The tourist season to Saint Martin Island formally began today with three passenger vessels carrying 1,174 holidaymakers from Cox’s Bazar to the country’s only coral island. Officials said the vessels left the Nuniachhara BIWTA jetty in phases between 7:00am and 8:00am and are expected to reach the island between 12:30pm and 1:00pm. On the opening day, however, the vessel named Keari Sindabad was fined Taka 50,000 on charge of selling tickets without the mandatory online registration. Authorities confirmed that from today tourists will be allowed to stay overnight on the island till January 31, though the daily cap of 2,000…
Author: diplomaticjourna_diplomaticjourna
The National Independent Inquiry Commission, formed to investigate the brutal killings carried out in the name of the BDR mutiny, today submitted its report to the government with findings that Awami League (AL) was organisationally involved in the carnage. The report revealed that the massacre was pre-planned and then Member of Parliament Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh “acted as the principal coordinator” while the full incident took place with ‘green signal’ from the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Commission head Major General (retd) ALM Fazlur Rahman and other members handed over the report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the…
US President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday he had recently spoken with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro amid soaring tensions between the two countries, while Caracas slammed what it called US preparations for an attack. The United States is piling the pressure on Venezuela, with a major military buildup in the Caribbean, the designation of an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group, and an ominous warning from Trump that Venezuelan airspace is “closed.” Washington says the aim of the military deployment launched in September is to curb drug trafficking in the region, but Caracas insists regime change is…
A Dhaka court is set to pronounce its judgment today in a case against 17 people, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and niece Tulip Siddique, over irregularities in the allocation of a 10-katha plot in the RAJUK Purbachal New Town Project. The court is scheduled to start its proceedings at 10.30 am. Judge Robiul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 on November 25 had fixed December 1 for pronouncing judgment as both the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments in the case on that day. Meanwhile, an extra number of security personnel were deployed in…
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to safeguarding economic stability, strengthening democratic governance, and ensuring the welfare of ordinary citizens including farmers and workers of the country. Describing BNP as a responsible political party, built by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman on the principles of hard work, discipline and economic openness, he said, “Ziaur Rahman transformed Bangladesh from a one-party system to a multi-party democracy.” BNP Secretary General said, “Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman shifted the economy from a closed model to an open one. His contributions remain the most significant in shaping the modern economic…
Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya has stressed the need for collective efforts to ensure that ongoing reforms become sustainable after the upcoming national elections. “As citizens, we must tell our political leaders what we expect after the Jatiya Sangsad polls. We should treat the elections as an opportunity to strengthen and continue the reforms underway in the democratic process,” he said. He made the remarks while moderating a regional consultative meeting of the Citizen’s Platform under its Pre-Election Initiative, held at the Begum Rokeya auditorium of RDRS Bangladesh on Saturday afternoon. The economist…
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today said that the government has no restrictions or objections regarding BNP acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s return to the country. Asked about Tarique Rahman’s statement that the opportunity to decide on his immediate return to the country is not entirely open or exclusively within his control, the press secretary said, “The government has no restrictions or objections of any kind in this regard.” Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has already expressed deep concern over the physical condition of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Shafiqul Alam said. The Chief Adviser also…
BNP standing committee member and personal physician to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, today said any decision regarding her transfer abroad for advanced treatment will depend entirely on her physical condition and the recommendations of the medical board overseeing her care. Speaking at a briefing on Khaleda Zia’s health at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka around 9 pm, Dr Zahid said, “The issue of going abroad depends entirely on her overall physical health and the decision and recommendations of the medical board.” He stressed that arrangements have been made to provide the highest standard of treatment available in…
US President Donald Trump sharply escalated his threats against Venezuela on Saturday with an ominous warning that the country’s airspace should be considered “closed,” raising fears of imminent military action. Caracas, which views a large US military buildup in the Caribbean as a pressure campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro, slammed Trump’s warning as a “colonialist threat.” “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,” Trump wrote on social media, “please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.” He did not elaborate, but after months of deadly US strikes on alleged drug-running boats,…
A special meeting of the Council of Advisers today prayed for swift recovery of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus chaired the meeting at his office in the city’s Tejgaon area this morning. Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain administered the doa, said Chief Adviser’s Press Wing. The meeting gave in principle and final to the draft of the Foreign Donations (Voluntary Activities) Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025. The amendment brings changes to several sections of the current law, simplifies NGO registration procedures, and eases conditions for the release of foreign grants. From…
