The government has fixed the price of dates at the consumer level during the holy month of Ramadan. Very common or low-quality dates has been fixed at Tk150 to Tk165 per kilogram and the Zahidi variety between Tk170 to Tk180. This information has been given in a notification signed by Fuara Khatun, the senior assistant secretary of the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday (March 12). According to the notification, the prices had been determined considering imported prices, duties, taxes and other associated expenses on dates.   

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are spending quality time together in Singapore. The pair were spotted on a casual date night at a mall in the country in fan footage posted on Instagram Thursday. In the clip, the fans caught sight of Swift and Kelce, both 34, sitting together in a golf cart parked outside of the shopping center. “Hi, Taylor! Can we just say ‘Hi?,’ ” one of the fans said, as Swift, who had her arm around Kelce, looked towards them. Someone else in the group then said to Travis, “Congrats Travis. Congrats,” referring to his Super Bowl win with the Kansas City Chiefs last month.  “Taylor, we love you!” the first fan then shouted to Swift as the singer waved back. “See you tomorrow!” they added as Swift and Travis smiled back at them before driving off.  “I was enchanted to meet you @taylorswift ✨✨✨,” the fans wrote in their joint caption. Swift and Kelce were also captured embracing during their mall date and walking hand-in-hand in photos shared by a Swift fan account on X, formerly Twitter. The pair’s sighting at the mall in Singapore took place after Kelce jetted into the country earlier this week to catch Swift on the fifth night of her six-night residency in the country. During the show, Swift showed her appreciation for Kelce as she changed the lyrics of "Karma" to shout him out once again, singing on stage, per fan videos, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs coming straight home to me."   Source: People

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Jan 29) has directed the  the authority concerned to reduce the import duty on four most essential items – rice, edible oil, sugar and date ahead of the upcoming Ramadan. PM Sheikh Hasina delivered this directive from the Cabinet meeting at her office in the capital. “The prime minister has given a clear directive to decrease the duty on four items – edible oil, sugar, rice and date — on the occasion of the upcoming Ramadan,” said Md Mahbub Hossain, the Cabinet Secretary, while briefing reporters at the Secretariat. Highlighting the instructions of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Secretary said that the supply of edible oil, sugar, dates and rice should not be reduced during Ramadan. Therefore, the Prime Minister has given instructions to reduce the duty rate of edible oil, sugar, dates and rice on the occasion of upcoming Ramadan. Mahbub Hossain said, "The National Board of Revenue (NBR) would assess how much the duty can be curtailed."  

After the Galwan clash last year, several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have taken place to resolve the standoff. Disengagement at some border points did take place but by and large, there is an impasse on complete disengagement. The 24th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held on May 31, 2022. The Indian delegation was led by the Additional Secretary (East Asia) from the Ministry of External Affairs. The Director-General of the Boundary & Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation, read the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) release. Both the sides agreed to hold the next (16th) round of the Senior Commanders meeting at an early date to achieve the objective of complete disengagement from all friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector in accordance with the existing bilateral agreements and protocols, added the MEA release. The two sides reviewed the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas. They recalled that since the last meeting of WMCC in November 2021, both sides have held the 14th and 15th meetings of the Senior Commanders in January and March 2022 respectively. The Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi had also visited India in March 2022 and held discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The two sides exchanged views on the current situation along the LAC in the Western Sector in Eastern Ladakh. As instructed by the two Foreign Ministers at WMCC on India-China Border Affairs, both sides should continue the discussions through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC at the earliest so as to create conditions for the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. Source: Microsoft News

Filling up of forms to appear in the SSC examination will begin from April 1, 2021. Students can apply through online till April 7. In this year no test examination will be held like other years. The information was confirmed through a press release of Dhaka education board on Sunday. The release said, forms will be filled up abiding by the health protocols due to world wide Covid-19 pandemic. The list of the probable students will be published on the education board website. Students can fill up their forms through online without late fee from April 1 to 7. Aftermath they have to pay late fee for filling the forms. Students can fill up their forms by paying late fee from April 10 to 13. AH

