MNA Exclusive Desk: Rohingya refugees are fleeing the camps in Bangladesh, and some have gone into hiding, out of fear of being sent back to Myanmar this week, according to aid groups, reports news agency. Repatriation of the Rohingya is scheduled to begin on Thursday, but it is proving controversial, with the first batch of 4,000 “approved” refugees put on a list for return without their consent and most, if not all, have said they do not want to go back to Myanmar under current conditions. “The authorities repeatedly tried to motivate the ones on the returning refugee list to ...

MNA Feature Desk: The 71st birthday of late prolific author, dramatist, screenwriter, playwright and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed is being celebrated today (Tuesday). Humayun Ahmed (13 November 1948 – 19 July 2012) was a Bangladeshi writer, dramatist, screenwriter, filmmaker, songwriter, scholar, lecturer. His breakthrough was his debut novel Nondito Noroke published in 1972. He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh. His books were the top sellers at the Ekushey Book Fair during the 1990s and 2000s. He won the Bangla Academy Award and the Ekushey Padak award for his contribution to Bengali literature. ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Ashraful Alom, the social media phenomenon better known as “Hero Alom”, confirmed his bid for parliament on Monday by buying a Jatiya Party nomination paper ahead of the upcoming 11th national elections, reported news agency. The popular music video model and actor collected his form for Bogra-4 constituency from the party’s Banani office on Monday afternoon. The actor was catapulted to fame among Bangladesh’s netizens after starring in his debut feature film titled “Mar Chokka” in 2017 alongside another Dhallywood star, Omar Sani. Alom will also star in a Bollywood film titled “Biju: The Hero” to be ...

MNA Tech Desk: Facebook has launched a video app called Lasso that enables users to make and share short-format videos with filters and special effects. The app can be considered a Facebook version of the TikTok app that has become quite popular in the past year. Bowen Pan, a product manager at Facebook, tweeted the launch on Saturday, and added it was available only in the US for now, reported news agency. Equipped with video-editing tools, the app allows users to add text as well as music to their videos. It is available for both Android and iOS. All profiles ...

MNA Sports Desk: Interim Real Madrid manager Santiago Solari was appointed permanent coach on Monday after overseeing a startling upturn in the European champions’ fortunes since he stepped in to replace Julen Lopetegui. “Everything is in order. Real Madrid have worked out his contract and there are no problems,” the Spanish football federation stated. Solari has led Real to four wins out of four since being installed on a caretaker basis following Lopetegui’s abrupt sacking last month. And with 15 goals scored and only two conceded he has established the best ever start for a Real manager. The upturn has ...

MNA Sports Desk: Mushfiqur Rahim has scored his second double century in Test cricket, taking the Tigers to a massive total of 522 in the Mirpur Test against Zimbabwe. With his 219*, Mushfiq became the first Bangladeshi batsman to score two double centuries. The other two are Shakib Al Hasan (217) and Tamim Iqbal (206). He struck his first double century during the 2013 Test tour of Sri Lanka. The right-handed batsman also became the first wicket-keeper-batsman to score two double centuries in Tests, an incredible accomplishment that some of the best wicket-keeper-batsmen have not achieved. Bangladesh declared at the ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda announced the new date while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of an electronic voting machine (EVM) exhibition at BICC-Bangabandhu International Conference, on Monday. Adhering to the new timetable, candidates must file their nomination papers either online, or manually, by November 28. However, the chief election commissioner did not announce the new dates for scrutinizing the nomination papers and the deadline for withdrawing nominations. Earlier, on November 8, the commission had declared December 23 as the date for the general election. “EVMs will be scrapped if the people do not have ...

MNA International Desk: An exchange of fire erupted during an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing six Palestinians and an Israeli soldier, officials said, while potentially dashing hopes that a recent agreement would restore calm, reported news agency. As tensions rose following the clash, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he would cut short his trip to Paris, where he had been attending World War I commemorations, and return home. Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the blockaded Gaza Strip, denounced a “cowardly Israeli attack”. Palestinian security sources said the ...

