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President Md. Abdul Hamid yesterday urged all concerned specially guardians and teachers of educational institutions to be aware of the misguided youths involved in militancy and terrorism. He said this to a public gathering on President Abdul Hamid Government College premises at Itna upazila, Kishoreganj. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina goes to Laxmipur today to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 27 development projects in the district. This will be the first visit of her to the district since 1997. The Cabinet yesterday approved the draft of 'The Standards of Weights and Measures Bill, 2017', raising the amount of fine for cheating in weight and measurement. The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sh...

Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council jointly organised a two-day long Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ meeting in London, UK from 9-10 March 2017. The meeting was attended by 37 Commonwealth Trade Ministers, delegates and business organisations of the Commonwealth member countries. A three member Bangladesh delegation headed by HE Mr. Tofail Ahmed, Hon’ble Commerce Minister of Bangladesh attended the meeting. The other two delegations include HE Mr. Nazmul Quaunine, High Commissioner and Mrs Sharifa Khan, Commercial Counsellor of Bangladesh High Commission, London. At the inauguration session of the meeting on 9 March, Lord Marland, Chairman of Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council welcome the delegates and mentioned that free trade is important...

    A plane carrying hundreds of passengers was escorted into Heathrow airport by German and Belgian fighter jets after it went off radar over Europe. Fighter jets were scrambled after the Air India plane lost contact with air traffic control as it flew over Hungary at around 8.15am on Friday. The UK-bound flight was on its way back from Gujarat in India and was passing over Eastern Europe when the loss of radio contact sparked fears it could have been hijacked. Hungarian, German and Belgian pilots flew fighter jets alongside the 787 Dreamliner plane, which was carrying 231 passengers, for two hours as it passed over Europe. The fault on the plane was fixed by the time the plane reached Britain, the Mail Online reported. By the time the plane was ready to land in Heathrow it i...

Hon’ble Commerce Minister Mr. Tofail Ahmed joins the first ever Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting at London on 8-10 March, 2017. 1. Hon’ble Commerce Minister Mr. Tofail Ahmed highlighted Bangladesh’s developments in the field of agriculture, educations, health and ICT as well as achievements in social sectors like reducing meternal and infrant motality rates, children enrolment in priamary education under the able leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. 2. Hon’ble Minister also underscored the export led growth strategy of Bangladesh and Government’s role in implementing a number of policies supporting the economy and trade. Remarkable sucess of the RMG and other sectors were also highlighted. 3. Hon’ble Commerce Minister highlighted in the round tables the policies of Prime Ministe...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday in Parliament underscored the need for releasing those now in jails for no crime and said the victims can also ask for compensation from the authorities concerned. The Prime Minister said some NGOs and government legal aid-providing agencies have taken steps to get these detained persons released from jail. The Prime Minister also expressed her hope that the present Election Commission will take every step to hold fair, neutral and credible elections as per their constitutional responsibilities. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came back home yesterday afternoon after wrapping up her three-day official visit to Indonesia. A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the Prime Minister and members of her entourage landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Ai...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday urged Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) leaders to dedicate themselves to strengthen maritime cooperation for a peaceful and prosperous Indian Ocean, exploring seas for common benefit. The Prime Minister said this while delivering her statement in the general debate on Strengthening Maritime Cooperation for a Peaceful, Stable, and Prosperous Indian Ocean Rim at the IORA Leaders' Summit at Jakarta Convention Center in the Indonesian capital. The Premier particularly proposed setting up of a maritime university in Bangladesh to create a pool of skilled mariners for the region. Prime Minister attended the simultaneous signing of IORA Concord by 21 HODs, visited the trade exhibition area accompanied by the President of Indonesia and other heads of deleg...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reached Jakarta yesterday afternoon to attend the Leaders’ Summit in commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). A Biman Bangladesh Airlines VVIP flight (BG-1086), carrying the Prime Minister and her entourage landed at Halim Pardana Kusuma International Airport at 2:50pm (local time). Female Empowerment and Children Protection Minister Yohana Susana and Bangladesh Ambassador to Indonesia Major General Azmal Kabir received the Prime Minister at the airport. After the warm reception, Prime Minister went through a ceremonial motorcade to Hotel Shangri-La at Central Jakarta City, a special capital region of Jakarta, where she will be staying during her visit. Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed yesterday said there would be no gas ...

    Popular Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar on Sunday announced he has become a father to twins via surrogacy. He says they are now his world and priority. The daughter has been named Roohi a rearrangement of Karan’s mother’s name Hiroo and the son has been christened Yash on Karan’s late father’s name. In a statement, Karan said: I am ecstatic to share with you all the two most wonderful additions to my life, my children and lifelines; Roohi and Yash. I feel enormously blessed to be a parent to these pieces of my heart who were welcomed into this world with the help of the marvels of medical science. Best known for directing films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., said it was an emotional yet well thought out decision which I have taken after considerin...

    Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is to travel to Russia for high-level talks in the coming weeks, it has been announced. The Foreign Office said Mr Johnson had accepted an invitation from Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov to visit Moscow. A spokeswoman added: The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have made clear that our policy towards Russia is to engage but beware and the visit is entirely consistent with this approach. Discussions will focus on the UK-Russia relationship and current international issues including Syria and Ukraine, where we continue to have significant differences. The spokeswoman said it was not a return to business as usual and the Foreign Secretary will continue to be robust on those issues where we differ. But the UK would engage with Rus...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said her government undertook a series of projects for further development of the power sector considering the rising demand of electricity to meet the future need and illuminate every home of the country. She made the comment while inaugurating eight new power plants alongside transmission and distribution systems through video conferencing from her Ganabhaban residence in the capital yesterday. The Prime Minister also inaugurated Disbursement of Primary Education Stipend using Mobile Banking through video conferencing at the same time. Earlier, the Prime Minister witnessed a presentation on proposed integrated traffic management at Bijoy Sarani area of city. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told parliament that the government would rehabilitat...