Author: Al Jazeera
The United Nations has kept Israel on its “blacklist” of countries committing abuses against children in armed conflict for a second straight year, as its war on Gaza continues for nearly 20 months. The listing on Thursday came as the UN said in a new report that violence against children in conflict zones reached “unprecedented levels” in 2024, with the highest number of violations committed in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank by the Israeli army. The annual report on Children in Armed Conflict detailed “a staggering” 25 percent surge globally in grave violations against children…
Bangladesh archer Abdur Rahman Alif bagged the gold medal in the men’s recurve individual event of Asia Cup Stage-2, beating Japanese archer Miyata Gakuto 6-4 in the gold-deciding match in Singapore on Friday. The former national champion took a 4-0 lead after winning the first two sets by 28-27 and 29-28, before the Japanese archer bounced back strongly to level the set points at 4-4 by winning the third and fourth sets 28-27 and 27-26. The final rolled into the fifth and deciding set, where Alif kept his nerve to win 29-26, claiming his maiden international individual medal…
BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Friday called upon the interim government to intensify diplomatic efforts and mount pressure on Myanmar for the safe and dignified repatriation of the Rohingyas who took shelter in Bangladesh fleeing persecution. In a Facebook post marking World Refugee Day, he stressed the urgency of resolving what he termed one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises. “We urge the interim government to intensify diplomatic efforts and put sustained pressure on Myanmar for the safe, dignified, and voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas.” The BNP leader urged the international community to hold all parties…
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has said every country needs accurate hydrographic data for development. “The Bay of Bengal is very important for Bangladesh’s national economy, security and environmental balance. Not only Bangladesh, but also neighbouring countries are largely dependent on the Bay of Bengal for their economic prosperity. There is no alternative to accurate hydrographic information for development of the national economy,” he said. The Chief Adviser said this in a message on the occasion of the World Hydrography Day 2025 to be observed on Saturday. The Chief Adviser said the interim government is working with…
Residents across Chattogram city are facing severe hardship due to a sudden disruption in gas supply, caused by adverse weather conditions affecting the national grid. The unexpected outage, which came without prior notice, left households without gas from early Thursday morning, severely impacting daily life and prompting frustration among citizens. From early morning, households in areas including Kattoli, Khulshi, Agrabad, Halishahar, Bahaddarhat, Chandgaon, Mohora, Bakalia, Chawkbazar, and Muradpur reported a complete lack of gas. With stoves rendered inoperable, many residents were forced to rely on local tea stalls and restaurants for breakfast and lunch, leading to overcrowding and…
The Election Commission has decided to prohibit the use of posters in the next national election as part of efforts to make campaigns more environment-friendly and disciplined. Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah made the announcement following the EC’s seventh meeting held around 3:00pm at its headquarters in Dhaka. “Billboards were not used in the past, but they are being introduced now. The proposal to ban the use of posters also came from the reform commission, and we have agreed with it. We are in consensus on eliminating the use of posters,” he told reporters. He said banners,…
The government has decided to declare 5 August as a public holiday to mark the Student-People Uprising Day. The day will be officially celebrated every year. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Council of Advisers at the State Guest House Jamuna in Dhaka on Thursday. After the meeting, Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki revealed this information at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy. Farooqui said a preliminary decision has been taken today to celebrate 5 August as the Student-People Uprising Day. He said it will be passed in the cabinet…
The BNP and like-minded parties are at odds with other political parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, National Citizen Party, and Islami Andolon Bangladesh, over the proposal for forming a National Constitutional Council (NCC). According to reform proposals, the constitutional council would be an independent authority that will appoint key constitutional officeholders, including the chief election commissioner, Anti-Corruption Commission chairman, and members of the Public Service Commission. The goal is to reduce the executive’s unchecked authority and introduce institutional checks and balances. The issue dominated yesterday’s session of the second phase of the National Consensus Commission’s talks at the Foreign Service Academy…
Israel and Iran exchanged fire again on Wednesday, the sixth day of strikes in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East. Here are the latest developments: Trump on strikes, negotiations President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was considering whether the United States will join Israeli strikes on Iran and said that Tehran had reached out to seek negotiations on ending the conflict. “I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” Trump told reporters. “I can tell…
Rain is likely across most parts of Bangladesh over the next four to five days, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). Senior meteorologist Bazlur Rashid said this afternoon that the monsoon has now spread throughout the country. He also mentioned that a low-pressure area had formed in the southwestern regions, especially around Khulna and Satkhira, and has since moved toward Kolkata. Because of this, many parts of the country are already experiencing rain. “This rain could continue for four to five days,” Rashid said. “In some areas, heavy rain may fall for two to three…