STOCKHOLM, May 17 2019 (IPS) – I want to talk about peacebuilding and inclusive peace. My main point is that peace begins in the minds of people, and people, communities, societies must be allowed to participate in peace for it to…
Category: Governance
6 BD policemen closed in Natore for destroying 35,000 eggs
Natore, May 18 – Six policemen have been closed for destroying more than 35,000 eggs in Boraigram Upazila allegedly after the egg trader refused to pay them a bribe. Jahangir Hossain, superintendent of Bogura Highway Police, said that the decision…
Suspected drug trader killed in Cox’s Bazar ‘gunfight’
Cox’s Bazar, May 18 – A suspected drug trader was killed in a ‘gunfight’ with police at Shahporir Dwip Jhaubon in Teknaf Upazila early Saturday. The deceased was identified as Md Ibrahim, son of Nurul Amin of Mistri Para area…
India’s ruling party takes election battle to West Bengal
India, May 17 (AP/UNB) — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken his ruling party’s fight to the state of West Bengal, where it hopes to retain a majority in staggered general elections concluding this week. The battle pits Modi’s…
BNP leader Pintu charged in theft case
Dhaka, May 17: Prime accused in 21 August grenade attack case BNP central vice chairman and ex-deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu charged in theft case in a court in Tangail on May 16. Salam Pintu was brought to Tangail court…
3 alleged human trafficking syndicate members held
Dhaka, May 17 – The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three members a human trafficking syndicate masquerading as “travel agents” from different places in Dhaka. The law enforcers have launched a country-wide crackdown on human traffickers after dozens of Bangladeshis…
Gambia to help take Rohingya issue to Int’l Court of Justice
Dhaka, May 17 – Gambia is working actively to take the issue of the Rohingya persecution to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for bringing the Myanmar government under accountability for their atrocities committed on the Rohingya people in Rakhine…
Saudis blame Iran for drone attack amid calls for US strikes
Dubai, May 17 (AP/UNB) — Saudi Arabia accused Tehran of being behind a drone strike that shut down a key oil pipeline in the kingdom, and a newspaper close to the palace called for Washington to launch “surgical” strikes on…
Facebook busts Israel-based campaign to disrupt elections
Jerusalem, May 17 (AP/UNB) — Facebook said Thursday it banned an Israeli company that ran an influence campaign aimed at disrupting elections in various countries and has canceled dozens of accounts engaged in spreading disinformation. Nathaniel Gleicher, Facebook’s head of…
Chittagong Jubo Dal man stabbed to death by political rival
Chattogram, May 17 – An activist of opposition BNP associate Judo Dal was stabbed to death allegedly by the activists of local Awami League over previous enmity at East Muradpur Delipara in Sitakunda Upazila early Friday. The deceased was identified…
SC criticises HC bench, cancels its order: AG for action
Dhaka, May 16 – The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed graved concerned against a High Court bench for giving an unprecedented order relating to a civil case. The seven members bench of the Appellate Division head by chief justice Syed…
Licences of 2 more food factories cancelled, 25 suspended
Dhaka, May 16 – The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) on Thursday cancelled licences of two more factory units for their substandard chilly power and vermicelli, and suspended licences of 25 more factory units for marketing their substandard products…
A step forward in UN’s efforts against rape as weapon of war
By Rene Wadlow On Tuesday, 23 April 2019, the United Nations Security Council voted resolution N° 2467 concerning the use of rape as a weapon in times of armed conflict. This resolution builds on an earlier resolution of 24 June…
High Court tells of negligence in making Dhaka City livable
Dhaka, May 15 (UNB) – Apparently expressing its displeasure over air pollution, mosquito menace and repeated digging of roads in the capital, the High Court on Wednesday said two city corporations have negligence to make Dhaka as a liveable city.…
BD Standards Institution cancels licence of 25 food products
Dhaka, May 15 -The Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI) pn Wednesday cancelled and suspended licenses of a total of 25 products of 22 companies for their failure to come up with answers against the show cause notices served by…
