The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has shifted their policy on closing schools during the winter season. This has been done in response to the intense cold waves in various regions of Bangladesh. Previously, they stated that schools would be closed if the temperature falls below 17°C. But in a newer circular, the DSHE said that secondary level educational institutions will now be closed in districts where the max temperature falls below 10°C as indicated by weather forecasts.

The DSHE will issue closure directives in Madaripur, Gopalgonj, Dinajpur, Barishal, and Bhola due to mild cold waves. The weather forecast predicts dry conditions with partly cloudy skies, moderate to thick fog, and potential disruptions in air navigation, river transport, and road communication. The country’s maximum temperature is 24.5 degrees Celsius, with a minimum of 9.0 degrees Celsius today.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/education/336912/secondary-schools-ordered-to-remain-shut-if

Dhaka University (DU) has achieved the number one spot among Bangladeshi universities in the AD Scientific Index University/Institution Rankings 2024. Out of all 206 Bangladeshi institutions and universities listed there, DU holds the 2nd position, right after the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh.

The AD Scientific Index is an international ranking system that ranks over 22,000 institutions across the world. Their ranking uses Google Scholar citations for its results. Dhaka University has 665 scientists total in this year’s AD Scientific Index with Kazi Matin Uddin Ahmed listed as the best scientist from there.

Source: Daily Star

Bangladeshi all-rounder Nasir Hossain, who is 32 years old, has admitted to breaking the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. He will now be banned for two years, with six months suspended. The ICC filed the charges in September 2023. They are linked to Hossain’s failure to disclose that he received an iPhone 12 as a gift worth more than US$750.

Besides that, he is accused of not helping the Anti-Corruption Official with his probe without a good reason.

Nasir Hossain, who played 115 matches for Bangladesh from 2011 to 2018, admits to all three charges. He scored 2695 runs and took 39 wickets in those matches. Hossain has been a well-known player in Bangladesh, most recently for Prime Bank Cricket Club in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League. His ban ends on April 7, 2025, as long as he meets the terms set out in the suspended part of the sanction.

Source: ICC

Bangladesh supports South Africa’s application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to bring Israel to justice for violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. The issue concerns the violation of Israel’s obligations in relation to Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip. Bangladesh also supports South Africa’s request for provisional measures, including suspending military operations in Gaza and allowing humanitarian aid.

Bangladesh also stands with requests for provisional measures to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, a situation marked by the ongoing attacks by Israeli Defense Forces. The Bangladesh foreign ministry welcomed the opportunity to file a declaration of intervention in the proceedings. The attacks, primarily targeting women and children, are seen as a violation of international law, including the Genocide Convention.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh has been ranked 37th in the annual Global Firepower review, 2024. The country went up 3 spots since 2023 when it ranked 40th. Among South Asian nations, Bangladesh is currently in the 4th position in terms of military strength.

India, Pakistan, and Myanmar are ahead, while Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan are behind Bangladesh. The United States is at the top of the list with a PowerIndex score of 0.0699, followed by Russia, China, India, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Japan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Italy.

Bangladesh’s neighboring countries include India in 4th place, Pakistan in 9th place, Myanmar in 35th place, Sri Lanka 75st, and Nepal in 128th place.

Source: https://www.risingbd.com/english/national/news/101664

Police arrested Farnaz Alam, owner of the beauty parlour Woman’s World, in a case over installing CCTV cameras at the parlour in Dhanmondi. But a Dhaka court allowed her bail just hours after she was detained, said police.

Farnaz Alam, an expecting mother, was held at the airport immigration by Dhanmondi police station officer-in-charge Parvez Islam. Four accused, including Taslim Arif Illiyus, Emdadul Hasan, and Jewel Khandaker, were arrested in the case. The OC stated that the police did not want Farnaz in their custody for remand. The case also involved Taslima Chowdhury Kona Alam and Farnaz Alam, but Taslima, the mother of Farnaz, is yet to be arrested.

