How to tell whether a green coconut is full of water
Big green coconuts often disappoint — here is how to pick one actually full of water: judge by weight not size, check the colour and the three 'eyes,' shake it, and prefer the oval…
English edition
National Desk, page 86
6,888 reports translated from the Bengali original, most recent first. বাংলা সংস্করণ
Music and drama to be added to primary education
Music, drama, dance and fine arts will be fully added to the primary curriculum in 2028, with an 'Arts and Culture' textbook for grade 4 from 2027, State Minister Bobby Hajjaj said — projecting…
Chuadanga food maker fined Tk 50,000 over adulterated production
The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority fined Ovi Food Products in Chuadanga Tk 50,000 for producing food in unhygienic conditions using industrial salt and textile dye.
Teachers to march on education ministry over MPO enlistment demand
Teachers of recognised non-MPO institutions said they will march on the education ministry on Thursday unless the MPO application circular is published, on the fourth day of their sit-in at the National Press Club.
Iran war fallout puts millions at risk of acute hunger, WFP says
Millions face acute hunger as the Iran war shuts the Strait of Hormuz and drives up fuel and food prices, the World Food Programme's acting chief Carl Skau told CNN, warning of 45 million…
Anti-discrimination leader who made 'we burned the thana' threat says Chhatra Dal chased him; police find no evidence
Habiganj anti-discrimination movement leader Mahadi Hasan says Chhatra Dal activists chased him over a Facebook post, forcing him to shelter in a police station; Chhatra Dal calls it staged, and police say they found…
Government hospitals have 9,407 vacant doctor posts, health minister tells parliament
Of 41,806 sanctioned doctor posts at government hospitals, 9,407 are vacant, Health Minister Sakhawat Hossain told parliament — alongside warnings that poultry and fish feed made from toxic tannery waste is fuelling cancer and…
Mystery of elderly woman's sack-bound body solved in Singra; son and grandson arrested
Police say Maria Begum Sharifa (75), missing 15 days in Natore's Singra, was strangled by her son over a family dispute and her body hidden in a toilet pit, then dumped in a pond;…
Eight more children die of measles and measles-like symptoms
Eight more children died of measles or measles-like symptoms in the past 24 hours, with 1,039 new confirmed cases, the Directorate General of Health Services said — 547 suspected-measles deaths since 15 March.
Displaying Allah's blessings is itself a form of worship
Islam values cleanliness, modest beauty and a well-kept life — the Prophet said Allah 'loves to see the sign of His blessing on His servant' — steering between false poverty and wasteful display.
PM explains why BNP women MPs oversee opposition constituencies
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament that reserved-seat women MPs have no constituencies of their own, so the party assigned them areas to work in — assuring an opposition MP his development role in…
Father shot dead in front of his son in Pabna; three arrested
Police arrested three suspects over the killing of Hossain Ali (55), shot dead in front of his 12-year-old son at a madrasa gate in Pabna — a feud between factions of two banned extremist…
Twelve killed in mass shooting in South Africa
At least 12 people were killed and nine seriously wounded when about ten gunmen with rifles opened fire on an informal settlement in Johannesburg's Cleveland; police suspect a link to illegal-mining gang rivalry.
Four arrested in Chuadanga, including accused in anti-discrimination movement case
Police in Chuadanga's Jibannagar arrested four people, including a union Jubo League vice-president named in a case linked to the anti-discrimination student movement, plus three in drug cases.
Rajshahi University student found dead in his hostel room
A Rajshahi University materials science student, Mahfuzur Rahman, was found dead in his room at a private hostel; police and the proctor say it appears to be suicide, with no injury marks or note…
Modelling agent sent young women to Epstein, Washington Post investigation finds
A Washington Post investigation details how French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, founder of MC2 Models, lured aspiring models to Jeffrey Epstein's plane, island and mansion — documents undercutting his claims of ignorance.
Partner Field School Congress held in Chougacha
A day-long Partner Field School Congress under the PARTNER project was held at the agriculture office in Jashore's Chougacha, with 70 farmers taking part; 42 of a planned 82 field schools are complete.
BGB and locals keep night watch on Chuadanga border against push-ins
India's BSF is pushing Bengali-speakers across the border at night without verification, the report says; BGB battalions in Chuadanga and Maheshpur are patrolling round the clock with local residents keeping watch.
Pakistan says strikes in Afghanistan killed 26 militants; Taliban report 13 civilians dead
Pakistan confirmed air strikes in eastern Afghanistan it says killed 26 TTP militants; the Taliban say 13 civilians died — 11 of them children — as tensions between Islamabad and Kabul flare again.
