The government is targeting a significant expansion of Bangladesh’s tourism sector, aiming to raise its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) to around 6-7% from the current 2-3%, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Saturday. He made the remarks while addressing the “Beautiful Bangladesh Run 2026 (Season-2)” at Hatirjheel, where he attended as chief ...

A total of 32,532 Bangladeshi pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia on 81 flights since the start of Hajj operations, according to the latest Hajj bulletin released on Saturday. The Ministry of Religious Affairs released the update through its Hajj management bulletin, which tracks flights and pilgrim movement. Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated 33 flights and transported 13,684 pilgrims. Saudia operated 30 ...

Road, Rail and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam has said that bus fares have not been increased, but rather “adjusted,” adding that no complaints have been received regarding the fares. He made the remarks while speaking to journalists in the capital on Saturday (April 25). The minister said that if fuel prices decrease, fares will also be reduced accordingly. “A ...

Masum Mostofa, the member of parliament from Netrokona-5 (Purbadhala), was attacked, his car vandalised, and he was briefly held hostage on Friday evening. The incident occurred around 6:00pm at Giripath Filling Station in the Atkapara area on the Shyamganj–Birishiri road. Police later rescued the MP at approximately 7:30pm. According to local sources, the filling station had stopped supplying fuel after ...

Bangladesh has faced a significant setback in revenue collection during the first nine months of the current 2025–26 fiscal year (July 2025–March 2026), with a shortfall of nearly Tk98,000 crore, according to the latest data released by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The deficit already exceeds the entire shortfall of the previous fiscal year by Tk5,364 crore. In FY ...

Tehran has made exceptions for some countries, including Russia, on tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s ambassador to Moscow said Friday, reports Anadolu Ajansi. Kazem Jalali told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Iran is seeking to apply exemptions for “friendly countries, such as Russia.” “I don’t know what will happen in the future,” he said. “However, ...

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Bangladesh as being at high risk for measles outbreaks following a sharp rise in infections and related fatalities across the country. In a comprehensive risk assessment report released on Thursday, the UN health agency expressed deep concern over the escalating health crisis and urged the government to implement immediate countermeasures to curb the ...

Bangladesh’s foreign exchange reserves have risen to $35.12 billion, according to the latest data released by Bangladesh Bank on Thursday. The central bank also reported that, under the International Monetary Fund’s BPM-6 accounting standard, the country’s reserves stand at $30.48 billion. The BPM-6 method provides a more transparent calculation by excluding certain short-term liabilities, offering a clearer picture of usable ...

Several political figures and activists, including former Jubo Dal central organising secretary Ishaq Sarker, content creator Nuruzzaman Kafi, social activist Mohiuddin Rony and Fersamin Haque Iqbal, granddaughter of Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq, joined the Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) on Friday. They formally joined the party at a ceremony held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers in the capital, where NCP ...

Bangladesh has called for urgent global efforts to address the growing financing gap for sustainable development and ensure a fairer international financial system, while also seeking a smooth transition from its Least Developed Country (LDC) status. The appeal was made by Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury during the general debate of the ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum 2026 held at the United ...