National

MNA National Desk: Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das on Monday described Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the founder of modern Bangladesh and one of the most influential and courageous leaders of the 20th century. She made the remarks at a book gifting session on the Father of the Nationas part of the ‘Mujib Borsho’ celebrations. Books on Bangabandhu and Liberation War written by acclaimed authors and historians have been gifted to 100 universities and colleges across Bangladesh, including those situated in Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet, among others. Keynote speaker at the event was Barrister Mohibul ...

MNA National Desk: Urging all to maintain austerity in electricity use, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said it will not be possible to always provide subsidy for power generation. “It’s not always possible to give subsidy… everybody should keep it in mind,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating two power generation stations, 11 grid sub-center, six transmission lines and 100 percent electrification activities in 31 upazilas under 18 districts across the country virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban. Sheikh Hasina said the actual cost of power generation is much higher than the price per unit at ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has described Bangladesh’s first military ruler Ziaur Rahman as “real villain” of the August 15, 1975 plot while years later his wife Khaleda Zia emerged as another such figure as the August 21, 2004 grenade attack was carried out. “The real villain behind the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was Ziaur Rahman,” she told a virtual discussion marking the National Mourning Day and the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu on Sunday. The premier said Zia became the main beneficiary of the carnage as he simultaneously emerged as the ...

MNA National Desk: Different political parties, including ruling Awami League, and other socio-cultural organisations on Friday observed the 16th anniversary of the grisly grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) anti-terrorism rally in the capital on August 21, 2004 in a befitting manner. The AL organized a virtual discussion at its central office at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka this morning marking the 16th anniversary of the gruesome grenade attack. Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina presided over the discussion through a videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence. AL General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh has registered 41 new fatalities from the novel coronavirus infection in a daily count, taking the death toll to 3,822. The tally of infections surged to 287,959 after 2,868 people tested positive for COVID-19 until 8 am Thursday, reports bdnews24.com citing a health directorate’s statement. Another 3,253 patients recovered from the disease through treatment at home and in hospital care in the same period, bringing the total to 168,991. The official figures put the recovery rate at 58.69 per cent, while the mortality rate stands at 1.33 per cent following the latest deaths of 32 men ...

MNA National Desk: Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla arrived in Dhaka on a brief visit on Tuesday carrying a message from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shringla will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence and hand over the message he is carrying from Prime Minister Modi, a senior official said. But, no meeting schedule with the Prime Minister was found until Tuesday noon. They are expected to discuss ways to strengthen the ties between the two neighbouring countries apart from issues related to cooperation on Covid-19 front. Shringla is likely to go to Yangon from Dhaka ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has donated Tk 10.0 million to the Buddhist community for celebrating their religious festival in a befitting manner. She gave the money to Buddha Dhormio Kalyan Trust for upcoming Probarona Purnima and Kathin Chibor Daan Utshab 2020, which will be observed on October 1, from the PM’s Relief and Welfare Fund. This money will be spent to observe their religious festival at all Buddha Bihar, Mandir, Kyang, Chaitya and Pagoda across the country. PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim said that the cheque was provided on Monday (August 17). He said the secular Prime ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh Ambassador to USA Mohammad Ziauddin has said they are convinced that the USA, as champion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, shall return the killer of Bangabandhu to Bangladesh soon. He said efforts continued to this day for the return of the killers of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and members of his family, who were tried and convicted in absentia. The killers are now hiding in foreign lands, including the USA. Ziauddin expressed strong optimism at the National Mourning Day programme commemorating the 45th anniversary of martyrdom of ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has paid rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman marking the National Mourning Day and the 45th anniversary of his martyrdom. As part of the state program, the prime minister paid homage to the architect of the independence by placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu in front of Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi Road No 32 in the capital on Saturday. The day is being observed as the National Mourning Day. After placing wreaths, the prime minister stood in solemn silence for some time showing respect to the ...