Pakistan military helicopter crashes, killing all aboard
A Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad after a technical fault on take-off, killing everyone on board, the ISPR said; an investigation board has been ordered.
1.5% commission for bringing foreign investment, PM tells parliament
Anyone who brings foreign investment into Bangladesh will receive a 1.5 percent consultancy fee or commission, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament — among measures from a Tk 60,000 crore industry fund to family…
An isolated Mamata turns to Sonia as Trinamool rebellion deepens
After the West Bengal defeat and open revolt in her party, Mamata Banerjee has gone to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi — while loyalist MP Kalyan Banerjee accuses the rebels of 'making Narendra Modi their…
Desert roses on a rooftop: a Boalmari youth earns Tk 15-20,000 a month
Akash Saha turned a hobby into a business in Faridpur's Boalmari, growing rare adenium — 'desert rose' — on his 1,800 sq ft roof: thousands of plants worth Tk 7-8 lakh, and Tk 15-20,000…
Two brothers drown in pond in Narail
Two young brothers — Omar Faruk, 2, and Abu Bakkar, 5 — drowned in a pond beside their home in Narail municipality's Bhatia area while playing, doctors said.
Houses vandalised, extortion alleged in Narail land dispute
A family in Lohagara's Ishangati village alleges rivals attacked and vandalised their home, demanded Tk 3 lakh and snatched a phone after a court ruled the disputed land theirs; the accused call the claims…
Schoolboy killed by lightning in Gangni
Ali Hossain, a tenth-grader, was killed by a lightning strike while playing football with friends in light rain in Meherpur's Gangni upazila, police said.
Iran must now pay a heavy price, Trump says
US President Donald Trump warned that Iran 'took too long' to negotiate a deal that could have been great for it and must now pay the price, claiming on Truth Social that Iran's military…
Bumper mango harvest, frustrated farmers: exports stuck at the bottom
Bangladesh ranks seventh in mango production but holds under 1% of the $4.19 billion export market — growers blame missing cold chains, GAP-certification hurdles, Tk 850/kg logistics costs and a Dhaka export syndicate.
'You'll shoot and I'll sit idle?' — BGB faces down BSF at Jamalpur border
Tension flared at Jamalpur's Ramrampur border as the BSF tried to push a 60-year-old man into Bangladesh; when a BSF subedar ordered shots, BGB members warned back, 'We have bullets too — we won't…
35 mahogany trees felled on government land in Narail; administration vows action
A man allegedly felled 35 mahogany trees worth about Tk 3.5 lakh from 16 decimals of government land in Narail Sadar over three days; the administration has seized the timber and promised legal action.
Two arrested over substandard school-meal food
Two officials of supplier Samata Traders were arrested in Madaripur over rotten, substandard food in the primary-school feeding project, after students fell ill in Madaripur and Chapainawabganj.
What the four new school subjects will contain
From 2028 the new curriculum adds four subjects — Learning with Happiness, sports, culture, and technical-vocational education — with sports and culture compulsory from grade 4 and tech-vocational from grade 6.
Why we should eat fruit
Fruit — nature's source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre — protects the heart, aids digestion, boosts immunity, controls weight and keeps skin bright; a daily habit worth keeping.
Home minister's Islami Bank figures in parliament don't match the bank's books
Home Minister Salauddin Ahmed told parliament Tk 22,000 crore was disbursed under Islami Bank's RDS with much of it untraceable — but the bank's annual report puts the scheme's loan balance at Tk 6,789…
Not a tree-planting festival — a tree-saving culture is what we need
World Environment Day brings a planting carnival every year, yet Bangladesh lost ~270,000 hectares of tree cover between 2001 and 2025 — the saplings photographed today are rarely alive in three years; planting must…
Mother and daughter gang-raped after robbery in Cox's Bazar; six arrested
Police arrested six men after armed robbers broke into a businessman's home in Cox's Bazar's Matamuhuri upazila, gang-raping his wife and school-going daughter and looting valuables; the girl is in intensive care.
Pushing Indian nationals into Bangladesh is illegal and unjust: Golam Parwar
Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Parwar said the BSF's attempts to force Indian nationals into Bangladesh violate India's constitution, international law and the UN human-rights charter, citing attempts across some 11 districts.
Which goods may get cheaper in the budget
Thursday's budget — the government's and Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury's first — may cut prices on kitchen appliances, computers, kidney-dialysis filters and gold ornaments, with the source tax on jewellery falling from…
Three die of burns after arson at accused men's homes over Pabna rape-murder
Three bystanders died of burns after a mob torched the homes of men accused of raping and killing a teenage girl in Pabna Sadar — a gas cylinder exploded during the arson; none of…
Al Jazeera investigation details abuse of Palestinians in Israeli jails
An Al Jazeera documentary, 'Bodies of Evidence,' details testimony from Palestinians including Gaza official Muhammad al-Bakri alleging rape and systematic sexual abuse in Israeli custody — allegations echoed in ICC and UN assessments.
