MNA International Desk: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to change the status of Kashmir ran into fierce opposition from China and its ally Pakistan on Tuesday as the disputed territory lay under a telecoms blackout to forestall protests for a second day. In a move to tighten its grip on Jammu and Kashmir, parts of which are claimed by Pakistan and China, India dropped a constitutional provision that allowed the country’s only Muslim-majority state to make its own laws. The changes imposed by Modi’s Hindu nationalist-led government are the most sweeping in the nearly 30 years that India has ...

MNA Business Desk: Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) cancelled licenses of 124 Voice over Internet Protocol Service Providers (VSPs). Zakir Hossain Khan, Senior Assistant Director of BTRC, said a letter in this regard, issued on August 5, was sent to the authorities concerned. Of the VSPs, 106 failed to pay government dues and renew licenses in time. Licenses of 18 other VSPs were not renewed as they failed to properly submit applications. The VSPs have been asked to clear the dues within a month.

MNA Editorial Desk: Recently we have been listening a lot about dengue fever in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka, and the situation seems to be out of control. According to fresh data from DGHS, a total of 24,804 people were admitted to different hospitals across the country including Dhaka between January 1 and August 3 while 17,388 of them were released from hospitals. A total of 7,398 patients are treating treatment at different hospitals across the country right now, according to health emergency operation centre and control room of the DGHS. The viral disease, dengue, has spread in all the 64 ...

MNA Editorial Desk: As many as 2,065 new dengue patients have been hospitalized in the 24 hours to Monday morning in Bangladesh, breaking all previous records for a single day in the country’s history recorded in last 18 year. The patients were hospitalized across the country from 8:00am Sunday to 8:00am Monday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services today noon. Earlier on August 1, the number of dengue patients in a day was recorded at 1,712. The number of patients jumped again on Sunday after a drop over the past two days. Besides, adult female Aedes mosquito population ...

MNA National Desk: Repairs of all the damaged roads across the country will be done three days before the Eid-ul-Azha, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today. If needs be, the road repair work will be done round the clock, he told reporters during a briefing at the Secretariat in Dhaka city. The briefing follows a preparatory meeting on Eid-ur-Azha with representatives of transport owners and workers, law enforcers and others concerned. Muslims around the world use the Islamic calendar to determine the dates of religious events and observances, including Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. Eid-ul-Azha, which comes after Eid-ul-Fitr, ...

MNA Feature Desk: Source detection of Aedes mosquito breeding is the key to curb dengue fever, says a mosquito expert of the World Health Organisation, with 40 years of experience. Dr B N Nagpal, senior entomologist of WHO Southeast Asia region, also dismissed fogging to kill Aedes mosquito as a “myth”. The mosquito expert came up with the statement at a special briefing organised by the health department, DGHS, in Dhaka on Monday, reports bdnews24.com. “Fogging on the street and open areas is a myth. Clean your own house and spray aerosol in the morning and evening because Aedes rest ...

MNA Business Desk: The Bangladesh Bank will issue a circular immediately asking the scheduled banks to ensure single-digit interest rates on both lending and deposit. Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal made the announcement after a meeting with chairmen and managing directors of the different scheduled banks at the central bank headquarters in the city on Sunday. The BB circular will ask the scheduled banks to bring down the interest rates on lending and deposit to 9.0 per cent and 6.0 per cent respectively. Kamal informed that sixteen banks, including seven state-own banks, have already charged single-digit lending rate ...

MNA International Desk: A multiple-car crash set off an explosion that ignited a fire at Egypt’s main cancer hospital and caused 19 deaths, the government said. The health ministry said 30 others were injured by the crash near Cairo’s famed Tahrir Square late Sunday. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that a vehicle driving outside the National Cancer Institute collided with up to three other vehicles, causing the explosion. The blast caused a fire in the hospital, which was evacuated. The fire was later brought under control, with television footage Monday morning showing shattered windows and doors. The health ...

MNA National Desk: In celebration of 29th founding anniversary of Bangabandhu Shishu Kishore Mela, the central committee leaders along with Gopalganj district and Tungipara upazila leaders paid homage to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his mausoleum at Tungipara. The leaders along with hundreds of children also expressed their grievance in memory of the national mourning day on August 15 – the black day of brutal killing of the father of the nation along with most of his family members. Chief Advisor of the organization former media advisor to the honorable prime minister Sheikh Hasina and editor of ...

