Author: UNB

Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, a renowned Bangladeshi musicologist and author, passed away at a hospital in the capital on Saturday. He was 87. Abbasi, who had been suffering from various old age complications, breathed his last at a hospital at Banani in the morning, according to family sources. He is survived by wife, two daughters and host of relatives and well-wishers. Abbasi, son of folk singer-composer Abbas Uddin Ahmed, was born on December 8, 1936. His eldest brother Mustafa Kamal was the Chief Justice of Bangladesh and his sister Ferdousi Rahman is a renowned singer. As of…

Protesters from the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement and the National Citizen Party (NCP) staged demonstration in Chattogram, calling for the Awami League to be banned as a “terrorist organization.” The protest began around midnight on Thursday at ‘Gulzar Mor’ in the city’s Chawkbazar area, where demonstrators gathered for a rally. By early Friday morning, they had moved to No. 2 Gate area, continuing the demonstration by blocking key roads. From there they formed a road blockade and chanted slogans demanding the ruling party’s ban. Protesters were heard shouting slogans such as, “No place for Awami League in my…

A new political platform, United People’s Bangladesh (UP Bangladesh), was officially launched on Friday afternoon at the Central Shaheed Minar of the capital. “The platform aims to function as a political pressure group rooted in the ideals of the July Uprising,” its leaders said during the launch. The platform has expressed solidarity with the ongoing NCP-led push demanding a ban on Awami League, and announced its participation in the ongoing road blockade at Shahbagh intersection to press home the demand. Ali Ahsan Zonaed, a key figure of the July Uprising and former president of the Dhaka University…

Amid ongoing protests in Dhaka calling for a ban on the ruling Awami League, senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan has stated that it is the people—not the BNP—who hold the authority to determine the party’s political future. Speaking at a media briefing on Friday following a meeting between BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and representatives from the US-based Carter Center, Khan emphasized that the decision to ban any political party does not lie with the BNP. “It is not for the BNP to decide whether the Awami League should be banned. That decision rests with…

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul has said the law will be no problem in banning Awami League as there are some laws, including the Anti-Terrorism Act, for banning the party. “We (advisers) have no disagreement on the issue of taking action against the Awami League. However, everyone can have their own opinion on the method. We need to remember that if we want, we can amend the ICT Act within a few days. There are other laws, including the Anti-Terrorism Act, to ban the Awami League. So, the law is not a problem,” he said in…

Protesters blocked the Shahbagh intersection around 4:40 pm on Friday, demanding a ban on the Awami League (AL), vowing to continue their sit-in until their demands are met. The announcement was made by Hasnat Abdullah, chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP) for the southern region, during a rally held in front of the InterContinental Hotel. “Our demand has not reached the ears of the interim government,” Hasnat declared at around 4:30 pm. “So we are leaving the rally venue and heading towards Shahbagh. We will not leave until our demand is fulfilled,” he asserted. Shortly…

Professor Muhammad Yunus is prioritizing efforts to attract direct foreign investment to Bangladesh, according to Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser. Speaking at a meeting at the Chattogram Port on Thursday, Alam said that Professor Yunus is actively engaging with major global investors and stakeholders who are well-informed about Bangladesh’s economic landscape. “Wherever he goes, Professor Yunus is meeting with top investors and discussing how they can be encouraged to invest in Bangladesh,” said Alam. “For the past two to three decades, we’ve aspired to bring in foreign investment but haven’t achieved our goals. As a result,…

Chattogram Port Authority has undertaken a series of ambitious initiatives aimed at significantly enhancing the port’s capacity and operational efficiency to remain competitive in the global market, said Rear Admiral SM Muniruzzaman, Chairman of Chattogram Port. Speaking at an event at the port on Thursday, the chairman emphasized the importance of long-term strategic planning to meet the demands of a competitive international logistics landscape. “To thrive in a competitive market, Chattogram Port must enhance its capacity and efficiency. We’ve already implemented several multidimensional plans, and while you’re beginning to see the benefits, more long-term strategies are essential,” he said.…

Global shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk is likely to invest approximately $800 million in developing a state-of-the-art container terminal at Chattogram Port, according to the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA). BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud revealed the potential investment during a visit to the proposed site of the ‘Laldia Container Terminal’ in Patenga on Wednesday. The terminal, to be built on 32 acres of land, is planned to include three jetties stretching 616 metres. “This will be a modern, environmentally sustainable ‘green port’ and the entire cost—around $800 million—would come through foreign direct investment (FDI), with no financial…

India today claimed its armed forces struck and “successfully destroyed” nine “terrorist camps” in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in response to a deadly attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, two weeks ago. At a joint press briefing at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said, “Operation Sindoor was launched by the Indian armed forces to deliver justice to the victims of Pahalgam terror attack and their families. Nine terrorist camps were targeted and successfully destroyed.” Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, also present at the briefing,…