Source: https://www.newagebd.net/article/222783/owner-secures-bail-hours-after-arrest

Apu Biswas has been in show business for almost twenty years and recently worked with director Salman Haider on an unnamed movie. She has asked for only Tk 100 in payment for this project, in which she will play Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “Sheikh Russel er Artonad” and “Ami Maa er Kache jabo” are the two names the director has shortlisted. He plans to formally announce the title soon.

Salman Haider told everyone about Apu Biswas’s part in the movie. “In my movie, Apu Biswas will play our respected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she was in 1972.” The only payment she agreed to for the movie was Tk 100.

The movie will tell the story of Sheikh Russel, who is the youngest member of Bangabandhu’s family. ‘Hasu’ is the name of Apu’s character. There was news in the area that the director said Apu Biswas had at first refused to take payment for the movie. As a sign of respect, she only took Tk100.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/entertainment/tv-film/news/apu-biswas-play-sheikh-hasina-upcoming-project-3519711

A court in Dhaka today issued arrest warrants for Mohammad Rassel and his co-founder wife, Shamima Nasrin, in connection with a bounced cheque case. Rassel was the former CEO of the controversial e-commerce site Evaly.

They were given a summons and got it on time, but the couple did not show up today to appear before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Ali Haider, according to Sadikur Rahman Tamal, the lawyer for the prosecution.

The judge told the person in charge of Mohammadpur Police Station to give a report by February 27 on how the arrest warrants for the people in question were carried out.

The case statement says that on March 13, 2021, Md. Tanvir Hossain, one of Evaly’s clients, paid Tk 2.45 lakh to the company to buy a motorcycle after seeing an ad for it. But the business did not send the motorcycle within the 45-day window that was given.

Source: Daily Star

An arrested leader of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, which is the student branch of the BNP, took part in namaz-e-janaza for his father at Mirzaganj upazila in Patuakhali while his legs were chained. Nazmul Mridha, who is the joint convener of the JCD unit in Mirzaganj upazila, was given parole for four hours so that he could attend his father’s namaz-e-janaza. He was then sent back to Patuakhali prison, according to the prison officials.

On social media, pictures of Nazmul going to the namaz-e-janaza with chains around his legs were shared. Mostafa Kamal, the jailer at Patuakhali, said that the police asked for shackles for safety reasons. Motaleb Hossain Mridha, Nazmul’s father, was a leader in the BNP and former chairman of the Dauli Sobudkhali union in the upazila. He passed away Friday night at the Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

Source: https://www.newagebd.net/article/222768/jcd-leader-attends-fathers-janaza-with-bar-fetters

The United Nations warned on Friday that this year could be hotter than the record-breaking year of 2023 because of El Nino. The UN also called for big cuts in emissions to fight climate change. The World Meteorological Organization of the UN said that every month from June to December, new monthly temperature records were set. This trend is expected to continue because of El Nino, which is making the weather warmer.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that there is a 1 in 3 chance that 2024 will be warmer than 2023 — and a 99 percent certainty that 2024 will be among the 5 warmest years ever. NASA climatologist Gavin Schmidt, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, predicts that the odds are even higher.

“I put it at about 50-50: 50 percent chance it’ll be warmer, 50 percent chance it will be slightly cooler,” he told AFP, adding there were clues of “mysterious” changes to Earth’s climate systems, that would need more data to confirm or reject.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/2024-could-be-hotter-than-record-shattering-2023-warns-un-4851709

Netflix has had a lot of success with the Straw Hat Pirates, and not just with the live-action version of One Piece. It has also done really well with the animated version. There are already a lot of episodes of the anime show on Netflix, and the platform just recently brought the current storyline, the Egghead Arc, on the service. As of now, Netflix has everything you need to catch up on the latest arc of One Piece.

One Piece might be in its final storyline but creator Eiichiro Oda hasn’t suggested about the series ending any time soon. It could still be some years before we see Luffy and the Straw Hats bring an end to their story. Considering the number of characters and plotlines that need a conclusion, shonen fans are in for quite the ride.

Source: https://www.vg247.com/one-piece-egghead-anime-stream-netflix

The Canadian government plans to reduce the number of international students in Canada, but Immigration Minister Marc Miller did not share by what volume. He assured that he will be exploring the potential of doing so in the upcoming months.