MNA Editorial Desk: India has urged the world to help Bangladesh cope with the “humanitarian burden” mentioning that they are “deeply conscious” of the humanitarian and security implications due to the presence of huge Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar. India has praised Bangladesh generosity and recognized the economic burden this crisis places upon Bangladesh’s society and economy, according to the Annual Security Outlook 2019 released by Asean. Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas and most of them entered the country after August 25, 2017 as Myanmar launched a brutal offensive targeting the mainly-Muslim ethnic minority. Though Bangladesh and Myanmar ...

MNA National Desk: Mentioning that dengue is under control, Health Minister Zahid Malik on Saturday said country’s present dengue crisis has not become an epidemic yet. “This situation (dengue) cannot be called an epidemic. There is nothing to be worried,” he replied to a query from journalists. After visiting dengue patients at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), the minister also urged the media men not to confuse people about dengue. About initiatives taken to control dengue, Zahid Malik said three hospitals, including Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Surgery Units, have been kept ready. Some 150-200 beds of Burn unit of ...

MNA Business Desk: Bangladesh is likely to be the second largest recipient of Japanese assistance after India in the current Japanese fiscal year which starts from April 01. In last Japanese fiscal, Bangladesh was the third Japanese ODI recipient while some 270 Japanese companies are currently doing businesses in Bangladesh. “Japan appreciates the outcomes and is looking forward for stronger trade and commerce ties between Dhaka and Tokyo,” said a senior official of Japanese foreign ministry. “The Japanese government is happy and proud of that,” Deputy Press Secretary of Japanese foreign ministry Jun Saito said while talking to a small ...

MNA International Desk: Heathrow Airport, a major international airport in the United Kingdom, has decided to cancel 177 flights on Monday and Tuesday as thousands of workers overwhelmingly preparing for a strike after rejecting a revised pay offer. Around 4,000 Unite members including engineers, firefighters and security staff voted on the airport’s revised deal, with 88 per cent opting to strike, reports BBC. If the walk-outs go ahead, Unite says, almost 2,500 staff will miss work. Heathrow is yet to announce which flights will be cancelled, and said passengers should check with their airlines to see if they were affected. ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh cricket superstar Shakib Al Hasan on Thursday joined a campaign to raise awareness against mosquito-borne dengue which has spread all over the country. The campaign was held at Banani Bidyaniketan School & College. “Dengue is now nearly an epidemic in the country which has never happened before. The virus is now spreading all over the country. So, I think everyone should be aware about it,” Shakib told the media. “Everyone should understand how serious it is. I am not affected by dengue now but I understand how painful it can be because I suffered once before,” ...

MNA National Desk:  School committee president of Nasirabad Government Primary School at Nasirabad village of Shyamgram union of Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria, Jahangir Khan had cut down fruitful trees for the schoolyard. He also cut the branches of many other trees, which were properties of the school and took to his own home. Sheheen Miah, a resident of the same village protested his actions but Jahangir Khan threatened him repeatedly. When Shaheen discussed the matter with local UP member Mehedi Hasan Jalal, he expressed his inability to stop Jahangir due to his aggressive behavior. Later Shaheen lodged written complaints to ...

MNA National Desk: Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday expressed his optimism that the dengue situation will come under control soon with the concerted efforts of all and effective awareness campaign. “We are continuously monitoring the dengue situation. We are destroying breeding grounds of mosquitoes. We believe the dengue situation will come under control soon,” he said. The minister said while replying to questions of journalists after an inter-ministerial meeting with two city corporation mayors at the ministry’s conference room at the secretariat here. Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) of Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Md Abul Kalam Azad, ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The High Court has tasked two Dhaka city corporations with importing insecticides to kill mosquitoes, with an order for the government to support them, after a dispute brewed between the two parties. Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Shohrowardi issued the order on Thursday following a daylong hearing. The Ministry of Health, the Directorate General of Health Services and the Local Government Division will have to provide all assistance to the city corporations, including issuance of ‘licences,’ and ‘clearance,’ said the court. A senior doctor ranking no less than an associate professor should be given the overall ...

MNA Business Desk: Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal said he will recover the entire volume of money, embezzled from banks by various conglomerates like Hallmark Group. “My standpoint is still the same. We will recover all those (money),” he said when his attention was drawn to this regard. Mr Kamal was briefing newsmen after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement at Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital on Wednesday. “You know, meantime, Bismillah Group has said it will run its business, and pay back the loans taken from banks.” The minister said every businessman will be ...

