The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to take effective steps to stop overcharging of passengers on public transport.

The Election Commission bill that was placed in parliament yesterday is akin to election engineering, said speakers at a webinar on EC formation law.

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday placed a bill in parliament seeking to give a legal shield to the current and previous Election Commissions formed through search committees, amid opposition from a BNP lawmaker.

Community transmission of the quick-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus is now occurring in Bangladesh, said health officials yesterday -- in an acknowledgement that forebodes an unprecedented surge in cases in the days ahead.

Amid the steep rise in the daily Covid-19 cases, the government has directed all public and private offices to halve the presence of manpower at the respective offices till February 6 from today.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked police personnel to discharge their duties with the utmost professionalism and uphold democracy in the country apart from maintaining peace and stability.

The much talked about “Appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners Bill-2022” will be placed in parliament today.

After meeting a five-member delegation of Sust teachers, Education Minister Dipu Moni last night said the issue at the university in Sylhet would be resolved through discussions with students.

Deaths caused by the coronavirus infection have doubled in a week as daily new cases and the positivity rate continue to soar.

Tania Jasmine, the proprietor of a modest beauty salon in Chattogram’s Rangunia upazila, and her husband own just one car. But the National Board of Revenue’s database shows she owns a mindboggling 103 vehicles -- an alarming record for anyone to have.

Twenty-three students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology continued their hunger strike yesterday, demanding the VC’s resignation as Education Minister Dipu Moni invited them for a discussion.

The government yesterday announced closure of schools and colleges until February 6 and prohibited any kind of gathering of over 100 people to curb the spread of Covid-19 amid a rapid surge in new cases.

Six-year-old Bristy Akhter, her parents and grandfather came to the capital by launch yesterday morning to visit her ailing grandmother in a hospital. 

The number of coronavirus cases has continued to increase rapidly with the health directorate reporting 9,500 fresh cases yesterday, 1,093 up from the previous day.

The ongoing parliament session is set to pass a law aiming to give legal cover to the chief election commissioners and other commissioners appointed through search committees in the past.

When countries are shifting to at-home rapid antigen tests for detecting the coronavirus to keep pace with the Omicron’s blistering speed of transmission, the government has stuck to its policy of keeping the self-administered kit available at only healthcare points.

The level of pollutants in the Buriganga water samples taken from some dyeing factory effluent release points is much higher than standard levels, found a study.

As much as 20 percent of the Covid-19 patients examined by BSMMU researchers in the month to January 8 were infected with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, indicating that the highly transmissible variant is fast putting down its roots in Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked the deputy commissioners to ensure that no development projects that damage the environment and ecological balance are taken up.

The shortages of experts and professionals, including pilots, have left Biman unable to realise the full potential of its modern fleet, said Biman Managing Director and CEO Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal in an interview with The Daily Star.