The federal government of Canada has faced backlash for allowing an increasing number of immigrants, both permanent and temporary, while the country faces a severe housing shortage. When asked why his government is only considering a limit now when the idea has been considered for months, Miller said there’s a need to plan out numbers on a federal level before exploring with “a little more granularity” at what individual academic institutes are doing in the various provinces, possibly profiting off more bringing in more international students.

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/a-system-that-has-gotten-out-of-control-immigration-minister-to-consider-cap-on-international-students-in-canada-1.6724706

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Umpires Committee is trying hard to improve its umpires. According to a recent project, they tested the English language skills of 70 umpires and only 9 passed. Writing, speaking, and reading skills were tested in this test, which was put together with the help of the American International University Bangladesh (AIUB).

Based on how well they did in these areas, the umpires were put into three groups during the evaluation process. The top nine, which included three women, were called “proficient users.” Umpires ranked 10 through 31 were put in the “developing user” group, which has 22 of them. These 39 people, ranked from 32 to 70, were considered “basic users.” These results mean that 61 of the judges still don’t speak English well enough to work at the field level.

Chairman of the BCB Umpires Committee Iftekhar Ahmed Mithu told RisingBD how important it is to be able to speak English as an umpire, especially when talking to players from other countries. He stressed that the board was dedicated to training umpires of the highest level on a worldwide level and that language skills were very important in this effort.

Source: https://www.risingbd.com/sports/news/537882?

A Chinese startup has released a new battery that it claims can generate electricity for 50 years without the need for charging again or any maintenance.

Beijing-based Betavolt said its nuclear battery is the very first in the world to succeed in the miniaturisation of atomic energy, putting 63 nuclear isotopes into a module smaller than a coin.

The way the battery works is by converting the energy released by decaying isotopes into electricity, through a process that was first worked on in the 20th century. Scientists in the Soviet Union and United States were able to come up with the technology for use in spacecraft, underwater systems and remote scientific work stations, however the thermonuclear batteries were both expensive and large in size.

The goal of miniaturising and commercialising nuclear batteries was set under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan designed to work on the country’s economy between 2021 and 2025, while research institutions in the US and Europe are also working on their development.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/nuclear-battery-betavolt-atomic-china-b2476979.html

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has told people to wear masks as a safety measure because a new type of COVID-19 called JN.1 has been spreading in many countries around the world.

The news statement says that infections with the new Covid-19 variant JN.1 have become more common in several countries. As a safety measure, masks should be worn in high-risk places like hospitals and medical centers, and people who don’t have strong immune systems should also wear them.

The fourth dose of the vaccine should also be given to people who are at a high risk. The DGHS says that Covid-19 tests should only be done if symptoms or signs of Covid-19 are present during surgery or another medical procedure. These ideas were put forward after the group met on January 4.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

রাজধানীর বসুন্ধরা আবাসিক এলাকায় এক ব্যবসায়ীর বাসায় রাতে অভিযানে যান মাদকদ্রব্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ অধিদপ্তরের একজন উপপরিদর্শকসহ (এসআই) কয়েকজন সদস্য। ওই বাসায় মাদক আছে দাবি করে তল্লাশি শুরু করেন তাঁরা। প্রায় দেড় ঘণ্টা তল্লাশি করে তাঁরা কিছু পাননি। তবে বাসার একটি আলমারিতে ৪ লাখ ৩০ হাজার টাকা দেখতে পান তাঁরা। তখন ওই ব্যবসায়ী ও তাঁর স্ত্রীকে গ্রেপ্তার করে নিয়ে আসতে চান। একপর্যায়ে তাঁরা ২০ লাখ টাকা দাবি করেন। পরে আলমারিতে রাখা টাকাগুলো নিয়ে চলে আসেন। এরপরও মাদক মামলার হুমকি দিয়ে ওই ব্যবসায়ীরা কাছে তাঁরা টাকা দাবি করছিলেন।

