Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen expressed scepticism about procuring vaccines smoothly saying bilateral cooperation is not the only deciding factor and that issues of global politics are at play.

When the cabinet division decided late on Saturday evening that the nationwide “total and complete” lockdown would be postponed from June 28 to July 1, and there would be a limited-scale or partial countrywide lockdown in the interim period, it left many asking what a “limited-scale” lockdown even meant.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called for cooperation from all as she reiterated her government’s resolve to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said the government has dropped 10 coal-fired power plant projects, with total generation capacity of 8451 MW, as it seeks to revise the country’s power system master plan (PSMP).

A massive reform is needed in the bureaucracy to modernise it as the bureaucrats still follow many age-old rules that have become irrelevant, Planning Minister MA Mannan said yesterday.

The High Court yesterday questioned the legality of the Dhaka University authorities’ decision to terminate its teacher Prof Morshed Hasan Khan from his job.

Realising their imminent failure to meet the deadline for early commissioning, the authorities are planning to launch the Uttara-Agargaon metro rail service by December next year.

The shifting of services related to National Identity (NID) cards from the Election Commission to the Ministry of Home Affairs means the nail in the coffin for the election system, said Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar yesterday.

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh which was supposed to expire yesterday was extended by a further three months as only two out of over 190 clothing retailers had agreed to renew their contract.

The home ministry yesterday suspended two police officials -- one of the rank of superintendent of police and the other of the rank of assistant SP -- following the leak of their alleged phone conversation regarding police and Rab.

A police probe found that instigation by outsiders, irregular payment of salaries and sanitation problems fuelled labour unrest in the SS Power I Plant in Chattogram’s Banshkhali upazila, leading to a clash on April 17 that left seven workers dead in police firing.

The High Court yesterday directed S Alam Group, one of the owners of SS Power I Plant in Chattogram’s Banshkhali upazila, to immediately give Tk 5 lakh to each of the families of the seven victims who were killed after police opened fire during a demonstration by workers on April 17.

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a High Court verdict that granted bail to Erfan Salim, son of ruling Awami League Lawmaker Haji Md Salim, in a case filed over attacking a navy officer in October last year.

Giving in to the pressure from transport associations, the government is going to bring about a drastic change in the Road Transport Act-2018, reducing fines stipulated under 11 sections and sentences under four sections.

The High Court has observed that restricting or interfering with citizen’s free movement because of “arbitrary or whimsical desires” of the government or state authorities is unconstitutional.

Bids for the construction work of two student halls at Kushtia Islamic University (IU) for Tk 108 crore have been opened despite the fact that names of the bidders had been leaked a few days ago.

The recent High Court verdict upholding 10 years’ imprisonment for Haji Md Salim has sparked a debate over his parliamentary membership and the careers of several other convicted politicians, whose appeals are still pending with this court and the Appellate Division.

Rapid Action Battalion yesterday claimed that the allegation of the elite force members torturing Supreme Court lawyer ABM Ibrahim Khalil was false and fabricated.

An 18-member UN delegation reached Bhasan Char yesterday on a three-day visit to take a first-hand view of the housing facility for 100,000 Rohingyas.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid has said the authorities will rethink their decision to hold the Ekushey Boi Mela if the pandemic situation deteriorates.