National

MNA National Desk: One of the 10 Bangladeshis, Shahreen Ahmed who survived the US-Bangla plane crash in Nepal returned to Dhaka while another flew to Singapore with his family for further treatment. Doctors in Nepal have discharged six of them, two are still in intensive care and one is being treated at the burn unit, according to the foreign ministry. Another patient is waiting to be discharged to fly to New Delhi for treatment. Md Rezwanul Haque, who was admitted to the OM Hospital in Kathmandu, was taken to Singapore on Wednesday. His father Mozammel Haque arranged the transfer, said ...

MNA National Desk: The Supreme Court today stayed till next Sunday the High Court order that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. A four-member Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after hearing two petitions filed against the High Court order. The apex court also asked the ACC and government to file two separate leave-to-appeal petitions with the court by Sunday challenging the HC order on bail of Khaleda. On February 8, the Special Judge’s Court-5 of Dhaka sentenced Khaleda to five years’ rigorous imprisonment in the ...

MNA National Desk: A Feni court on Tuesday sentenced 39 people including Awami league leader Jahangir Adel was provided with death sentence in Fulgazi upazila chairman Ekramul Haque Ekram murder case. District and sessions Judge Aminul Haque also acquitted 16 accused in the case including district Tanti Dal president Mahtab Udin Chowdhury Minar. Armed assailants shot at Ekram, also local Awami League leader, and set ablaze his car in broad daylight on Academy Road in Feni town on May 20, 2014. Ekram’s brother Rezaul Hoque Jasim filed the murder case with Feni Sadar Police Station on that day, accusing Mahtab ...

MNA National Desk: Abid Sultan, the pilot of the crashed US-Bangla Airlines flight who sustained injuries in the plane crash, died at Norvic Hospital in Kathmundu on Tuesday morning. Mohammad Kamrul Islam, General Manager (GM), Marketing Support and PR of US-Bangla Airlines, confirmed the death. Two other cabin crew members co-pilots—Prithula Rashid and Khwaja Hossain—died after the crash, reported news agency. The US-Bangla Airlines flight BS211, which flew from Dhaka to Kathmandu carrying 67 passengers and four crew members, crashed at Tribhuvan International Airport in the capital of Himalayan country of Nepal on Monday, leaving 49 people, including 25 Bangladeshis, ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will return home today shortening her official visit to Singapore to stand beside the families of the victims of tragic plane crash at Kathmandu on Monday. PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim confirmed that the prime minister will return to Dhaka Tuesday afternoon by a regular flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines from Singapore. Sheikh Hasina, who arrived in Singapore on Sunday on a four-day official visit, was scheduled to return home on Wednesday. Meanwhile in a message to the nation, the prime minister said she will return home to stand beside the families of ...

MNA National Desk: The High Court has granted a four-month interim bail to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. A two-member High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Haque granted her the bail. On Sunday, the High Court deferred until Monday the passing of its order on Khaleda’s bail petition in the case in which she was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. However, the documents later reached the department concerned of the High Court on Sunday. On February 22, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed the petition with the High Court seeking ...

MNA National Desk: A massive fire broke out at a slum in Mirpur 12 section of Dhaka in the early hours of Monday. Over 4,000 shanties were gutted as a devastating fire broke out at a slum in Mirpur area in the capital. The fire broke out at Ilias Mollah slum around 4am and soon engulfed the adjacent shanties, Fire Service and Civil Defense control room duty officer Mahfuz said. On information, 21 fire fighting units rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control at about 7:22am after three and half hours of frantic efforts. Fire service officials ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was accorded a warm reception as she reached Singapore on Sunday afternoon on a four-day official visit to Singapore at the invitation of her Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. A VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the prime minister and members of her entourage landed at Changi Airport in Singapore at 2:30pm local time. Singapore Senior Minister of State of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources and the Ministry of Health Dr Amy Khor and Bangladesh High Commissioner to Singapore Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman received the premier at the airport. From the ...

MNA National Desk: PM Sheikh Hasina reached Singapore on a four-day official visit at the invitation of her Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong. A flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, which left Dhaka at 8:30am carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage, landed at Changi Airport, Singapore at 2:30pm (local time). Minister-in-Attendance of Singapore, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, and Ministry of Health Dr Amy Khor and High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Singapore Md Mustafizur Rahman received her at the airport. Dhaka is putting high importance on the visit as the prime minister would seek support ...