এই অভিযোগ জানিয়ে সম্প্রতি ঢাকার ভাটারা থানায় একটি মামলা করেছেন ব্যবসায়ী ববি বিন ডিয়াজ। মামলায় মাদকদ্রব্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ অধিদপ্তরের এসআই শাহ আলম, কনস্টেবল বাবর ও ফয়জুল ইসলাম নামের একজনের নাম উল্লেখ করা হয়েছে। অজ্ঞাতপরিচয় আরও চারজনকে আসামি করা হয়েছে।

আসামিদের মধ্যে ফয়জুল ইসলামকে গ্রেপ্তার করেছে ভাটারা থানা–পুলিশ। এক দিন রিমান্ডে নিয়ে জিজ্ঞাসাবাদ শেষে বৃহস্পতিবার তাঁকে কারাগারে পাঠানো হয়েছে। ববি বিন ডিয়াজ প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, তিনি ক্লিয়ারিং অ্যান্ড ফরোয়ার্ডিং (সিঅ্যান্ডএফ) এজেন্ট হিসেবে কাজ করেন। মাদক মামলায় তাঁকে ফাঁসিয়ে দেওয়ার হুমকি দিয়ে এসআই শাহ আলমসহ অন্যরা সেদিন তাঁর বাসা থেকে টাকা নিয়ে যান। পরে মুঠোফোনে তাঁরা আরও টাকা চাইছিলেন। সে কারণে বাধ্য হয়ে তিনি থানায় মামলা করেন।

Source: Prothom Alo

Evaly CEO Mohammad Rassel announced plans to refund money stuck in the payment gateway in January and clear legacy debt on bank cheques from May. Rassel addressed an online press conference from his office in Dhanmondi, stating that Evaly has received a “great response” from customers and merchants since resuming operations.

“We have processed over 200,000 products against 80,000 orders in the first campaign on flying return. We will refund the customer’s money in the gateway this month and start paying off all old debts including checks from next May with the profit money. All customers will be paid the principal amount as per the order,” he said. Rassel further said that Evaly has opted for cash-on-delivery as part of continuing trust over the customers.

“Previously, customers paid directly to Evaly before receiving the product. There is no risk for the customer in cash on delivery method. The price paid by the customer is now going directly to the seller. Because of this, the seller also has no residual risk,” he said. Then Rassel explained the process of product shipment saying that the logistic agency E-Courier takes the product directly from merchant to the customer.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

Firefighters found the burnt bodies of a woman and a child after a fire caught on at Mollabari slum in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar in Saturday morning. Around 300 homes were burned down in the fire that broke out in the slum next to the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (FDC) premises, reports UNB.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has announced financial help of Tk 5,000 to each family affected by the fire that broke out at Karwan Bazar.

DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam said those with special needs will be getting Tk 10,000 per person.

Talking to reporters, the Dhaka North mayor said, “This is a privately owned slum where low-income people live. When I came here, I saw that almost all the homes were burnt down in the fire. Enough blankets will be provided for them. Dry food and blankets have already been arranged by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. Dhaka North City Corporation will give financial assistance to all the people affected.”

Source: https://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/karwan-bazar-slum-fire-dncc-mayor-announces-tk-5000-for-each-affected-family/129128

Anonno Mamun of Action Cut Entertainment, who have brought multiple hit Bollywood movies to Bangladesh these past months, has confirmed that ‘Fighter’ starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone may hit theaters in Bangladesh in January 25.

He said, “This Sunday, we hope to submit the application to bring ‘Fighter’ to Bangladesh. Our goal is to have the film in theaters on the same day as global release. If we succeed, it will be the first time Bangladeshi audiences can experience a Hindi movie in both 2D and 3D formats at the same time.” Action Cut Entertainment is also responsible for importing and releasing popular Bollywood films like “Pathaan”, “Jawan”, “Animal”, and “Dunki” in Bangladesh.

In the movie “Fighter” directed by Siddharth Anand, Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone are set to appear on screen as a pair for the first time. The cast will also have veteran actors like Anil Kapoor and talented actors like Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, among others.

