UNB) – A new study has warned that the Sundarbans’ famed ‘Royal Bengal Tigers’ could be gone within 50 years, especially from the Bangladeshi part, because of constant rise in sea levels and climate change. The study…
Big fire at Suhrawardy Hospital
Dhaka, Feb 14 (UNB) – A big fire broke out at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in the capital on Thursday afternoon. The fire originated at a storeroom on the first floor of a new building of the hospital around…
Oikya Front’s public hearing on election a ‘mockery’: Quader
Dhaka, Feb 14 (UNB) – Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday described Jatiya Oikyafront’s public hearing over the December-30 general election as a ‘mass mockery’. He made the remarks while addressing a press briefing at Awami League President…
Bangladesh, KSA sign MoU on military cooperation
Dhaka, Feb 14 (UNB) – Bangladesh on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), aiming to enhance military cooperation between the two countries. Principal Staff Officer Lt Gen Md Mahfuzur Rahman of the…
BCB to restart DPL T20 from this year
Dhaka – Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will restart the Dhaka Premier League (DPL) T20 this year to produce more quality players for the shortest format of the game. “The T20 contest will take place after DPL’s regular 50-over tournament scheduled…
BPL Football: Kings maintain all-win record beating Rahmatganj 1-0
Dhaka – Star-studded Bashundhara Kings maintained their all-win record to share top slot in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football with holders Dhaka Abahani Limited beating Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society by 1-0 goal at their home venue Sheikh Kamal Stadium…
First Division Hockey: Bachelors SC, Combined SC register wins
Dhaka – Bachelors SC and Combined SC have registered wins in the Green Delta First Division Hockey League 2018. They defeated Shantinagor SC and Shishukishor Shongho in their respective matches. In the first game between Bachelors and Shantinagor, Bachelors came…
BNP demands fair probe of Thakurgaon killings by BGB
Dhaka, Feb 13 (UNB) – Condemning the killings of people by the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Thakurgaon’s Baharampur village, BNP on Wednesday demanded a neutral investigation into the incident. In a statement, party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul…
US says ex-intel official defected to Iran, revealed secrets
Washington, Feb 14 (AP/UNB) — A former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran despite warnings from the FBI has been charged with revealing classified information to the Tehran government, including the code name and secret mission of…