NCP open to general polls in April if July Charter, Proclamation delivered on time
The National Citizen Party (NCP) has conditionally endorsed Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’s proposal to hold the next parliamentary election in April 2026, provided that the July Charter and Proclamation are finalised on schedule. Responding to Yunus’s televised address on Friday, NCP Convenor Nahid Islam said the interim government must present both the National Charter and the July Proclamation by next month to justify an April election. He also called for the restructuring of the Election Commission (EC) led by AMM Nasir Uddin to ensure a “level playing field” to start the voting process, according to bdnews24.com. On Friday evening, Yunus addressed the nation and said: “After reviewing the ongoing reforms related to justice, governance, and elections, I hereby announce that the next general election will be held any day in the first half of April 2026. “Based on this announcement, the Election Commission will present a detailed roadmap for the elections at an appropriate time.”Yunus had previously said that the timing of the election would depend on the extent of reforms achieved.
Source:bd News24
June 07, 2025 01:22 UTC
India bets on growth with steepest rate cut in five years
The central bank, however, changed its monetary policy stance from 'accommodative' to 'neutral', stating that it may have limited space for further easing. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which consists of three RBI officials and three external members, cut the repo rate to 5.50 per cent. The RBI also cut the cash reserve ratio by 100 basis points to 3 per cent, adding to already surplus liquidity. "The central bank has chosen to front-load the growth adrenaline," said Shubhada Rao, head of Mumbai-based economics advisory firm QuantEco Research. BENIGN INFLATIONThe central bank cut its inflation projection for the current financial year and now expects it to average 3.7 per cent compared to 4 per cent previously.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 23:04 UTC
Yunus dismisses ‘humanitarian corridor’ claim as utter falsehood
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has categorically dismissed reports that Bangladesh is facilitating a humanitarian corridor into Myanmar’s Rakhine State, calling them “an utter falsehood". “We have noticed that misinformation is being spread about Bangladesh opening a corridor into Rakhine. Let me be very clear: this is an utter falsehood,” Yunus said. He blamed a section of actors for deliberately misleading the public with fabricated stories aimed at causing unrest. “In all the countries we’ve visited, we’ve raised the Rohingya issue with state leaders and government officials and sought their cooperation.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 15:24 UTC
General election in first half of April 2026, says Yunus
Addressing the nation on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha on Friday, Yunus announced that the Election Commission will present a detailed roadmap of the election at an “appropriate time” based on the projected schedule. “This (timeline) will allow us to implement, at least in part, the mandate you have entrusted to us,” he said. “After reviewing the ongoing reform activities related to justice, reform and elections, I am also announcing to the countrymen that the next national elections will be held on a day in the first half of April 2026. It triggered a political turbulence that culminated in Yunus holding marathon discussions with representatives of two dozen political parties. The parties pledged their support for Yunus' administration while presenting their demands, easing the tension to a degree.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 13:42 UTC
Three killed, 49 wounded in intense Russian air attacks on Ukraine
Fire and smoke rise in the aftermath of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichFire and smoke rise in the aftermath of a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 6, 2025. Kyiv's metro transport system was disrupted by a Russian strike that hit and damaged tracks between stations, the military administration said. As well as Kyiv, Russian forces also struck industrial facilities and infrastructure in the western city of Ternopil, leaving parts of it without power, Mayor Serhii Nadal said. After a phone conversation with Putin on Wednesday, Trump said the Kremlin was planning an unspecified response to the Ukrainian attack on the Russian air bases.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 12:07 UTC
Kalurghat Bridge crash: Train ‘ignored’ signal as death toll rises to 2
The death toll has risen to two after a Dhaka-bound train ploughed through multiple vehicles on Chattogram’s Kalurghat Bridge. In the wake of Thursday night’s fatal collision, a station master has said the Parjatak Express train from Cox’s Bazar had entered the bridge without heeding a “dead stop” signal. After crossing the Gomdondi Station in Boalkhali, the train reached the Kalurghat Bridge, which leads to the city’s Jane Ali Hat Station. Jane Ali Hat Station Master Nezam Uddin said Kalurghat is a “dead stop bridge”, where every train must come to a complete halt before crossing. “On Thursday night, the Parjatak Express entered the bridge at high speed without stopping at the dead stop signal after passing Gomdondi Station.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 09:36 UTC
Padma Bridge collects record toll of Tk 534m in 24 hours
As many as 52,487 vehicles have crossed the Padma Bridge in the last 24 hours, generating a record toll collection of Tk 543.28 million, the highest ever in a single day. Altaf Hossain Sheikh, joint secretary and director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, said: "The Padma Bridge plays a crucial role in ensuring a smooth journey home for Eid travellers. An additional 16,502 vehicles entered via the Zajira end, adding Tk 226.84 million to the total toll collection, he added. The previous daily toll collection record was Tk 489.94 million on Apr 9, 2024. The Padma Bridge will mark its third anniversary on Jun 25.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 07:16 UTC
National Eidgah ready to host 35,000 worshippers for Eid prayers
The National Eidgah in Dhaka is all set to host the main Eid-ul-Azha congregation, with the preparation to accommodate around 35,000 worshippers. Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Shahjahan Mia said the main congregation will be held at 7:30am on Saturday at the National Eidgah grounds on the Supreme Court premises. Speaking to reporters after inspecting the preparations at the National Eidgah on Thursday, Shahjahan Mia said: “All arrangements for the Eid prayers have been completed. A special gate through the Supreme Court compound will be used for VVIPs. “We have made preparations for nearly 35,000 people to perform Eid prayers at the Eidgah.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 07:03 UTC
Suffocating gridlock brings endless suffering for Eid travellers
ROAD TRAFFIC CONGESTIONTraffic was light early in the Eid travel period but surged after Wednesday afternoon as more people began their journeys. He said he took a longer route to avoid traffic jams on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway. Abdullah Al Mamun, who planned to take his family to Dinajpur, turned back home after spending hours stuck in traffic from Uttara to Gazipur. Say the buses are stuck in traffic.”United Paribahan drivers confirmed many buses were stranded while returning from Mymensingh. Besides passengers with standing tickets, many without tickets boarded trains from Kamalapur, and at Airport, Tongi and Joydebpur stations.
