MNA Education Desk: A total of 229 students of Dhaka Division have received the ‘Mercantile Bank-Abdul Jalil Education Scholarship-2017’ at the awarding programme organised by Mercantile Bank limited (MBL) at FARS Hotel & Resorts in the capital on Saturday. Governor of Bangladesh Bank Fazle Kabir attended at the ceremony as the chief guest, while Mercantile Bank Chairman AKM Shaheed Reza was present at the occasion as the special guest, said a press release. Chairman of Mercantile Bank Foundation Shahidul Ahsan presided over the programme, while MBL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kazi Masihur Rahman delivered welcome  address the ...

MNA Sports Desk: Lionel Messi was named as Barcelona’s captain following the departure of long-serving midfielder Andres Iniesta, while defenders Gerard Pique and Sergi Roberto were named new vice-captains in a statement by the La Liga champions. Messi, Barca’s all-time top scorer, has been a vice-captain since 2015 and takes the club’s armband from Iniesta, who succeeded Xavi Hernandez as captain in 2015 but left for Japanese club Vissel Kobe in June. Midfielder Sergio Busquets was named first vice-captain, followed by Pique, who has been at Barcelona since 2008. It’s the first time Pique has been named a vice-captain at ...

MNA Business Desk: The World Bank (WB) will provide $520 million for a programme to improve the secondary education system and student performance in Bangladesh. Out of the amount, the Washington-based lending agency will provide $510 million in loan while the rest $10 million as grants, said an official at the Economic Relations Division (ERD). The WB-funded ‘Transforming Secondary Education for Results’ (TSER) programme will benefit 13 million students from grade 6 to 12, reported news agency. The programme will enhance quality of teaching and learning as well as improve access and retention of students, especially girls and children from ...

MNA Tech Desk: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled the Galaxy Note 9 “phablet” in New York in a key product launch that it hopes will attract younger customers with stepped-up features and services for gamers and music-lovers, reported news agency. Launching the Note 9 at 11:00am in New York, or Friday midnight in Seoul, Samsung also announced partnerships with global hit game Fortnite and music-streaming service Spotify Technology SA in a stepped-up challenge to Apple Inc in the premium-phone race. Samsung’s new focus marks a shift away from its previous positioning of the Note as a multi-tasking device popular with ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said her government is working relentlessly for further strengthening democracy and speeding up development in the country as Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland QC paid a courtesy call on her. “We’re working tirelessly for further consolidating democracy and accelerating development in the country,” Premier’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim quoted her as saying while briefing reporters after the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka. In this connection, the Commonwealth Secretary General said her organisation is ready to extend cooperation with Bangladesh in upholding its democratic process. Sheikh Hasina said over 6,000 ...

MNA National Desk: The Appellate Division has adjourned, until Monday, the hearing on a government petition that challenges a High Court order sending photographer Shahidul Alam to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital. A four-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, issued the order on Thursday. This after Shahidul’s lawyer said the High Court is set to hear a petition that was filed to challenge the remand order against Shahidul. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the state during the hearing. A High Court bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir will hear ...

MNA International Desk: Washington said on Wednesday it would impose fresh sanctions on Russia by the end of August after it determined that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian agent and his daughter in Britain. A senior state department official said it had notified the Kremlin of the sanctions earlier in the day. Sergei Skripal, a former colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence service, and his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, were found slumped unconscious on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March after a liquid form of the Novichok type of nerve agent ...

MNA Feature Desk: Ethnic minorities in Bangladesh today observed the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples with a call for recognising them as indigenous people in the constitution. Today, Thursday 9 August 2018, is the 24th International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples since its creation by the United Nations in December 1994. The date was chosen because it marks the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982. The 2018 theme of “Indigenous People’s Migration and Movement” illustrates the consequences of the persecution and economic disenfranchisement many indigenous peoples face. Whether they are fleeing ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: Myanmar has also made no demonstrable effort to address the concerns of the Rohingyas and the international community, said Bangladesh’s UN Ambassador in a letter to the UN Security Council. Bangladesh is urging the UN Security Council to take actions regarding the safe return of Rohingyas to Myanmar, as Myanmar is failing to tackle the concerns of over 1 million Rohingya Muslims who fled the country. In a letter circulated Tuesday to the council, Bangladesh’s UN Ambassador Masud Bin Momen said that, even though his government continues to engage with Myanmar “in good faith” about the repatriation ...

