Bangladesh

    Awami League mayoral candidate Anjum Sultana Seema and her contestant Bangladesh National Party (BNP) aspirant Monirul Haque Sakku cast their votes as the Comilla City Corporation Election began on Thursday morning. Anjum Sultana Seema cast her vote at Comilla Modern Primary School center at about 9:15am. On the other hand, BNP candidate and former mayor Monirul Haque Sakku exercise his franchise at Hocchamia High School Centre at about 9:30am. The balloting in 103 polling stations across the city began at about 8:00am and it will continue till 4:00pm without any break. A neck-to-neck fight is expected to be held between AL mayoral candidate Anjuman Sultana Sima and BNP mayoral rival and immediate past mayor Monirul Haque Sakku. Two other mayoral candidates—Md Mamunur Rash...

    Sounds of explosion and gunshots were heard on Monday morning from the suspected militant hideout at Shibbari of South Surma upazila in Sylhet as commando operation entered third day. Local people said they constantly heard the sounds of gunshots and explosions from 6:30am to 7am, and heard that intermittently from 7:00am to 7:30am. The operation, 'Twilight', led by Bangladesh Army‐led forces, is underway for the fourth day amid tight security around the building. Meanwhile, a case was filed against unidentified people over the incident of two separate bomb attack near the hideout and death of six people. The Mohlabazar police Officer-in-charge Khairul Fazal said Sub-inspector (SI) Shiplu Chowdhury filed a case under murder and explosive acts against unidentified people. T...

    Explosions and gunshots rang out as members of joint forces led by army commandos stormed the 'den of militants' in a building at Shibbari in South Surma upazila of Sylhet on Saturday afternoon after rescuing 69 members of 28 families trapped in the building. Sound of gunshots and big explosions rocked the area during the army-led operation that began at about 2:00pm and continued till filing of this report at 5:30pm. After about 30-hour siege to the ‘militants’ den’ by joint forces , a team of Para Commando Battalion of Bangladesh Army, led by GOC Major General Anwarul Momen, launched operation, 'Twilight', in the building named ‘Atia Mahal’ at about 8:46am, Additional Deputy Police Commissioner (Media) of SMP Jedan Al Musa. The team rescued all the 69 residents of the bu...

    Bangladesh clinch historic 100th Test match beating Sri Lanka by four wickets to level Joy Bangla Cup series 1-1 in Colombo on Sunday. Bangladesh celebrated their 100th Test match in style with a maiden victory over Sri Lanka beating Islanders by four wickets on the 5th and final day of the 2nd Test match of the two-match Joy Bangla Cup Test Series at P Sara Oval in Colombo on Sunday, sending out a message that they can beat any formidable team in test cricket as well. Captain Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on 22 while Mehedi Hasan was not out on two after hitting the winning runs. Chasing a target of 191 runs, Bangladesh opened the second innings and reached their target scoring match winners 191 for six wickets in 57.5 overs, featuring as polished 82 runs by opener Tamim I...

    The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Sunday upheld the death sentence of Harkat-ul-Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and two others in a case filed over the grenade attack on ex-British envoy to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury in 2004. A three-member HC bench, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order after hearing of the review petition filed by the three death row convicts, clearing the way to execute the death sentence, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam. On 7 December, 2016, a SC bench headed by Justice SK Sinha upheld the death penalty of the three in the case rejecting the appeal filed by Mufti Hannan and Sharif Shahedul Alam alias Bipul seeking a review of the High Court verdict that had upheld their death sentence. Two Huji men, including its chief ...

    Bangladesh and Russia have approved a draft of agreement on spent fuel management for Rooppur nuclear power plant recently. Both the countries have agreed to prepare the final documents for formal signing of the much-talked deal soon, according to a release issued by ROSATOM on Saturday, reports BSS. A Russian delegation comprising Nikolay Spassky, Deputy CEO of State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM and Alexey Ferapontov, Deputy Head of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostekhnadzor) visited in the capital. The delegate discussed various issues related to Rooppur NPP construction with Bangladesh including preparation of the intergovernmental agreement on spent fuel management for the Rooppur nuclear power plant. After detai...

    State Minister for Posts and Telecommunications Division Tarana Halim on Saturday told Parliament that social networking site Facebook authorities have so far blocked 87 Facebook accounts, pages and links of Bangladesh at the request of the government. The government of Bangladesh requested Facebook authorities in the last 18 months to block a total of 196 accounts, pages and links for having contents of violence, religious instigations and other objectionable matters, she said replying to a tabled question from Awami League MP Amina Ahmed (Women Seat-34). Of these, the Facebook authorities blocked 87 accounts, pages and links responding to our requests within 48 hours, Tarana said. In reply to another tabled question from Jatiya Party MP Md Shawkat Chowdhury (Nilphamari-4...

    Bangladesh Navy has started its journey as a three-dimensional force as two submarines were commissioned in its fleet for the first time on Sunday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally commissioned the twin submarines named ‘Nabajatra’ and ‘Joyjatra’ in the navy at a colourful ceremony in the Chittagong Naval Berth this noon. She handed over the ‘commissioning formans’ to the commanding officers of the submarines procured from China and formally unveiled their name plaques as per the rules of the navy. ‘With the induction of the submarines, Bangladesh Navy has started its fresh journey with a new shape and strength alongside the progress of the country,’ Sheikh Hasina told the commissioning function of two submarines. The prime minister said a few countries of the world o...