Polytechnic students to rally in Agargaon today
The Karigari Chhatra Andolon (Technical Students’ Movement), a protest platform for students under the Technical Education Board, have announced protest rallies in districts across the country on Sunday to push for a six-point list of demands. A rally is to be held today in Dhaka’s Agargaon near the Mohila Polytechnic Institute at 11:00 am. “The rally will start on the new road next to the Mohila Polytechnic Institute in Agargaon at 11:00 am. At the end of the programme, the students covered the name of the institute on the main gate with red cloth. On Friday afternoon, the polytechnic students held mass marches while wearing “burial shrouds”.
Source:bd News24
April 20, 2025 04:17 UTC
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Bangladesh parliament reform: Women's Commission pushes for 600 seats
The Women’s Affairs Reform Commission of Bangladesh proposed increasing parliamentary seats to 600, with one general and one reserved for women per constituency. read moreThe Women’s Affairs Reform Commission of Bangladesh has suggested expanding the number of seats in the parliament to 600, with one general seat for each parliamentary constituency and one allocated for women, according to a media source on Saturday. After submitting the report to Yunus, the Commission head, Shirin Parveen Haque, explained the reason for proposing 600 seats at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy. So 600 seats seem logical enough. Whether in a discussion or a debate, we believe 600 seats is not too many for this population.
Source:bd News24
April 20, 2025 00:56 UTC
Indian, Bangladeshi students among thousands with US visa revoked: report
The US State Department has been screening foreign students' data, including their activism, over the past four monthsThe US government's recent crackdown on international students has raised concerns, particularly among Indian students. According to a report by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), about half of the 327 recent visa revocations collected by the organisation have been of Indian students. The AILA brief, titled “The Scope of Immigration Enforcement Actions Against International Students”, highlights that 50 percent of these students were from India, followed by 14 percent from China. The impact of these visa revocations is significant, with 50 percent of the 327 cases being Optional Practical Training (OPT) holders. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We are aware that several Indian students have received communication from the US government regarding their F-1 visa status.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 20:42 UTC
New Delhi terms Bhabesh's death in Dinajpur a ‘systematic murder’
“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh. This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X on Saturday. A man named Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 52, died in Biral on Thursday. Indian newspaper the Hindustan Times wrote, "Bhabesh's death by beating after abduction was reported by PTI [Press Trust of India] citing local media reports. Bhabesh's son, Swapan Chandra Roy, told bdnews24.com that his father had gone to a nearby market on a motorcycle with some people he knew in the area.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 20:01 UTC
NCP tasks over-40s with leadership of regional committees
Although the National Citizen Party (NCP) was founded by young leaders of the July Uprising, the party has now decided to entrust its regional committees to those aged above 40. The session was chaired by NCP Convenor Nahid Islam and moderated by Member Secretary Akhter Hossen, according to bdnews24.com. District committees will now have between 31 and 51 members, up from the previous minimum, while Upazila committees will have at least 41 members, compared with the earlier 21. The party also resolved that convenors of both district and Upazila committees must be at least 40 years old. The NCP also announced that it would hold a protest programme in Dhaka this week, demanding justice, reforms, and a Constituent Assembly election.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 19:48 UTC
Mother arrested after siblings, aged 6 and 4, found murdered in Tongi flat
Authorities are investigating the deaths following a complaint from the children's fatherMother arrested after siblings, aged 6 and 4, found murdered in Tongi flatPolice have arrested a woman on suspicion of killing her two young children at a rented flat in Gazipur’s Tongi. The blood-soaked bodies of Maliha Akter, 6, and Mohammad Abdullah, 4, were recovered on Friday evening from the flat in the Arichpur (Jamai Bazar). Later that night, the victim's father, Abdul Baten Mia, filed a case against unidentified suspects. Meanwhile, the father went out, leaving the children alone in one of the rooms by themselves. Investigators say CCTV cameras in and around the building showed no one else entering or leaving the flat during the period in which the children were killed.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 19:23 UTC
Bangladesh's reform panel proposes 600 parliament seats to boost women's representation
The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved for women. In its report, the panel has asked to focus on decentralisation and local-level development to establish women's interests and rights. Upon receiving the report, Yunus directed authorities to implement those recommendations that can be carried out "immediately". So 600 seats seem logical enough. Whether in a discussion or a debate, we believe 600 seats is not too many for this population.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 19:02 UTC
Bangladesh's Reform Panel Proposes 600 Parliament Seats to Boost Women's Representation
