Heavy rain buries houses and raises fears of more slope collapses

The government is set to introduce a new law providing for life imprisonment and hefty fines to curb currency counterfeiting and dismantle organised counterfeit currency networks.

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan yesterday said the government has already begun taking strict action against those falsely claiming to be freedom fighters and their heirs who fraudulently secured jobs under the freedom fighter quota.

The government is considering amending the Press Council Act, 1974, to introduce minimum educational qualifications for journalists and a Bar Council-style registration system, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon told parliament yesterday.

Heavy rainfall triggered by an active monsoon season over the past two days once again left large parts of the capital waterlogged yesterday, disrupting daily life.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday said his government plans to gradually raise the salaries of primary and secondary school teachers while improving their professional status through better training.

A handwashing basin meant for patients and attendants at Keshabpur Upazila Health Complex in Jashore has reportedly been used as a dumping site for medical waste, raising concerns over infection risks and poor waste management at the government healthcare centre.

Once known for agriculture and cross-border trade, Naodanga union in Kurigram’s Phulbari upazila has, over the years, gained notoriety as one of northern Bangladesh’s major drug hotspots.

For the past two months, residents of East Kazipara and Shewrapara in Mirpur have been struggling with recurring water shortages, forcing many families to buy drinking water, depend on water tankers, and wait for hours to cook, bathe, and wash.

Heavy monsoon rains over the last few days have paralysed the Chattogram region, inundating vast areas, disrupting transport and academic activities, and leaving people stranded and marooned.

At least seven people were killed yesterday in landslides in Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram as monsoon rains continued to batter Bangladesh’s southeastern region.

The government has appointed noted human rights activist and former Amnesty International chief Irene Zubaida Khan as Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) has urged the BNP government to adopt a more pragmatic and realistic strategy on the Rohingya crisis, warning that continued reliance on Myanmar’s military authorities for repatriation risks prolonging the crisis.

Bangladesh is actively considering establishing communication and dialogue not only with Myanmar’s junta government but also with all relevant parties, with the aim of ensuring the safe repatriation of Rohingyas, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament yesterday.

Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal has expelled around 300 leaders and activists across the country for activities deemed contrary to the organisation’s ideals, its President Abdul Monayem Munna announced yesterday.

Bangladesh Bank has granted President Mohammed Shahabuddin a special exemption from withdrawal restrictions imposed on depositors of five troubled banks, approving a request to withdraw Tk 20 lakh from his account at Global Islami Bank.

The government has formed a cabinet committee headed by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury to review and finalise the draft of Visa Policy 2026.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has urged Pakistan to address the humanitarian challenges faced by Bangladesh-origin Pakistani nationals in obtaining Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs), saying the issue affects their access to basic services.

Three more children died with symptoms consistent with measles in the last 24 hours until 8:00am yesterday, bringing Bangladesh’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 745.

Opposition leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman yesterday alleged that Jamaat and the 11-party alliance were defeated in the election through a “conspiracy”.