Health Minister Zahid Maleque said, if the coronavirus infection rate increases then the reopening date of educational institutions may be reviewed. If the coronavirus situation remains under control then they will take their own decision. He said this to the newsmen while replying questions after holding the meeting on Bangabandhu’s birth centenary and golden jubilee celebration of independence at health ministry conference room at secretariat on Monday. When asked about reopening of educational institutions the minister said, discussions are going on. The education ministry will take decision in this regard after discussing the matter with the Prime Minister. It could be reviewed. If the coronavirus contraction rate increases then certainly they would review it. Otherwise they will take their own decision. Health service division Secretary Abdul Mannan, health education and family welfare division Secretary Ali Nur, Director General of health directorate Professor Dr. Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam and other high officials of the ministry and directorate were present in the meeting. AH  

The moon of holy Shaban month was not sighted on the sky of Bangladesh. So the month of Rajab will be completed tomorrow (Monday). The count of Shaban month will begin from Tuesday (March 16). According to that calculation holy ‘Shabe Barat’ will be observed on March 29 (Monday). After holding the meeting of National Moon Sighting Committee the decision was informed by the Islamic Foundation. The holy Shabe Barat is observed on the 15th night of Shaban month. According to that on the night of 29th March (Monday night) will be the night of ‘Shabe Barat’. The following day is the public holiday on executive order. So 30th March (Tuesday) will be the holiday. After completion of Shaban month the month of ‘Siam’ (fasting) will begin. After completion of one moth fasting the day of ‘Eid ul Fitr’ appears. It is the biggest religious festival of Muslims. AH  

Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni said, classes at the classrooms will resume on May 24 in the public universities and residential halls will be reopened on May 17. Before that all the residential students will be vaccinated. She delivered the information at an emergency press conference on Monday. She directed the students to leave the dormitories who are currently residing in and said that the government will consider the age limit for BCS examination due the corona pandemic situation. To save the students from corona pandemic the government declared the educational institutions closed since March 17 last year. The closure was extended till February 28 in several stages. As the rate of infection and death due to coronavirus gets downward trend, so from the beginning of this year demand has been raised to open the educational institutions from different stakeholders. Even students of different universities staged demonstrations in this regard. At last students of Jahangirnagar and Dhaka University broke the lock of the hall gates and entered. Students of some other universities also staged demonstration demanding reopen of the dormitories. AH   

President of Bangladesh University Council and CUET Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Rafiqul Alam has informed that date for the admission tests of Bachelor (hons) degree for the session 2020-21 under different universities of the country have been fixed. The decision was taken at the virtual meeting of Bangladesh University Council, an organization of the Vice Chancellors of different universities across the country.  The admission test for the students of science, humanities and commerce group under 20 universities will be held on last two Saturdays of June and first two Saturdays of July. The admission test under cluster method of seven agricultural universities will be held on May 29. Besides, admission tests for BUET will be held on June 10 and for RUET, KUET, CUET the admission tests will be held on June 12. The admission tests of Dhaka University will take place on June 21,22,27 and 28 June. The test of Jahangir Nagar University will be held from June 3 to 18.  Moreover, tests under cluster for the engineering universities will take place on June 18, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University on June 27, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University on June 4,5. AH 

The inauguration date of Amar Ekushey Book Fair has been deferred and fixed on March 18 due to coronavirus pandemic situation. Prime Minister’s Office has permitted to organize the book fair formally. As a result there will be no speculation regarding holding the book fair. Director General of Bangla Academy Habibullah Siraji said, the book fair will start on March 18. But the duration of the fair is yet to be fixed. It will be fixed after holding discussion with the publishers. We are interested to hold the fair till first Boishakh (April 14). If there is any objection then it will be concluded on the first day of holy Ramadan. Although there was demand for holding the Ekushey Book Fair in due time but it will not be held in February due to the coronavirus pandemic situation in the counry. Earlier, publishers across the country held a meeting on January 5 and urged the authority concerned to organize the fair in March. AH