EC makes policy call not to include national emblem ‘water lily’ in poll symbol list
The Election Commission (EC) has taken a policy decision not to list the national emblem, the water lily, as an election symbol amid claims over it by two political parties. The Nagorik Oikya had sought the water lily as its symbol instead of the kettle, while the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) also applied to use the symbol in its registration bid. The EC will exclude the water lily from the official list of election symbols under the conduct rules. “In the newly proposed list of symbols, the water lily will not be included. It will not be part of our official schedule as an election symbol,” said Masud.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 14:57 UTC
Flood alert in Cumilla amid rapid rise of Gomti River waters
Gomti River is rising steadily in Cumilla following relentless downpours and hilly runoff, prompting a flood alert as potential inundation threatens low-lying homes and farmland. According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), the river is swelling at a rate of 10cm an hour. As of 3pm on Wednesday, the river had reached 8.3 metres, still 2.5 metres below the official danger mark of 11.7 metres, said Executive Engineer Khan Mohammad Waliuzzaman of the BWDB office in Cumilla. Authorities have urged residents in vulnerable riverbank areas, especially on the shoals of the Gomti, to move to safer locations. By midday, areas including Tikkar Char, Chanpur Bridge, and Sangraish were already seeing parts of the river islands submerged.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 14:28 UTC
Trafficked to Libya on false promises, two Bangladeshis return from the brink of death
Trafficked to Libya on false promises, two Bangladeshis return from the brink of deathTwo Bangladeshi men have returned home after enduring nine months of inhumane torture at the hands of human traffickers in Libya. In total, 162 Bangladeshi nationals returned from Libya alongside the duo. Sagar and Tanzir, along with 80 other Bangladeshis, were locked in a dark room and subjected to relentless torture. After months of complex legal and logistical wranglings, the two men were finally able to return to Bangladesh on Wednesday. BRAC said their return home is a testament to "cross-border cooperation, humanitarian leadership, and collective efforts" by families and the state.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 13:02 UTC
Russia attacks Ukraine with 700 drones after Trump vows to send more weapons
Russia attacks Ukraine with 700 drones after Trump vows to send more weaponsAn officer of the Russian Investigative Committee examines a crater on a beach following what local authorities called a Ukrainian drone attack, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Kursk, Russia, in this still image from a video released on Jul 9, 2025. Photo: ReutersRussia targeted Ukraine with a record 728 drones overnight, hours after US President Donald Trump pledged to send more defensive weapons to Kyiv and aimed unusually sharp criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless," Trump said at a cabinet meeting. When asked by a reporter what action he would take against Putin, Trump said: "I wouldn't tell you. In Lutsk, buildings were damaged but no deaths or injuries reported in what amounted to the biggest air strike of the war on the city of 200,000 people, regional authorities said.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 12:55 UTC
Mahathir Mohamad has not recently referred to Sheikh Hasina as a ‘Dynamic Leader’
Recently, on the social media platform Facebook, a claim has been circulated stating that former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said in a recent interview: “Is there any leader as dynamic as Sheikh Hasina? See such posts circulated on Facebook here: Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), Here (Archive), and Here (Archive)See a similar post on Instagram Here (Archive). In the video linked to the discussed claim, Mahathir Mohamad was actually praising Dr. Yunus. In this investigation, a keyword search did not reveal any information or evidence from media or reliable sources to support the claim that Mahathir Mohamad praised Sheikh Hasina. Therefore, the claim that Mahathir Mohamad lavishly praised Sheikh Hasina and referred to her as a ‘dynamic leader’ in a recent interview is misleading.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 09:08 UTC
Leaked audio suggests ex-PM Hasina authorised deadly crackdown on July Uprising protesters, BBC reports
The leaked audio of a phone call suggests the deadly crackdown on student-led protests in Bangladesh last year was authorised by ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, the BBC reports. A spokesperson for the Awami League denied the tape showed any "unlawful intention" of a "disproportionate response", the BBC said. Hasina was at her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka for the duration of the call which took place on Jul 18, the British broadcaster said, citing a source with knowledge of the leaked audio. The leaked Jul 18 recording was voice matched by the Criminal Investigation Department of police with known audio of Hasina's voice. The British broadcaster also quoted an Awami League spokesperson as saying, "We cannot confirm whether the tape recording referenced by the BBC is authentic."
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 08:15 UTC
Heavy rain disrupts daily life in Dhaka
While the volume of rainfall may not have been as high as in other parts, persistent showers caused waterlogging in several areas in the capital, disrupting daily life. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Dhaka recorded 77mm of rainfall in the 24 hours until Wednesday morning, as per a bdnews24.com report. Typically, 1-10 mm in 24 hours is considered light rainfall, 11-22mm is moderate, 23-43mm is moderately heavy, 44-88mm is heavy, and anything above 88mm is classified as very heavy rainfall by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). Rain continued to pour throughout Tuesday night in Dhaka, tapering off slightly in the morning. Light showers continued until midday, causing difficulty for commuters and office-goers.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 08:11 UTC
Another missing CU student’s body found in Cox’s Bazar
The body of another Chittagong University student, who went missing while swimming in the ocean with friends near a beach in Cox’s Bazar, has been recovered. The body was found and retrieved from Samiti Para around 9:00 am on Wednesday, over 24 hours after the incident occurred, according to Tanharul Islam, deputy assistant director of the Cox’s Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence. Inspector Md Abdul Mukit of the Cox’s Bazar Tourist Police identified the body as that of Asif Ahmed, one of three students who had gone missing after going to bathe in the ocean at Himchari Point around dawn on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com. Afterwards, the older brother of the missing Asif Ahmed came to the spot and identified the body.”Three students of the Chittagong University Department of Development Studies' batch of 2023-24 went missing during a visit to the beach on Tuesday. Now that Asif’s body has ben found, Aritra is the only one who remains missing.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 05:55 UTC
Air India jet's fuel switches in focus, as crash preliminary report nears
A tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERSA tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. Aviation industry publication the Air Current first reported the focus on the fuel switches that help power the plane's two engines. It was not clear what specific actions involving the fuel switches are being looked at by investigators. US aviation safety expert John Cox said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines.
