Fourteen people died at the Covid-19 unit of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in last 24 hours till 8am on Monday. The district's Covid-19 and suspected death toll now reached 315 since June 1. Of the deceased, seven were Covid-19 positive and rests were suspected cases, said RMCH Director Brig Gen Shamim Yazdani. Among the deceased, seven hailed from Rajshahi and five from Chapainawabganj…

The government enforced lockdown on a 3-day limited scale from today as the Covid-19 virus is spreading fast in the country. The restrictions came into effect from 6:00am and will remain in force till 6am on July 1. No public transports are plying on Dhaka streets. All shopping malls, markets, recreation centres, resorts, community centers, tourist spots remained shut since this morning. Office-goers…

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has moved one notch up in the Global Liveability Index-2021 of The Economist Intelligence Unit and now ranks the 4th worst liveable city. Dhaka ranked 137th among the 140 cities with 33.5 points. The city scored 55 in stability, 16.7 in healthcare, 30.8 in culture and environment, 33.3 in education and 26.8 in infrastructure. Dhaka was adjudged the 3rd worst liveable…

Bangladesh has been elected as Vice President for the upcoming 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from the Asia Pacific Region for one year term beginning from September next. The election was held at the UNGA in New York on Monday where Bangladesh was elected unanimously, according to a press release received here today. Along with Bangladesh, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic…

Denouncing the recent Israeli attacks, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday told Parliament that Bangladesh is always with the Palestinian people and will continue to extend all sorts of assistance to them. "We're always with Palestinian people. We did extend all sorts of assistance to them in the past, and are doing so today and will surely do that in the future," Hasina said, reports UNB. The…

National Security Intelligence (NSI) on Wednesday evening arrested three alleged smugglers with gold ornaments and iPhones at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. During the arrest, the NSI seized 1.328 grams of gold bars and ornaments, five iPhones and three tabs from their possession. NSI sources said they learnt that an organised gang was smuggling gold out of the country. Based on…

The 13th session (Budget) of the 11th Jatiya Sangsad will begin this afternoon following health guidelines. President M Abdul Hamid called the session as per the power bestowed on him by the constitution. The proposed budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year will be placed in the parliament for the second time during the global novel coronavirus pandemic. The 50th national budget of the country and also…

Bangladesh's foreign currency reserves have crosses the $45.5 billion mark for the first time following an increase in remittances sent by the expatriates. The reserves reached the milestone on Tuesday,  Bangladesh Bank sources said. It means the country can pay import expenses of more than 12 months with the reserves.  The foreign exchange reserves jumped by nearly $12 billion in a year…

OP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma arrived in Bangladesh on a two-day visit to strengthen support for UK COP26 climate priorities ahead of hosting the crucial UN climate change summit in Glasgow this November. The President-designate COP26 landed at Dhaka airport by a flight (No. QR 0957) this morning. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam received Alok Sharma, also a British lawmaker,…

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today approved a Taka 3,089.97 crore Meghna river bank protection project in a bid to protect erosion prone areas and establishments at Ramgati and Kamalnagar upazilas inLaxmipur district. The approval came from a meeting of the ECNEC held on Tuesday with its Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. The Premier joined…

A Dhaka court placed five university students on a five-day remand each in a case filed for trading and taking lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) drug. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Atikul Islam passed the order on Monday. Earlier,r Investigation Officer Badrul Al Amin, also a sub-inspector of Khilgaon Police Station, produced them before the court seeking 10 days' remand for them, court sources said.…

The first batch of 1.06 lakh doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine arrived Dhaka on Monday night under the global vaccine initiative Covax facility. A regular flight of Emirates landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:10pm with the doses and Md Shamsul Haque, a line director at the Directorate General of Health Services, received them, Dr Nasrin Akhter, a medical officer at the airport's…

Intermittent showers swamped many parts of the capital Dhaka on Tuesday morning, throwing its residents into disarray. According to officials at the Met office, the rainfall started around 6:30am and continued for several hours across the city. Due to the showers, many roads and lanes in the city’s Khilkhet, Mohakhlai, Kakrail, Mouchak, Malibagh, Mirpur, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Motijheel, Shantinagar,…