Author: AFP
The United States said Wednesday that its government vessels would sail for free through the Panama Canal following heavy pressure from President Donald Trump, but authorities at the waterway swiftly issued a denial. “US government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year,” the State Department said in a post on social media platform X. It was the first public announcement of promises hinted at by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said that Panama offered concessions during his talks on Sunday. The Panama Canal…
Actress Meher Afroz Shaon was arrested today in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka by the Detective Branch (DB) of Police. Rezaul Karim Mallick, Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed the arrest, stating that Shaon is being held on charges of conspiring against the state. When questioned about whether a formal case had been filed, Mallick mentioned that details would be disclosed later. According to a notification from the DMP media wing, Shaon has been taken to the DB office for further questioning.
The Shipping Advisor, retired Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hossain, faced a protest from port workers during his visit to the Chittagong Port’s car shed on Thursday morning (February 6). As he entered the car shed, leaders and activists from the port workers surrounded him, expressing their frustration. The workers wanted to discuss with the advisor the issue of privatizing the port’s CCT and NCT yards. They accused the port authorities of obstructing their attempts to meet with the advisor regarding this matter. Ibrahim Khokon, the chief coordinator of the Chittagong Port Nationalist Workers’ Party, explained, “The CCT and…
The Government of Bangladesh has decided to award the prestigious Ekushey Padak 2025 to 14 distinguished citizens and the Bangladesh Women’s National Football Team, in recognition of their significant contributions to various fields, including the Language Movement, arts, literature, and more. The names of the nominees for the ‘Ekushey Padak’ were announced on Thursday by the Ministry of Culture. The recipients of this year’s ‘Ekushey Padak’ include: In the field of Film: Azizur Rahman (posthumously) In the field of Music: Ustad Nirad Baran Barua (posthumously) and Ferdous Ara In the field of Photography: Nasir Ali Mamun In the…
The recent vandalism at House No. 32 in Dhanmondi has been deemed an unwanted and unexpected incident. The public’s deep anger, triggered by provocative statements made by fugitive Sheikh Hasina against the July uprising while in India, has found its expression through this act. On Thursday (February 6), an official statement from the Interim Government revealed this information. The statement mentioned that there had been no attacks or destruction at House No. 32 in the past six months, but the incident occurred following Sheikh Hasina’s controversial remarks. The statement elaborated on two main points raised by the fugitive…
The Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal protest with the Indian Acting High Commissioner in Dhaka, urging India to prevent ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently in India, from making statements perceived as harmful to Bangladesh. On Thursday (February 6), Interim Government’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Mohammad Touhid Hossain, shared the information with journalists. Touhid Hossain stated that Bangladesh had formally requested India to urge Sheikh Hasina to refrain from making statements that could negatively affect the country. “We have not received a response yet,” he said, adding that due to recent developments, Bangladesh once again…
Dhaka stocks continued their gaining streak for the sixth consecutive day despite experiencing lower turnover than the previous day. DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, gained 9.11 points, or 0.17 percent, to close at 5,179.17. Among the traded securities, 195 advanced, 147 declined, and 53 remained unchanged. Despite posting gains, turnover declined more than 8 percent to Tk 429.65 crore at the end of today’s trading. Metro Spinning topped the gainers’ list, surging 10 percent, while Khulna Printing & Packaging saw the biggest drop, falling over 9 percent.
Authorities at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet intercepted 7.5kg of gold and arrested two passengers earlier today. The gold was discovered during a joint operation by the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and Customs Intelligence. The gold was concealed in various items, including a portable fan and a rechargeable light, within the luggage of two passengers arriving on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG 252 from Sharjah at 8:30 am. According to Bikash Chandra Debnath, Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Excise, and VAT, the gold was found in 120 thin bars and four spherical pieces during a baggage inspection triggered by…
In a major development, the interim government of Bangladesh has initiated a process to rename educational institutions, including schools, colleges, madrasas, and research organizations, named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her family members. This follows the earlier decision to change the names of 13 government universities bearing her family name. According to sources within the Ministry of Education, a similar move will now affect various institutions across the country, with the aim to remove names linked to Sheikh Hasina, her family, and individuals associated with the 1971 genocide. Officials from the education sector have stated that a nationwide…
A violent unfolded on Wednesday night at the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, located at Dhanmondi 32, as protesters broke into the house, vandalized the premises, and set parts of it on fire. The disturbance escalated as agitated students gathered in front of the house, chanting various slogans. Around evening on Wednesday, a large crowd of students began to congregate in front of the house. As time passed, the crowd swelled. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Give the news to all, bury Mujibism,” “Delhi or Dhaka, Dhaka Dhaka,” “Give the news to all, bury the Awami League,” and “Down…