Reforming political parties is more important than reforming the state itself if transparency, accountability and good governance are to be ensured in Bangladesh, according to experts. He emphasised that political parties must move beyond election rhetoric and demonstrate commitment through concrete actions. Economist Dr Selim Jahan underscored the need for transparency, accountability and judicial independence, saying accountability must start from the top. Advocate Subrata Chowdhury argued that political party reform should take precedence over state reform. “If political parties themselves lack transparency and accountability, how can these values be ensured among the people?” he asked.

Food and Land Adviser Ali Imam Majumdar on Saturday called upon the mainstream media to play an effective role in curbing rumours spread through social media. He said in the current era of information technology, print and electronic media are facing big challenges. He said there is no accountability for the information spread through social media that is why mainstream media should maintain their strong presence on digital platforms to provide accurate information to mass people. The event was moderated by the club's General Secretary Mohammad Sirajul Islam. However, people are currently being harassed in various ways due to fake news and misinformation.”Zubair termed journalism as the fourth pillar of the state, saying “If journalists work properly, the country will move forward.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Money is a thing that can push people into creative rationalization more than almost anything else. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Money could be on your mind, and an opportunity could present itself that’s exciting on the face of things. If you can get past moments of temptation, you can build a real sense of deep roots and stability. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Connection with others allows us more self-definition by seeing what is resonant and what would be impossible. Get past this temptation and be sure emotions are fully past before you take any financial actions.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday said his party would develop satellite cities outside Dhaka to ease the capital’s chronic traffic congestion, blaming over centralization of roads, public transport, and employment. “Road design, transport systems, and jobs are centered around Dhaka,” he said, adding that satellite towns outside the capital would help address the problem. Tarique made the remarks while meeting 10 winners of the national reels-making competition titled Meet and Greet with Tarique Rahman at Justice Shahabuddin Park in Gulshan, Dhaka, where he outlined various plans for building a new Bangladesh. On governance, the BNP chairman criticized government welfare projects as poorly organized and said they should be brought under a single platform through a family card system. Addressing overseas employment, the BNP chairman said many young Bangladeshis go abroad without adequate skills and often fail to gain proper recognition.

Auto-rickshaw drivers blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar for about one and a half hours on Saturday, demanding the withdrawal of fines and removal of restriction on their movement. Locals said slow-moving auto-rickshaws have long been operating on Dhaka-Aricha highway despite restrictions, which has led to a rise in accidents. Following complaints from locals, Savar Highway Police began enforcing rules and fined drivers Tk 26 each for violations. Police from Savar Model Police Station reached the spot around 12:30 pm and called the drivers for talks. Arman Ali, Officer-in-Charge of Savar Model Police Station, said the situation was brought under control and traffic on the highway is now normal.

A total of 24 dengue patients were admitted to hospitals across the country in the last 24 hours, while no death was reported during the period. According to the release, among the newly admitted patients, seven were hospitalized in the Barishal division (outside city corporation areas), five in the Chattogram division (outside city corporation areas), four in the Dhaka division (outside city corporation areas), one in Dhaka North City Corporation, five in Dhaka South City Corporation and two in the Rajshahi division (outside city corporation areas). During the same period, 36 dengue patients were discharged from hospitals. With this, the total number of dengue patients discharged from hospitals this year rose to 779. Last year, a total of 102,861 dengue cases were reported, with 413 deaths and in 2024, dengue infected 101,214 people and claimed 575 lives.

The 11th death anniversary of Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam and former BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, is today. Arafat Rahman Koko, a noted sports organizer and younger brother of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, passed away on January 24, 2015 in Malaysia. To mark the occasion, BNP leaders and activists, alongside family members, offered special prayers and paid tributes to Arafat Rahman Koko. Speaking on the occasion, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said that Arafat Rahman Koko's death resulted from physical and mental torture during the one-eleven period and the subsequent Awami League government. Born on August 12, 1969, Arafat Rahman Koko served as a member of the Bangladesh Cricket Board advisory council from 2003 to 2005 and was also chairman of the Old DOHS Club.

Cricket has always been a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s national pride. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), though imperfect, succeeded in establishing cricket as a vital national asset -- representing stability, hope, and international identity. Publicly available credible intelligence does not indicate that the Bangladesh national cricket team faces any special or heightened threat. Bangladesh risks being seen as an unreliable participant in international sport -- a country willing to withdraw from or disrupt tournaments when diplomatic winds shift. Cricket once elevated Bangladesh's reputation globally.

Reading time: about 7 minutesFor head coach Casey Jones ’90, junior forward Jake Kraft’s game goes beyond just scoring. “He epitomizes Cornell hockey, the way he plays, the way he goes after it.”Kraft’s importance to the lineup goes beyond points, beyond goals, beyond assists. Cornell (13-5-0, 8-3-0 ECAC) outshot Dartmouth (14-5-1, 8-3-1 ECAC), 31-16, and out-attempted the Big Green by a 66-42 margin. Dartmouth goaltender Emmett Croteau’s 29 saves were not enough to hold off Cornell’s onslaught — the Red’s expected goals (xG) for Friday night’s victory were a whopping 4.2. With less than four minutes to play in the period, a Cornell cross-check gave Dartmouth a delayed penalty.

24 seconds into the second frame, a senior forward Grace Dwyer cross-checking penalty gave the Tigers their second power-play chance of the game. The Red, unable to quickly respond, committed its third penalty of the game seven minutes later. “If they were getting beat, they would reach with the stick and take a tripping penalty or a hooking penalty or a slashing penalty. Stretching back to the start of December, Dwyer had committed 16 minutes worth of penalties and tallied just two goals. Three minutes into the final period, Princeton was whistled for its fourth penalty of the game.

A total of 129 inmates of Jashore Central Jail will cast their votes through postal ballots. According to jail authorities, all the 129 inmates have completed the online voter registration process, said Jailer Abid Ahmed of Jashore Central Jail. Sources at the jail said many inmates initially showed interest after getting informed about postal ballot opportunities. Inmates will mark their ballots, seal them in envelopes and submit both the ballot and signed documents to jail authorities at designated locations. The jail authorities will then forward the sealed envelopes to the post office from where they will be sent to the Election Commission through express service.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7. The move came after the ICC issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) earlier this week. A copy of the letter was also marked to BCB president Aminul Islam, who sits on the ICC Board. At the same time, Gupta is understood to have written to Cricket Scotland, extending a formal invitation to participate in the 2026 World Cup. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Scotland finished third in Group B, level on points with England but edged out on net run rate.

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has alleged that his rivals are attempting to buy votes by distributing family and farmer cards, but said the tactic is failing to gain traction among voters. “They are using the family card and farmer card as tools to buy votes. The NCP convener further alleged that an atmosphere of fear has been created in the Dhaka-11 constituency and that the election code of conduct is being violated. During the campaign, Nahid was accompanied by leaders and activists of the NCP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the 10-party alliance. They conducted door-to-door outreach, exchanged greetings with voters, listened to their grievances and sought support for the party.