Your evening brief - 100 highways opened today are gifts for the nation in month of victory: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked people to compare the development work done by other governments to that of the Awami League government. "I expect that people of the country would at least consider how much development was done by those in power for nearly 30 years (1975-1996 and 2001-2009) and what the Awami League governments did," she said. Read More

Among a number of incidents taking place on Wednesday (21 December), take a quick look at some of the most important news items The Business Standard has compiled for you…

Bail applications of Fakhrul, Abbas denied

A Dhaka court has rejected bail applications of BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas in a case filed over the 7 December clash between police and the party men in the capital's Nayapaltan area. Read More

Argentina president thanks Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh for support

Argentina President Alberto Fernandez has expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bangladeshi fans for supporting and cheering on Argentina for its World Cup victory. Read More

Faridur Reza Sagar, Mahfuz Anam and Matiur Rahman named best taxpayers in journalist category

Faridur Reza Sagar, MD of Impress Telefilm Ltd and Channel i, Mahfuz Anam, editor of Daily Star, and Matiur Rahman, editor of Prothom Alo, have been named the top taxpayers for FY2021-22 under the journalist category. Read More

Around 73% RMG workers want new machines for efficiency, quality: Sanem

Around 73% of garment workers in Bangladesh want new machines in their factories as they improve efficiency, make work easy and ensure better quality, a research has found. Read More

EC won't force any party to participate in election: CEC

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday said that they will not force any party to take part in the upcoming national elections. Read More

Iranian Deputy FM Iran Ali Bagheri Kani due Thursday

Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani is scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday morning to discuss bilateral and other issues of mutual interest with Bangladesh. Read More

1300 tourists stranded in Bay of Bengal return to Cox's Bazar after 11 hours

More than 1300 tourists, who had been stranded in sea for more than 11 hours due to the ship's technical fault, have returned to Cox's Bazar. 'MV Baro Awlia' ship carrying stranded tourists arrived at the BIWTA ghat in Cox's Bazar city at around 4 am on Wednesday Read More

At least 100 Rohingya stranded in boat off India's coast, many dead, activists say

At least 100 ethnic Rohingya are stranded in a boat off India's Andaman Islands and as many as 16-20 may have have died of thirst, hunger or drowned, said two Myanmar Rohingya activist groups. Read More

Analysis: India's post-Covid spending boom drives two-speed economy

India is set to be the world's fastest growing major economy in the year ahead, as a post-pandemic retail boom and recent bank balance-sheet repairs lure new investment, fueling hot demand for everything from cars to televisions, coal and airliners. Read More

Taliban-led Afghan administration suspends female students from universities

Afghanistan's Taliban-run Afghan higher education ministry said on Tuesday that female students would not be allowed access to the country's universities until further notice. Read More

Taliban free two Americans in 'goodwill gesture': US

The Taliban have freed two Americans in detention in Afghanistan, the State Department said Tuesday, on the same day that the militant regime faced condemnation for banning women at universities. Read More

Germany hands over 20 looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria

Germany has handed over 20 Benin Bronzes from its museums to Nigeria, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday, making it the latest European country to return cultural artefacts to their African homeland. Read More