As two successive attempts to import rice from Thailand and India have apparently fallen through for high prices, the government is now seeking to buy the staple from Cambodia.

The government has decided in principle to launch a permanent prosecution service with professional lawyers, by abolishing the long-standing practice of appointing partisan people as public prosecutors.

An international conference around the "7th Social Business Day 2017" to be organised by Yunus Centre today was cancelled yesterday, as police said they would not be able to provide security for the event.

Bangladesh is being deprived of the benefits of its second undersea cable connection, established at a cost of Tk 660 crore, because of the authority's failure to establish an uninterrupted inland link.

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday submitted the draft of the rules determining the discipline and code of conduct for the lower court judges to Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday assured the deputy commissioners of stronger police support for mobile courts.

The government has not yet decided which authority will implement the storm drainage master plan, approved in 2014 for tackling flooding on city streets caused by rain.

“There was no culture of corruption in Bangladesh in the past. Once it used to take place in secret ... it was a matter of shame. But now it happens openly."

When the country is facing extreme difficulties in shipping goods to the European Union due to a ban on direct cargo flights, Bangladesh may face a fresh crisis of visa restriction for its nationals because of its delay in bringing back the Bangladeshis who are ineligible for asylum in Europe.

City dwellers yesterday woke up to find that most of the capital has virtually turned into a swamp following rains.

“I promise that you will not see these [waterlogging] from next year.” LGRD and Cooperatives Minister

Deputy Commissioners yesterday reiterated their demand for retaining the executive magistrates' power to run mobile courts that had been declared unconstitutional by the High Court in May.

Two suspected muggers, who were wanted for the murder of ASP Mizanur Rahman Talukder, were killed in a “gunfight” with detectives in the capital's Rupnagar Beribandh area early yesterday, police said.

The High Court yesterday directed the Anti-Corruption Commission to probe the alleged involvement of former BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu and its board members in a Tk 40 crore loan scam.

The High Court on August 13 will deliver verdict on the death references and appeals in sensational Narayanganj seven-murder cases.

Water resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud has warned of a possible, large-scale flood in the country late next month and instructed the deputy commissioners to prepare to tackle it.

A moderate rain for a couple of hours and much of the capital goes under ankle to knee-deep water. Why?

Monsoon torrential rain triggered fresh landslides in Cox's Bazar killing at least five people yesterday. Heavy rainfall in the peak of monsoon has caused water-logging in the coastal and hill districts for the last few days disrupting usual business and people's everyday life.

The deputy commissioners were asked to take preparations and repair flood control embankments on a regular basis through the Test Relief and Food for Works programmes amid apprehension that water may rise in the central and lower parts of the country.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the government officials to take a tough stance against corruption to root out the menace from the society. “We'll have to eliminate corruption at any cost. We'll have to create public awareness and take a strong stance against the threat,” she said, opening a three-day conference of deputy commissioners at her office. People will not get the benefits of any development project if there was corruption in it, the PM said.