Author: PV Desk

Ekushey Padak-winning television and theater actor Jamal Uddin Hossain has passed away. He was 81. The veteran actor breathed his last at a hospital in Calgary, Canada on Friday, according to family sources. He will be buried there on Saturday after Zuhr prayers. Jamal Uddin, a member of the Nagorik Natya Sampradaya, started acting in theater in the mid-1970s. He later worked in television dramas and films. For the past 15 years, he had been irregular in acting and had been living in the United States for the past 7 years.

Bangladesh’s position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2024 has slipped by three notches. According to the latest report published on Friday, Bangladesh scored 19.4, ranking 84th among 127 nations against last year’s 81st position with a score of 19. The level of hunger has been classified as “moderate.” The decline in the ranking this year points to increased hunger, particularly among children, with many suffering from acute malnutrition. The GHI evaluates nations based on four key indicators: malnutrition levels, child stunting, wasting, and mortality. Lower scores indicate better performance. In Bangladesh, 11.9% of children are malnourished, and 2.9% of…

The government is going to impose a 22-day ban on hilsa fishing from Saturday midnight. Hilsa catching, selling and transportation will remain prohibited during the period to ensure the safe spawning of the national fish of Bangladesh during its peak breeding period. The ban will remain in place till November 3. On September 22, the government announced to impose a 22-day ban on Hilsa fishing from October 13. Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said the decision to ban catching, selling, hoarding and transporting Hilsa was taken from a meeting held on that day.…

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Friday emphasised that the Communist Party of China (CPC) has long maintained friendly relations with all major political parties in Bangladesh. He expressed China’s willingness to further strengthen exchanges on governance under the new circumstances, enhance personnel training, and promote cooperation across various fields, advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership for the benefit of both people. Ambassador Yao met separately with Golam Akbar Khandkar, Adviser to BNP Chairperson and the BNP’s regional leader for Chattogram and Muhammad Shahjahan, Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and regional leader for Chattogram. The regional leaders of…

PV Desk Legal experts, ICT sector representatives, and media professionals have emphasized the need to protect citizens’ freedom of expression and national security, calling for urgent amendments to the Cyber Security Law, 2023. At a roundtable titled “Cyber Security Act: Balancing Security and Freedom of Expression,” organized by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB) and Anwar Technologies at the BRAC Inn Center in Mohakhali, experts noted that while it is essential to protect the country’s digital infrastructure, ensure online transaction security, and combat cybercrime, national security with citizens’ rights also need to be balanced. Distinguished guests at the…

PV Desk Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Tuesday said the government is not sure about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s whereabouts though they checked in New Delhi and the United Arab Emirates. “We could not be sure about her position. We inquired in Delhi and the United Arab Emirates. Nobody could confirm us,” he told reporters, adding that like the media they have also seen claims of her travel to the UAE. Referring to the media, he said she is possibly in Ajman but they have not been successful in their attempts to reconfirm it. “As far as…

PV Desk The overall reading suggests gradual improvement in the economy compared to last month as things normalize despite some disruptions and challenges facing the country, according the Bangladesh Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) for the month of September. However, it said, the economy is still in contraction mode for three consecutive months now, and far from vibrancy seen in pre-July period. Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka and Policy Exchange Bangladesh (PEB) released the Bangladesh Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) September report on October 7 and shared it with the media on Tuesday. In terms of the future business…

The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to two scientists, Geoffrey Hinton and John Hopfield, for their work on machine learning. British-Canadian Professor Hinton is sometimes referred to as the “Godfather of AI” and said he was flabbergasted. He resigned from Google in 2023, and has warned about the dangers of machines that could outsmart humans. The announcement was made by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden. American Professor John Hopfield, 91, is a professor at Princeton University in the US, and Prof Hinton, 76, is a professor at University of Toronto…

PV Desk Bangladesh’s interim leader has refused to give a time frame for elections following the ouster of his autocratic predecessor, saying in an interview published on Tuesday that reforms are needed before polls. Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus was appointed the country’s “chief advisor” after the student-led uprising that toppled ex-premier Sheikh Hasina in August. The 84-year-old microfinance pioneer is helming a temporary administration, to tackle what he has called the “extremely tough” challenge of restoring democratic institutions. “None of us are aiming at staying for a prolonged time,” Yunus said of his caretaker government, in an interview…

PV Desk During a dialogue with Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus today (October 5), BNP presented several demands, including a clear election roadmap.  They also called for the removal of “one or two” members of the interim government, legal action against former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque, the dismissal of “partisan judges” from the High Court, and the cancellation of certain bureaucratic contractual appointments. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was briefing the reporters after BNP’s dialogue with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the Chief Adviser’s official residence, state guesthouse Jamuna. Fakhrul led a six-member party delegation at…