MNA National Desk: The nation is observing the National Mourning Day today (Saturday), marking the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were brutally killed by some disgruntled army men on the fateful night of August 15, 1975 and this carnage is considered as the ugliest chapter of the nation’s history. The self-confessed killers of August 15 did not assassinate Bangabandhu alone, but also killed 16 other members of his family, friends and relatives. The martyrs included Bangabandhu’s wife Begum Fazilatunnesa ...

MNA National Desk: Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Audrey Azoulay on Friday said the legacy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is a great source of inspiration for the generations to come. “It is certain that Bangabandhu’s legacy will continue to be a great source of inspiration for generations to come, for all those working to reinvent the world,” she said in a message on the occasion of the 45th martyrdom anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In her message, Audrey Azoulay said: “I would like to pay tribute to ...

MNA National Desk: Claiming that the number of coronavirus patients is decreasing, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said that some more Covid-19 dedicated hospitals would be made non-Covid-19 by the end of this month. The Health Minister said this to reporters after a meeting on the progress of the project on setting up cancer hospitals at eight divisional levels at the secretariat on Thursday. “We are a bit behind because of Covid-19. We have not been able to work for the last six to seven months. Now we have started working on the non-communicable diseases,” he added. The ...

MNA National Desk: The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three men who were named as witnesses in a case started by police after the incident of killing of retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf. “They are the witnesses in the case started over the incident. They were arrested over their involvement in the murder,” said Director of the RAB’s legal and media wing Ashik Billah, report bdnews24.com and UNB. The elite police unit produced the three men before a Cox’s Bazar court on Tuesday afternoon to seek permission to interrogate them in remand, he ...

MNA National Desk: Thirty-nine more people died from coronavirus (Covid-19) in Bangladesh in the last 24 hours till Monday, according to the statistics of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). With this, the death toll due to the deadly virus infection reached at 3,438, Additional Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Nasima Sultana said. Besides, 2,907 people tested positive for the virus during the same period, raising the number of such cases in the country to 2,60,507, she added. However, some 2067patents have recovered from the disease bringing the total figure to 148,370. Prof Dr Nasima ...

MNA National Desk: A Cox’s Bazar court on Sunday granted bail to Stamford University student Shipra Rani Devnath, one of the two companions of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed, in a case filed under the Narcotics Control Act. Senior Judicial Magistrate Delwar Hossain passed the order after her lawyer placed a petition seeking bail in the case, Shipra’s lawyer Arup Barua Topu confirmed the court order. He also said Shipra has been granted bail until submission of chargesheet in the case. Besides, Tamanna Farah, acting judge of senior judicial magistrate court (Teknaf-3) also fixed the date for the bail hearing ...

MNA National Desk: The 90th birth anniversary of Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib was observed across the country on Saturday with due respect. Fazilatunnesa, wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and mother of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was born at Tungipara village of Gopalganj district on August 8 in 1930. Begum Fazilatunnesa, who had played a pivotal role in nation building activities and struggled for an independent Bangladesh staying beside Bangabandhu, embraced martyrdom along with Bangabandhu and other family members in a brutal predawn attack by some disgruntled army personnel on August 15 in 1975. President Abdul ...

MNA National Desk: The ongoing flood in the country claimed eight more lives in the last 24 hours taking the death toll to 169 on Friday. A total of 160 upazilas across the country have been affected by flood that set in during the last week of June, and is yet to subside fully, said a bulletin of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). People in Kurigram, Madaripur, Sirajganj, Tangail, Faridpur and Netrakona have been the worst sufferers of the deluge, reports UNB. Among the deceased, 29 died in Jamalpur, 28 in Tangail, 22 in Kurigram, 17 in Manikganj, ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh has decided to send food, first aid supplies, and a medical team to explosion-hit Beirut of Lebanon. Bangladesh is ready to provide any assistance to Lebanon on an emergency basis if necessary, says a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release on August 6. Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen informed it to Lebanese Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe on Wednesday when he called the Lebanese foreign minister to express his sympathy for those killed in the Beirut explosion. Momen also expressed his gratitude to the Lebanese government for overall cooperation, including treatment of Bangladeshis injured in the ...

