Several duplicate TCB cards were distributed to certain families in the past through the forging of NID cards, Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin says. Asked why 6.3 million smart cards had been distributed when the Awami League government had said some 10 million TCB family cards in circulation, Bashir said: "There was huge corruption among the 10 million cards with the same families getting multiple cards by forging NIDs through trickery. Not a single family has been left out by revoking 3.7 million cards of the 10 million cards.”"The goods are being sent to the right people. The commerce advisor said the authorities want to add another 3.7 million cards, reports bdnews24.com. Noting that the members of the public are suffering due to soaring rice prices, he said the crisis is “temporary”.

Then he left.”The next hearing date will be announced at a later time, he said. The Explosives Act case over the 2009 incident was to be held on Thursday, but students from the Alia madrasah held an overnight protest against the use of the institution’s field for the temporary courtroom. The temporary courtroom and its furniture were burnt in the night amid the protest. Borhan said, “Given the situation today, we don’t have the proper environment for a court hearing. Meanwhile, the explosives charges trial, initiated in 2010, was paused midway through to focus on the murder trial, leaving the proceedings incomplete.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has prosecuted former Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) managing director Taqsem A Khan and nine others on charges of aiding financial embezzlement through unauthorised staff appointments. ACC Deputy Director Syed Nazrul Islam filed the case on Wednesday at the commission's Integrated District Office in Dhaka, according to its Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain. The appointments were approved at WASA's 252nd board meeting, chaired by then-chairman Md Habibur Rahman. Other board members included Taqsem, former additional secretary Sudhangshu Shekhar Biswas, FCA Vice President Md Mahmud Hossain, Bangladesh Engineers Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh representative Engineer Md Nuruzzaman, Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh President AKMA Hamid, former Dhaka North City Corporation councillor Aleya Sarwar Daisy, and former Dhaka South City Corporation councillor Md Hasibur Rahman Manik. ACC Director General Akhtar Hossain said, "The board members primarily endorsed the illegal appointments."

"We will start the march towards Shahbagh at 1:00 pm," Naimul Hasan, a student representative of the protesters at the Shaheed Minar, said. The programme by the relatives of the arrested BDR personnel began on Wednesday morning. They formed a human chain at the Shaheed Minar to push for their demands. "We stayed at the Shaheed Minar overnight. Meanwhile, the explosives charges trial, initiated in 2010, was paused midway through to focus on the murder trial, leaving the proceedings incomplete.

Repair work will be conducted on a floating LNG terminal which supplies imported gas starting at noon on FridayGas pressure to remain low for 72 hours from Friday to MondayThe supply of imported natural gas will slow for a 72-hour period starting at noon on Friday due to repair work on the floating LNG terminal. This may lead to low gas pressure throughout the country, according to Petrobangla. Due to the reduction in gas supply, some parts of the country may experience low pressure. An average of 900 to 1,100 mmscf of gas is supplied per day from the two floating LNG terminals in the Bay of Bengal. The capacity of the two LNG terminals is 1,100 mmscf.

National Bank Limited, suffering from a liquidity crisis, has sought an additional Tk 10 billion from Bangladesh Bank in liquidity support. Hence we are seeking Tk 10 billion more,” National Bank Chairman Abdul Awal Mintu said. In addition to National Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank and Exim Bank received the support. Meanwhile, Padma Bank sought Tk 13 billion and Janata Bank sought Tk 100 billion in liquidity support. When Bangladesh Bank dissolved the existing board of the National Bank after the changeover in government, it had been controlled by Chattogram businessman S Alam.

The bank received Tk 40 billion from Bangladesh Bank after the fall of the Awami League government and wants to pay 10 percent interest on the loanNational Bank Limited, suffering from a liquidity crisis, has sought an additional Tk 10 billion from Bangladesh Bank in liquidity support. Hence we are seeking Tk 10 billion more,” National Bank Chairman Abdul Awal Mintu said. In addition to National Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank and Exim Bank received the support. Meanwhile, Padma Bank sought Tk 13 billion and Janata Bank sought Tk 100 billion in liquidity support. When Bangladesh Bank dissolved the existing board of the National Bank after the changeover in government, it had been controlled by Chattogram businessman S Alam.

REUTERSUS President-elect Donald Trump speaks after a meeting with Republicans in Congress at the US Capitol building in Washington, US January 8, 2025. The letter calls on Trump and congressional leaders to continue funding the resettlement of at-risk Afghans and their families and for Congress to approve an additional 50,000 Special Immigration Visas (SIVs). Trump made immigration a major issue of his presidential campaign, promising to ramp up border security and deport record numbers of illegal immigrants. He planned to send the letter to the Trump transition team on Friday and hand-deliver it to Republican and Democratic congressional leaders next week. The Taliban, who instituted a general amnesty for officials and troops of the former US-backed government, deny the UN charges.

Grameen Bank, the Nobel prize-winning microfinance institution, is poised for a significant shift in its ownership and governance structure. Should the plan go forward, oversight of the bank, currently influenced by the government, would be transferred to Bangladesh Bank, according to a bdnews24.com report. The Financial Institutions Division of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance has drafted an ordinance to amend the Grameen Bank Act of 2013. According to the 1983 Grameen Bank Ordinance, 25 per cent of Grameen Bank's ownership is now in the hands of the government, while the remaining 75 per cent belongs to borrowers. The project was subsequently endorsed by Bangladesh Bank, with other financial institutions, including Bangladesh Krishi Bank, participating in its development.

