Bangladesh’s jute industry is in deep trouble. Exports of traditional jute goods have been falling in the face of competition from low-priced polypropylene and synthetic goods as well as a shrinking demand in the traditional markets abroad.

Elaborate arrangements have been made for peaceful conduct of fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections today. Fifty one constituencies, spread over seven states, will go to polls in this phase.

West Indies openers Shai Hope and John Campbell scripted a world record 365-run partnership for the first wicket against Ireland in the ODI tri-series

Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation yesterday cited an unhealthy competition among transport owners for profit as a major reason behind road accidents.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said the party’s previous decision of not joining parliament soon after the December 30 election was wrong.

The government should make the central effluent treatment plant at the Savar tannery estate fully functional to make the leather sector compliant and boost export, said Syed Manzur Elahi, founding chairman of Apex Footwear Ltd and Apex Tannery Ltd.

Two cases were filed with Bandarban and Narayanganj police yesterday over rape of two schoolgirls in the districts.

The overall legal framework for addressing sexual harassment at workplace is not equipped to effectively deal with the issue as many women still face the abuse, said women’s rights activists.

Building and fire safety conditions in all the 1,818 high rises under Rajuk’s jurisdiction are scary, its chairman Md Abdur Rahman said yesterday.

While the 23-storey FR Tower on Kemal Ataturk Avenue has a foundation for 18 storeys, around a dozen other high rises on the same street are taller than permissible height but Rajuk has been silent about this all along, said government high officials.

Several hundred people in Dhal Char union of Bhola’s Charfassion upazila had to take shelter in the jungle like “primitive people” during the Friday night’s cyclonic storm Fani as there is no cyclone shelter in the island of about 17,000 people.

By the time Cyclone Fani entered Bangladesh around 8:00am yesterday, it became much weaker and caused much less damage compared with that by cyclones Sidr and Aila.

In yet another dramatic turn of events in Jatiya Party, Chairman HM Ershad last night appointed his brother GM Quader acting chairman of the party.

It was shortly after 3:30pm yesterday when Saddam Sana, a 44-year-old farmer, arrived at a temporary cyclone centre in Dacope’s Tildanga health complex. He was completely drenched and quivering. Saddam along with his wife and two children...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now in London, has directed all the government and non-government organisations to work in a coordinated manner to face the severe cyclonic storm Fani.

More than 12 lakh people have been evacuated and moved to cyclone shelters in 19 coastal districts as cyclone Fani is charging towards Bangladesh, after making landfall in the Eastern Indian coast yesterday morning.

At least eight people were killed as Cyclone Fani, the biggest storm to hit India in 20 years, slammed into the eastern state of Odisha yesterday, damaging houses and cutting off power, water and telecommunications.

A Jashore court yesterday sent a madrasa teacher to jail on charges of molesting a fifth grader student in the district’s Sharsha upazila on Thursday night. Three more also landed in prison for backing up the molester and threatening the victim’s family.

Bangladesh has urged Myanmar to remove all barriers to the repatriation of Rohingyas and take concrete steps to create conditions conducive to their return.

Some 463 violations of freedom of speech occurred in the country last year, according to a human rights organisation.