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MNA Editorial Desk: A judicial probe body that was formed to investigate the forced eviction, killing and arson attacks on the Santal community at Sahebganj in Gobindaganj upazila visited Madarpur and Joypurpara areas on Tuesday morning to hear the affected people and witnesses in this connection. The probe body went to Gobindaganj upazila to hear the affected people and witnesses in this connection, reported news agency. The judicial probe body, headed by the district’s Chief Judicial Magistrate Md Shahidullah, was formed following an order of the High Court (HC). Three Santal men were killed and 27 people, including nine policemen, ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The Indian Railways is now planning to provide online train ticket booking facilities to the neighboring countries, including Bangladesh, reported The New Indian Express. While the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been focusing on increasing cooperation with SAARC countries, the ministry of Railways is mulling to start the process with Bangladesh. Talks have been initiated informally at Indian High Commission level in Bangladesh to start the process. ‘We are in the process of moving a proposal to provide online ticketing platform to Bangladesh, so that people can book their tickets for inbound trains without ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Selina Hayat Ivy, the ruling Awami League-backed candidate has been re-elected as Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) mayor. She has won by a huge margin as she gained 182% of votes, almost double, of her closest rival BNP-backed Sakhawat. She defeated BNP candidate Sakhawat Hossain Khan by over 79,567 votes and also won her rival’s neighborhood with 1,930 votes, in one of the most peaceful, violence and vandalism-free elections we have seen in quite a long time. An election was held in Narayanganj for the first time in many years with no contestant from the influential Osman family ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman has won the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year award, the first Bangladeshi to win an annual ICC award. In the period under consideration, Mustafizur played three ODIs and took eight wickets, while he yielded 19 wickets in 10 T20Is, according to news published on the ICC website. “This award is the best gift of the year for me and will encourage me to do even better in the coming years. I’m delighted and proud to win this award, especially since it’s the first time that a Bangladesh player has won an ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Police have been ordered to shoot if anybody tries to create irregularities at the polling stations during the Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) election, said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman. DIG of Dhaka range told this to the newsmen in Narayanganj’s Masdair Police Line area on Tuesday. “If anybody tries to snatch ballot box, seize polling station, or breach polling station security, law enforcement will open fire. Action will be taken against those policemen who would not open fire,” he said. Earlier on Monday, 22 platoons of BGB deployed to the electoral zones and the process ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The actions of Myanmar’s military may constitute crimes against humanity, human rights group Amnesty International has warned, based on accounts of violence against the country’s Muslim Rohingya minority. Myanmar has come under heavy criticism for its army’s forceful treatment of the Rohingya, and international human rights groups have accused the military of mass murder, looting and rape, reported news agency. “The Myanmar military has targeted Rohingya civilians in a callous and systematic campaign of violence,” said Rafendi Djamin, Southeast Asia director for Amnesty International. “The deplorable actions of the military could be part of a widespread and ...

