Human rights conditions in Myanmar have sunk to a new low, with widespread abuses against the Rohingya minority and a booming illicit economy driven partly by illegal rare-earth mining deepening civilian suffering, the UN said yesterday.

Rights activists and experts say the state minister’s response raises questions about accountability, transparency and respect for legitimate scrutiny

Analysts say joining a defence alliance with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan could affect ties with competing regional and global powers

Report paints a picture of torture, forced labour, criminal economies and environmental destruction across the country

He previously served as Bangladesh’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in New York

Asaduzzaman, however, does not say whether the state minister for foreign affairs renounced his reported British citizenship

Anti-graft watchdog urges govt to disclose Humaiun Kobir’s citizenship status, says his technocrat appointment would be unconstitutional if he retained foreign citizenship when taking office

The minister said Denmark can play an important role in key sectors such as water supply and waste management in Bangladesh

Says barrages or switchgates could help control flooding and support agriculture

Economist Prof Anu Muhammad yesterday criticised the US trade agreement signed by the interim government shortly before the election, saying it had put Bangladesh in “great danger”.

The health authority in Faridpur upazila of Pabna yesterday temporarily closed the operating theatre of Al-Modina Lab and Hospital, a local private clinic, after 12 post-surgery patients contracted tuberculosis (TB) over the past few weeks.

Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) yesterday demanded that Miraj Sheikh, a Bagerhat fisherman allegedly forcibly disappeared by Coast Guard members, be found alive and produced before the court in line with a High Court directive.

The government is preparing to establish a clear “red line” backed by credible deterrence along its eastern border, said Brig Gen (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, adviser to the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Division, yesterday.

At least three dengue patients died and 994 others were hospitalised in the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday.

One in five people aged over 40 in two coastal upazilas with high drinking-water salinity face a moderate-to-high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings of a new study.

School meals must be nutritious, safe and of high quality, said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday, stressing that there should be no compromise on food standards.

For farmers racing against the crop calendar, fertiliser is becoming a source of anxiety.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed authorities to address problems in the fertiliser distribution system and ensure that farmers get fertiliser on time and without hassle.

Conditions for Rohingya repatriation remain absent as the crisis enters its 10th year, while shrinking aid, insecurity and prolonged displacement deepen uncertainty for refugees and host communities.

With the 12 lakh-strong Rohingya refugee population growing and international funding shrinking, Bangladesh faces a mounting burden of hosting the persecuted minority from Myanmar.