MNA National Desk: National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman Md Nojibur Rahman has been made the principal secretary to the prime minister. The public administration ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard on Sunday morning. Nojibur Rahman will replace Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury. Nojibur joined BCS administration cadre in 1982 and served as the environment and forests secretary, the statistics and informatics division secretary and the director general of Department of Environment prior to assuming office as the NBR chief. Moreover, additional secretary at local government division Nasreen Akhter has been made the acting secretary of the National Academy ...

MNA National Desk: The personal celebration of 31st night is also prohibited on the roofs of housing buildings, Commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Asaduzzaman Mia said this at a press conference at the DMP Media Center. Asaduzzaman said that all kinds of programs are prohibited in open places to celebrate the 31st night. Everything has to be inside upon permission, but not on the roofs. Regarding the security of the Dhaka University area, Commissioner Asaduzzaman said: “No vehicles will be allowed to enter the university premises, except those bearing the university sticker, after 8pm. Apart from Shahbagh and ...

MNA Business Desk: The Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)-2018 will begin at the ground on the west of Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city tomorrow (1 January). Prime minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the month-long 23rd trade fair organized jointly by the commerce ministry and Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). The authorities concerned have already completed all preparations to hold the fair on 31.53 acres of land in a peaceful atmosphere. A total of 520 stalls and pavilions, including 64 premium pavilions, 27 foreign pavilions and 8 mini foreign pavilions, have been constructed in ...

MNA International Desk: Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in a bid to reduce accidents, an official said Saturday. The cabinet late Thursday endorsed a revision to the Himalayan nation’s mountaineering regulations, banning solo climbers from its mountains — one of a string of measures being flagged ahead of the 2018 spring climbing season. Experienced Swiss climber Ueli Steck lost his life in April this year when he slipped and fell from a steep ridge during a solo acclimatisation climb to Nuptse, a peak neighbouring Everest. The ban is likely to anger elite solo ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: The results are out for the 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2017. The annual list was released by TC Candler and has been around since 1990. Taking the top spot this year is renowned Philippine celebrity and model Liza Soberano. The young actress has been starring in multiple television shows and movies since her breakthrough success in a local television show back in 2014. Soberano was followed by Thylane Blondeau and Tzuyu who bagged the second and third spots respectively. The list comprises of the most beautiful women across the globe; some of them well-known ...

MNA Science & Tech Desk: Google has blocked YouTube on Amazon’s Fire TV earlier than expected amid growing rivalry between the two tech giants as their businesses continue to overlap. The move is in retaliation for Amazon’s refusal to sell some Google products that compete with the retailer’s gadgets, and Fire TV devices now encourage people to access YouTube via one of the gadget’s web browsers instead, reported news agency. “YouTube and millions of other websites are accessible by using a web browser like Firefox or Silk on Fire TV,” Amazon was quoted as saying. Earlier this month, Google had ...

MNA Feature Desk: The 58th death anniversary of Abbasuddin Ahmed, one of the most celebrated voices in Bengali folk music, is being observed across the country. Bangladesh Television will broadcast the sole tribute show in the evening. It will be attended by Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, his youngest son, and Ferdausi Rahman, his daughter. Abbasuddin Ahmed was born in October 1901 at the Tufanganj subdivision of Cooch Behar in India. Originally a self-taught composer-singer, his formal education in music came in his later life, with Ustad Jamiruddin Khan. Abbasuddin Ahmed specialised in Bhawaiya songs but he was quite well-versed in other ...

MNA Education Desk: A total of 83.65 per cent students came out successful in this year’s Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dhakil Certificate (JDC) examinations, which is 9.41pc lower than that of the previous year. A total 191,628 students secured highest grade, GPA-5, this year. The number of GPA-5 holders in 2016 was 247,588. As many as 184,397 JSC students obtained GPA-5 and 7,231 JDC students got the highest grade. The pass rate in the JSC exam alone is 83.10 per cent while that in the JDC is 86.80 per cent. Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid handed over the ...

MNA Sports Desk: Australia captain Steve Smith tormented England with another century as the fourth Ashes Test ended in a frustrating draw for Joe Root’s side on a lifeless Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch on Saturday. Smith marched off unbeaten after a 275-ball knock of 102, having nudged Australia to 263 for four and a lead of 99 runs before the captains called it off midway through the final session. Number six batsman Mitchell Marsh was as stubborn as his captain, scoring 29 from 166 balls to protect his wicket through the last two sessions. With Man-of-the-Match Alastair Cook finding form ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will go to Jessore on Sunday to join the President Parade 2017 marking the commissioning of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) officers as well as to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 27 development projects. The Prime Minister will also address a public meeting at Jessore Eidgah Maidan in the afternoon. Sheikh Hasina will first attend the President Parade 2017 marking the commissioning of new Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) officers at the BAF Academy. In the afternoon, the premier will open and lay the foundation stones of 27 development schemes by unveiling their ...

