Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s two-day visit to Dhaka is part of India’s larger policy to boost relations with its neighbours as China seeks to draw them closer to it, foreign relations analysts said.

A high-level committee formed to probe the murder of Maj (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan has been given seven more working days to complete the investigation.

The primary and mass education ministry yesterday sent a proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office, seeking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s approval to cancel this year’s Primary Education Completion (PEC) and its equivalent exams.

The health ministry has decided to use rapid testing kits in order to increase the number of daily Covid-19 tests and reduce the burden on RT-PCR based tests.

Flooding has damaged crops, worth about Tk 1,323 crore, on 1.58 lakh hectares of land in 37 districts, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said yesterday.

A Centre for Policy Dialogue study on the ongoing flood identified problems in flood response, including delays in repairing embankments and irregularities in relief distribution.

Stamford University student Shipra Debnath would decide whether to sue two policemen and others under the Digital Security Act after the High Court rules possibly today on a writ petition regarding the matter.

The price hike of daily essentials is coming down heavily on limited-income people, who are already struggling to survive the economic meltdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bangladesh will get priority in getting Covid-19 vaccine once produced by India, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said yesterday, but did not specifically mention anything on conducting vaccine trial in Bangladesh which was sought by Dhaka.

The High Court yesterday wanted to know why the parliamentary membership of Kazi Shahid Islam Papul, who has been elected from Laxmipur-2 constituency, should not be cancelled for providing false information to the Election Commission through his affidavit.

Three members of Armed Police Battalion were arrested and placed on a seven-day remand in a case filed in connection with the killing of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, bringing the total number of arrested to 13 yesterday.

Jahangir Alam got an employment visa in late February and was preparing to fly to Saudi Arabia the following month to work as a cleaner.

Sayeeda Khanam, the first female professional photographer of Bangladesh, passed away in the capital early yesterday.

Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla arrived in the capital yesterday on a sudden visit and conveyed a message to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that Delhi has special relations with Dhaka and it will continue to be its development partner.

The country yesterday saw daily Covid-19 cases cross the 3,000-mark for the first time this month with 3,200 people testing positive for the virus.

Saudi expatriate Ratan Mia and his cousin Shahjahan were heading to Nalitabari of Sherpur along with their families in a microbus to be at the funeral of their cousin.

BNP leaders and activists are keen to see party Chairperson Khaleda Zia actively involved in politics again, but their desire is not likely to be met anytime soon.

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the High Court’s orders that stayed the trial proceedings against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in four separate vandalism and arson cases filed in 2015.

Stamford University student Shipra Debnath, also a crew member of slain Maj (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, has promised to file cases under the Digital Security Act against police officials and others who made her life miserable by circulating her private photos on social media.

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday interrogated Regent Hospital Chairman Mohammad Shahed in connection with a case filed against him for misappropriating about Tk 2.71 crore from now-defunct Farmers Bank.