Source:bd News24
June 06, 2025 04:43 UTC
Eid travel: Suffocating gridlock bring endless suffering on every road
ROAD TRAFFIC CONGESTIONTraffic was light early in the Eid travel period but surged after Wednesday afternoon as more people began their journeys. He said he took a longer route to avoid traffic jams on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway. Abdullah Al Mamun, who planned to take his family to Dinajpur, turned back home after spending hours stuck in traffic from Uttara to Gazipur. Say the buses are stuck in traffic.”United Paribahan drivers confirmed many buses were stranded while returning from Mymensingh. Besides passengers with standing tickets, many without tickets boarded trains from Kamalapur, and at Airport, Tongi and Joydebpur stations.
Source:bd News24
June 05, 2025 22:27 UTC
Immediate action will be taken against complaints of excess fares, Advisor Fouzul says
Immediate action is being taken whenever complaints are received about harassment faced by people travelling home to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha, Road Transport and Bridges Advisor Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan has said. He visited the Sayedabad Bus Terminal and several bus counters in Dhaka between 11am and 11:45am on Thursday, reports bdnews24.com. Highlighting that Eid travel is going well despite some limitations, Fouzul said: “Necessary steps have been taken to ensure a smooth journey for everyone. In view of the evidence, a counter of the bus service at Sayedabad terminal has been fined Tk 5,000. At the end of the terminal inspection, Fouzul told the journalists present: “We haven’t received any major complaints.
Source:bd News24
June 05, 2025 21:54 UTC
A culture of cruelty: Enforced disappearances tied to systematic torture
The report offers a grim panorama of enforced disappearances intertwined with deliberate acts of torture aimed at silencing dissent and instilling fear. TORTURE AS ROUTINE PROCEDUREAccording to the report, survivors recounted forms of torture that were not only brutal but clearly premeditated and systematic. In several accounts, survivors described the torture being repeated over days, leaving permanent damage to their physical and mental health. Despite differences in the device types, survivors described both as “machines of punishment” intended to break both body and mind. “Victims of torture were often held in enforced disappearance during these horrific practices,” the report read.
Source:bd News24
June 05, 2025 20:34 UTC
Bangladesh records first COVID death in a year and a half
Bangladesh records first COVID death in a year and a halfThe Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has reported the first death due to COVID-19 in nearly a year and a half, alongside three new cases of infection. On Thursday, the health directorate said in a statement that the deceased was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Bangladesh has tested 15,726,224 samples, confirming a total of 2,051,739 COVID-19 cases. In 2023, as many as 37 people died due to COVID-19 after 1,368 had died in 2022. The virus caused 7,559 fatalities in 2020 before another 20,513 people died in 2021, registering the deadliest year of the pandemic in Bangladesh.
Source:bd News24
June 05, 2025 16:17 UTC
5 underperforming banks to merge into Islamic bank
Bangladesh Bank will merge five underperforming Islamic banks into a single entity, which will be structured in line with Shariah-compliant banking principles. The decision came at a meeting on Wednesday, where Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur met with the managing directors and chairpersons of the five banks. According to First Security Islami Bank Chairman Abdul Mannan, the banks involved are Social Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, and EXIM Bank. EXIM Bank’s board was under the control of Nazrul Islam Mazumder, also a close associate of Hasina. It has also been decided that the newly formed bank must reduce its total defaulted loans to below 10 percent.
Source:bd News24
June 05, 2025 12:29 UTC
Stop-start traffic on Gazipur highways disrupts Eid rush
Traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh and Dhaka-Tangail highways in Gazipur is markedly busier than usual as holidaymakers stream out of the capital ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. The pressure of outbound traffic has resulted in hold-ups along several points of the highways. Delays were also caused by frequent stops at bus stations, where parking issues and passengers getting on and off slowed traffic further. The traffic is very slow and we’re suffering from long waits.”Officials expect traffic to worsen later in the day, as the remaining 50 percent of garment factories in Gazipur are scheduled to close for Eid. Passengers have also reported being charged excessively high fares by transport operators, a common grievance during the Eid rush.
Source:bd News24
June 05, 2025 10:02 UTC