BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said the 1971 Liberation War did not bring freedom to the Bengali nation but only to the Awami League. “The freedom we achieved in 1971 through Victory Day was not the liberation of the nation. The Jubo League and Chhatra League were liberated there. At the event, Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib said: “On the 7th of November, 1975, Ziaur Rahman united the nation and built nationalism. The public aspiration that arose after the 2024 upheaval remains unfulfilled.”He added, “In 1975, Ziaur Rahman was there.

Three die in motorcycle crash after attending BNP event in RajshahiThree people have died after a motorcycle collided with a truck in Rajshahi's Charghat Upazila. The accident occurred on the Rajshahi-Bagha road at the Shishatola intersection on Friday, said Charghat Police chief Mizanur Rahman. The dead are Shimul Akhter Tuhin, 34, Shimul, 33, and Maruf, 18, identified with single names. Police said the three were returning home from Charghat after attending a BNP event. The bodies have been taken into police custody, and the families of the dead have the option to collect them without a post-mortem examination.

But this time, due to a cancellation of tenders and procedural changes, printing for secondary and Ebtedayee-level books began only in early November. Of the nearly 300 million books to be printed across all levels, 214.3 million are for secondary and Ebtedayee students. Despite efforts, the NCTB officials admit there is doubt over whether all secondary students will get their books on time. “The entire process had to restart, so instead of September, printing began in early November. The cancelled tenders included:Grade 6: 97 lots, 43.2 million books, worth Tk 1.8 billionGrade 7: 94 lots, 39 million books, worth Tk 2 billionGrade 8: 89 lots, 36.6 million books, worth Tk 2.23 billionAltogether, 280 lots worth Tk 6 billion were cancelled.

Bangladesh has largely “emerged as a state” in the period following 1975, Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain claims. He added the nation’s identity took shape after the political turmoil, with the foundation of “a welfare-oriented” state beginning under the then president Ziaur Rahman. The advsior noted that the efforts to form “a revolutionary government” were hindered by “old” political parties and established powers. Recalling the interim government formation, Asif said: “Within two hours of the July Uprising toppling Sheikh Hasina’s government, political parties aligned with the establishment. Participating in the discussion, poet and writer Farhad Mazhar said, “On the 8th of August 2024, a constitutional counter-revolution occurred.

A crude bomb has exploded outside St Mary’s Cathedral in Dhaka's Kakrail in what police suspect was a targeted attack on the church. A second explosive device, found unexploded inside the church, was later recovered by police on Friday night. He said two homemade bombs were hurled at the church, one of which detonated outside, while the other remained intact inside the building. The attack came just a night before a scheduled event at the church on Saturday, raising concerns about security and motive. Police say investigations are under way, but no suspects have been named so far.

United States President Donald Trump has said he expects an international stabilisation force, coordinated by Washington, to be deployed in Gaza “very soon” as part of his post-war peace plan for the war-torn enclave. According to Al Jazeera, the US-led initiative comes amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, despite the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The announcement follows preparations at the United Nations Security Council to negotiate a two-year mandate authorising both a transitional governance body and the stabilisation force. UN Secretary-General António Guterres told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that any stabilisation mission must carry “full international legitimacy” to effectively support Palestinians in Gaza. Under Trump’s 20-point plan, Hamas is expected to demilitarise, while the stabilisation force would dismantle its “offensive infrastructure” and prevent it from rebuilding.

A woman struggling in poverty has reportedly strangled her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter to death using a rope before dying by suicide in Kushtia’s Daulatpur. On Thursday night, she allegedly killed her daughter Lamia before hanging herself from the ceiling of her house. When she did not respond, they looked through the window and saw the hanging body, broke down the door, recovered the body, and reported the incident to the police. The body of a child and the body of her hanging mother were found in their own house, confirmed Md Solaiman Sheikh, chief of Daulatpur Police Station. The bodies have been sent to the morgue at Kushtia General Hospital on Friday morning to confirm the cause of death.

Detective police have pressed charges against seven suspects, all identified as “drug dealers”, in the murder case of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader SM Shahriar Alam Shammo. Confirming the submission on Friday, officer Morshed said seven suspects have been charged, while four others were recommended for discharge due to “lack of evidence”. Those named in the chargesheet are Mehedi Hasan, Md Rabbi alias Kobutor Rabbi, Md Ripon alias Akash, Nahid Hasan Papel, Md Hridoy Islam, Md Harunur Rashid Sohag alias Lombu Sohag, and Md Robin. According to the DB officer, all seven are drug traders who have already been arrested. Around midnight, his friends took him to the emergency unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

