10-member special committee formed to address energy situation

Parliament on Sunday formed a 10-member special committee with a 30-day tenure to submit a report with recommendations for addressing the country’s energy situation stemming from the Middle East crisis.The committee, headed by Power and Energy Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku (as the chairman), was formed under the rule 266 of the rules of procedure after Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni placed a proposal for the formation of the body in the House.The joint committee was constituted with five members each from the treasury bench and the opposition bench.The five members from the treasury bench are Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, State Minister Anindya Islam Amit, and BNP MPs ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan (Laxmipur-4), Moinul Islam Khan (Manikganj-2) and Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu (Shariatpur-3).The five members from the opposition bench are Jamaat lawmakers Md Saiful Alam (Dhaka-12), Md Nurul Islam (Chapainawabganj-3) and Md Abdul Baten (Dhaka-16), NCP ...

34,941 Bangladeshi pilgrims reach Saudi Arabia

A total of 34,941 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have so far reached in Saudi Arabia through 87 Hajj flights.Director of the Bangladesh Hajj Office Md Lokman Hossain said that 87 flights had landed in Jeddah by 10am on Sunday.He said a total of 78,500 people from Bangladesh have been allowed to perform Hajj this year. Of them, 660 agencies are handling Hajj operations under private management, including 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies.According to airline-wise data, 15,299 pilgrims arr...

Record-breaking performance highlights 139 years of Chattogram Port

April 25 marks Chattogram Port Day every year, a landmark occasion in Bangladesh’s maritime and economic calendar. This year’s celebration carries special significance as Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) comme...

Access Bangladesh concludes 3-day mental health first response training

The Access Bangladesh Foundation successfully concluded a 3-day “Training on Mental Health First Response,” held from April 24–26 in Savar, Dhaka, with the support of The Khan Foundation under Project IGNITE.According to the National Mental Health Survey of Bangladesh 2018–19, 18.7% of people in Bangladesh are affected by mental health conditions. However, there remains a significant shortage of mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, counselors, and social workers. In this context, the importance of developing community-based mental health first responders to provide primary support is undeniable.The training was designed to establish a sustainable, community-based mental health support system by equipping interested community members as mental health...

Mirza Fakhrul denies fuel crisis, says 'situation created artificially'

Mustafizur’s five-wicket haul, Shanto’s century seal series for Bangladesh

Bangladesh defeated New Zealand by 55 runs in the series-deciding third ODI on Thursday, driven by a five-wicket haul from returning fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and a century by Najmul Hossain Shanto.Chasing a target of 266, New Zealand was bowled out for 210 in 44.5 overs. Mustafizur anchored the bowling attack with figures of five for 43, dismantling the middle order after the visitors made a steady start.Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz praised his bowlers and fielders, noting the team anticipated a pitch offering spin and uneven bounce for the fast bowlers."We knew early wickets would bring us momentum," Miraz said after the match. "They know how to bowl in these conditions."Fast bowler Nahid Rana, who was named Player of the Series after securing eight wickets across the three matches, claimed two wickets in the decider."I was only thinking today that my captain has asked me to take wickets," Rana said. "I only assess the conditions and then bowl accordingly."Dean Foxcroft provided late resistance for the visitors, scoring 75 off 72 deliveries, including seven sixes. Foxcroft attempted to narrow the deficit but was the final wicket to fall, caught off the bowling of Miraz. Nick Kelly added 59 before falling to Rahman.Earlier, Bangladesh posted 265 for eight after New Zealand won the toss and elected to field. Following a top-order collapse orchestrated by New Zealand fast bowler Will O'Rourke, Shanto and Litton Das stabilized the innings.Entering the match with the score at 9 for two, Shanto scored 105 from 119 balls t...

Battle against heat waves

The escalating heat waves gripping Bangladesh are a symptom that the country is in a crisis amplified by global warming and local environmental degradation. The country is, as though, gasping for brea...

Initiative for GPS use: A smarter path to safer roads

We came to learn through a media report that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is going to introduce Global Positioning System (GPS) to prevent road crashes and thereby curb road fatalities. Road accidents have become one of the most alarmin...

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