MNA Business Desk: Garment workers will receive festival allowances by August 16 on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, reported news agency. The decision came at the 37th meeting of the crisis management core committee headed by state minister for labour Mujibul Haque Chunnu held at his secretariat office in Dhaka city. Apparel makers have also been asked to make partial payment of wages for this month based on the talks with the workers before Eid, according to a meeting source. Representatives from Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, trade unions and other law enforcing agencies, ...

MNA Sports Desk: Bangladesh Cricket Team returned to the country on Thursday morning (August 9) after winning T20 Series 2-1 against West Indies at Lauderhill in Florida of USA. A flight of Emirates Airlines, carrying the team, landed at Shahjalal International Airport at 8:47 am. Although Bangladesh began the tour of West Indies on a frustrating mood, but they managed to overcome the situation and clinch the ODI series 2-1 over West Indies win away from home in nine years. The Tigers’ next assignment is the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Bangladesh will take on Sri Lanka in ...

MNA Tech Desk: Facebook has asked major US banks to share customer data to allow it to develop new services on the social network’s Messenger texting platform, reported news agency. Facebook had discussions with Chase, JPMorgan, Citibank, and Wells Fargo several months ago, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. The Silicon Valley-based social network also contacted US Bancorp, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. Facebook, which has faced intense criticism for sharing user data with many app developers, was interested in information including bank card transactions, checking account balances, and where purchases were ...

MNA Education Desk: The examinations of Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) of this year will commence from November 1 across the country, reported news agency. Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka and Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board published the routines of the examinations. Talking to journalists, Abu Ali Mohammad Sajjad, deputy secretary of Education Ministry (Secondary and Higher Secondary Division)  confirmed the information. JSC and JDC examinations will begin from November 1 and continue till November 15. The routines of the examinations are now available on the websites of the education boards.

MNA Entertainment Desk: Priyanka Chopra and Chris Pratt’s “Cowboy Ninja Viking” has been indefinitely delayed. Universal Pictures has taken “Cowboy Ninja Viking” off its schedule and undated the movie, which was previously set to release on 28 June, 2019, reported news agency. According to several sources, the film is still in active development with Pratt, Priyanka and director Michelle MacLaren remaining on board. The studio said it will be re-dated at a later time to accommodate production scheduling. Sources say the studio delayed the film rather than rushing it out to make the 28 June deadline. The novel revolves around ...

MNA Life Style Desk: Turmeric, otherwise known as the golden spice, originates from the East. It’s good for more than spicing up curries though this spice has long been used in India to beautify the skin. Ancient China also valued turmeric for its medicinal uses, including its anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antioxidant, and antiseptic properties. Correct oily skin In order to prevent the skin from becoming too dry, oils and waxes are secreted by the sebaceous glands. This helps the epidermis retain moisture while keeping the skin soft and supple. Excessively oily skin, usually due to overactive sebaceous glands, can lead to ...

MNA Feature Desk: The nation is observing the 88th birth anniversary of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in a befitting manner on Wednesday. Fazilatunnesa, who played a pivotal role in nation building activities and the struggle for independent Bangladesh staying beside Bangabandhu, was born at Tungipara village of Gopalganj district on this day in 1930. Fazilatunnesa, a pride of the Bangalee nation, was assassinated brutally with Bangabandhu and most of her family members by a disgruntled group of army officers on August 15, 1975. President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh Railway authority on Wednesday morning began the selling of advance train tickets for Eid-ul-Azha, reported news agency. Hundreds of ticket-seekers were seen gathered at Kamalapur Railway Station from early hours to collect tickets for August 17. The advance ticket for August 18, 19, 20 and 21 will be available on August 9, 10, 11 and 12 respectively. Many ticket seekers standing in the queue said that they came to buy tickets the previous evening and passed the night at the station to ensure they get hold of the tickets. Besides, the return tickets for the journey ...

MNA International Desk: Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak was hit with new charges Wednesday linked to a multi-billion-dollar financial scandal that contributed to his shock election defeat in May, reported news agency. Appearing at a court in Kuala Lumpur, Najib was charged with three counts of money-laundering over claims he pocketed 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million), and pleaded not guilty. He faces up to 15 years in jail for each charge. These are in addition to the charges he faced last month after he was first arrested — three for criminal breach of trust and a separate count that ...