Source: Daily Star

OpenAI has launched the GPT Store, a marketplace for users to create and share GPTs (Generative Pre-training Transformers) for ChatGPT-like AI chatbots. Currently available to ChatGPT Plus, Enterprise, and Team users, the store features various GPTs for various uses, including writing, analysis, education, programming, lifestyle, and image generator DALL-E. New GPTs are featured every week, including Consensus, Khan Academy’s Code Tutor, Canva, Books, and CK-12 Flexi, which are AI-based presentations and social post makers. The GPT Store is integrated within ChatGPT and will feature new GPTs every week.

The GPT Store allows users to create and share GPTs without coding skills. To use the chatbot, users must save a publicly accessible link and verify it through the built-in Builder Profile in ‘Settings’. The platform also introduces a ChatGPT Team version, designed for corporate use, ensuring data segregation and confidentiality. This version allows employees to use ChatGPT in a workplace setting, with pricing ranging from $25 to $30 per user per month. The review system ensures safety and proper protocols to prevent harmful content sharing.

Source: Daily Star

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has married his longtime boyfriend, Oliver Mulherin, in a seaside event. Altman confirmed the news in a message to NBC News after photos of the wedding began spreading on social media. The photos show the San Francisco couple near palm trees and about a dozen guests at a secret tropical beach area.

Last year, the couple were present at a state dinner at the White House that President Biden hosted for Indian PM Narendra Modi. Oliver Mulherin also confirmed the news with an Instagram post. The caption reads, “married my best friend and love of my life”. The screenshot of the post was shared via Free Press Journal.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna133512

নতুন কারিকুলাম ও মূল্যায়ন পদ্ধতিতে পরিবর্তন আসতে পারে বলে জানিয়েছেন সদ্য দায়িত্বপ্রাপ্ত শিক্ষামন্ত্রী মহিবুল হাসান চৌধুরী নওফেল। তিনি বলেছেন, নতুন কারিকুলামে বেশকিছু অন্তর্ভুক্তি (ইনপুট) আসছে। এগুলো আমরা বিচার-বিশ্লেষণ করে দেখছি। এখানে যেসব বিষয়গুলো পরিবর্তন করা প্রয়োজন, সেগুলো অবশ্যই আমরা পরিবর্তন করব।

শিক্ষামন্ত্রী বলেন, ‘নতুন শিক্ষাক্রমে অনেক চ্যালেঞ্জ রয়েছে। মূল্যায়ন পদ্ধতির চ্যালেঞ্জের কথা যদি বলেন সেখানে বলব, নতুন শিক্ষাক্রম নিয়ে বেশকিছু ইনপুট আসছে। এগুলো আমরা দেখছি। এখানে মূল্যায়ন পদ্ধতিতে পরিবর্তন করতে হবে। এছাড়া নতুন শিক্ষাক্রমে আরও বেশকিছু পরিবর্তন করতে হবে।’

তিনি বলেন, ‘নতুন শিক্ষাক্রমে এখন যে একেবারে শতভাগ স্থায়ী তা কিন্তু নয়। আমরা এর আগেও বলেছি, আমাদের সে কারেকশনগুলো আসবে সেগুলো আমরা সমাধান করব।’

Source: Daily Star

A popular TikTok star who went by the name “Cooking with Lynja,” Lynn Yamada Davis died at the age of 67 from oesophageal cancer. More than 17.5 million people started following the famous internet star on TikTok after she started sharing wholesome cooking videos during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her daughter Hannah Mariko Shofet had shared the sad news that Lynn died on January 1 at Riverview Medical Centre, New Jersey. As per Lynn’s request, her TikTok account will still be active after her death as she asked her close ones to post videos which have been recorded and edited before her passing and the account will afterwards be inactive once all those are posted.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/lynn-yamada-davis-tiktok-star-known-cooking-lynja-dies-67-rcna133695

In the 12th Jatiya Sangsad elections, Barrister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury was chosen as a Member of Parliament from the Chittagong-9 constituency. He is now the Minister of Education. The news came out in a press statement on Thursday (January 11) from the Ministry of Cabinet Division. Following his success in the 2018 general elections, Mohibul, who was a member of the Awami League, became the State Minister of Education on January 7, 2019.

He is the oldest son of former Chittagong Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and a new minister. He is a lawyer and a member of the Dhaka Bar. He is also a part of the Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In the most current parliamentary elections, which were held on January 7, Mohibul won the Chittagong-9 seat with 130,993 votes. Sanjida Rashid Chowdhury of the National Party (Langal), who was his closest competitor, got 1,982 votes.