The current parliament of Bangladesh contains 350 seats, including 50 seats reserved for women. In its report, the panel has asked to focus on decentralisation and local-level development to establish women's interests and rights. Upon receiving the report, Yunus directed authorities to implement those recommendations that can be carried out "immediately". So 600 seats seem logical enough. Whether in a discussion or a debate, we believe 600 seats is not too many for this population.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 18:18 UTC
Government will scrap all black laws, mechanisms enabling internet shutdowns, says CA’s special aide
Speaking at a roundtable titled “Internet Services: Challenges, Potentials, and the Way Forward” on Saturday, he said: “We will scrap the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulation Act, 2001 and completely revisit it. The event was held at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) auditorium in Dkaha’s Agargaon and organised by the Telecom and Technology Reporters Network Bangladesh (TRNB). Last year, during the student protests in July, internet services were cut off, with the then-government blaming the protesters for the disruptions. Experts, however, have flagged concerns that the latest satellite internet directive still allows for service interruption. Faiz, who oversees the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, also criticised the quality of internet services and the pricing model.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 18:12 UTC
Driver protests deal a 'blow' to battery-run rickshaw ban in Gulshan
Although the drive began with control in the morning, rickshaw drivers began protesting by noon, eventually restoring the presence of battery-run rickshaws across Gulshan and Banani on Saturday. The effort to restrict these vehicles had been underway for several days, led by the Gulshan Society in coordination with the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Omar Sadat, president of the Gulshan Society, told bdnews24.com that the campaign began Saturday with banners and loudspeaker announcements. Around noon, agitated rickshaw drivers took out a procession from Banani 11, demanding equal treatment for battery-run and pedal-powered rickshaws. Sadat said battery-run rickshaws have been operating beyond government control since the fall of the Awami League administration on Aug 5, 2024.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 18:11 UTC
NCP urges Consensus Commission to pave way for structural reform
Nahid Islam, convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has called on the National Consensus Commission to lay the groundwork for reforms that bring about a qualitative and fundamental transformation of the state structure, reports bdnews24.com. He made the call during a dialogue with the Association for Consensus and Progress (ACP) on Saturday at the LD Hall of the National Parliament. At the start of the session, Nahid said: "The July 2024 mass uprising has created the context for this meeting today. The NCP emerged in the wake of the July Uprising as a new political party, built on the strength and drive of the nation's youth, according to Nahid. It was a push for a fundamental reimagining of the state, one that would genuinely protect the rights of the people."
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 18:04 UTC
Journo Joynal Abedin dies
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan ChowdhuryPublished by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.E-mail: [email protected] , news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 17:15 UTC
Dengue: 1 dies, 35 hospitalised
Another person has died of Aedes mosquito-borne dengue fever in Bangladesh over the past 24 hours after another gap of seven days.With that, the number of deaths from the illness has risen to 17.The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) last reported two dengue-related deaths on Apr 12.The agency said as many as 35 new patients were hospitalised with the disease across the country in a day. The total number of dengue patients admitted this year has now risen to 2,227.The latest victim was under treatment at a hospital in Dhaka South City Corporation.The DGHS said as many as 12 new patients were hospitalised in the Dhaka metropolitan area until Saturday. �"bdnews24.com
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 16:50 UTC
Commission seeks ‘equality and security’ for women
The commission has made three major recommendations on the constitution, the law and women's rights, stressing the need to strengthen the basis of equality and protection. The interim administration formed the reform commission on Nov 18, 2024, appointing Shirin Parveen Haque, founder member of the women’s rights group Nari Pokkho, as its head. Among them, the Local Government Reform Commission’s preliminary recommendations were submitted on Feb 22, followed by the Media Reform Commission’s report on Mar 22. With the submission of the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission’s report, only the health and labour reform reports remain outstanding. The National Consensus Commission has begun dialogue with political parties since Mar 20 to reach a consensus on the recommendations of the five reform commissions, except the Police Reform Commission.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 16:27 UTC
Women’s Affairs Reform Commission recommends increasing parliamentary seats for women to 300
The commission has also recommended the reserved seats for women be elected through direct votingThe Women’s Affairs Reform Commission has recommended increasing the total number of seats in the parliament to 600, with one general seat for each parliamentary constituency and one reserved for women. Commission head Shirin Parveen Haque made these remarks while presenting their recommendations at a press conference after submitting the commission report to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Saturday. She said, “When people heard we were proposing 600 seats, many said 600 chairs could not be placed in the main hall of the current parliament building. So 600 seats seem logical enough. “Whether in a discussion or a debate, we believe 600 seats is not too many for this population.
Source:bd News24
April 19, 2025 16:12 UTC