A police sergeant has been withdrawn after a video surfaced showing him bowing and touching the feet of senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi during a political programme in Mirpur. According to an office order issued on Friday by the Mirpur Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Sergeant Ariful Islam has been attached to the DMP headquarters. The video, widely circulated on social media, shows Rizvi preparing to get into a car after a political event in Mirpur when Ariful, in uniform, bows before him and touches his feet. Following the circulation of the video and ensuing criticism online, the DMP announced his withdrawal in the afternoon through an office order. The order said, “Upon informing higher authorities, Sergeant Md Ariful Islam of Mirpur Traffic Zone is hereby attached (closed) to the DMP Headquarters (Administration) Division for administrative reasons.”When asked about the reason for the withdrawal, Mirpur Traffic Division Deputy Commissioner Gautam Kumar Biswas told bdnews24.com: “He was withdrawn because he left his duty post to attend to other matters.”

News Desk :BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has said the 1971 Liberation War did not bring freedom to the Bengali nation but only to the Awami League. “The freedom we achieved in 1971 through Victory Day was not the liberation of the nation. Ziaur Rahman resolved that crisis,” he added. At the event, Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib said: “On the 7th of November, 1975, Ziaur Rahman united the nation and built nationalism. The public aspiration that arose after the 2024 upheaval remains unfulfilled.”He added, “In 1975, Ziaur Rahman was there.

Detective police have pressed charges against seven suspects, all identified as “drug dealers”, in the murder case of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader SM Shahriar Alam Shammo. Confirming the submission on Friday, officer Morshed said seven suspects have been charged, while four others were recommended for discharge due to “lack of evidence”. Those named in the chargesheet are Mehedi Hasan, Md Rabbi alias Kobutor Rabbi, Md Ripon alias Akash, Nahid Hasan Papel, Md Hridoy Islam, Md Harunur Rashid Sohag alias Lombu Sohag, and Md Robin. Around midnight, his friends took him to the emergency unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. On May 17, a Dhaka court placed the three on a six-day remand, followed by another five-day remand on May 24.

Former finance and foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in Sheikh Hasina's cabinet, who served as the chief foreign representative of the Mujibnagar government in 1971, has died at the age of 82.BIRDEM Hospital in Dhaka confirmed that Mahmood died on Thursday at 3:55pm while undergoing treatment.The 82-year-old had been admitted to the hospital's ICU for the past two weeks with kidney complications.Awami League's Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Aminul Islam Amin told bdnews24.com, "He died on Thursday evening at the BIRDEM Hospital. His funeral prayer will be held at 8am on Friday in front of his residence in Dhanmondi, followed by burial at Banani Graveyard. "A career foreign service officer, Ali served as high commissioner to the UK before his retirement in 2001. He had served as ambassador to Germany and Bhutan. He was additional foreign secretary for bilateral affairs, a role that gave him the opportunity to serve prime minister Khaleda Zia on her major trips abroad, including India and Pakistan.As ambassador to Bhutan, he befriended King Jigme Singye Wangchuk and took Dhaka-Thimpu relations to new heights.

Khosru says some oppose polls as they ‘enjoy privileges’ without accountabilitySenior BNP leader Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has said some people are reluctant about elections as they continue to “enjoy privileges” under the current system. Khosru criticised attempts by a “small group in Dhaka” to impose their decisions on the next parliament, saying such efforts “would not be tolerated”. He urged political parties to maintain harmony and avoid confrontational politics, noting that the people of Bangladesh wanted peace, tolerance and mutual respect even amid disagreements. The former minister said real democracy required respect for differing views and a political culture rooted in accountability. Following Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic style will not work.”He also urged political parties to seek the people’s mandate rather than “exerting pressure” on the BNP to endorse their agendas.

Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur has said the aspirations people held before Aug 5 last year have not been fulfilled even 15 months later. Nur urged voters to treat the national election with “importance”, saying it will determine the direction and governance of Bangladesh in the coming years. Nur said Gono Odhikar Parishad has not yet joined any electoral alliance but will consider cooperating with political parties depending on their approach to state reform and national change. On extortion, Nur said: “Previously, leaders and activists of the Awami League and its allied organisations used to extort in the industrial sector. Yet some sponsors continue to support these criminals and extortionists to capture polling centres,” he added.

REUTERS/Valdrin XhemajThe US Army aims to buy at least a million drones in the next two to three years and could acquire anywhere from a half million drones to millions of them annually in the years that follow, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll said. Ukraine and Russia each produce roughly 4 million drones a year, but China is probably able to produce more than double that number, Driscoll said. "We expect to purchase at least a million drones within the next two to three years," Driscoll said. Driscoll said he fundamentally wanted to change how the Army saw drones -- more like expendable ammunition rather than an "exquisite" piece of equipment. Instead of partnering with larger defence companies, he said the Army wanted to work with companies that were producing drones that could have commercial applications as well.