Since the new government took office, Dr. Dipu Moni, who was previously Minister of Education, has been given the job of Minister of Social Welfare.

Source: RisingBD

Milan, a 13-year-old boy who wishes to become a designer, became Louis Vuitton’s youngest employee after his mother posted sketches on social media that were inspired by the brand.

Milan, who has trouble paying attention, showed ideas for sneakers, luggage, and loungewear. He did something pretty cool with the standard Louis Vuitton style. A French journalist from the area named Marie Gentric saw the ability.

Gentric went to see Louis Vuitton in November 2023, and their work caught their eye right away. This led to an internship, which Milan just finished. Milan said in an interview that he felt more at ease at the fashion house than at school. He called it magical and the start of a new stage in his life.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/woman-posts-sketches-of-her-teen-son-online-louis-vuitton-hires-him-as-intern-4842123

Yesterday, during a counter-terrorism operation in the occupied West Bank earlier this week, one of the Israeli army’s trucks “accidentally” ran over a Palestinian operative’s body. Palestinian leaders said that Israel had committed a “brutal crime” after video on social media showed a military car in the city of Tulkarem late Monday night running over a dead agent. During an operation to catch a wanted man, the military said they killed three “terrorists” through shooting.

“The operational vehicle that is seen in the video was sent to rescue the force that was caught under heavy fire, and unintentionally ran over the terrorist’s body,” the Israeli military said in reply to AFP’s request for comment.

Other videos shared on social media from the incident shows a group of men escaping from a building and three of them being shot.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/israel-hamas-gaza-palestine-israeli-army-says-unintentionally-ran-over-the-terrorists-body-4838161

Khaleda Zia, the chairperson of the BNP, was finally released from Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday, after being there for five months for treatment. Shirin Kabir Khan, a member of the BNP’s media cell, said that Khaleda was released from the hospital around 5 PM and is on her way back to her home in Gulshan. She will continue to get care from home, he said.

When she got sick on August 9, she was taken to Evercare Hospital. Since then, the BNP leader has been getting care there for a number of health problems.

The 78-year-old former prime minister has had many health problems for a long time, such as cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes, and problems with his kidneys, lungs, heart, and eyes. Ever since Khaleda was identified with liver cirrhosis in November 2021, her doctors have said she should be sent abroad to get better.

The BNP chief’s family has also asked the government for permission to go abroad more than once, but the government says she can’t because she was freed from jail on the condition that she stay in her Gulshan home and not leave the country.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi led leaders and members of the BNP into the party’s central office on Thursday morning, breaking the lock on the door for the first time since October 29. It had been closed for 2.5 months. They walked into the office at 10:30 AM.

Rizvi said after coming into the office, “After two and a half months, we broke the lock and got into our office. On October 28, the day of our grand rally, our program was met with a brutal rampage. Then the police locked our office. They did not allow anyone to enter for so long. Now we entered the office.” The office was locked since BNP’s big rally on October 28. It was under the supervision of law enforcement agencies for the purpose of investigation.

BNP will hold a press conference at their central office at 3 PM.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

An official of Bangladesh Bank died after a brick chip from a building dropped on her head in Siddheswari, Dhaka. The deceased was identified to be Dipu Sana. She was senior assistant director of Bangladesh Bank.

The accident occurred around 6:00 PM near Siddheswari’s Fakhruddin point while Sana was going to her Moghbazar home on foot from Shantinagar. She incurred head injuries after brick chips dropped from an unidentified building in the area, police said. Locals took her to Dr Sirajul Islam Medical College Hospital afterwards where doctors declared her dead.

Source: Daily Star

Sheikh Hasina, head of the Awami League, has been named Prime Minister again. This is her fourth straight term in office after winning a landslide victory in Bangladesh’s 12th national parliamentary elections. This sets a global precedent because Sheikh Hasina is the first woman in the world to be in charge of a government for 25 years.