MNA science & Tech Desk: A third source confirmed that Apple was in talks with SAGIA, Saudi Arabia’s foreign investment authority. Both companies already sell products in Saudi Arabia via third parties but they and other global tech giants have yet to establish a direct presence. Amazon’s discussions are being led by cloud computing division Amazon Web Services (AWS), which would introduce stiff competition in a market currently dominated by smaller local providers like STC and Mobily. Riyadh has been easing regulatory impediments for the past two years, including limits on foreign ownership which had long kept investors away, since ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: The government wants to send up to 100,000 Rohingya back to Myanmar in the first batch of repatriations of Muslims who fled ethnic violence this year, officials said Friday. Obaidul Quader said a list of 100,000 names was to be sent to Myanmar authorities on Friday so repatriations could start in late January under an accord between the two governments. More than 655,000 Rohingyas from Myanmar’s Rakhine state have sought refuge in Bangladesh since a military crackdown in late August, fleeing what the US and United Nations have described as ethnic cleansing. That added to more than ...

MNA Sports Desk: New Sri Lanka cricket coach Chandika Hathurusingha pledged to get tough with the under-performing national team-including banning music in training-while demanding “full control” over selection. With the 1996 World Cup winners coming to the end of their worst year in international cricket, Hathurusingha said he would impose strict discipline to make sure they are ready for the 2019 World Cup, reported news agency. Asked about reports that players were admonished for listening to music in practice, Hathurusingha said after his first training session with the team on Thursday: “If they are interested in music they will have ...

MNA Business Desk: Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation (BFDC) launched the country’s first specialised government fish market in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area. Its aim is to ensure marketing and sales of fish in hygienic environment in mega-city Dhaka that is faced with a variety of public health hazards, reports news agency. The market, the six-storied fisheries centre, has been constructed at a cost of Tk 7.3.9 million under a project titled Fish Marketing Facilities Installation, according to an official handout. There are 183 rooms, including 61 storage rooms, a bank and a restaurant in the specialised market styled “Dhaka Metropolitan Fish Marketing ...

MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: A three-day ‘Zainul Utsab’ began on Friday on the premises of the Faculty of Fine Arts (FFA) of Dhaka University, marking the 103rd birth anniversary of Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin. The programme began with placing wreaths on the mausoleum of the renowned painter Zainul Abedin early in the morning. Cultural affairs minister Asaduzzaman Noor inaugurated the three-day festival. Vice-chancellor of Dhaka University Akhtaruzzaman presided over the function. The festival includes painting exhibition, musical event, screening of films, documentary and dance performance, reported news agency. The festival will remain open from 10:00am to 8:00pm every day until ...

MNA National Desk: Two training aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) is believed to have crashed in Maheshkhali upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Wednesday evening. Fire broke out because of the collision of the planes carrying two persons each. Their wreckages fell down in two separate areas. Fire fighters were trying to douse the flames, local sources said. Assistant Director of Inter Services Public Relations Rezaul Karim said a Yeak-8 type BAF training aircrafts remained disconnected from the radar since 6:15pm. Maheshkhali Police Station officials said two burning portions of aircraft slammed on the ground – one at Putivilla village ...

MNA National Desk: Six municipalities and 37 Union Councils of different districts go to polls on Thursday. The voting began at 8:00am and will continue till 4:00pm without any break. Besides, by-polls to the chairman posts of six Union Councils  and election of a polling station of a Union Council, which was earlier suspended, is going to be held in the same day. The Election Commission has completed necessary preparation to hold the elections, said EC’s Director (PR) SM Asaduzzaman on Wednesday. The six municipalities are Boda in Panchagarh district, Bonpara in Natore, Alfadanga in Faridpur, Bakshiganj in Jamalpur, Bagha ...

MNA International Desk: A homemade bomb blast at a supermarket in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg injured 10 people Wednesday, reported news agency. “According to preliminary information, an explosion of an unidentified object occurred in a store,” Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement. The blast was caused by a “homemade explosive device with the power equivalent to 200 grammes of TNT filled with lethal fragments,” she said. “The investigation is looking at all possible causes of what happened,” she said, adding that a probe for attempted murder had been launched. “Ten people have been hospitalised, their ...