MNA Exclusive Desk: Bangladesh and Japan on Tuesday shared specific proposals to find an early solution to Rohingya crisis ensuring their safe, voluntary and sustainable return to Myanmar. The Japanese side also sought the safety of its nationals working in Bangladesh and a congenial environment for Japanese investors in Bangladesh. The issues came up for discussions at a bilateral meeting Bangladesh and Japan at state guesthouse Meghna in Dhaka. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono led their respective sides at the meeting. However, the two ministers briefed the media after the meeting, reports news agency.

MNA Sports Desk: Ball-tampering, verbal abuse and on-field confrontations are threatening the spirit of cricket and recent poor behaviour by players has to stop, International Cricket Council (ICC) boss David Richardson has said. Richardson also took aim at players claiming confusion over ball-tampering rules, saying the laws were clear and their complaints “disingenuous” in a speech at the MCC’s Colin Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s. “The phrase ‘it’s just not cricket’ is not an accident, it’s because cricket’s DNA is based on integrity and people know that cricket represents something more than a game,” Richardson said. “We have seen too much ...

MNA National Desk: The education ministry has invited vice-chancellors of all private universities to a meeting to discuss clashes between police and students during a campaign for safe roads, reported news agency. The meeting will take place at the Dhaka International Mother Language Institute auditorium at 3pm on Wednesday, said the education ministry. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid will be the chief guest. Earlier, he had given several directives through a meeting with chiefs of government and private educational institutes on Aug 5. Two students died in a bus accident on Airport Road on Jul 29 which galvanised a student ...

MNA Education Desk: The 38th Bangladesh Civil Service or BCS written examinations will begin on Wednesday, reported news agency. The candidates will not be allowed to carry any kind of watches, books, calculators and other electronic tools during the tests, according to Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) press release issued on Tuesday afternoon. A sufficient number of watches will be provided in all examination halls for the candidates to see the time, the press release also added. According to the notice, violators of the rules will have their instruments seize, even their candidacy might be cancelled and declared unqualified for ...

MNA International Desk: Terrified holidaymakers rushed for boats and planes to leave Indonesia’s Lombok island Tuesday after it suffered a second deadly quake within a week, while rescuers struggled to reach hard-hit areas where survivors are in urgent need of food and shelter. The shallow 6.9-magnitude quake killed at least 98 people and destroyed thousands of buildings in Lombok on Sunday, just days after another deadly tremor surged through the holiday island and killed 17. Rescuers on Tuesday resumed the search for survivors, and to recover the bodies of victims in the rubble of houses, mosques and schools destroyed in ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Democracy is one of the most practiced government system around the world and it projects sheer beauty if embedded with sacrifice and accountability. It asks for the leaders to take responsibility of their words or works and complete dedication towards the welfare of the people. Democracy calls for participation of the people in forming a government of their choice as well as entitles them for answers. In spite of worldwide adoption of democratic concept, democracy is flawed or not in full practice in most countries including the initiators of democracy. Hence now extent of democratic practice becomes ...

MNA National Desk: Central Leaders of Bangabandhu Shishu Kishor Mela (BSKM) on Monday paid rich tribute to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreaths at his Mazar at Tungipara. Iqbal Sobhan Chowdury, the chief adviser of Bangabandhu Shishu Kishore Mela and Prime Minister’s Media Advisor, placed wreaths at the mazar. Mir Mosharref Hossain Pakbir, the chief patron of BSKM national committee, also paid homage to Bangabandhu marking the 43rd martyrdom anniversary and National Mourning Day. Besides a huge number of children participated in a mourning rally arranged by the BSKM before placing wreaths at the Mazar.

MNA Tech Desk: Online ticketing platform, bdtickets.com, has offered online ticket for the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha, said a press release on Saturday. People planning to travel, can easily purchase tickets through this online ticketing platform from the comfort of their homes. Interested customers can place purchase request on the platform for their desired destinations along with return tickets and make payment conveniently using their debit/credit cards or mobile wallet (such as bKash, Rocket etc.). Customers can also call directly to the bdtickets.com’s contact center by dialing 16460. The call center agents will process the ticket purchase requests. Having started its journey ...

MNA Entertainment Desk: In her first public comments since an overdose put her into the hospital, singer Demi Lovato says she remains committed to overcoming addiction, reported news agency. “I will keep fighting,” Lovato wrote Sunday in a post on Instagram. She also thanked her fans, family, team and staff at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. She reportedly overdosed on drugs at her Hollywood Hills home on 24 July. She said she’s learned that the illness of addiction doesn’t fade and is something she “must continue to overcome,” and needs time to heal and focus on her sobriety and recovery. ...