The votes took place on January 7th, and the Awami League won 222 of the 298 seats, giving them a large majority. There were 62 seats won by independent candidates, 11 seats won by the Jatiya Party, and 3 seats won by other parties.

They were sworn in as the 12th Parliament on January 10th, along with Sheikh Hasina and the 298 new members. It was then that the president made her Prime Minister. Because she won the election and is well-liked in Parliament, Sheikh Hasina will be in charge until 2028.

Sheikh Hasina was in charge of the country until 2001 after she won the election in 1996. Even though she lost the 8th National Parliament election on October 1, 2001, she won the 9th National Parliament election on December 29, 2008. That was 15 years ago, and she has been in charge ever since, winning both the 2014 and 2018 elections. With this latest win in the 2024 polls, Sheikh Hasina will have been in charge for twenty years in a row.

Source: https://www.rtvonline.com/special-report/255842

The Bangladeshi passport is ranked 97th in the 2024 Henley Passport Index, which is the most widely used ranking of passports. This is one spot lower than it was in the last quarter of 2023. The most recent version of the Passport Index came out on Tuesday. It has 104 spots, and some countries’ papers are ranked the same. Bangladesh was placed 97th on the index, tied with North Korea, a country which is very cut off from the rest of the world.

The list is based on how many places people with a passport can visit without a visa.

The 2024 Henley Passport Index says that a Bangladeshi passport lets you visit 42 countries without a visa. The Bangladeshi visa did better in South Asia than those of Nepal (98), Pakistan (101) and Afghanistan (104). The Maldives’ passport was placed number 58, making it the strongest in South Asia. It lets holders enter 94 countries without a visa. India’s passport came in at number 80, Bhutan’s at number 87, and Sri Lanka’s at number 96.

Source: Dhaka Tribune

After winning the general election by a huge margin on January 7, Bangladesh Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said today that no one can stop the country from moving forward from now on as her party is back in power. She said this at a gathering in the city’s historic Suhrawardy Udyan.

“The voter turnout is 41.8 percent in this election even after there were attempts at stopping the voters from casting their votes, which is a very big deal,” she said, adding that a certain party was trying to stop the election from happening when AL and its like-minded parties took part in it.

She said no one can question the 12th parliamentary election as it was held in free and neutral manners.

Source: Daily Star

MoU has been signed between the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). They have also signed MoU with the Jahangirnagar University. The MoUs were made so that teachers and researchers could look for ways to work together on different projects.

The Memorandums of Understanding were signed by Professor Prasant Kumar Sahu of IIT Bhubaneswar, Professor Md. Jarez Miah, of BUET, and Professor M. Shamim Kaiser of Jahangirnagar University. A press release issued by IIT, Bhubaneswar says, “These three MoUs between IIT Bhubaneswar and the overseas universities aim at the development of a collaborative relationship in academics and research through various joint projects and faculty exchange.”

Source: Daily Star

All candidates who won from their own constituencies in the 12th parliamentary election on January 7 have finished taking their oath of office as members of parliament today. Newly elected Jatiyo Party MPs were administered their oaths by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at the parliament around 12:10 PM.

The JP bagged 11 parliamentary seats in the January 7 national elections as seen in the Election Commission Gazette.

AL won 222 out of 298 seats, which was enough for the party led by Sheikh Hasina to form the government for a 4th consecutive five-year term since January 2009.

Two MPs of Workers Party and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, who won the election with the Awami League electoral symbol, took oath along with the ruling party. There was only one Kalyan Party MP, who took oath with independents, parliament secretariat sources confirmed. In total 16 political parties, including the BNP, boycotted the elections held on January 7.

Source: Daily Star

AHM Mustafa Kamal, Bangladesh’s Finance Minister, said on Tuesday that it would close to impossible for the country to meet the International Monetary Fund (IMF) goal for its foreign exchange reserves. But he also said that Bangladesh’s economy was strong, both in terms of net and gross measures. He also said that the amount of remittance to the country could be doubled.

The minister committed to keep the funds above $30 billion this year when he talked to the media for the first time since the 12th national parliamentary election. To reach this goal, the government needs to open up the economy’s possible areas. Kamal also said that more money should be collected from taxes should be a top concern.