Bidi prices will not rise
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury told parliament the 2026-27 budget will leave bidi prices and tax rates unchanged, declining an MP's proposal to raise duties and the health surcharge.
India deploys 12 nuclear warheads for the first time, SIPRI says
India has for the first time moved 12 nuclear warheads from storage to 'operationally deployed' status, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported, with its stockpile reaching about 190.
Iran announces timing of Ayatollah Khamenei's burial
The committee organising the funeral of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in joint US-Israeli strikes, said the janaza and burial will be held after the first ten days of Muharram, per Mehr News.
Bangladesh seeks to send 100,000 workers to Russia's labour market
Dhaka has proposed raising the number of Bangladeshi workers in Russia from about 10,000 to 100,000 within a year, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman said in Moscow — with talks also covering trade and…
Madrasa teachers' EFT salaries discussed at ECNEC, education minister says
Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon said ECNEC discussed the madrasa teachers' EFT salary project and stuck multimedia-classroom bills — and dismissed reports that Bangla could be dropped from universities as…
A bridge with no canal — and families hemmed in by its approach road
In Jhalakathi's Subidpur union, a Tk 3.79 crore RCC bridge was built where no canal now runs, with homes on both ends; building its approach road could cut off several families, who allege poor…
Roadmap published for Hajj 2027
The religious affairs ministry has published the Hajj 2027 roadmap: pilgrim registration closes 26 September, the bilateral agreement signs 8 November, visas start 28 January, flights from 8 April — Hajj falls on 15…
PM grants funds to build a home for footballer Ritu Porna Chakma
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed national women's football star Ritu Porna Chakma a cheque to build her home, continuing support that earlier covered her mother's cancer treatment in 2025.
Computer labs to be set up at 1,000 educational institutions
ICT Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam told parliament that computer labs will be installed at 1,000 more institutions nationwide once the revised DPP is approved — 13 already operate in Noakhali's Hatiya.
Strongest earthquake in nearly 150 years strikes near Cuba
A 6.1-magnitude quake struck off Cuba's northwest coast — felt in Mexico and parts of Florida — the strongest within 200 miles of the spot since 1880, the USGS said, calling an intraplate event…
US ambassador calls on opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman
US Ambassador Brent T Christensen paid a courtesy call on Jamaat ameer and opposition leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman at parliament, discussing the post-election situation, the coming budget, trade and democratic institutions.
No decision to close honours courses, National University VC says
National University vice-chancellor professor Dr A S M Amanullah said no decision or directive exists to close honours courses in Bangla, history or philosophy, dismissing reports of a draft model merging six subjects.
BGB tightens watch on Phulbari border against push-ins
Border Guard Bangladesh's 29 Battalion is on maximum alert at Dinajpur's Phulbari border against possible BSF push-ins, with patrols stepped up and villagers joining night watches.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan suspended over sexual misconduct allegations
The International Criminal Court's governing body has suspended prosecutor Karim Khan while sexual-misconduct allegations are investigated, with a UN oversight report to go before the 125 member states, per TRT World.
ECNEC approves 10 projects worth Tk 3,891 crore
Chaired by PM Tarique Rahman, ECNEC approved 10 development projects worth about Tk 3,891 crore — led by the Anwara-Idmoni regional highway upgrade — plus madrasa EFT and multimedia-classroom revisions.
World Environment Day marked in Kuakata with sapling distribution
A rally, discussion and distribution of fruit-tree saplings to over a hundred students marked World Environment Day at Mishripara in Kuakata, organised by Caritas Barishal's Proyash project.
Three more children die of measles symptoms
Three more children died of measles symptoms in 24 hours, with 1,034 new cases and symptoms detected; the death toll since 15 March stands at 631, the health directorate said.
Woman drowns while bathing in Tahirpur river; body recovered after three hours
Sultana Begum (24) drowned while bathing at her family's ghat on the Boulai river in Sunamganj's Tahirpur; fire service divers recovered her body three hours later, police said.
Six-year-old raped in Bagerhat; accused arrested
Police in Bagerhat's Chitalmari arrested Parimal Bhakta (46) over the rape of a six-year-old first-grader after her father filed a case; the child was sent for medical examination.
Ramisa murder: full verdict and death reference sent to the High Court
The full 72-page record — the 69-page verdict plus death reference — in the killing of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter has gone to the High Court, after a Dhaka tribunal sentenced Sohel Rana and his…