Should the plan go forward, oversight of the bank, currently influenced by the government, would be transferred to Bangladesh Bank. The Financial Institutions Division of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance has drafted an ordinance to amend the Grameen Bank Act of 2013. Grameen Bank and Yunus co-shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 in recognition of their efforts to alleviate poverty through microcredit. According to the 1983 Grameen Bank Ordinance, 25 percent of Grameen Bank's ownership is now in the hands of the government, while the remaining 75 percent belongs to borrowers. The project was subsequently endorsed by Bangladesh Bank, with other financial institutions, including Bangladesh Krishi Bank, participating in its development.

He seeks EIB support for the Chattogram Port infrastructurePreparations under way for local government polls alongside general elections, says YunusThe interim government is preparing for local government elections alongside the national parliamentary polls, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has said. During a meeting with the European Investment Bank, or EIB, Vice-President Nicola Beer, who is visiting Dhaka, the interim prime minister detailed the government’s plans regarding elections under its tenure. The meeting took place on Wednesday at the State Guest House Jamuna, where the two discussed reforms, investment in Bangladesh, and other key issues. Yunus told the senior EIB official that the interim administration was also simultaneously preparing for local elections to make sure that "local government is really local and a government”. The discussion also covered building facilities at Chittagong Port, with Yunus seeking the EIB's assistance.

Beximco Holdings owns nearly 24.90 million shares in Beximco Pharmaceuticals, Beximco Limited holds approximately 3.2 million shares, New Dhaka Industries holds 14.3 million shares, and Beximco Engineering has over 900,000 shares. Among them are Beximco Fisheries Limited, Beximco Port Limited, Beximco Engineering Limited, Escorp Apparels Limited, formerly Beximco Apparels Limited, Beximco Securities Limited, and Beximco Softtech Limited. The list also includes Beximco Agro Chemical Limited, Beximco Pharma Centre for Bio and Industrial Limited, Beximco Astra Company Limited (formerly Astra Company Limited), Beximco Media Limited, Beximco Services Limited, Beximco Logistics Limited, Beximco Property Development and Management Limited, Beximco Zenith Limited, Beximco Holding Limited, and Beximco Computer Limited. Also registered are ARK Sea Foods Limited, formerly Beximco Foods Limited, Beximco Mining and Energy Corporation Limited, Beximco Petroleum Limited, Beximco Power Company Limited, Beximco Communications Limited, Beximco LPG Unit-2 Limited (formerly Index Power and Energy Unit-2 Limited), and Beximco Pharma API Limited. The list further includes Beximco LPG Unit-1 Limited, formerly Index Power and Energy Unit-1 Limited, Beximco 360 Limited, Beximco Aviation Limited, Beximco Wings Limited, Beximco PPE Limited, Beximco IOC Petroleum and Energy Limited, and Beximco Equity Limited.

Speaking on Wednesday, ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhtar Hossain confirmed that the investigation into the alleged irregularities was progressing. According to the documents reviewed by the ACC, Hasina was granted a 10-katha (plot no. 017) received 10-katha each. Rehana secured 10-katha (plot no. The allegations came under heightened scrutiny last year when the High Court formed a three-member committee to examine potential irregularities in the allocation of Purbachal plots to Hasina and six members of her family.

Defence lawyer says no evidence found to substantiate allegationsA total of 173 leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, including the party’s Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, have been acquitted in a sabotage case. The case was filed six years ago at the Ramna Police Station in Dhaka. Other leaders cleared of the charges are BNP Vice Chairman Jainul Abdin Farroque, Health Affairs Secretary Md Rafiqul Islam, Legal Affairs Secretary Kaisar Kamal, Organisational Secretary Shama Obaid, and Joint Secretary General Habib Un Nabi Khan Sohel. At the time, BNP leaders and activists were chanting slogans on the road in Shahbagh’s Paribag, before clashing with police. Later that day, Sub-Inspector Md Mohibullah filed a case at the police station.

India has extended the visa of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in the country since last August, the Hindustan Times reports, citing people familiar with the matter.The move came against the backdrop of growing calls in Bangladesh for her extradition, according to the report published on Wednesday.Hasina, 77, fled to India after stepping down in the face of a nationwide mass movement. She has been incommunicado since she arrived at Hindon airbase on Aug 5, though it is learnt that she has been moved to a safe house in Delhi.The HT report noted that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government sought her extradition through a note verbale, or unsigned diplomatic correspondence, sent to the Indian external affairs ministry on Dec 23.Hasina's visa was recently extended to facilitate her stay in the country, sources familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity. "The passports department cancelled passports of 22 people involved in enforced disappearances, while passports of 75 people, including Sheikh Hasina, were revoked due to their involvement in the July killings," the chief advisor's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said.The latest developments come at a time when the International Criminal Tribunal, or ICT, set up to prosecute persons accused of genocide and crimes against humanity, issued a second arrest warrant for Hasina on Jan 6.The India external affairs ministry, which has acknowledged the receipt of Bangladesh's extradition but declined to comment on the matter, has also said in the past that it is up to Hasina to decide her future plans. "As far as former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is concerned, we don't have an update on her plans. It is for her to take things forward," ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing last year.—bdnews24.com