The minister said that Bangladesh aims to have the 20th biggest economy by 2041 and that non-performing loans (NPLs) have gone down a lot.

In response to another question, he talked about how important inflation is for economic growth. He said that people who don’t know much about economics often take part in talks about inflation. Kamal also said that the prime minister will choose the new government’s finance minister.

Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com/business/336322/kamal-not-possible-to-meet-imf%E2%80%99s-forex-reserves

South Korea just started giving out a Digital Nomad visa to foreigners who want to work from home there. This program, which is also called a “workation” visa, started on January 1, 2024, and can include families of foreign workers who want to work from home in South Korea. This includes spouses and children.

The South Korean Digital Nomad visa allows remote workers to work in South Korea for up to two years, with the possibility of extension up to one year. Eligibility criteria include being at least 18 years old, having one year of work experience, and being employed by a company outside South Korea. Financial eligibility is crucial, with applicants earning over 85 million won or $66,000 in 2023, equivalent to double Korea’s GNI per capita. The application process involves submission through the Korean embassy in the applicant’s home country. For those already in Korea, visa exemptions, tourist visas, or short-term stay visas are available. Personal medical insurance covering at least 100 million won is also required.

Source: Daily Star

According to Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Department, the US said that the national elections in Bangladesh on January 7 were not “free and fair.” He has also said that the US acknowledges that the Awami League party won most of the seats, but it is worried about the arrests of thousands of opposition members and reports of wrongdoing.

The US strongly disagrees with the violence that happened during the elections and in the months before them. It also asks the Government of Bangladesh to look into reports of violence and hold those responsible responsible. The US backs Bangladeshis’ hopes for democracy, the right to peacefully gather with others, and the freedom to speak their minds.

The US is still dedicated to working with Bangladesh to achieve their shared goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific. They will do this by promoting human rights and civil society in Bangladesh and strengthening their economic and personal ties. Since December 2021, the US has been asking for elections that are free, fair, and peaceful.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/election-2024/news/news/bangladeshs-elections-were-not-free-and-fair-us-3514856?amp

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has lifted the restriction on adding unused data to a package that was bought before its end date. No matter how much data a customer has, they can now keep it and use it.

This cap was taken away completely when the BTRC updated the “Guidelines for Data and Data Packages of Mobile Phone Operators-2023.” From October 15, the commission told cell operators to stop offering three-day and fifteen-day data plans. Also, customers can no longer carry over more than 50 GB of unused data when they buy the same data plan. Also, operators have been told to cut the number of deals they offer to customers from 95 to 40.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/mobile-users-can-now-carry-forward-any-amount-unused-data-3514461

The World Health Organization (WHO) has cancelled an attempt to bring medical supplies to northern Gaza due to lack of safety guarantees. Since December 26, this is the fourth occasion that the WHO has had to cancel a mission.

It is very difficult to safely and regularly send medical supplies across Gaza, especially in the north, because of the heavy bombing, restrictions on movement, and broken communications. It was planned that the supply would keep five hospitals in the northern part of the enclave running. Eylon Levy, a spokesman for the Israeli government, has not given any information on what the WHO said and has instead referred questions to the Israel Defense Forces.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was shocked by how many people in northern Gaza needed medical help and how badly things had been damaged. He also warned that more delays could cause many more people to die or suffer. Due to more Israeli military action, the International Rescue Committee and the Medical Aid for Palestinians charity have also had to pull out of Al-Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of Gaza and stop their work there.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/who-cancels-delivery-medical-supplies-north-gaza-due-unsafe-conditions-2024-01-08/

United States, United Kingdom and Canada have not officially sent anyone to observe the elections in Bangladesh. Spokespersons of the United States and United Kingdom missions in Dhaka and the Canadian High Commission shared on X (previously Twitter) today.

Observers from different countries and international organizations visited different centers as invited observers in the election held yesterday on Sunday. Later in the evening they held a press conference at a hotel in the capital. The press conference was attended by former US Congressman Jim Bates, CEO of American Global Strategies Alexander Gray, Canadian Parliament member Chandrakant Arya and Senator Victor Oh.

Source: Prothom Alo