MNA National Desk: The third span (superstructure) of the Padma Bridge was installed between pillars 39 and 40 on Sunday morning, reports news agency. With the installation of the third span around 8:30am, a total of 450 metres of the Padma Bridge is now visible, said the engineers concerned. The installation process of the 150 metres span has been started at 7:30am. The floating crane carrying the 150-metre span weighing 3,140 tonnes reached near the pillars on Saturday afternoon. The work of Padma Multipurpose Bridge became visible with the installation of 150 metres first span on the pillars 37 and ...

MNA National Desk: President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang left Dhaka for Hanoi on Tuesday afternoon, wrapping up his three-day state visit and exploring avenues to enhance bilateral trade and investment. Earlier, the Vietnamese and Bangladeshi Presidents have agreed upon specific measures to promote politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, investment, agriculture, education and science and technology. At a meeting with President Abdul Hamid in the capital city of Dhaka on March 5 (local time), President Tran Dai Quang expressed his wish that Bangladesh will successfully hold its general election by 2019 and reach the goal of becoming a middle-income country by ...

MNA National Desk: BNP leaders and activists formed a human chain in Dhaka this morning as part of their countrywide protest demanding release of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia. Senior leaders and supporters of BNP gathered in front of Jatiya Press Club since 10:00am with placards and chanting slogans, blocking one side of the road. Huge number of law enforcers cordoned off the protesters to fend off any trouble. BNP’s districts, city units are also scheduled to observe the programmes at their convenient time and places. Earlier on Sunday, the party announced two-day countrywide fresh programmes, including formation of human chain ...

MNA National Desk: The National Jute Day-2018 is being observed throughout the country amid enthusiasm with a view to making jute goods popular among the people. The government took up elaborate programmes including rallies, road shows, art competition, poetry festival, seminars and symposiums. On the eve of the day, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting people of the jute sector. According to the government, jute will play a vital role in expanding the export market, earning foreign currency, safeguarding the environment, and generating employment as the country is being elevated to middle income ...

MNA National Desk: The parents of Foyzur Rahman, the attacker on professor Muhammed Zafar Iqbal of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), surrendered to the police on Sunday night. Foyzur’s father Atiqur Rahman and mother Minara Begum appeared in the Jalabad police station of Sylhet city, ending hours of their hiding after the attack on Zafar. On Saturday, renowned writer and educationist Zafar sustained head injuries when 24-year old youth Foyzur stabbed him with a knife during a prize-giving ceremony of the university. Foyzur’s family members went into on hiding immediately after the attack. The law enforcement claimed Foyzur, ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday termed fanatics the attackers of Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and urged all to keep their children away from militancy, terrorism and drug abuse. She said her government is committed to ensuring that no terrorist or militant activity occurs in Bangladesh. “Those who commit such acts are fanatics,” she said at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday, a day after popular science fiction writer Prof Muhammed Zafar Iqbal was attacked and injured by a man during a campus event in Sylhet. “They believe they can gain access to heaven through murder. ...

MNA National Desk: The High Court on Thursday, in its order, declared parliament membership of Awami League MP Nizam Uddin Hazari legal. The single bench of Justice Md Abu Zafar Siddique handed down the verdict rejecting the writ petition filed challenging the legality of his parliament membership. Earlier on February 27, the same bench set on Thursday for delivering its verdict on completion of the hearing, said Advocate Satyaranjon Mandal, lawyer of the petitioner. In 2014, Shakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan, a Jubo League leader of Feni, filed the writ petition with the HC attaching a newspaper report of May 10, 2014, ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday opened digital platform ‘Krishi Batayon’ (agriculture portal) and ‘Krishak Bandhu Phone Seba’ for expansion of e-agriculture services across the country. The prime minister inaugurated the services through a video-conference from her official residence Ganabhaban here this afternoon. Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury spoke on the occasion, while Senior Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah made a power point presentation. Director General (admin) of the Prime Minister’s Office and Project Director of the A2I Project Kabir Bin Anwar moderated the function. Krishi Batayon is a central service portal. Some mobile ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday paid tributes to former parliament member and valiant freedom fighter Sarfuddin Ahmed Jhantu. The prime minister paid the homage by placing wreaths on his coffin, also the immediate past mayor of Rangpur City Corporation, at the South Plaza of Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. After laying the wreaths, she stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of Jhantu. Flanked by senior party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, placed another wreath on his coffin on behalf of the party. Earlier, a namaz-e-janaza ...

