A total of 1,519 independent Ebtedayee madrasas currently receiving grant support are set to be included under the government’s Monthly Pay Order (MPO) system, subject to meeting specific eligibility criteria. The government has issued a public notice inviting applications for inclusion in the MPO, contingent upon compliance with guidelines for establishing independent Ebtedayee madrasas and adherence to teaching recognition, administrative, ...

Hotel and restaurant owners in Dhaka have urged the government to repeal provisions allowing smoking zones in food outlets and amend the tobacco control law to create a completely smoke-free environment. The call was made at a discussion titled “Steps to Ensure 100% Smoke-Free Hotels and Restaurants for Public Health Protection”, organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) at the Dhaka ...

Most political parties in Bangladesh have expressed support in principle for establishing a bicameral parliament, with only minor objections from a few parties, said National Consensus Commission Vice Chair Ali Riaz. Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday afternoon following the commission’s second round of talks at Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Riaz said discussions covered the electoral process, including ...

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has questioned the very purpose of the ongoing national consensus talks, arguing there is little point in dialogue if parties are expected to fully accept all proposals put forward by the National Consensus Commission. Speaking to the media at Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Sunday after a daylong round of talks with the ...

China is planning to invite US President Donald Trump to a military parade scheduled for September 3 in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The United States, meanwhile, has proposed that Chinese President Xi Jinping visit the country during the same month, coinciding with a UN General Assembly meeting in New ...

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have crossed $31 billion for the first time in 24 months, buoyed by fresh inflows from multiple international lenders. According to the Bangladesh Bank, the gross reserves stood at $31.31 billion as of June 29 — the highest since June 2023. Under the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) method, which excludes ...

The World Environment Day was celebrated at Lauachhara National Parkin Moulvibazar district on Sunday in a befitting manner. A series of programmes were organised to mark the day under the theme “No More Plastic Pollution, Time to Act Is Now” aiming to raise awareness about environmental protection and pollution prevention. A rally was brought around 11:00 AM led by Assistant ...

Bangladesh women’s football team kicked off their AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign with a resounding 7-0 victory over Bahrain in Yangon, Myanmar on Sunday. The Tigresses held a dominant 5-0 lead at halftime, added two more goals in the second half to seal their dominating win. Despite Bahrain’s significantly higher FIFA ranking of 92 compared to Bangladesh’s 128, Bahrain ...

Bangladeshi social media personality Hero Alom is recovering after an apparent suicide attempt in Bogura, with his wife Riya Moni vowing to keep him well and protect their relationship. The incident came to light on June 27 when reports spread on social media that Hero Alom had tried to take his own life while visiting a friend’s house in Bhandarbaria ...

In a major effort to reduce harassment from arbitrary arrests and false cases, the government has approved changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Speaking at a press briefing held at the Foreign Service Academy following a meeting of the Advisory Council, Law Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul made the announcement on Sunday. Nazrul acknowledged that longstanding concerns over false ...