MNA Sports Desk: Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Brisbane International due to his “late start of preparation” for the new season. Brisbane International tournament director Cameron Pearson said Thursday that “we received word of his withdrawal this morning.” The joint ATP and WTA tournament begins Sunday at Pat Rafter Arena. Nadal, who pulled out of the ATP Finals in London after a loss to David Goffin in mid-November due pain in his right knee, had earlier tweeted: “I am sorry to announce I won’t be coming to Brisbane this year. My intention was to play but I am still ...

MNA Science & Tech Desk: Apple Inc defrauded iPhone users by slowing devices without warning to compensate for poor battery performance, according to eight lawsuits filed in various federal courts in the week since the company opened up about the year-old software change. The tweak may have led iPhone owners to misguided attempts to resolve issues over the last year, the lawsuits contend. All the lawsuits – filed in US District Courts in California, New York and Illinois – seek class-action to represent potentially millions of iPhone owners nationwide. A similar case was lodged in an Israeli court on Monday, ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: Myanmar “feels sad” over a US decision to sanction a military general, a government spokesman said, after Washington linked the commander last week to abuses against the Rohingya Muslim minority. “This targeted sanction is based on unreliable accusations without evidence, as we have repeatedly said, so we feel sad for that,” said Zaw Htay, spokesman for Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, reported news agency. The Trump administration announced on Dec 21 that it was sanctioning Major General Maung Maung Soe, who was in charge of a crackdown on the Rohingya minority. The United States, as ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Singer Shafin Ahmed will contest in the by-polls to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayoral post, said a press release. Chairman of Nationalist Democratic Movement, Bobby Hajjaj, announced singer Shafin’s name as candidate at a press conference at National Press Club in the capital. Sharing Shafin’s candidature, Boby Hajjaj on his Facebook page wrote, “We hope to see our dreams for Dhaka city realised. Shafin Ahmed will be a great representative of the people.” Shafin has been going through some difficulties with his band members. Members of popular musical band – Miles – Hamin Ahmed, Manam ...

MNA Feature Desk: The 82nd birth anniversary of veteran writer Syed Shamsul Haq is being observed on Wednesday. Born on December 27 in 1935, Syed Shamsul Haq is one of the most prominent litterateurs of the country. He writes poetry, fiction, plays (mostly in verse), and essays for Bengali literature. His literary works are included in the curriculum of school level, secondary, higher secondary and graduation level in the country. His notable books include ‘Payer Awaj Pawa Jai’, ‘Nishiddho Loban’, ‘Khelaram Khele Ja’, ‘Neel Dongshon’ and ‘Mrigoya’. His notable poetry includes— ‘Ekoda Ek Rajje’, ‘Boishekhe Rochito Ponktimala’, ‘Birotihin Utsob’, ‘Protidhonigon’, ...

MNA Life Style Desk: The digestion process is an intricately choreographed ballet during which your body performs the many steps needed to break down the food you eat and unlock the vitamins, minerals, calories, fats, and proteins you need and then efficiently clean sweep the rest. Most people don’t contemplate these inner workings unless they’re not working smoothly, but you can proactively take steps to avoid problems. One of the easiest digestive health tips is to fuel up with good foods for digestion. Ginger A traditional Asian remedy for tummy aches and nausea and a favorite condiment used in Japanese ...

MNA National Desk: Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the Bangladesh Army is now quite different from the one a decade back in terms of infrastructure, strategy and technology. “The present army is much more developed, skilled and smart one due to the combination of modern trainings and equipment,” she said. The Prime Minister was addressing the President Parade marking the commissioning of the cadets of 75th BMA Long Course at Bangladesh Military Academy Parade Ground in Bhatiari of Chittagong. “We’ve enhanced the capacity of Bangladesh Army to a large extent alongside developing its infrastructure in the last nine years,” Sheikh ...

MNA National Desk: Police on Tuesday arrested a local leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), on charges of raping six women and releasing the videos of rape scenes on internet. The arrestee, Arif Hossain Howlader, was the general secretary of Narayanpur union unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of Bhedorganj upazila in Shariatpur. BCL expelled Arif on 11 November after one of rape victims filed a case with Bhedorganj police station against him. Allegations have it that Arif, a bachelor student at a local college, secretly installed video cameras in bathrooms to shoot videos of housewives’ bathing, and used them ...

MNA International Desk: The United States announced sanctions on two North Korean officials behind their country’s ballistic missile program on Tuesday, while Russia reiterated an offer to mediate to ease tensions between Washington and Pyongyang. The new US steps were the latest in a campaign aimed at forcing North Korea – which has defied years of multilateral and bilateral sanctions – to abandon a weapons program aimed at developing nuclear-tipped missiles capable of hitting the United States. The US Treasury named the officials as Kim Jong Sik and Ri Pyong Chol. It said Kim was reportedly a key figure in ...