The managing director of Ananda Shipyard and Slipways Ltd in a rejoinder to a report headlined “Ship-builder eating away Meghna”

Halfway into an eviction drive at Char Betagi in Munshiganj’s Gazaria yesterday, the BIWTA withdrew as a curious drama unfolded over the legal status of two slipways built by a dockyard on the Meghna’s foreshore.

Exit polls from India’s month-long parliamentary elections suggest that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies are set to form the government again. Political consultancy Eurasia Group, however, said that election watchers should exercise some caution around those predictions.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to return to power with an even bigger majority in parliament after a mammoth general election that ended yesterday, exit polls showed, a far better showing than expected in recent weeks.

The Accord somewhat prevailed in its fight to stay on in Bangladesh, after the Supreme Court yesterday extended the European factory inspection agency’s tenure by 281 more days from May 8.

The High Court yesterday declared illegal the government circulars and gazette notifications fixing the minimum age of freedom fighters at 12 and a half years in 1971.

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday said there is no bar to reporting on ongoing cases but reporters cannot give personal opinions about the cases.

The reason we say that this “request” couldn’t have come from our Supreme Court judges is that the implication of the “request” is nothing short of death for court reporting. It will lead to shrouding of the judicial process and whatever goes on in the courts into the darkness of night forever depriving it of the “light” of public scrutiny.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reallocated portfolios of five cabinet members yesterday.

A private dockyard company has been building two slipways in the Meghna river in Munshiganj’s Gazaria even after the National River Commission asked the firm to stop its work and free the river.

With sacks of paddy piled on both sides of the road at Barmi Bazar in Gazipur, farmers were waiting under the scorching sun to sell their produce at a fair price.

After a bitter campaign, India’s marathon election closes today after almost seven weeks awash with insults, violence and fake news.

Stop discrimination and stand by farmers, demanded one placard. Buy rice directly from farmers, said another. Yet another screamed, “Save farmers, save agriculture.”

A man was arrested yesterday for raping a seven-year-old on Friday in Feni, while three others were arrested on charges of attempt to rape, sexual harassment and physical abuse in Pirojpur, Moulvibazar and Netrokona yesterday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi once said that growth that is not inclusive is not meaningful but just economic figures. And this proclamation seems to be gradually becoming relevant for Bangladesh.

The National River Conservation Commission has warned that it would take legal actions against at least a dozen government authorities for their inaction to free the Meghna from grabbers if they do not act within seven days.

The BNP yesterday alleged that the government was pushing Khaleda Zia towards a tragic consequence through torturing her physically and mentally.

The long wait is over. Bangladesh won a multi-nation tournament after six abortive attempts when they beat West Indies by five wickets at The Village in Dublin in an extraordinary final where the pendulum swung from one end to the other after rain intervened.

Buddha Purnima, the biggest religious festival of the Buddhist community, is being celebrated in the country today amid festivity and religious fervour.

A section of Dhaka dwellers demonstrated yesterday demanding safe Wasa water and resignation of its managing director Taqsem A Khan for what they said was his failure to carry out his responsibilities properly.