Cumilla, July 10 (UNB) – Three people, including a woman and her a 12-year-old boy, were stabbed to death allegedly by a man who was subsequently beaten to death by local people at Radhanagar in Debidwar upazila on Wednesday. The…
Category: Governance
Fake voices ‘help cyber-crooks steal cash’
Dhaka, Jul 10 (UNB) – A security firm says deepfaked audio is being used to steal millions of pounds, reports the BBC. Symantec said it had seen three cases of seemingly deepfaked audio of different chief executives used to trick…
Bangladesh’s Ex-Chief Justice Sinha, 10 more sued for graft
Dhaka, July 10 (UNB) — The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case on Wednesday against former chief justice SK Sinha and 10 others accusing them of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 4 crore. On September 25 last year, the…
The challenge ahead: a safer and more dynamic Europe
by Gustav Horn In the latest in our ‘Europe2025’ series, Gustav Horn focuses on macroeconomic institutional reforms for crisis-proofing and a programme of investment to engender vital public goods. After the European Parliament elections, it is time to decide how…
Sustainable development needs fundamental governance changes
New York, 8 July 2019: “The world is off-track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most governments have failed to turn the transformational vision of the 2030 Agenda into real transformational policies. Even worse, xenophobia and authoritarianism are on…
US to enlist military allies in Gulf and Yemen waters
Dhaka, Jul 10 (UNB) – A senior general has said the US wants to create an international military coalition to safeguard waters around Iran and Yemen, reports the BBC. Marine General Joseph Dunford said he wanted to “ensure freedom of…
Signing bar: Khaleda Zia’s legal notice to Home Secretary
Dhaka, July 9 – Former prime minister Khaleda Zia on Tuesday sent legal notices to five persons, including the Home Secretary, for not allowing her to sign the power of attorney. Khaleda’s lawyer Barrister Kayser Kamal sent the notice to…
Bill extending the life of Speedy Trial up to 2024 passed
Dhaka, Jul 9 – The Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed in Parliament on Tuesday for extending its validity till 2024. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote.…
Some OCs, DCs consider themselves supreme: Observes HC
Dhaka, July 09 – “Some officers-in-charge (OCs) and Deputy Commissioners (DCs) thought that they are the supreme authority. It seems they are all in all,” an HC bench comprising Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Khizir Hayat made the…
Shujan demands Supreme Judicial Council probe 100pc voting
Dhaka, July 09 – Terming the 100 percent vote cast in 213 centres in the 11th parliamentary polls as ‘illogical and unusual’, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) Tuesday demanded the Judicial Supreme Council (JSC) to investigate the irregularities and to bring…
Imam of mosque ‘missing’ for 19 days in Shariatpur
Shariatpur, July 9 (UNB) – The imam of a local mosque in Zanjira upazila reportedly remained missing for the last 19 days. The victim is Faridul Islam, 45, imam of Moralkandi mosque in the upazila and son of late Ershad…
BNP accuses govt of politicising, controlling judiciary
Dhaka, July 8 (UNB) – BNP on Monday alleged that the government is controlling the judiciary through its politicisation for hanging onto power. “Since it came to power in 2008, Awami League politicised the judiciary in a cunning way to…
Of leaders then and now
By Issa Sikiti da Silva Cotonou, Benin, Jul 8 2019 (IPS) – Richard Dossevi parks his motorcycle taxi on one of the busiest street corners in Cotonou, Benin’s commercial capital, to wait for commuters amid the summer heat. It has…
Floating body of missing poultry trader found in Sirajganj
Sirajganj, July 9 – A poultry trader was found dead in Shahjadpur Upazila on Monday, a day after he went missing. Police recovered the floating body of Dabir Mollah, 60, son of late Tahaj Mollah of Jotpara village in the…
Steps taken to make Bangladesh capital market vibrant: PM
Dhaka, Jul 8 – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said her government has taken various steps to ensure a vibrant capital market that will supplement its efforts to make Bangladesh a developed country by the year 2041. “Various measures…
Bangladesh national killed in BSF firing