MNA International Desk: Malaysia will review its labour laws to cut an ‘over-dependence’ on foreign labour and address other issues, its prime minister has said. The country’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has taken the decision amid simmering discontent against overseas workers who make up 46 per cent of the labour force of the country. The third biggest economy of the Southeast Asia had a labour force of 15.5 million in the first quarter of the year, reports Reuters. More than 7.0 million of them were foreigners, from countries such as Bangladesh, with many working in the construction and hotel industries. ...

MNA Career & Education Desk: The Department of Pharmacyof Brac University (BRACU) has organised a seminar on ‘Pharma Market Dynamics’ at the university auditorium in the capital. The seminar was arranged for students of the Department of Pharmacy on Wednesday who have undertaken course PR 305, Pharmaceutical Marketing. The speaker of the seminar was Mr. Khaled Alhossainy, Director of Marketing and Sales, IMS Health Limited, says a media release. He focused on branding strategies of the leading pharmaceutical companies of Bangladesh by citing specific brands. The seminar was followed by a short question and answer session, where students from the ...

MNA Feature Desk: Ethiopia has planted more than 350 million trees in a day, officials say, in what they believe is a world record. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is leading the project, which aims to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country. Some public offices have been shut down to allow civil servants to take part. The UN says Ethiopia’s forest coverage declined from 35 per cent of total land in the early 20th Century to a little above 4.0 per cent in the 2000s. Mr Abiy launched the tree-planting exercise as part of his ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The number of dengue patients continued to rise as a total of 1,477 more people infected with the mosquito-borne fever were hospitalized across the country in the last 24 hours till 8am on Wednesday. A total of 1,300 new dengue cases were reported on Tuesday while the number was 1,096 on Monday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), reports UNB. Currently, 4,903 dengue patients are being treated in hospitals across the country, it said. From January 1 till the date, 17,183 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals and 12,266 of them released after treatment. ...

MNA National Desk: Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said reading out the announcement of independence is not the proclamation of independence. The Minister said the debate about the proclamation of independence started after the death of Ziaur Rahman, who never claimed himself about the pronouncement of independence during his life time. “If Ziaur Rahman heard the claim of BNP as he being the person who proclaimed independence, he would startle in his grave,” the information minister said at a meeting on “Journey of 70 years of glory: Awami League in the thoughts of youth” at Shilpakala Academy auditorium in ...

MNA Business Desk: Biman Bangladesh Airlines has made a breakthrough in last 2018-19 fiscal year by making profit of Taka 2.72 billion. “We made the profit as a result of brining some positive changes in the (Biman’s) management,” said state minister for civil aviation and tourism M Mahbub Ali at a press conference at the ministry on Wednesday. He thanked initiatives of making full automation of Biman ticketing system and on-time performance as reasons of making profit. Biman’s expenditure was Taka 55.19 billion against its income of Taka 57.91billion, resulting a net profit of Taka 2.72 billion in 2018-2019 fiscal, ...

MNA International Desk: A pilot programme that allows residents of 47 Chinese mainland cities to travel to the island of Taiwan on individual trips will be suspended from August 1 due to the current cross-Straits ties. The information was revealed through a notice issued by the Association for Tourism Exchange across the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday. Travel agencies such as Ctrip and CYTS told the Global Times that they have already received the notice. Zhang Hua, an associate research fellow of the Institute of Taiwan Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the suspension is clearly ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the countrymen not to pay heed to the rumours and hand over the rumour-mongers to the police. “Please don’t pay heed to the rumours and not to take law in own hands, and instead hand over those spreading rumours to the police,” she said. The Prime Minister made the call while addressing a meeting of Awami League (AL) leaders and workers through a teleconference from London on Tuesday, report bdnews24.com and BSS. The meeting, presided over by AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader, was held at the Awami League central office at ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Geographically Bangladesh is mostly a low land area which is prone to severe floods every year especially, during the rainy season. Although altitudes in the northern part of the plain reaches up to 105 meters (344 feet) above sea level, most elevations throughout the country are less than 10 meters (33 feet) above sea level. With such low elevations and numerous rivers, canals, ponds and other water bodies, recurring floods are a predominant physical feature of our country. About 10,000 square kilometers of the total area of Bangladesh is covered with water and larger areas are routinely ...