1.5mn government employees cleared to get two higher-grade benefitsThe Supreme Court’s Appellate Division has removed a longstanding prohibition to higher-grade promotions for government and autonomous institution employees who received a time scale or selection grade before 2015. Issued a year after the introduction of the 2015 National Pay Scale, the notification drew strong objections from public servants. As a result, Paragraph 7 of the 2015 pay scale -- confirming eligibility for higher-grade entitlements -- remains unchanged. With the restriction removed, employees who received a time scale or selection grade before 2015 can now obtain a second higher-grade promotion without limitation. Petitioners’ lawyer Ibrahim Khalil said the ruling clears the path for around 1.5 million officials and staff to access long-delayed benefits.

Yet, Konu Mia, a resident of Sinhagram village in Habiganj's Lakhai Upazila, spent 30 years, 2 months, and 19 days behind bars. Around 10:30am on Tuesday, he was finally released from Habiganj District Jail and reunited with his family, according to lawyer MA Majid from the District Legal Aid Office. Seeing the open sky and feeling the sun and breeze after more than three decades, Konu Mia was overwhelmed with emotion. From that moment, Konu Mia’s life in prison began -- not for one or two years, but for over 30 years, spent entirely behind bars. Upon learning that the government was pursuing efforts to secure Konu Mia’s bail, the family members were moved to tears.

The Feni district administration has undertaken a series of relief and rehabilitation efforts in response to the crisis:Tk 2.35 million in cash and 160 metric tonnes of rice have been distributed in Fulgazi, Parshuram, Chhagalnaiya, Sonagazi, Daganbhuiyan and Feni Sadar Upazilas. A total of 2,200 packets of dry and other food have been handed out in Fulgazi, Parshuram and Chhagalnaiya. Authorities have kept 230 shelters on standby -- 99 in Fulgazi, 36 in Parshuram, 22 in Feni Sadar, 11 in Chhagalnaiya, and 62 in Daganbhuiyan. A total of 10 fibre boats have been sent to Feni Sadar, Fulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya for rescue efforts. From a pool of 2,547 trained volunteers across the district, 230 are currently working with Upazila administrations in Parshuram, Fulgazi and Chhagalnaiya.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has uncovered Tk 18.74 billion in tax evasion involving 183 individuals and organisations, following investigations conducted over the past seven months.In a statement issued on Monday, the NBR said its Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit, which became fully operational only seven months ago, carried out the inquiries that led to these findings.Out of the total, Tk 1.17 billion has already been recovered from 63 individuals and firms identified during the probe, according to the NBR.Based on specific evidence of tax evasion, authorities have frozen the bank accounts of more than 100 people and entities. The intelligence and investigation unit has also launched initiatives to encourage voluntary compliance among taxpayers. "The Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit is fully committed to taking appropriate legal action against any form of tax evasion or the accumulation of anonymous assets," the statement said.The NBR has intensified its enforcement efforts as part of a broader strategy to expand the country's tax base and enhance revenue collection amid increasing fiscal pressures. �" bdnews24.com

Folk singer Farida Parveen has been moved from the intensive care unit to a cabin, authorities at Dhaka's Universal Medical College Hospital have said.Ashis Kumar Chakraborty, managing director of the hospital, confirmed that the artist was transferred in the early hours of Monday. "Farida Parveen is now doing a little better than before," he told bdnews24.com on Monday morning.She had been receiving treatment in the hospital's ICU in Mohakhali since Jul 5, following a deterioration in her health after admission. A medical board was formed under the direction of the health secretary to oversee her treatment. �"bdnews24.com

Sharmeen Murshid questions: Why did women who fought so bravely in the July Uprising hide their faces? Women and Children Affairs Advisor Sharmeen S Murshid has called for reflection on why many women who participated in the July Uprising are no longer coming forward. She noted, “Many injured women are now locked inside their homes, not stepping forward, and are in depression. The activists themselves have told me that around 65 to 79 percent were women, which is astonishing. Now, we have recruited about 100 women to help find them.”She added, “Now we must analyse why has this situation occurred in society?

A man has been accused of pouring petrol onto the body of his nine-month pregnant wife and lighting her on fire over a "domestic row" in Sylhet's Kanaighat Upazila, reports bdnews24.com. The baby was stillborn while the housewife received treatment at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital on Sunday. The incident occurred at the home of the woman's family in Kandala village in the Upazila around 8pm on Saturday, he said. "Thirty-five percent of the woman's body has been burnt," Dr Sumitra Chakrabarty said. "I was not at home the night of the incident when Akhtar came to the house.