Dhaka, July 08 – A Bangladesh national was shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in Indian territory across Kiranganj frontier in Chapainawabganj district on Sunday night. The dead body was supposed to be of Dulal Uddin, 18, son…
SC stays HC bar on BB’s special concession to loan defaulters
Dhaka, July 08 – The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday stayed for two months a High Court order that imposed a status-quo on a Bangladesh Bank circular that had allowed special concession for loan defaulters by rescheduling…
Bullet-hit body of rape accused killed in gunfight recovered
Police on Sunday recovered the bullet-pierced body of Abdur Nur, 25, who was accused of rape of a girl while returning from her workplace from Korean Export Processing Zone (EPZ) under Karnaphuli Upazila in Chittagong. He was the son of…
Minor Sayma rape-murder: Prime suspect held in Comilla
Dhaka, July 7 (UNB) – Detectives in a drive in Cumilla on Sunday arrested the prime suspect in the killing of six-year-old girl Samia Afrin Sayma after rape in Dhaka’s Wari area. They arrested Harun-Or-Rashid, a painter by profession, from Darbardanga…
Kushtia rape victim forced to detail in public; video goes viral
Kushtia, July 7 – The video clip of a mentally-challenged teenage rape victim being harassed publicly by arbitrators in the name of settling the issue in Khoksa Upazila has gone viral, triggering public outcry. Although six days have elapsed since…
Crimes mark a sharp rise for law-and-order downslide: BNP
Dhaka, July 6 (UNB) – BNP on Saturday alleged that the incidents of killing, rape and other social crimes marked a sharp rise due to serious slide in law-and-order situation. “They (govt) have created an anarchic situation across the country…
Cornered BNP to join local body polls sans party symbol
Dhaka, July 5 (UNB) – BNP on Friday decided to participate in the upcoming local body elections without using its election symbol, ‘the sheaf of paddy’. The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s standing committee members at…
AL doesn’t support extra-judicial killing, says Obaidul Quader
Dhaka, July 05 – Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday said the government doesn’t support extra-judicial killing. Referring to a High Court the AL general secretary came up with the statement at a press conference at the party president…
Expats seek ‘protection’ first to invest in Bangladesh
Dhaka, July 5 (UNB) – Bangladeshi expatriates will invest back at home provided the government ensures an environment free from any kind of unnecessary harassments, says a Bangladeshi community leader in the Thai city of Pattaya. “I personally think Bangladeshi…
Three-year-old girl latest Philippines ‘drug war’ victim
UN Human Rights Council Should Adopt Resolution to Stop Carnage On Sunday, a 3-year-old girl became the latest casualty of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs,” which has killed thousands over the past three years. Myka Ulpina died after…
Writ challenging legality of gas price hike filed
Dhaka, July 04 – A writ petition was filed yesterday with the High Court challenging the legality of government notification of increasing the gas price without giving any prior notice. Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Eunus Ali Akond filed the writ…
Bandwidth limits of GP and Robi reduced for dues nonpayment
Dhaka, July 04 – The government has reduced the bandwidth capacities of two telecom operators Grameenphone (GP) and Robi as they did not pay its due amount to the government. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BRTC) instructed the country’s five…
Turning the tide on violence and harassment at work
by Rothna Begum The #MeToo movement raised global awareness about the experience of harassment at work—now we have a potentially far-reaching ILO convention to combat the phenomenon. ‘This is a historic day.’ The words sent a shiver down my spine,…
ICC for judicial backing to probe crimes against Rohingyas
Dhaka, July 4 – The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday requested its Judges to authorise an investigation into alleged crimes like deportation, other inhumane acts and persecution committed against Rohingyas from Myanmar. As Myanmar is not…
Country in grip of judicial anarchy: Fakhrul
Dhaka, July 4 – Voicing surprise over the Pabna court’s verdict against their party men, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday alleged that the country is going through a judicial anarchy. “The entire nation has got surprised…