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 05:25 UTC
CU student found dead at Cox's Bazar beach, 2 others missing
CHATTOGRAM, July 8: A Chittagong University student has been found dead while two others have gone missing at a beach in Cox's Bazar.The incident occurred at the beach next to the Himchari Museum on Tuesday morning.The deceased was identified as KM Sadman Rahman Sabab, a first-year student at the Department of Development Studies. "The body of one of them has surfaced, but the two others are still missing. We are at the beach and rescue operations are underway. "Md Riad Mia, a classmate of the deceased and a student in the Department of Arabic, said that five friends had come on a trip to Cox's Bazar on Monday after completing their first-year final examinations. They went to the beach around 5:30am.�"bdnews24.com
Source:bd News24
July 09, 2025 02:09 UTC
HC releases full verdict on restoration of referendum provision
The High Court (HC) has published its full verdict declaring parts of the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution illegal, including the abolition of the caretaker government system and the restoration of the referendum provision, reports bdnews24.com. The 139-page verdict, signed by Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury, was released on Tuesday. This widely-discussed verdict was delivered on Dec 17 last year, following the final hearing on two writ petitions that challenged the Fifteenth Amendment. In its observation, the HC said the past three parliamentary polls have "eroded public trust" in free and fair elections.
Source:bd News24
July 08, 2025 21:12 UTC
GDP expands 4.86pc in third quarter of FY2025
In the first and second quarters of the 2024-25 fiscal year, GDP growth stood at 1.96 percent and 4.48 percent, respectively. By contrast, the first two quarters of the previous fiscal year recorded higher growth at 5.87 percent and 4.47 percent. As a result, GDP growth dropped sharply in the first quarter. At constant prices, GDP stood at Tk 8.92 trillion at the end of March, compared to Tk 8.51 trillion a year earlier. For the ongoing fiscal year, Financial Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed has set a GDP growth target of 5.5 percent.
Source:bd News24
July 08, 2025 16:05 UTC
Child’s body recovered from pond in Gulistan
Police have recovered the body of an 11-year-old boy from a pond in Shaheed Matiur Park in Dhaka’s Gulistan. On Tuesday afternoon, after receiving information through the national emergency service 999, Paltan police Sub-Inspector (SI) Abu Yusuf said the body was recovered from the pond with the help of the Fire Service. Yusuf said, “The child was rescued with the help of a Fire Service diving team and was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around 6:30pm, where doctors declared him dead. “The child went to bathe in the pond with two other children. “The body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy.”The SI also said the child’s attire suggests he was a madrasa student, and efforts are currently under way to identify him.
Source:bd News24
July 08, 2025 15:47 UTC
Bangladesh considers big-ticket US imports to counter steep Trump tariff hike
On Tuesday, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said the move is part of Bangladesh’s strategy to expand government-level imports from the US in response to tariff pressures. Mahbubur also said Bangladesh would promote US cotton imports, which are already tariff-free, and prioritise American suppliers for government grain purchases. Much of our military equipment — especially vehicles and hardware — already comes from the US.”He clarified that “military hardware” refers primarily to armoured vehicles and support machinery, not weaponry. We’re fine with that.”The announcement follows a letter from Trump to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Monday, confirming a 35 percent supplementary tariff on all Bangladeshi exports. Trump had earlier announced steep duties on over 100 countries in April, including a 37 percent hike for Bangladesh.
Source:bd News24
July 08, 2025 15:12 UTC
Bangladesh chase 286 to win series after Kusal Mendis ton powers Sri Lanka
Kusal Mendis has struck a commanding 124 off 114 balls and added 124 runs with Charith Asalanka (58) to power Sri Lanka to 285 for 7, throwing a steep challenge at Bangladesh with a tough chase in the ODI series decider. Sri Lanka were well set at 222 for 3 after 40 overs, with both set batters at the crease, but Bangladesh’s bowlers kept things tight with a disciplined show. Miraz dismissed Kamindu Mendis (16) and Janith Liyanage (12), while Shamim removed the dangerous Kusal in the 46th over, landing a vital blow that likely denied Sri Lanka 20 extra runs. Earlier, Sri Lanka opted to bat first as Taskin returned for Bangladesh, replacing Hasan Mahmud, while Sri Lanka remained unchanged. Skipper Miraz is relishing the opportunity to win a first-ever series in Sri Lanka, while both sides look to capitalise on their set batters.
Source:bd News24
July 08, 2025 14:12 UTC