MNA National Desk: BNP formally started selling its nomination papers on Monday to those who want to contest the next general election with the party’s election symbol ‘Sheaf of Paddy’. The sale nomination paper began at 10:45am with the purchase of two nomination papers for its chairperson Khaleda Zia. BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir purchased a nomination form for Khaleda to contest the polls from Feni-1 while BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan collected another form for her for Bogura-6 constituency. The aspirants can collect the party nomination paper from 10 to 4pm on Monday and Tuesday ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury was released from jail on bail on Monday, reported news agency. He walked out of Chittagong Central Jail after the bail order reached the jail authorities, said senior jail superintendent Prashanta Kumar Banik. On 27 August, the High Court granted anticipatory bail to Amir Khosru in two cases filed for ‘instigating’ the student agitation over road safety and ‘conspiring’ against the state. An HC bench of justice Muhammad Abdul Hafizand justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty passed the order after the BNP leader surrendered before the court and prayed for ...

MNA Business Desk: A total of 28 companies listed under 11 categories in the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), won the fifth “Institute of Chartered Secretaries of Bangladesh (ICSB) National Award for Corporate Governance Excellence, 2017”. Finance Minister AMA Muhith handed over certificates to the winning companies at the award ceremony held at the Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden. Among the winners, Eastern Bank Ltd won the gold award, Southeast Bank Ltd won silver, while Prime Bank Ltd won the bronze award in the “Banking” category. Similarly, IDLC Finance Ltd bagged the gold award in the ...

MNA Education Desk: The Business Club of Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT) organized a seminar on ‘Meet the Corporate Ambassadors of BUBT’ at the international conference hall, main campus, Dhaka. BUBT Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Abu Saleh was the chief guest of the seminar while Student Affairs adviser Prof Mian Lutfar Rahman was the special guest. The Program was presided over by the Business faculty dean Prof Dr Syed Masud Husain. Md Aslam Uddin, acting chairman of Marketing and Advisor department, BUBT Business Club, delivered the welcome speech. AHM Azmal Hosain, president, BUBT Alumni Association and joint Registrar, spoke ...

MNA Life Style Desk: Many of us back out of long-term relationships and even marriage due to fear of losing our freedom and identity. However, the thumb rule is to abide by a few guidelines to avoid those clashes that may arise due to high expectations. Free to be different: It is a fact known to all that no two people are alike. We are born with certain traits which in turn enable us to develop our individual personalities as we grow up. In a long-term relationship, both the partners fail to realise this very fact and thus choose to ...

MNA Tech Desk: Four government and non-government organizations of Bangladesh received honorary awards under four categories in ASOCIO Digital Summit 2018, reported news agency. The summit was organized by Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO), a grouping of ICT industry associations representing the Asian-Oceania region. The Bangladeshi organizations were named in the award ceremony of ASOCIO Digital Summit 2018 held at Ena International Hotel in Japan capital Tokyo. Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) got the award under outstanding ICT company award category, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) got award under outstanding user organization category, Development of National ICT ...

MNA National Desk: The newly-formed Jatiya Oikya Front opposition alliance has announced that it will compete in the upcoming 11th national parliamentary election. The opposition alliance led by Dr Kamal Hossain briefed the media on its decision at 1pm at the National Press Club on Sunday. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, another leader of the opposition alliance, made the announcement and also called for the current election schedule to be scrapped and for the polls to be delayed by a month.

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh stand-in captain Mahmudullah won the toss and elected to bat first in the must-win second Test match against Zimbabwe to avoid series defeat. The hosts have lost the first match by 151 runs. They are out now to salvage the honour at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. Bangladesh XI: Liton Das, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah (capt), Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Ariful Haque, Mehidy Hasan, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Khaled Ahmed Zimbabwe XI: Hamilton Masakadza (capt), Brian Chari, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, PJ Moor, Regis Chakabva (wk), Brandon Mavuta, Donald Tiripano, ...

MNA National Desk: Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, a top cricketer, is expected to buy an Awami League nomination form for the upcoming general election, reported news agency. But ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan reversed his plan. Shakib met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Ganabhaban on Saturday, an official at the Prime Minister’s Office said, asking not to be named. Hasina asked Shakib to hold on to cricket as the World Cup is looming, according to the official. Shakib’s statement was not immediately available. Earlier, Awami League’s Deputy Office Secretary Biplab Barua said that both Mashrafe and Shakib called the party’s ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: World leaders gathered in Paris will lead global commemorations on Sunday to mark 100 years since the end of World War I at a time of growing nationalism and diplomatic tensions. Around 70 leaders including US and Russian presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will mark the centenary of the 1918 Armistice in the French capital, reported news agency. British prime minister Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth will attend a separate event in London, while New Zealand and Australia are holding their own ceremonies. The Paris commemorations, centred on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the ...