MNA National Desk: The two-century old Dhaka Central Jail that has borne witness to much of the country’s brutal history has opened to the public as a museum. The last inmates of the 228-year-old prison in the capital’s old Mughal quarters were relocated in July this year, and the gates of the 35-acre facility opened, allowing people to explore the jail for a 100 taka (US$1.25) ticket rather than being arrested first. Over the last two centuries, the jail – the biggest in Bangladesh until it closed – has been a central stage for much of the country’s history. Scores ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The Biman Bangladesh Airlines on Wednesday suspended three more engineers after an investigation found their negligence in duty that caused a Prime Minister carrying flight to make emergency landing in Turkmenistan. The suspended officials are recognized as Chief Engineer Debesh Chowdhury (Production), Chief Engineer SA Siddique (Quality) and Belal Hossain (System and Maintenance). The decision was taken after getting the full report of the probe committee formed by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said Shakil Meraj, general manager (public relations) of the national flag carrier. The civil aviation ministry, Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB), and Biman had formed three ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The chief minister of India’s Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, who is Amma to many in India, has died in a Chennai hospital on Monday, nearly three months after she was admitted there. She was 68-years-old, reported news agency. Jayalalithaa had a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening and was rushed back to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Barely two weeks ago, after doctors and her party said she was fully recovered from a respiratory illness, she was moved from the critical care unit to a private room kitted out with emergency equipment, said the Indian television channel. Just ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Protesters blocked Shahbagh crossing for about seven hours since noon protesting against attacks on Hindus at Nasirnagar in Brahmanbaria. The protesters also burned the effigy of fisheries and livestock minister and Member of Parliament from Brahmanbaria-1 (Nasirnagar) constituency, Sayedul Hoque. The demonstrators demanded resignation of the minister, who received widesprad criticism allegedly for his derogatory remarks on the Nasirnagar incident. Concluding the blockade, protesters’ spokesperson Manik Rakshit issued a three-day ultimatum to the minister to resign or they would block roads and highways at important places across the country on November 15. Different organisations including Jago Hindu ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The Supreme Court on Thursday released the full text of its judgment on section 54 and 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) upholding the High Court verdict. The full verdict was published with a ruling that police cannot arrest and detain any person without any warrant on suspicion. The apex court released the verdict after the judges concerned signed it, according to a source in the SC Registrar Office. Earlier on May 24, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, delivered the verdict  after dismissing an appeal by ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Donald Trump has been elected the 45th president of the United States after Hillary Clinton called him to concede in one of the most divisive elections in modern US history. The Republican nominee won on Wednesday after capturing Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes, putting him over the 270 threshold. Mr. Trump addresses a gathering at Trump Towers. “I congratulated Hillary for a hard fought campaign; we owe her a debt of gratitude. Time to bind the wounds, come together,” he says. He says it’s “time for us to come together,” pledges to be president “for all Americans.” He ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Tuesday permits the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to hold its rally, at the eleventh hour. Responding to the decision from DMP, BNP has rescheduled today’s rally for 13 November for observing ‘National Revolution and Solidarity Day’ after getting the permission. But the approval granted against 27 conditions and permitted BNP to make the rally at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) but the party said it never applied for that venue. Earlier, BNP sought permission for holding a rally at Suhrawardy Udyan either on 7 or 8 November for observing the ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Police on Tuesday submitted charge-sheet against former Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader Badrul Alam, in connection with the attack on Khadiza Akter. Investigative officer Harun-ur Rashid, sub-inspector of Shahparan police station, submitted the charge sheet to the Additional Judicial Magistrate of Sylhet around 11:30am. On 3 August evening, Khadiza, 23-year-old, daughter of Masuk Miah, a resident of Hausa village in Sadar upazila, was stopped on her way to home from college by Badrul, 30-year-old, assistant secretary of SUST unit of BCL. Badrul, son of Saidur Rahman, a resident of Manirgati village in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj district, ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday upheld a High Court order that disallows members of parliament to lead the governing bodies of private schools and colleges. The High Court declared illegal the rules that were allowing MPs to become chiefs of the committees of the educational institutions, reported news agency. A four-member bench led by chief justice SK Sinha passed the order rejecting a leave to appeal filed by state and the authorities of Viqarunnisa Noon School & College. Earlier on Sunday, the SC fixed Monday to deliver its verdict after concluding the hearing ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Fisheries and Livestock Minister Sayedul Haque on Sunday claimed that he will resign if anyone can prove that he used “abusive language” against the Hindu community. “Some people are trying to influence the Hindu minority people against me as they voted for me during elections,” the minister said at a press conference. He later claimed that he did not use the rude word of “Malaun” (cursed) about the Hindus. The minister came up with the remarks after he was extremely criticized for allegedly making disparaging remarks about Hindus following the attacks of Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria. Sayedul ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Awami League suspended three of its local leaders over their involvement in the attack on Hindu community in Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar upazila on Friday. They are Nasirnagar Union Parishad Chairman Abul Hashem, also assistant secretary of AL’s upazila unit, Faruk Mia, president of Haripur union, and Haji Suruj, chief of Chapartola union unit. Meanwhile, the district AL formed a five-member committee, headed by its vice-president Helal Uddin, to probe whether the suspended leaders were involved in the attacks, reported news agency. A mob demolished a number of Hindu temples and nearly 100 houses in Nasirnagar on October 30 ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Awami League MP Abdur Rahman Badi have been jailed for three years and slapped Tk. 1 million fine on Wednesday on charges of obtaining money from unknown sources in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). A Dhaka court’s Third Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar delivered the verdict with Badi on the dock. ACC filed the case with Ramna Police Station on August 21, 2014, accusing the legislator of amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement. According to the case statement, Badi acquired Tk. 108.6 million from unidentified illegal sources. The property value ...

