Evening Brief

Cost of Hajj package reduced by Tk11,725

The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday announced that the cost of each of the two Hajj packages has been reduced by Tk11,725. 

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File Photo: Muslims pray at the Grand Mosque, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in their holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia August 8, 2019 Reuters

Afif, Sohan dropped as Bangladesh announce T20 squad against Ireland

Middle-order batter Afif Hossain and wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan got excluded as the Bangladesh Cricket Board Wednesday declared 14-member squad for the upcoming three-match Twenty20 international series again visitors Ireland.

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Afif Hossain [L] and Nurul Hasan Sohan

EC Rashida: National polls will be suspended if irregularities found

Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana on Wednesday said that if the commission finds any reports of irregularity during the national parliament elections, it will be suspended like the Gaibandha-5 by-polls. 

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Election Commissioner Rashida Sultana Bangla Tribune

Info minister calls US human rights report one-sided

Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday termed the US human rights report on Bangladesh one-sided since its information came from biased sources.

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File photo of Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud Dhaka Tribune

Sitakunda blast: Seema Oxygen Plant director gets bail

A Chittagong court on Wednesday granted bail to Parvez Uddin alias Shantu, one of the three directors of Seema Oxygen Plant in Chittagong's Sitakunda area, over an explosion on March 4 that killed seven people and injured many.

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Picture shows the aftermath of the oxygen plant blast in Sitakunda  Pimple Barua/Dhaka Tribune 

US envoy discusses free, fair elections in Bangladesh with Awami League leaders

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas on Wednesday met Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister  Obaidul Quader to discuss about holding free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

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US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas with Awanu League leaders UNB

Madaripur crash probe panel says bus driver did not have licence

Stating that the driver of the bus of Emad Paribahan that recently crashed in Madaripur's Dhaka-Bhanga expressway did not have a license to operate a heavy vehicle, the committee formed to look into the incident said in its report submitted on Wednesday. 

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Road accident on the Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway at Shibchar in Madaripur Focus Bangla

Ahmadiyya leaders to US envoy: Fundamentalist forces responsible for attack

Following recent attacks on the community in Panchagarh, leaders of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ) held communal and fundamentalist forces responsible when US Ambassador Peter Haas visited the AMJ centre in Dhaka on Monday.

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UNB

PM Hasina underlines roadmap to turn Bangladesh into aviation hub

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday stressed the need for preparing a roadmap aimed at making Bangladesh an aviation hub in the region.

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File photo of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina PID

17 banks suffer severe liquidity crunch after violating lending limits

Despite Bangladesh Bank's initiatives to promote good governance in the banking sector, 17 banks have recently violated their loan disbursement limits, and are now embroiled in a severe liquidity crisis.

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File Photo Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune

NBR likely to extend tax exemption on ICT sector for FY24

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is likely to extend the tax exemption period on income derived from the ICT sector in the upcoming proposed budget for FY24.

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Bigstock

Sri Lanka leader warns hard times to follow IMF bailout

Sri Lanka's president warned on Wednesday of more economic pain to come for the crisis-hit nation, with strict austerity measures needed to restore its ruined finances after an IMF bailout deal.

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File photo: Police fire tear gas to disperse activists of the opposition National People's Power party during a protest in Colombo on February 26, 2023 AFP