Economists back Bangladesh Bank autonomy plan, warn reforms need political will

August 19, 2025

PARBATTA NEWS DESK Leading economists have welcomed the interim government’s plan to grant full autonomy to Bangladesh Bank, reports Bangladesh Pratidin. They cautioned, however, that reforms could remain largely symbolic unless political parties commit to implementing them once back in power, according to the newspaper. Last week, the central bank’s board approved a Continue Reading

50,000 Rohingyas mass at Bangladesh border as Rakhine fighting escalates

August 18, 2025

PARBATTA NEWS ONLINE DESK Around 50,000 Rohingyas have gathered near the Bangladesh border after fleeing intensified fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, raising fears of a new influx into Bangladesh, officials said on Sunday. The warning came during a meeting of the National Task Force on the Rohingya issue at the foreign ministry in Dhaka, chaired […]Continue Reading

Dismissed Rohingya camp teachers block Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf highway

August 18, 2025

COX’S BAZAR CORRESPONDENT Dismissed teachers of the Rohingya camps staged a blockade on the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf highway on Monday, demanding reinstatement to their jobs. They also began a hunger strike, vowing to continue until their demands are met. Law enforcement personnel were deployed to the scene to keep the situation under control, while army members […]Continue Reading

High Court questions tribal hiring priority in Khagrachhari Hill District Council

August 18, 2025

STAFF REPORTER The High Court has asked the government to explain why provisions granting priority to tribal residents in recruitment at the Khagrachhari Hill District Council should not be declared unconstitutional. A bench of Justice Md Akram Hossain Chowdhury and Justice Fayez Ahmed issued the rule on 31 July after hearing a writ petition filed […]Continue Reading

“We will all live together in peace – hill people, Bengalis, and tribals alike”: Army Chief

August 17, 2025

PARBATTA NEWS ONLINE DESK Chief of Army Staff General Waker-uz-Zaman on Saturday said Bangladesh belongs to all communities, and people of every faith and ethnicity have long lived together in harmony. “This country belongs to everyone. For hundreds of years, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, hill people, Bengalis and tribals have coexisted peacefully in this land. Continue Reading

Bengalis allege discrimination in new CHT Development Board advisory panel

August 17, 2025

PARBATTA NEWS REPORT The newly formed advisory committee of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Development Board has sparked criticism for excluding representatives from the Bengali community, which makes up more than half of the population in the region. On August 13, the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs issued a letter appointing nine members to […]Continue Reading

Three international conferences planned on Rohingya crisis: Yunus

August 17, 2025

PARBATTA NEWS DESK Chiief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has said that three international conferences on the Rohingya crisis will be held this year to strengthen global efforts for a sustainable solution. In an exclusive interview with Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama during his three-day official visit to Kuala Lumpur, Yunus said the first conference will […]Continue Reading

Election must be held in Feb: Home Adviser

August 17, 2025

Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) said Saturday that the upcoming general election will be held in February in line with the announcement made by the Chief Adviser. “We are strictly adhering to the timeline announced by the Chief Adviser (CA). The election will be held in the month announced by CA […]Continue Reading

Asif Nazrul urges private healthcare owners to prioritise service over profit

August 17, 2025

NEWS DESK Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul has strongly criticised the owners of private hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centres for their alleged prioritisation of profit over patient care. The adviser also urged them to reform the healthcare system and reduce the public’s dependency on treatment abroad. He said while speaking at the inauguration and annual […]Continue Reading

Shahjahan Chowdhury says term ‘indigenous’ not applicable to hill people

August 10, 2025

STAFF REPORTER, DHAKA Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Shahjahan Chowdhury has said the term “indigenous” does not apply to hill or tribal communities and alleged it is part of an “international conspiracy” aimed at creating a so-called “Jummuland” in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). He made the remarks on Saturday (9 August) while speaking as a special […]Continue Reading