A family of five including an infant suffered varying degrees of burns when their illegal gas connection caused fires in the Ashulia area. The fact that there is a plethora of such illegal gas connections is hardly news. We hope the critically injured will pull through.

Media freedom is under attack the world over. Governments in countries worldwide, with a few exceptions, are doing everything in their power to throttle the media and silence journalists.

The result of the 14-pary Oikyafront talks was an anti-climax, and the only positive that one could take away was the understanding between the two that the opposition would be allowed to conduct political activities without being hindered, although that is guaranteed by the constitution and a given in any democratic setup, but not in ours.

Forty-three years ago, on this day, the nation lost four great leaders, who as trusted lieutenants of Bangabandhu had steered the Liberation War in 1971 to its successful conclusion.

It should not be lost on anyone that just 12 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds for the entirety of Noakhali, Feni, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Cox's Bazar, and Chattogram are nowhere close to being adequate.

Bangladesh ranked 176th in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index (EDBI)—an index that measures the performance of some 190 countries in the world.

The fact that Myanmar has agreed to start taking back Rohingyas beginning mid-November could mark a turning point for Bangladesh whose past experience with the neighbouring country has been far from pleasant.

Ecnec has met twice last month which is a record unto itself, to approve some 58 projects worth Tk 64,042 crore in the run-up to the general elections.

It is a demonstration of political farsightedness on the part of the Prime Minister to have accepted the proposal of the Oikyafront for a dialogue.

In what can only be described as a complete lack of coordination between different departments, 150 metres of a 2.5km concrete road have sunk into the Kumar River in Kazi Kandia area of Nagarkanda Upazila.

To see that some people with licences to bear firearms are putting them to illegal use, such as those employed by private security agencies, as guards in banks, as a report in this newspaper has exposed, is alarming.

We are outraged by the way the transport workers' 48-hour countrywide strike was enforced.

It certainly seems so from the actions of the Bangladesh Bank, as it has given AnonTex the green-light to take more loans from other state-owned banks, after it had borrowed Tk 5,500 crore from Janata Bank through serious irregularities, and defaulted on Tk 557 crore loans with the bank.

We strongly condemn the attack on the Gonoshasthaya Kendra last Friday. Not only were some of the buildings damaged and offices looted, students were also beaten up and injured and an attempt was made to break into the female dorm.

This newspaper reported on Friday about an extraordinary case of a man who served 16 years in prison without having ever been convicted, simply because he was unable to contact his family and did not have the funds to file an appeal.

It is most unfortunate that an unrealistic hike in toll collection from a bridge should end in violent clashes between transport workers and the police resulting in the death of a truck helper and injuries to around a hundred people.

It is heartening to note that Bangladesh has been ranked seventh in the Lonely Planet's—the world's largest travel guidebook publisher—top 10 “Best value” travel destinations for 2019.

United Nations (UN) investigators submitted a 444-page report to the UN Security Council on October 24 about the ongoing genocide in Myanmar against the Rohingyas.

Every year the government slaps a ban on catching of the Hilsa fish fry to help the fish spawn properly. But for the fisher folk community living along the Padma River in Munshiganj, it is a matter of subsistence and local authorities distribute free rice during this period.

While the country is nearing the eradication of extreme poverty and undergoing robust economic advancement, it needs to remodel its outdated poverty measurement method in order to uncover the real picture of poverty, as suggested by eminent economist Wahiduddin Mahmud at a recent launch of two books on poverty and inequality.