MNA International Desk: The charred remains of fourteen more victims have been found in and around a Northern California town overrun by flames from a massive wildfire, officials said on Saturday, raising the death toll to 23, reported news agency. The bodies were recovered in and around Paradise, California, a mountain community some 90 miles (145 km) north of Sacramento left devastated by the Camp Fire, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott Maclean said. Maclean said no details were immediately available about the circumstances of the deaths and that the bodies’ badly burned condition would make identification ...

MNA Feature Desk: The 46th founding anniversary of Jubo League, youth wing of ruling Awami League, is being celebrated today in a befitting manner. Bangladesh Awami Jubo League is the first youth organization of Bangladesh founded by Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni at the directive of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through a youth convention at Institution of Engineers on November 11, 1972. The organization has chalked different programmes to mark the anniversary which include hoisting of national and party flags at its central office at 6.30am, paying tributes to Bangabandhu by placing floral wreaths at his portrait ...

MNA Business Desk: The government is eyeing three contracts with Russia regarding Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) lifecycle services by December 2019 to smoothly implement the project. “We’re working to complete negotiations over the issues and ink the deals within the timeframe,” science and technology secretary Md Anwar Hossain told media. Top officials of Bangladesh and Russia at a recent meeting set a timeline to sign the deals, said Mr Anwar Hossain. However, they agreed to sign the ‘nuclear fuel supply deal’ by December 2018 and ‘service contract for operation technical support, maintenance and repair’ by first quarter of 2019, ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga were among thousands fleeing their homes on Friday as a fast-moving wildfire engulfed Malibu and nearby celebrity neighborhoods. Kardashian, who on Thursday evacuated the home she shares in nearby Calabasas with Kanye West, tweeted on Friday that she “heard the flames have hit our property… but now are more contained and have stopped.” The entire 12,000-strong population of Malibu, which stretches 27 miles (43.5 km) along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California and up into the Santa Monica mountains, was placed under mandatory evacuation on Friday as the Woolsey fire exploded overnight. ...

MNA National Desk: Cricketers Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe bin Mortaza will collect nomination papers of ruling Awami League on Sunday for contesting the upcoming 11th parliamentary election. The duo would collect nomination form AL’s Dhanmondi office on 10:30am. They confirmed the matter to Awami League secretary general and also road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader at 12:00pm over phone, said Md Abu Naser, senior information officer of the Ministry. Shakib and Mashrafe are likely to contest from their home district Magura and Narail respectively.

MNA National Desk: Two teenage boys were run over by a vehicle and killed amid a clash between two factions of the Awami League in the Adabor area of Dhaka’s Mohammadpur. The dead were identified as Arif, 17, and Shujon, 15. They were killed on Noboudoy Housing Road area, reported news agency. “Some youths came near the iron gate on a pickup van, when a group noticed the pickup and attacked it. People began to run around.” The pickup tried to make a hasty getaway and the two boys were caught beneath the wheels. Arif was taken to Suhrawardy Medical ...

MNA National Desk: Thales Alenia Space which developed Bangladesh’s first geostationary communications satellite, Bangabandhu-1, on Friday handed over its transmission and operation management to Bangladesh. A delegation of the Franco-Italian aerospace company handed over relevant documents to acting chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Md Jahurul Haque at a function at the Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) office at Banglamotor in the city in the evening. Later, the acting chairman transferred the documents to BCSCL Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood at the program. Former posts, telecom and IT minister Mustafa Jabbar and French Ambassador to Bangladesh Marie-Annick Bourdin were ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: For Nurul Amin, a Rohingya Muslim living in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, the days since learning he and his family were among a group of people set to potentially be repatriated to Myanmar have been among the most frightening since they fled their home. “I can hardly sleep at night for fear of getting forcibly repatriated. Since the time I heard that my name is on the list I can’t even eat,” says Amin, 35, who has four daughters, a wife and sister with him in the Jamtoli Camp in southeast Bangladesh. Reuters identified and spoke ...

MNA Feature Desk: Shaheed Noor Hossain Day is being observed today across the country by political parties, socio-cultural and professional organizations with due solemnity commemorating the pro-democracy activists sacrifice. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, President Abdul Hamid and leaders of various political parties issued messages. The day was first called “Historic November 10 observance” but the Awami League supported the phrase “Noor Hossain Day”, by which it is known today. ‘Zero Point’ in the capital’s Gulistan area was renamed as ‘Noor Hossain Chattar’ (square) after the young man was gunned down near it by police on November 10, 1987. The day ...