Women, children and marginalised people facing rights violations should be able to access legal, medical and other support from a single point instead of moving from one institution to another, speakers at a dialogue said yesterday.

A coalition of seven development organisations has called for stronger action against child marriage and child labour, greater investment in women and children, lower healthcare costs and regular monitoring of government commitments.

Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman yesterday left Dhaka for Japan on a four-day official visit to attend the opening ceremony of the 20th Asian Games.

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday alleged that India speaks sweetly in face-to-face interactions while creating a “web of conspiracy” around ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina behind the scenes.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam yesterday said Bangladesh will take all necessary legal and diplomatic steps under existing laws to bring back convicted fugitives, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and those sentenced to death in the latest verdict.

The prosecution yesterday submitted a formal charge to the International Crimes Tribunal registrar’s office against eight people, including writer and academic Dr Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Prof ASM Maksud Kamal, over alleged crimes against humanity during the July uprising.

Bangladesh is facing a dual threat from cyber-scam operations, with its nationals being trafficked abroad while scam centres are also operating inside the country, amid gaps in victim screening, financial investigations and cross-border cooperation.

After more than two years of closure, Malaysia is set to reopen its labour market to Bangladeshi workers under a new arrangement but has not yet clarified several crucial elements of the recruitment mechanism to Dhaka.

The government plans to drill another 150 gas wells and set up three new LNG terminals to increase the country’s energy supply, said Prime Minister’s Office Spokesman Mahdi Amin.

With the Strait of Hormuz blockade affecting global fertiliser supplies, private firms have urged the government to expedite imports and ensure gas supplies to urea factories to avert a crisis during the October-February peak season.

The protected forest on Maheshkhali, Bangladesh’s only hilly island, could be at risk if construction of a 4.8km paved road continues, Forest Department officials and environmentalists said.

The government yesterday approved the construction of three metro rail lines for Dhaka at an estimated cost of nearly Tk 2.5 lakh crore.

The Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police claims that the three suspects earlier arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion, now the Special Response Battalion (SRB), had no involvement in the mugging and the death of Bogura schoolteacher in the capital’s Sangsad Bhaban area.

Jahangirnagar University authorities has fined 20 students from the physics and history departments a total of Tk 6.15 lakh over two ragging incidents.

The government has relaxed the existing 50:50 ratio between government-to-government (G2G) deals and international tenders for refined fuel imports for September-December, allowing it to buy a larger share of fuel directly from foreign state-owned companies.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar yesterday said the country’s democratic system and people’s voting rights are at risk if the Election Commission (EC) is forced to reconsider its decisions in the face of objections and political pressure from the government.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has been dissolved and replaced by a new specialised police unit, the Special Response Battalion (SRB).

‘Memories of the War of Independence’ receives final curriculum approval for inclusion in Bangla Literature

Relatives cite conflicting accounts surrounding Ria Soren’s death and have sought further legal action

ASK dialogue calls for stronger referral systems and wider access to support services