The incident occurred at the home of the woman's family in Kandala village in the Upazila around 8pm on Saturday, he said.Burn victim Sabana Begum, 22, is the daughter of local resident Abdul Jabbar. Her husband and detainee Hossain Ahmed Chowdhury Akhtar, 40, is a resident of the same village. "The family has been advised to take her to Dhaka, but the family wants to treat her here. We are currently treating her at the burn unit.Sub-Inspector Md Shah Alam of Kanaighat police said, "They married a year ago. The family of the woman is coming to the police station to file a case.

Student protests demanding the formation of an independent regulatory council have forced authorities to halt admissions to the Government Unani and Ayurvedic Medical College in Dhaka. Monday was the closing day for admitting students into the 36th batch of the Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) and Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) programmes. The Government Unani and Ayurvedic Medical College was established in 1989 in Mirpur-13 to preserve the ancient medical traditions of the subcontinent and produce scientifically trained physicians through institutional education and research. Students at the college pursue a five-year BUMS or BAMS programme followed by a one-year internship. The college is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of Dhaka University and operates under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Bhaluka man freed his brother from jail. He has accused his younger brother, whom he had bailed out of jail just weeks ago, as the prime suspect of murdering his entire family. Rafiqul lived in a two-room house with his wife, children, and younger brother Nazrul Islam. One-room living was cramped, so about six weeks ago, I rented a two-room house. If I had known, I’d never have gotten him out of jail,” Rafiqul said.

For the first time, Bangladesh Bank has bought dollars from commercial banks in an auction. "He said, "If the dollar rate drops, it will create difficulties for expatriates and exporters. To prevent this, the central bank has decided to purchase dollars from banks. "Though most banks set the price around Tk 120 to sell dollars in the auction, the central bank has bought dollars at Tk 121.50. "In response to a question about why the central bank is offering a higher price than the commercial banks' expectations, the deputy managing director of a private bank said: "The market panicked because dollar price was falling.

The Paresh Baruah-led insurgent group blamed India for the strikes, but the Indian military has denied this. advertisementWithout getting into claims and counter-claims, it is highly unusual for a rebel group like the ULFA-I to admit reverses because it affects the morale of its ranks. Does it constitute a major threat to Indian security forces in the northeast? To answer this question, one needs to remember that a faction of the ULFA had already signed an agreement with the Centre and the Assam state government in December 2023. Strikes that lead to the loss of senior activists hurt a rebel faction, which already faces a dearth of experienced commanders, and may be a factor in initiating dialogue.

US dollar, Euro, Chinese Yuan, Canadian dollar, Turkish Lira and Pound banknotes are seen in this illustration taken May 4, 2025. REUTERSUS dollar, Euro, Chinese Yuan, Canadian dollar, Turkish Lira and Pound banknotes are seen in this illustration taken May 4, 2025. Reaction in the currency market to Trump's latest tariff threats was largely muted in Asian trade, though the euro did slip to a roughly three-week low early in the session. "It seems like financial markets have become insensitive to President Trump's tariff threats now, after so many of them in the past few months," said Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. In other currencies, the Australian dollar fell 0.12 percent to $0.6566, while the New Zealand dollar slid 0.37 percent to $0.5987.

A student of Dhaka University has reportedly died by suicide after posting an emotional message on Facebook and jumping from the rooftop of Jagannath Hall. The dead student, Sanjay Baraik, had enrolled at the Department of Anthropology in the 2021–22 academic session. Shortly after midnight, Sanjay made a Facebook post that read: "I have realised my mistakes. He completed his HSC from Chunarughat Government College before enrolling at Dhaka University. In a Facebook post, Dhaka University authorities said that Vice-Chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan visited Dhaka Medical College Hospital upon hearing of Sanjay’s death.

Former food minister Qamrul Islam has reprimanded police officers for not allowing him to speak to journalists on court premises. The incident occurred on Monday while he was being brought from the detention cell to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka. However, police officers stopped him from doing so, prompting Qamrul, a senior Awami League politician, to become visibly angry. Later, Metropolitan Magistrate MA Azharul Islam approved their arrests in the case, according to Morshed Hossain Shaheen, a defence lawyer. Previously, on Jan 8, Qamrul had expressed frustration with the police in court.