MNA National Desk: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday ordered the High Court for expeditious disposal of its previous rule issued halting the by-election to the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). A four-member appeal bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order after disposal of the leave-to-appeal filed by Election Commission (EC) challenging the High Court order. EC lawyer Towhidul Islam said the Appellate Division assigned the HC bench, led by Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore, for quick disposal of the rule. The process for holding the elections to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) will ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached Natore on Thursday morning to join the 6th Engineering Corps Reunion of Bangladesh Army at Engineer Centre and School of Military Engineering at Qadirabad Cantonment. An Air Force helicopter carrying the premier landed at the helipad of Qadirabad Cantonment here around 10:50 am. After attending the reunion, the prime minister will go to Rajshahi where she will open 21 development projects and lay foundation stones of 12 other schemes from Madrasa Moidan, reported news agency. Sheikh Hasina, also the Awami League president, will address a public meeting to be organized by the ...

MNA National Desk: Counsels of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia filed an appeal petition challenging the verdict sentencing the former prime minister to five years of imprisonment in Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. The appeal plea was filed with a branch of High Court at about 3:00pm on Tuesday, said Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Barrister Kaysar Kamal. Earlier, the senior lawyers of Khaleda Zia hold meeting for several hours at the hall room of Supreme Court’s bar in the morning. Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, AJ Mohammad Ali, Abdur Rezak Khan, Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon, Barrister Badruddoza Badal, Sanaullah Mia, Aminul Islam, ...

MNA National Desk: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday distributed coveted Ekushey Padak-2018 among 21 eminent citizens for contributions to their respective fields. Prime Minister handed over the Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian awards in Bangladesh, to the awardees at a function organised by Cultural Affairs Ministry at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. AZM Takiullah (posthumous) and Prof Dr Mirza Mazharul Islam got the award for their role in the language movement while Sheikh Sadi Khan, Sujoy Sham, Indra Mohan Rajbanshi, Khurshid Alam and Motiul Haque Khan won for music. Minu Haque and Humayun Faridi (posthumous) got the Padak for dance ...

MNA National Desk: The High Court on Monday asked the authorities concerned to complete trials of 139 prisoners, who are kept in different jails without trial, by August 31. An High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim gave the suomoto order  as the matter of was brought to their attention by Supreme Court Legal Aide Panel lawyer Kumar Debul De. The court also asked to take departmental action against the investigation officers of the cases if trials are not completed within this time. Deputy Attorney General Farhad Ahmed and Assistant Attorney General Yusuf Mahbub Morshed ...

MNA National Desk: BNP leaders and activists on Sunday submitted a memorandum, containing its demand to release the party Chairperson Khaleda Zia, to Dhaka’s Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Salah Uddin. BNP chairperson’s advisor Barrister Ziaur Rahman, Dhaka district unit BNP president Dewan Mohammad Salahuddin and numbers of party leaders and activists of the unit submitted the memorandum to the DC at noon. Later, BNP leaders and activists staged a demonstration in front of the DC office, and chanted various slogans demanding Khaleda’s release. Earlier, several hundred BNP leaders and activists gathered near Victoria Park from 10:00am amid the presence of huge ...

MNA National Desk: Bangladesh Manobadhikar Bastobayon Shongstha arranged an opinion exchange program ‘Meet the Press’ with the journalists of prominent national print and electronic media today 18th February, 2018 at 11:30 this morning at its office. Chairman of the organization Advocate Sigma Huda was present as the chief guest. General Secretary Advocate Jahanara Begum, National committee member former additional district judge Tarique Haider and executive director Mostofa Sohel was also present in this program. They raised their concern over declining human rights situation on Bangladesh based on the information published in the national dailies during 2017. According to their findings, ...

MNA National Desk: The United Nations has expressed the hope that a favourable climate will be created in Bangladesh to hold a free and fair election. “…like in any country, this is our principal position that a climate could be created where free and fair elections could take place,” Spokesman for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric told reporters in a regular briefing at the UN headquarters on Friday, reported news agency. He said they are following the situation in Bangladesh very closely. “We’ve expressed our concern.” On Wednesday, a European Parliamentary delegation hoped that the political environment in Bangladesh will become ...

MNA National Desk: The BNP has started mass signature campaign demanding release of its chairperson Khaleda Zia. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir inaugurated its pre-scheduled programme around 11am on Saturday at party’s Nayapaltan office in the capital. On Thursday, BNP announced fresh agitation programmes which included conducting mass signature campaigns across the country today, submitting memorandums to all deputy commissioners on Sunday and staging demonstrations in all district towns and metropolitan cities, except for Dhaka, on Tuesday. The BNP chief was sent to jail on February 8 after a special court in Dhaka had sentenced her to five ...