The BNP is set to observe the 90th birth anniversary of its founder and former president of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman today with due solemnity.

Unlocking women’s underutilised human capital is essential for Bangladesh’s economic progress, said speakers at an event yesterday.

Police yesterday recovered charred bodies of two unidentified individuals from an abandoned community centre in Savar upazila of Dhaka district.

Three days on, police have yet to rescue a man abducted in Uttara.

ICT Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam yesterday commented on the use of the word “mob” as a way to question the uprising and warned everyone to be cautious, a stance that political leaders at a discussion termed a “threat”.

The National Citizen Party spokesperson Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain yesterday said his party has lost all confidence in the Election Commission’s ability to hold a credible and neutral election.

BNP plans to establish a separate department under the Liberation War affairs ministry to support the families of July martyrs and the injured if it comes to power, said party Chairman Tarique Rahman.

The interim government has explained why Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus’ support for the “Yes” vote in the referendum is consistent with democratic norms in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has approved licences for 252 new overseas recruiting agencies, bringing the total to a record 2,646, even as experts warn that the sector is already buckling under systemic corruption and inadequate oversight.

Just days before the formal launching of election campaigning, the BNP yesterday accused the Election Commission of questionable conduct on several issues, including its “bias towards a certain party”.

With campaigning set to begin on January 22, the Election Commission yesterday reinstated the candidacies of 421 aspirants who had appealed the cancellation of their nominations.

Barishal district Jamaat secretary Mahmudunnabi will withdraw candidature

Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul yesterday said establishing the rule of law remains the country’s biggest challenge, although significant progress has been made in that direction.

Police recovered the body of a woman from her home in West Kalachandpur area of Dhaka’s Gulshan early yesterday.

At least 18 members of the Mro community were injured, eight of them critically, in an attack in Alikadam upazila of Bandarban on Saturday, police said.

Police recovered the body of a man from inside a drum floating in a canal in Narayanganj’s Siddhirganj area yesterday morning.

A special court yesterday set February 2 for delivering the verdict in a corruption case filed against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 17 others over alleged irregularities in plot allocation at Dhaka’s Purbachal.

Two people were killed in separate road accidents in Dhaka’s Jatrabari and Demra areas late on Saturday night, police said.

International Crimes Tribunal-1 yesterday took cognisance of three charges against ex-DSCC mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak and 26 others for crimes against humanity over the killing of nine people, including two students, at Mohammadpur during the July uprising.

The ordinance to establish Dhaka Central University has been finalised and sent to the Cabinet Division for approval.