A total of 52,491 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have returned home from Saudi Arabia as of Thursday following the completion of this years Hajj held on May 26. According to Hajj office officials, 123 return flights have been operated so far by three designated airlines 55 by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 47 by Saudia Airlines and 21 by Flynas Airlines. Of the returning pilgrims, 4,289 Hajis came back under government management, while 48,202 returned through private travel agency arrangements, officials said. Meanwhile, 49 Bangladeshi pilgrims died in Saudi Arabia during Hajj, including 33...

The proposed national budget for FY2026-27 reflects the governments broad political mandate, but its implementation will depend on realistic assumptions and institutional capacity, the Centre for Policy Dialogue has said. CPD Distinguished Fellow Professor Mustafizur Rahman made the remarks on Friday at an event titled National Budget: CPDs Review at Hotel Lakeshore in Gulshan, Dhaka. CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun presented the keynote paper at the event. Mustafizur said the budget reflected some of the key promises on which the government came to power, including building a...

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has described the proposed budget for FY2026-27 as an inclusive one, saying the government has tried to bring people from all sections of society into its budget planning. Speaking at a post-budget press conference on Friday, the finance minister said the government had put in the required effort to prepare the budget, but the people would ultimately judge how successful it had been. This is an inclusive budget, he said, adding that the government had tried to ensure that no group was left outside the budget framework. Amir Khosru Mahmud...

Achieving the macroeconomic targets set in the proposed national budget for FY2026-27 will be the biggest challenge for the government, the Centre for Policy Dialogue said on Friday (June 12). CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun made the observation while presenting the think tanks review of the proposed budget at an event titled National Budget 2026-27: CPDs Review at Hotel Lakeshore in Gulshan, Dhaka. She said most macroeconomic indicators were under pressure and the overall situation was not comfortable. Although foreign exchange reserves had improved somewhat, other indicators had...

A farmer was killed and another seriously injured after being struck by lightning in Ghirnoi Maltola village under Lohani Para union of Badarganj upazila in the district this afternoon. The deceased was identified as Rahamat Ullah, 35, a resident of the village, said Badarganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Hasan Zahid Sarkar. The injured, Khorshed Alam, 40, is currently undergoing treatment at Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RpMCH). According to police and local sources, Rahamat Ullah and Khorshed Alam were working in a crop field along with several other farmers when heavy...