Friday 19 December 2025 ,

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Grassroots AL against partisan UP polls

Even as the Awami League (AL)-led government prepares to hold all local government elections in a partisan manner, many AL grassroots leaders have said they prefer non-partisan polls, at least at the Union Parishad (UP) level. The leaders opined that the decision to hold all local body elections under party banners should be reconsidered, as it would lead to intra-party feud and difficulty in ensuring single candidates for polls. Several grassroots leaders told The Independent that if partisan system is to be applied to the local government elections, it should be restricted to municipalities and not to Union Parishad. On October 31, some Sylhet unit AL leaders led by Party Central Organising Secretary Mizbahuddin Siraj had met AL General Secretary…

Front Page

Freedom of speech to dominate agenda

Against the backdrop of the killings of foreign nationals, bloggers and a publisher, the seventh meeting…

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News

Commonwealth War Grave Commission receives commendation

Japan yesterday presented a Certificate of Commendation to M Abu Sayed, Country Director of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission in Bangladesh. Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Masato Watanabe presented the certificate. The Ambassador’s Commendations are bestowed on those individuals or groups…

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Metro

Capital�s roads in awful state

The capital’s streets hardly sustain the guaranteed life span of 10-12 years due to substandard repair works as well as water-logging, forcing the authorities to spend huge taxpayers' money for repeated maintenance works every year, reports UNB. "City corporations are supposed to monitor…

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Editorial

Population growth and poverty : No delinking of the two

Of course, there is no one shot or one oversimplified explanation for the poverty situation in Bangladesh. Nonetheless, economists in all settings go for a standard measure of the national pie and how much of it goes to each member of the population. The formula is simple. Take the net…

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Op-ed

Aid resources to cope with climate change

Bangladesh authorities need to be alert so that in the name of getting international assistance for coping with climate change this country does not become the unfortunate victim of fruitless spending and get saddled with fresh debts that its future generations would have to bear without receiving well…

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Business

Bangladesh wins big

Developed nations have agreed to extend the waiver on pharmaceutical patents for least developed countries in WTO till January 2033, promising a positive impact on essential medicine prices in developing countries, where poverty and health problems are rampant. In 2001, developed countries had agreed…

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Worldwide

Curfew, mass arrests in Kashmir

AFP, SRINAGAR: Authorities ordered a curfew in parts of Indian-administered Kashmir Friday after hundreds of separatist activists were arrested on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the disputed region. In the main city of Srinagar shops and schools remained shut, university exams…

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Dhakalive

�Id-Clash�: An int�l performance art and installation show

Goethe-Institute Bangladesh, in association with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), arranged an international performance art and installation show titled ‘Id-Clash’ at the Plaza premise of BSA’s exhibition building from November 5 to 7. The three-day event features narration, writing,…

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Sports

Bangladesh look to stretch home run

If the recent performance of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe is anything to go by, the series between the two sides should be a mismatch. While Bangladesh would go into the series on the backdrop of four straight home ODI series victory, the Zimbabwe came into the series in a jaded and out-of-sort state, having…

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Nationwide

Betel nut growers happy with yield, price

Betel nut growers in Bhola say they are happy with the good harvest and prices this season. Bhola, historically known for big betel nut growing area in the country, has plantation over 7750 hectares of land, said officials at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) here. They said the soil of…

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Backpage

No conspiracy can deter development, says PM

Renewing her allegation that the BNP-Jamaat clique is behind the recent killings, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh is now unstoppable in its development drive and no conspiracy can deter it, reports UNB. "Bangladesh is becoming an indomitable power and its ongoing development cannot…

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