MNA National Desk: The Detective Branch of Police on Wednesday submitted the charge-sheet against JKG Healthcare’s chairman Dr Sabrina Arif Chaudhury and seven others in a case filed over issuing forged Covid-19 certificates. Liakat Ali, investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge-sheet to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court. The other accused in the case are JKG Healthcare’s CEO and Dr Sabrina’s husband Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Arif’s sister Jebunnesa Rima, his accomplices Sayed Chowdhury, Humayun Kabir and his wife Tanzila Patwari and Shafiqul Islam, Biplob Das and Mamunur Rashid. All of the accused were arrested. According to the charge-sheet, ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday phoned the mother of the retired Army major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan, who was killed in police firing on Friday night in Cox’s Bazar. During the phone call, the premier condoled his mother over his death, reads a press release today. PM Sheikh Hasina also assured of a proper investigation into the incident and trial as well as financial assistance to the family. Earlier on Friday night, Sinha was killed in police firing in Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive. Sources at police said Sinha was going to Cox’s Bazar from Teknaf with ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh today recorded 30 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths and 1,356 fresh cases overnight. The recovery count rose to 137,905 after another 1066 patients were discharged from the hospitals during the period, a top health official said. “Thirty more COVID-19 patients died in the last 24 hours, increasing the death toll from the pandemic to 3,184,” Additional Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Prof Nasima Sultana told a virtual media briefing at DGHS in the city this afternoon. She said the tally of infections has surged to 242,102 as 1,356 new cases were confirmed in ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh celebrates Eid-ul-Azha, a major religious festival of the Muslims, today with due solemnity, sense of sacrifice and religious flavor amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and the flood that has hit almost half of the country. On this day, the 10th of Arabic month of Zilhajj, 4,000 years ago, Prophet Ibrahim (AS) offered to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS) who willingly submitted to his father’s wish to please Almighty Allah. But the Almighty in His benign mercy spared Hazrat Ismail (AS) and instead placed a sheep to be sacrificed. Commemorating the supreme sacrifice of Prophet ...

MNA National Desk: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a message to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, expressing warm greetings on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha. In the message, the Indian prime minister said: “The festival of Eid ul Azha, which is also celebrated in several parts of India, reminds us of our deep historical and cultural links. We hope that this festival will further enhance the spirit of peace and tolerance in our respective societies and promote fraternal ties between our two countries.” He also said that he appreciates the steps being taken against Covid-19 under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has extended her greetings to the people of the country on the auspicious occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims, to be celebrated on Saturday. “The Prime Minister in an audio message greeted people on the Eid-uL-Azha and it (the message) will be sent soon to the mobile users through their cell phones,” said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim on Wednesday. In the message of greetings, the premier said, “AssaIamualaikum, I am Sheikh Hasina. The holy Eid-ul-Azha once again comes to us after a year… I am extending ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked all concerned to keep up the growth, achieved in agriculture amid the coronavirus pandemic, to ensure food security alongside making efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). “Though the coronavirus outbreak put us back to a some extent, we would have to maintain the growth that had been achieved in the agriculture amid the pandemic to ensure that our people don’t suffer from food crisis,” she said. The prime minister said this while delivering her introductory speech at the weekly meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday urged the youth to be part of decision-making steps with their ideas and innovations to build a future which would be more resilient and sustainable both at this COVID-19 pandemic and also during the post-pandemic period. “The COVID-19 is forcing both the pace and scale of workplace innovations. These silver linings are thin compared to the scale of the disruptions though,” she said. The Prime Minister said this while virtually inaugurating ‘Dhaka–OIC Youth Capital 2020’ and its first event the ‘Resilient Youth Leadership Summit’ from her official residence Ganobhaban through videoconferencing ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister and Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked her party leaders and workers to remain prepared to tackle any situation if the ongoing flood is lingered. “This year’s flood may be prolonged. The 1998 deluge lasted for the longest period of 69 days, while the 1988 flooding was for two weeks,” she said. The premier added: “If the current flood is prolonged like 1998, we’ll have that type of preparation about what should we do.” Sheikh Hasina said this while addresing a coordination meeting of the AL’s joint general secretaries and organising secretaries ...