MNA Editorial Desk: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday arrested Hall-Mark group chairman Jasmine Islam in a money embezzlement charge of Tk 85.87 crore from Janata Bank. An ACC team detained Jasmine from Dhaka at afternoon. ACC deputy assistant director filed a case with Motijheel police station against 16 people. On October 2012, the ACC filed 11 cases against 27 top officials of Sonali Bank and Hall-Mark Group including Jasmine Islam, who secured bail in all the cases later. On 16 February 2016, a Dhaka court indicted 19 people, including Hallmark Chairperson Jesmine Islam and Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, in ...

MNA Editorial Desk: For the first time voters of the 100 former Indian enclaves are exercising their franchise as the polling of 22 Union Parishads (UPs) in those areas started on Monday morning.  The polling started around 8am and will end 4pm. The polling in those areas is being held simultaneously along with the polling in some 380 more UPs across the country, reported news agency.. Full-fledged election will be held in 59 UPs, while there will be by-elections to one chairman post and some member posts, reserved seats set aside exclusively for women in 67 UPs. According to Election ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Bangladeshi-born American scientist Shafiqul Islam jointly won the prestigious Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW). The prize was awarded to the team of Shafiqul Islam (Tufts University, USA) and Rita Colwell (University of Maryland at College Park) for their vigorous performances in developing and testing a model that uses chlorophyll information from satellite data to predict cholera outbreaks at least three to six months in advance, according to the official website of PSIPW. Shafiqul Islam has applied Colwell’s findings to relate chlorophyll levels and cholera outbreaks in the Bay of Bengal. The 7th PSIPW ...

MNA Editorial Disk: Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday launched countrywide coverage of Bangladesh’s first toll-free child helpline – 1098 to provide a free telephone service to children who are facing violence, abuse and exploitation. The child helpline – 1098 enables anyone to report child rights violations, child abuse, exploitation or any other act of disruption to the protection of children by calling a toll-free number, 1098, from any corner of the country, through any mobile phone operator, said a press release. The child help line operates a 24-hour telephone line and also links children with existing social protection services ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Ruling Awami League on Tuesday declared names of more 22 secretaries of its 81-member working committee. Obaidul Quader, the new general secretary of the party, declared the names of new committee at a press briefing held in the party president’s office in Dhanmondi. The organizing secretaries are Ahamad Hossain, Misbah Uddin Siraj, BM Muzammel Haque, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem, Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapan, and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury. The departmental secretaries are finance and planning secretary Tipu Munshi, law affairs secretary Abdul Matin Khasru, information and research secretary Afzal Hossain, relief ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Sheikh Hasina remains President and Obaidul Quader is elected the new General Secretary (GS) of country’s oldest political party, Awami League. The decision came during the late hours of the second day of the 20th National Council of the party. The post of President never faced challenged from the very beginning of the council but there was severe interest from the people for the position of General Secretary as it was in discussion that, the veteran politician Syed Ashraful Islam might be replaced with a new GS and that exactly happened. The new leadership of the party ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked the leaders and activists of Awami League to take preparations for the next general elections for a third consecutive win, reported news agency. “In order to ensure current pace of development, Awami League has to win for the third term. So, from now on you will have to take all out preparations to this end,” she said on the second day of the AL 20th National Council at Engineers’ Institution Auditorium on Sunday morning. “We’ve to convince the people that the country’s socioeconomic development takes place when Awami League remains in power,” ...

MNA Editorial Desk: One of the two leading political parties of the country, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) followed its biggest political opponent Awami League(AL)’s trend by not attending AL’s 20th National Council at capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan. BNP received invitation to attend this council on Thursday. BNP’s Joint Secretary General, Moazzem Hossain Alal said and hinted on Friday that, BNP would participate in the Awami League’s Council. It is rare for these two parties to come along at a sigle stage or venue. Hence, people were having their eyes on BNP’s participation in this AL Council. But BNP did not show ...

MNA Editorial Desk: Ahead of the 20th National Council of ruling Awami League, Suhrawardy Udyan has been closed for the public and sufficient measures have been taken by the law enforcement agencies to protect any kind of unexpected hazards at those days. After an inspection of the park on Wednesday, Asaduzzaman Mia, DMP Commissioner, told the media that they were taking over security preparations in line with an SSF directive. Suhrawardy Udyan also scanned by Dog Squads from security agencies following which police would take charge of the park on Oct 21, he said. Earlier on Wednesday, Sheikh Hasina said ...