About half of the accidents involve motorcycles and three-wheelers, a report saysOver 8,000 killed and 12,000 injured in road accidents in 2024, says PWABA total of 8,543 people have been killed and 12,608 injured in 6,359 road accidents last year, according to Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh, or PWAB. The PWAB put forward 13 recommendations to prevent road accidents in the future:1. Increase the budget allocation for road safety and launch a road safety wing in the road transport ministry4. Extend the application period for the financial assistance funds in road accidents by six months10. Establish a traffic training academy for training traffic police officers and personnel12.

Meteorologist Shahnaz Sultana told bdnews24.com: "It is not possible to say whether the cold wave will ease, but the temperature will increase slightly. The BMD's regular bulletin on Friday said that a mild cold wave is blowing over the Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogura, Naogaon, and Kushtia districts and the Rangpur Division. A cold wave begins when the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius over a significant area. When temperatures are between 8-10 degrees Celsius, it is considered a mild cold wave. Temperatures between 6-8 degrees Celsius constitute a moderate cold wave.

Light fog continues in Dhaka, but clear skies bring a break to the winter chillSunlight broke through the fog in Dhaka around 8am on Saturday, offering some relief after a foggy start to the year. It may drop as low as 13 degrees Celsius later in the day, according to the Met Office. The regular morning weather bulletin highlighted that dense fog from midnight to noon might disrupt air, river, and road transport. Nighttime temperatures will likely remain stable, while daytime temperatures may decrease by 1-2 degrees Celsius. In meteorological terms, a mild cold wave is recorded when temperatures range between 8.1 degrees and 10 degrees Celsius.

The move, long expected, cuts off a critical lifeline of capital for the beleaguered American iconFILE PHOTO: A United Steelworkers sign is seen outside the Great Lakes Works United States Steel plant in River Rouge, Michigan US, Sept 16, 2024. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook//File PhotoFILE PHOTO: A United Steelworkers sign is seen outside the Great Lakes Works United States Steel plant in River Rouge, Michigan US, Sept 16, 2024. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook//File PhotoUS President Joe Biden on Friday followed through on his pledge to block Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion bid for US Steel, citing concerns the deal could hurt national security. But Nippon Steel countered that its investments, made by a company from an allied nation, would in fact shore up US Steel's output, and it won a 90-day review extension. Nippon Steel had aimed to raise its global output capacity to 85 million metric tons a year from 65 million now, nearing its long-term goal of taking capacity to 100 million tons.

National film award-winning actress Anjana passed away on Friday night at 59. Misha Sawdagar, president of the Bangladesh Film Artistes' Association, confirmed Anjana's death to the media, as per a UNB report. Anjana's first released film was Doshshu Bonhur (1976), directed by Shamsuddin Togor, although her acting career began in 1976 with the film Setu, directed by Babul Chowdhury. Anjana was married to producer-director Azizur Rahman Buli (1946–2022) and acted in two of his films, Lalu Sardar and Nepali Meye. She received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performances in Parineeta and Gangchill.

MEA Reiterates Call for Fair Trial of Chinmoy Krishna Das: ‘Our Expectation is a Just Trial’ | Image: APNew Delhi, India: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday reiterated its call for fair trial of Hindus arrested in Bangladesh including Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das. "Regarding the release (of Chinmoy Krishna Das) in Bangladesh, our expectation is that the ongoing proceedings in Bangladesh will ensure that individuals arrested in this case receive a fair trial," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a press briefing. "This remains our key expectation," says MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal," he added. Bangladesh Court Denies Bail to Chinmoy DasThis comes after a court in Bangladesh denied bail to a Hindu priest and a former ISKCON leader in a sedition case. Chinmoy Krishna Das was not brought to court for the hearing and appeared virtually.

The party president describes the interim government’s reform initiatives as questionableThe Communist Party of Bangladesh, or CPB, has called for the announcement of a national election date by Jan 15. He said, "Take special measures to resolve the crisis in public life and ensure the safety of lives and property. “Announce a clear date for the national elections.”In a statement, the CPB said its president described the interim government’s reform initiatives as questionable. “All these factors have left the country in a precarious state.”He continued, “Communal and anti-independence forces are rising in the country. He called on the government to hold elections promptly to free the country from the ongoing crises.

The two-day event includes an art exhibition by female artists, product displays by women entrepreneurs, and musical performances, among other attractions. This festival is unique to me because it spreads the message of wellbeing. Organisers say the “Festival of Wellbeing” is an annual initiative by Shantibari. This year, the festival is hosting its "Season 2" at the Bangla Academy. Together, we aim to promote well-being, which is why we have organised the Festival of Wellbeing.

