Author: News Desk

Thousands of Bangladeshi development professionals face uncertainty as US government-funded projects have been halted following an executive order by the Trump administration on January 20. Though the order mandates a 90-day review, many employees have already been terminated, and all project activities have come to a standstill. The USAID website has also gone offline. Project personnel have been advised to avoid office visits. In some cases, staffers attend offices to maintain appearance but are not engaged in any work. Authorities have instructed employees not to comment publicly on the executive order or its implications, said a diplomatic source. “We come…

Saraswati Puja, the worship of the goddess of knowledge, music, art, and culture, began this morning across the country with great enthusiasm, festivity, and religious fervour. Saraswati Puja or Basant Panchami, falls on the fifth “Tithi” of the Bangla month of Maagh every year. Traditionally, children are introduced to the alphabet on the day of Saraswati Puja, and this ritual is called “Hatekhori”. Toddlers are usually given a slate and chalk to scribble with on the auspicious day. Major Hindu temples, schools, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions stage the festival with traditional gaiety and religious fervour. The students in…

The Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) hosted a reception in honor of His Excellency Mohd Shuhada Othman, the newly appointed High Commissioner of Malaysia. The event was graced by the presence of esteemed Ambassadors, High Commissioners, diplomats, Government Officials, BMCCI past presidents, and valued members of the Chamber. Welcoming the newly appointed High Commissioner, President Mr. Shabbir A Khan highlighted the deep-rooted ties between Bangladesh and Malaysia, emphasizing strong partnerships across various domains, including trade, investment, education, healthcare, and tourism. The President expressed confidence that under the leadership of His Excellency bilateral relations would strengthen further by finding…

On January 16, India’s national space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), conducted a successful space docking (SpaDeX) operation by bridging two satellites in space, after overcoming hiccups twice. The ISRO began the SpaDex mission on December 30 with the launch of the spacecraft in the form of two satellites using the space agency’s old workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C60 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 110km from Chennai. The docking experiment was postponed twice before it was carried out on January 16. The docking process involved two satellites, each weighing 220 kg.…

The European Union (EU) has updated its code of conduct on online hate speech, requiring social media platforms like Meta’s Facebook, Elon Musk’s X, and Google’s YouTube to step up efforts to tackle harmful content. The European Commission announced the changes on Monday, integrating the code into the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Other companies that are joining the commitment include Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, Microsoft-hosted services, Rakuten Viber, Jeuxvideo.com, and Dailymotion, as per a recent report by Reuters. “In Europe, there is no place for illegal hate, either offline or online. I welcome the stakeholders’ commitment to a…

Perplexity AI, a US-based search engine company, has submitted a bid to merge with TikTok US, as per a recent report by Reuters. The proposal, submitted to TikTok’s parent company ByteDance on Saturday, was first reported by CNBC and confirmed by a source familiar with the discussions. The merger plan involves creating a new entity by combining TikTok US, Perplexity AI, and private equity firm New Capital Partners, states the Reuters report. The structure would allow existing ByteDance investors to retain their equity while integrating TikTok’s video content capabilities with Perplexity’s search tools, according to the source, who requested anonymity…

The FBI has recently conducted a large-scale operation to hack approximately 4,200 computers across the United States, targeting the removal of PlugX, a malware linked to Chinese state-backed hacking groups, according to the US Department of Justice. The operation aimed to eliminate a cyber threat by the China-based hacking groups known as “Mustang Panda” and “Twill Typhoon” which used PlugX to infect thousands of Windows computers in the US, Asia, and Europe since at least 2012, the FBI said in an unsealed affidavit. PlugX, a tool widely used by hacking groups, operates by infecting systems through USB ports, allowing hackers…

The volume of fact-checking reports addressing misinformation in Bangladesh surged by 58% in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to a recent report by dismislab. The report identifies misinformation trends in 2024, highlighting people, countries, organisation and key narratives. Individuals targeted by misinformation in 2024 Dismislab conducted an analysis of the titles of fact-check reports to identify the individuals most frequently targeted by misinformation in 2024. The findings revealed that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India amidst the July revolution, was the most frequently targeted figure. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who took on the role of chief…

Each morning at 6am, across from the American Embassy in Dhaka, hundreds of day labourers wait in hopes of finding an employer. Garments, domestic, and hospitality workers walk on either side of the street toward factories, homes, and hotels. In Bangladesh, about 85 percent of jobs are in the informal labour market. These are not only jobs in construction, garments, and domestic work, but also graphic designers, beauticians, IT support, and mobile phone technicians. Their daily wages depend on how effectively they can negotiate salary, learn new skills, and develop relationships with employers. According to the Bangladesh Labour Force Survey,…

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed executive orders declaring illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border a national emergency, designating criminal cartels as terrorist organizations, and targeting automatic citizenship for US-born children of immigrants in the country illegally. Trump also signed an order expected to suspend the US refugee resettlement program for four months, although the text of the orders was not immediately available.