Hidden within the bustling alleys in Old Dhaka’s Tikatuli lies a regal architectural gem -- the Rose Garden.

With around six weeks remaining in the 90-day legal timeframe to hold the election for the women’s reserved seats in parliament, the Election Commission has yet to fix a polling schedule.

Eminent rights activists have criticised the parliamentary special committee’s recommendation to drop key ordinances issued by the interim government, noting that most of them are tied to crucial reforms.

The government has decided to step back from new development projects and cut public spending in a broad austerity drive, as it seeks to conserve state resources and manage rising pressure on fuel supply and distribution.

Ministers grapple with fuel crisis, measles, backlash over reforms

Bangladesh’s political journey has repeatedly swung between hope and disappointment. The question now is whether the country is about to witness yet another repeat of that cycle.

Jan-E-Alam, 50, joined a long queue of vehicles around 1:30am yesterday near Mohakhali Railgate to get fuel from Trust Filling Station near Bijoy Sarani, about 2km away.

The government yesterday reported 94 suspected measles deaths, mostly among children, over the past 19 days, alongside 5,792 suspected cases nationwide, suggesting the outbreak is far more severe than earlier thought.

Six Bangladeshis confirmed dead in Middle East conflict so far

Calls for stakeholder review on ACC, Police Commission, and RTI ordinances

Event brings together global leaders in media intelligence and communications

Officials say no review committee was formed before a list signed by former commissioner Hasib Aziz was sent to Dhaka

The social welfare ministry has sought Tk 14,179 crore in the next budget to implement five programmes outlined in the BNP’s electoral manifesto, including an expansion of the Family Card scheme and housing for floating and displaced people living in Dhaka’s slums.

Bangladesh received 31 percent more rainfall than the seasonal average this March, a development that caused crop damage worth Tk 83.39 crore across 16 northern districts, but also provided water for Boro cultivation, saving approximately 2 lakh tonnes of diesel.

The Jamaat-led 11-party alliance yesterday announced a protest programme demanding constitutional reform in line with a referendum verdict.

The government yesterday announced a series of austerity measures, including curtailing office hours and early closure of shopping malls and shops, as the fallout of the US-Israel war on Iran strains the energy sector.

A special parliamentary committee, reviewing ordinances issued by the interim government, yesterday recommended that 20 of them lapse or expire, including those aimed at ensuring judicial independence, curbing enforced disappearances, and strengthening the anti-corruption and human rights commissions.

Hopes for a swift end to the Middle East war faded yesterday after US President Donald Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, sending oil prices sharply up again in a blow to consumers around the world.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) yesterday raised the price of liquefied petroleum gas cylinders by nearly 29 percent, as a sharp surge in global benchmark prices and import costs for suppliers amid the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.

At least 56 of the 64 districts have reported measles cases as of March 28, officials said citing reports from both the government and the World Health Organisation -- indicating widespread national transmission of the infectious disease.