The information and broadcasting ministry yesterday placed the draft Press Council (Amendment) Act-2022, before the cabinet with a provision for the council to fine media outlets up to Tk 10 lakh for compromising state security, harming public harmony, and unethical journalism.

“Sir, please note down my name. I have five daughters and we have been going hungry for two days.”

The cabinet yesterday gave the final approval to the draft of Universal Pension Management Act, 2022.

Nearly five years into the largest Rohingya influx, the process of repatriation remains confined only to talks with the international funding declining for the forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to visit the flood-affected areas in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrakona tomorrow.

The floods wreaking havoc in the country’s northern and north-eastern districts may worsen as water levels in already overflowing rivers could continue to rise over the next two days, according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre. 

Flood situation worsened in the northern districts yesterday as all major rivers were flowing above the danger mark.

Shopping centres and stores will shut at 8:00pm every day from today until further notice as the government looks to conserve power and energy amid the rising prices in the global market for the Russia-Ukraine war.

Motorcycles should be banned on national highways to reduce the number of accidents, recommended a committee that was formed by the government to probe road crashes.

With vast areas in five northern districts already inundated over the past two days, 15 more districts are feared to soon be hit by the floods caused by heavy downpour and onrush of water from the upstream.

With the air communications already snapped, Sylhet got disconnected from the rest of the country by rail yesterday. The divisional district is now at risk of getting isolated by road within a day or two if the flood situation deteriorates further.

The flood in the Sylhet division has deteriorated dramatically in the past 24 hours, with the situation heading towards the most devastating in recent memory.

The three successive murders of Rohingyas last week and the recovery of a sophisticated M16 assault rifle from a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar Thursday night have exposed the deteriorating law and order in the refugee shelters.

The names clearly describe their type as they have one thing in common -- these are all student organisations. But in reality, hardly any regular students are holding the top positions of the student bodies affiliated with various political parties.

Amid a surging positivity rate Bangladesh recorded 433 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours till yesterday morning, taking the country’s total caseload to 1,955,427, the health directorate said.

Sufferings of the people in Sylhet division is not going to end soon as rivers will continue to swell in the next three days before starting to recede. So, the flood situation in the region will prevail for at least seven more days, meteorologists said.

Heavy rains and rush of water from upstream in India’s northeast have inundated large swathes of Sylhet division, leaving thousands stranded and triggering a humanitarian crisis.

The government has ordered the authorities to take necessary measures to close stores, shopping malls and markets after 8:00pm to save electricity and energy amid rising energy prices worldwide.  

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation made huge profits for seven years through import of petroleum at low prices but the government took that money, leaving the BPC ill-equipped to cope with the current international market volatility.

Gopalganj is considered an Awami League bastion as it is the ancestral home of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.