Mother, son found dead in Natore
Natore, May 15 (UNB) – A woman and her son were found dead in Naldanga upazila on Wednesday morning. The deceased were identified as Halima Akter, 25, wife of Mahamul Islam Munna and their two-year-old son Abdullah. Munna works at…
Sri Lankan gov’t minister: At least 1 Muslim killed in riots
Colombo, May 14 (AP/UNB) — Mob attacks on Muslim communities in Sri Lanka’s northwest have left one person dead and dozens of shops and mosques destroyed, a government minister said Tuesday, as communal violence worsened in the wake of Easter…
Satellite images show no major damage to ‘sabotaged’ ships
Dubai, May 14 (AP/UNB) — Four oil tankers anchored in the Mideast were damaged by what Gulf officials described as sabotage, though satellite images obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday showed no major visible damage to the vessels. Details…
‘Restore democracy to celebrate 50th year of liberation’
Dhaka, May 14 – Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain on Tuesday said a democratic atmosphere and the rule of law are necessary to restore people’s ownership of the country. “We want to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence…
Stop playing with Khaleda’s life: BNP
Dhaka, May 14 – Opposing the government’s move to shift Khaleda Zia to Keraniganj Jail, BNP on Tuesday urged the government to stop its ‘dirty game’ over the life of its ailing chairperson. “After returning home from London, the Prime…
WhatsApp discovers spyware that infected with a call alone
Spyware crafted by an “advanced cyber actor” infected multiple targeted mobile phones through the popular WhatsApp communications program without any user intervention through in-app voice calls, the company said. The Financial Times identified the actor as Israel’s NSO Group, and…
Clues emerge in ‘missing’ ocean plastics conundrum
It’s a puzzle that has perplexed scientists for years: humanity dumps millions of tonnes of plastics into the world’s oceans annually, yet only a tiny fraction remains visible on the surface. Now an international team of researchers believe they may…
2 Rohingyas, drug suspect killed in Cox’s Bazar ‘gunfights’
Cox’s Bazar, May 14 – Three people, including two Rohingya men, were killed in separate ‘gunfights’ in the Chittagong Sadar and Teknaf Upazilas early Tuesday. The Rohingya ‘human traffickers’ were killed in an alleged gunfight with police on the Marine…
BNP to contest by-poll in Fakhrul’s vacated seat
Dhaka, May 14 — BNP is going to participate in the by-election to Bogura-6 parliamentary seat, which fell vacant afte party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir decided not to take oath of office. At a meeting of the BNP-led…
Rule of law collapsed for impunity culture: Gono Forum
Dhaka, May 13 – Voicing deep concern over the ‘unusual’ rise in the incidents of rape, Gono Forum on Monday said the rule of law has collapsed in the country due to the prevailing culture of impunity. At a meeting…
24 travel agencies fined in Sylhet for irregularities
Sylhet, May 13 (UNB) – A mobile court here on Monday fined 24 travel agencies a combined Tk 4.75 lakh for various irregularities and not having legal papers. Five teams led by five executive magistrates conducted drives against illegal travel…
Return Manna’s passport for 3 months: SC asks CMM court
Dhaka, May 13 -The Appellate division on Monday ordered the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court to return Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna’s passport for three months. Besides, the apex court ordered Manna to surrender the passport within three weeks…
Keraniganj jail building declared court for Khaleda trial
Dhaka, May 13 – The government has decided to hold the trial of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia in 17 cases inside the Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj after setting up a makeshift court there. The Law Ministry issued separate gazette…
2 Saudi oil tankers damaged by sabotage attacks
Fujairah, May 13 (AP/UNB) — Saudi Arabia said Monday two of its oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in attacks that caused “significant damage” to the vessels, one of them as it was en…
Double life sentence for rape, burning victim to death
Cumilla, May 13 (UNB)— A man was sentenced to two life terms in prison on Monday for raping a girl on false promise of marriage and burning her to death when she was pregnant. Cumilla Women and Children Repression Prevention…