Child rights activists hold a press briefing on the situation of child rights in Bangladesh at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Sunday. — New Age photo

A file photo shows a portion of devastated Tazreen Fashions Limited at Ashulia, which caught fire on November 24 last year killing 112 workers. The taskforce formed by the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association to ensure fire safety in the garment factories has made little headway as it is working in a slow pace. — New Age photo

A colourful procession was brought out in the opening ceremony of Children Film Festival on Saturday in Dhaka.— Snigdha Zaman

A Deutsche Bundesbank employee tests a gold bar with an ultrasonic appliance in Frankfurt January 16. — Reuters photo

Sylhet Royals batsman Elton Chigumbura (2nd-R) celebrates their win over Duronto Rajshahi with captain Mushfiqur Rahim after their Bangladesh Premier League match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday. — Sanaul Haque

BNP leaders attend a discussion at the Kazi Bashir Auditorium at Gulistan in Dhaka on Sunday, marking the 77th anniversary of the birth of the late president Ziaur Rahman, also founder of the party. — New Age photo

Lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon on Sunday joins a procession of local people in Purana Paltan in Dhaka carrying the coffin of Ritu Akhtar, who was found dead in an office building in the area on Saturday.— Sourav Lasker

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard scores his team’s second goal from the penalty spot against Arsenal during their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. — Reuters photo

An Air France plane is parked on the snow covered tarmac of Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle airport, outside Paris, on Sunday. — AFP photo

Manchester City midfielder David Silva (R) scores his first goal past Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer during their Premier League match at the Etihad stadium on Saturday. — AFP photo

LATEST

MAIN NEWS

Long-route bus fare hiked by 7pc

The government on Sunday announced a fresh increase in long-route bus fares by seven per cent to adjust the cost of operation after the latest increase in fuel oil prices. The bus fare hike comes into effect on Tuesday. Full story

Verdict against Bachchu today

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 is set to deliver its first war crime case verdict against absconding accused Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu today. The accused is an expelled Jamaat member from Faridpur. January 21 would remain a historic and important day in the calendar of independent Bangladesh with the ICT-2 delivering the first war crimes case verdict. Full story

ACC to reply in national interest: Rahman

The Anti-Corruption Commission chairman, Ghulam Rahman, on Sunday said the commission had decided to reply to the letter of the World Bank external panel of experts ‘considering national interests’. Full story

HC orders police to arrest attacker in 48 hours

The High Court on Sunday asked the police to arrest in 48 hours Moniruddin, who reportedly threw acid on the girl, an Eden Girls’ College student, he loved after she had refused to marry him. The bench of Justice AHM... Full story

NATIONAL

DUAA for social movement against women repression

Former Dhaka University students on Sunday said that moral degradation of the people increased the number of incidents of women and children repression in the country. At a human chain formed by the DhakaFormer Dhaka University students on Sunday said that moral degradation of the people increased the number of incidents of women and children repression in the country. At a human chain formed by the Dhaka... Full story

Registration of Malaysian job aspirants ends today

METRO

Concern vented

A total of 90 children were raped and 201 murdered in the country in 2012, according to a child rights organisation. Besides, 49 children committed suicide after facing sexual harassment, 15 were victims of acid attacks and 59 were kidnapped in January-December 2012. Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum released the statistics at a press briefing... Full story

Caretakers killed Ritu: family

BUSINESS

BGMEA taskforce makes little headway

The taskforce formed by the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association to ensure fire safety in the garment factories has made little headway as it is working in a slow pace. The BGMEA taskforce visited only four factories in the last one month after its inception, though it had announced to visit 10 apparel factories initially... Full story

NRB Commercial Bank to get licence on Feb 3

INTERNATIONAL

25 bodies of foreigners found after Algeria bloodbath

Security forces found the bodies of 25 foreigners Sunday as they combed a desert gas plant after a deadly stand-off with Islamists, and witnesses said nine Japanese hostages had been executed. Full story

Obama to take second oath of office today

SPORTS

Burners burn Royal Bengals

Khulna Royal Bengals added four new players to their line-up but could not change their fortune as Barisal Burners handed them their second defeat in the Bangladesh Premier League at Mirpur on Sunday. Brad Hodge returned to lead the Barisal side after his Big Bash duty with Melbourne Stars and made an instant impact scoring 53 off 40 balls to orchestrate... Full story

T20 success revives Hodge hopes

EDITORIAL

More BCL infighting, and more death and destruction

YET again, leaders and activists of the Bangladesh... Full story

A tale of broken promises

OP-ED

Making green a threat again

THE energy was there. It was an overcast spring morning in April 2011 in the nation’s capital. Thousands had shown up to take action on climate change. The earlier march led us to the Chamber of Commerce, BP’s Washington... Full story

Fighting inflation, but where is it?

TIMEOUT

Razzaq gets lifetime achievement award

For his enormous contribution to the film industry, Abdur Razzaq widely known as Nayak Raj Razzaq (king of heroes) has been honoured with the lifetime achievement award. His name was announced along with the winners of other categories of the National Film Award 2011 through a gazette notification by the government recently. Full story

Children film festival begins across the country

LETTERS

Please, rein in BCL hoodlums

ONE wonders what the government would say now after factional fighting within the Bangladesh Chhatra League, students’ wing of the ruling Awami League, led to an indefinite closure of Bangladesh Agricultural University... Full story