The aviation industry is suffering a massive blow in the aftermath of coronavirus outbreak as the number of outgoing and incoming air passengers from Dhaka has already taken a tumble, officials said.

South Korea reported its biggest surge in new coronavirus cases yesterday as concerns grew of a possible epidemic in the United States and the World Health Organization raised its risk alert to its highest level.

With the first light of day still more than an hour away, DU students, mainly those willing to sit for recruitment tests for BCS and other government jobs, start gathering in front of the Central Library gate from 5:00am. The library actually opens at 8:00am. Over the years, the number of those going to the library has increased, but there has been a sharp decline in the number of books issued.

Indian police have arrested 514 people for deadly violence that broke out in the capital, the government said, as it faced mounting international criticism for failing to protect minority Muslims.

Security at the capital’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport is at risk due to a shortage of fire-fighting equipment, floodlights, and poor CCTV camera coverage at night, a key point installation (KPI) survey team found.

The rapid spread of coronavirus raised fears of a pandemic yesterday, with countries on three continents reporting their first cases and Swiss authorities cancelling the giant Geneva car show.

A day after electricity prices were raised, Wasa has increased water tariffs for residential and commercial uses in Dhaka for the second time in a span of seven months, dealing a double blow to consumers.

Two policemen and a pedestrian were injured in a “bomb” explosion inside a traffic police box in Chattogram city’s Sholoshahar Gate-2 area around 9:30pm last night.

Twelve eminent citizens of Bangladesh yesterday expressed grave concern over the ongoing spate of clashes in the Indian capital New Delhi between people for and against the new citizenship law in the country.

Just before being put on life support, Shahidul Kirmany Rony, who had sustained 43 percent inhalation burns, told his sister Nasrin Akter, “I know my son has died, bury him in Dhaka. Our condition is also not good; I don’t know what will happen. Tell father to decide [about us too].”

Umrah for around 10,000 Bangladeshis, who already got visas, has become uncertain as the Saudi government yesterday placed a temporary ban on Umrah pilgrimage to stop the spread of coronavirus in the Kingdom.

As experts warn of a record increase in Culex mosquito population next month, measures taken by the two Dhaka city corporations to check the blood-sucking insects appear inadequate.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the newly-elected mayors and councillors of the two Dhaka cities to pay special attention to check mosquitoes, particularly Aedes, so that the insect cannot eat up their votes.

At least 38 people have been killed in the deadliest violence to engulf India’s capital New Delhi for decades as a heavy deployment of security forces brought an uneasy calm yesterday.

The High Court yesterday once again rejected a bail petition of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

At a time when people are grappling with high prices of many daily essentials, the government has hiked electricity prices.

The ACC has opened an enquiry into an allegation that Laxmipur-2 MP Mohammad Shahid Islam amassed Tk 1,400 crore by trafficking people to Kuwait and siphoned off the money to different countries.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University yesterday submitted a report on the medical treatment of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to the High Court as per its earlier order.

Backtracking on its plan to introduce a uniform admission test at the public universities, the University Grants Commission has decided to follow “a cluster system” for admission tests this year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said there was no need for separating groups in class nine as all students could take up same subjects up to SSC level.