Thirteen western countries on Wednesday jointly issued guidelines for Bangladeshi citizens urging them to follow official procedures and avoid non-authorised channels when seeking visa and other consular services. Use of fraud documents, unlicensed agents and offices could lead to delays in visa processing, financial loss, refusal at border entry points and serious legal consequences, the countries warned in the guidelines. ...

A Dhaka courton Wednesday ordered the seizure of tax files of former Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judgr Md Sabbir Faiz passed the order, allowing a plea of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The petition stated that accused Asaduzzaman Noor, while serving as a Member of Parliament and a minister, allegedly abused his authority with dishonest intent ...

Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam at the latter’s office on Wednesday. During the meeting, the ambassador congratulated the state minister on assuming office and expressed Italy’s confidence in further advancing the longstanding and friendly relations between the two countries. Both sides noted the steady growth of ...

The Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2026, issued by the interim government to ban the activities of the Awami League, has been passed in the National Parliament. The bill was approved by a voice vote during Wednesday’s afternoon sitting. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed tabled the bill in the House, where it was subsequently passed with majority support. As a result, the ban ...

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday reaffirmed that his government is committed to expanding women’s education, ensuring women empowerment and equal opportunities in education. “The current government is committed to expand women’s education and ensure empowerment and equal access to education for women…The government is positively considering the nationalisation of one women’s college in every upazila sadar to achieve this ...

The US military has paused its strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump announced he has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran in a last-minute offramp, allowing him to delay his threat to obliterate Iran’s power grid and bridges. Trump said the proposal, extended by Pakistan, would include opening the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of ...

Reform UK has said it would deny new visas to people from countries seeking slavery reparations from Britain, if it formed the next government. Nigel Farage’s party said this would apply to any country developing a formal approach and the ban would cover all visa types, including ones for visitors and work. Britain transported an estimated three million African people ...

Resident doctors in England have begun a six-day strike, their 15th in a long-running dispute over pay. The strike began at 07:00 BST on Tuesday and promises to cause significant disruption to services, with resident doctors (formerly called junior doctors) making up nearly half of the medical workforce in the NHS. Senior medics are being drafted in to provide cover ...

Six million voters, more than 1,800 councillors across 32 boroughs. The simple numbers behind what could be one of London’s most complicated elections. On 7 May every council in the capital will go to the polls to decide who will run their authorities over the next four years. And no longer, it seems, can Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal ...

The Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday passed the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Bill, 2026, regarded as a landmark piece of legislation aimed at the protection, conservation, and sustainable development of the country’s unique haor ecosystems and wetlands. Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee placed the bill in the House which was later passed by voice vote with Speaker Hafiz ...