The interim government has now extended the deadlines for the reports from all six reform commissions initially formed to rework state machinery following the ousting of the Awami League regime in a mass movement, bdnews24.com. The Public Administration Reform Commission, Police Reform Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission, Electoral Reform Commission and Constitutional Reform Commission have been given until Jan 15 to submit their reports. The Judiciary Reform Commission has been given until Jan 31 to submit its report. The Electoral Reform Commission, Police Reform Commission, Judiciary Reform Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission and Public Administration Reform Commission were formed on Oct 3. The reform commissions for the media, health, labour, women's affairs and local government were formed in the second phase on Nov 18.

The veteran politician calls for caution in claiming credit for unprecedented changes from the uprisingClaiming Jamaat patriotic is 'a cruel irony of history’, says JaSaD chief RabASM Abdur Rab, the first person to hoist the flag of Bangladesh, has called the Jamaat-e-Islami chief’s claim of the party being patriotic “a cruel irony of history”. In a statement on Friday, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, or JaSaD, President Rab responded to Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman’s remarks. He said, “To label Jamaat-e-Islami as a patriotic force in an independent country, despite its stance against the Liberation War of 1971 and its involvement in crimes against humanity, is nothing but a cruel irony of history. Rab described Shafiqur’s remarks as “an insult to freedom-loving people”. The veteran politician said, “For the past 15 years, the nation has witnessed politics that denies the heroism, struggle, and sacrifices of others to proclaim their own supremacy.

Sellers say there is a shortage of soybean oil supply as distributors like S Alam Group scale back operationsOnions lead the charge again amid high costs for rice, chicken in Dhaka marketsWhile winter vegetables are offering some relief to household budgets, the prices of essential staples such as rice, fish, chicken, and soybean oil remain stubbornly high in Dhaka’s markets. Local onions were priced at Tk 60 per kg, up from Tk 50 last week, while Indian onions reached Tk 65, seeing a Tk 10 increase. Meanwhile, chicken prices also spiked, attributed to increased demand during New Year’s celebrations. Broiler chicken, previously priced at Tk 195 to Tk 200 per kg, climbed to Tk 205 to Tk 220, while Sonali chicken reached Tk 350. SOYBEAN OIL SHORTAGES PERSISTThere has been a shortage of soybean oil, a staple in Bangladeshi households, since December.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India, Feb 25, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago/File PhotoThe movement of skilled professionals is an important part of India-US ties and benefits both countries, New Delhi said on Friday amid a debate over H-1B visas on which President-elect Donald Trump and his backer Elon Musk commented recently. "India-US economic ties benefit a lot from the technical expertise provided by skilled professionals, with both sides leveraging their strengths and competitive value. We look forward to further deepening India-US economic ties which are to our mutual benefit." India received about 78 percent of the 265,777 H1B visas issued by the United States in the fiscal year ended Sept 30, 2023.

The Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council, representing 25 cadres of the Bangladesh Civil Service, or BCS, has alleged that the current quota system for promotions to deputy secretary positions allows “inexperienced” and “inefficient” officers from the administration cadre to lead ministries. Why is the health cadre not heading its own ministry?”Mofizur, a 24th batch officer of the education cadre, criticised the monopoly of administration cadre officials over policy-making roles in key ministries like health and education. Currently, 75 per cent of deputy secretary positions are reserved for the administration cadre, with the remaining 25 per cent allocated to the other cadres. In protest against the commission’s recommendations, administration cadre officials staged a demonstration at the ministry. They described the proposal as “illogical and conspiratorial” and demanded 100 per cent of the deputy secretary promotions be reserved for their cadre.

The Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogura, Naogaon, and Kushtia districts and the Rangpur Division are experiencing a mild cold waveCold wave in 13 districts, but chill to ease slightly in next few daysThirteen districts in the country are currently experiencing a cold wave, but the Bangladesh Meteorological Department says that the chill will ease a bit over the next few days as the temperature rises. Meteorologist Shahnaz Sultana told bdnews24.com: “It is not possible to say whether the cold wave will ease, but the temperature will increase slightly. A cold wave begins when the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius over a significant area. When temperatures are between 8-10 degrees Celsius, it is considered a mild cold wave. A severe cold wave occurs when the temperature drops below 6 degrees Celsius.

Adding that more rice is going to private traders due to the high market price, he said: "There is rice in many warehouses. Despite the hurdles, Naogaon has reported significant progress in uncooked rice collection, with 97 percent of its target achieved. Government-fixed rates for paddy and rice exert a significant influence on market prices, with fluctuations closely linked to the volume of coarse rice collected and stored by the authorities. Historical trends reveal that dwindling reserves in government warehouses often coincide with rising market prices, underscoring the critical function of these stockpiles in mitigating volatility. However, the rice market is not under much government supervision, and so, the traders have seized this opportunity.