In this 2023-24 academic year, twenty-four universities, including GST institutions, are set to conduct the first-year admission test for the fourth time in a cluster system. Admission test for 'A' unit will be held on Saturday (April 27) from 12 noon to 1 pm. On the same day Architecture Practical (Drawing) will be taken from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Besides, the examination of 'B' unit under the Humanities group will be held on Friday, May 3 and the examination of 'C' unit under the Business Management will be held on Friday May 10. The admission test of these two units will be held from 11am to 12 pm. On the occasion of the admission test, the overall preparation has already been completed. Meanwhile, special attention is being paid for the safety of the students during the ongoing heatwave. The Vice Chancellor of Jashore University of Science and Technology Prof. Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain said that all the Universities have been requested to take proper precautions during the heatwave. At the same time he is calling upon the Vice-Chancellors of the concerned Universities under the cluster to provide sufficient fresh water and first aid in the examination centers for the protection of the admission candidates. This year, 3 lakh 5 thousand and 346 applications have been submitted against a total of 21 thousand seats under cluster system. Accordingly, 15 aspirants will fight for each seat. In this year, cluster admission test application was open from 12-27 February. During this period, 1 lakh 70 thousand 599 applications have been submitted in 'A' unit of science group, 94 thousand 631 in 'B' unit of humanities group and 40 thousand 116 applications in 'C' unit of business management.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner, Md Habibur Rahman has said there is no threat to the upcoming Eid ul-Fitr. Besides, special security measures have been taken for 24 hours in Dhaka during the Eid holidays. He said this at a press conference after visiting the Eid market at Bashundhara Shopping Complex in the capital on Tuesday noon (April 2). DMP commissioner said, "There is no threat centering the Eid festival. As The capital becomes empty during the long Eid holidays. Security has been arranged keeping this in mind in the security plan." He said about 1.5 crore people will go out of Dhaka during the Eid holidays. At this time Dhaka city remains empty. So we would advise the city dwellers to be aware of their valuables and be aware. Special security measures have been taken by the police for 24 hours ahead of Eid.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sought a special fund for creating more women entrepreneurs for their socioeconomic progress and more loan at concessional rates to implement climate-related projects. Addressing the World Bank, she said, "You (WB) can give a special fund for the socio-economic development of women in Bangladesh." The special fund will accelerate the government's efforts to create women entrepreneurs. ’ The Prime Minister said this when World Bank Managing Director (Operations) Anna Bojerde paid a courtesy call on her at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here this afternoon. Prime Minister's Speechwriter M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the meeting.

Bangladesh Railway (BR) will operate seventeen special trains for easy transportation of devotees on the occasion of Biswa Ijtema. Md Kamrul Ahsan, Director General of the BR, said this at a press conference held at Rail Bhaban in Dhaka at 11:30am on Tuesday. Railways Minister Md Zillul Hakim was present during this time.  As per the schedule, two juma special trains will be operated on Dhaka-Tongi-Dhaka route on February 2 and February 9 (Friday). A special train will be operated on Jamalpur-Tongi route on February 3 and February 10. On the day of Akheri monajat on February 4 and 11, a total of ten special train services will be operated on Dhaka-Tongi-Dhaka route. Besides, two special trains will run on Isharwardi-Dhaka-Ishwardi route and one each on Tongi-Mymensingh and Tongi-Tangail routes.  Notably, the first phase of the Ijtema is scheduled to be held on 2-4 February while the second one on 9-11 February on the bank of the Turag river in Tongi. 

Petitioners had challenged the legality of an Indian government decision in 2019 to strip special rights from Kashmir that included protections on land ownership and its own constitution. India's Supreme Court has upheld a 2019 move by the government to revoke a special semi-autonomous status granted to former state of Jammu and Kashmir. The court said that the special status given to the territory was a "temporary provision." It also said that Jammu and Kashmir should be put on par with other Indian states "at the earliest and as soon as possible," with local elections to take place by September 30, 2024. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the Supreme Court ruling on social media, calling the verdict "a beacon of hope, a promise of a brighter future and a testament to our collective resolve to build a stronger, more united India." What was the case about? More than 20 petitions had challenged the controversial abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 by Modi's Hindu-nationalist government.  The petitioners had contested whether the Indian parliament had the power to revoke the region’s special status, maintaining that only the constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir could decide on it. Article 370 had granted a special status to the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir and had allowed for limited autonomy, including a separate constitution and inherited protections on land and jobs. The revocation was accompanied by the imposition of direct rule in Jammu and Kashmir from New Delhi.  The region was also divided into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, both ruled directly by the central government in New Delhi without a legislature of their own.  The controversial move was followed by massive public backlash. India responded with mass arrests, a complete lockdown and communication blackout that was in place for months as India propped up its armed forces.

Regent Group Chairman Mohammad Shahed Mohammad Shahed has been jailed for 3 years in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for illegal wealth. Judge Pradeep Kumar Roy of Dhaka's Special Judge Court-7 announced the verdict on Monday, August 21. The court also fined him Tk 1 lakh and ordered to deposit the money to the government treasury within the next 60 working days. On March 1, 2021, Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission Farid Ahmed Patwary filed the case against Shahed with its Dhaka Integrated Office-1 for his alleged involvement in acquiring illegal wealth. The Anti-Corruption Commission submitted a chargesheet against Shahed on February 2, 2022. Later, the court framed charges against him on April 17 last year. On July 15, 2020, he was arrested from the border area of Satkhira by RAB. Shahed has been in jail since then. On September 28, 2020, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment in an arms case.

Former US President Donald Trump and several of his allies were indicted on Monday night in Georgia following a lengthy investigation into Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the southeastern state. Trump and 18 others were charged with "criminal attempts to interfere in Georgia's presidential election," Fani Willis, Fulton County district attorney, told reporters late on Monday night.  The charges in the 94-page indictment arise "from a criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election in this state," Willis said. The grand jury indictment against Trump is the fourth brought against the Republican politician this year. It could also lead to the first televised trial of a former president. Trump already faces three other criminal indictments, including once by US Special Counsel Jack Smith on charges of trying to overturn his election defeat to US President Joe Biden. What charges is Trump facing? Trump was charged with a total of 13 felony counts in the Georgia case, including conspiracy to commit forgery, submit false statements and impersonate a public official. He also faces a charge of racketeering, which is used in cases to take down organized crime groups. The indictments also named 18 co-defendants within Trump's circle, including his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, as well as the ex-president's former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. What happened in Georgia? The case stems from a January 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Georgia's top election official, Brad Raffensperger, to "find" enough votes to reverse his narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger declined to do so. Biden defeated Trump in Georgia by fewer than 12,000 votes during the 2020 election. Four days later, on January 6, 2021, and two weeks before Trump was due to leave office, his supporters stormed the US Capitol in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent lawmakers from certifying Biden's victory. Trump is the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election. He has long dismissed the many investigations he has faced in his years in politics as a politically motivated "witch hunt." What have been some reactions so far? In an e-mail seeking funds for his campaign that was sent shortly after the indictment was announced, Trump made another statement in this vein. This was "the FOURTH ACT of Election Interference on behalf of the Democrats in an attempt to keep the White House under Crooked Joe's control and JAIL his single greatest opponent of the 2024 election," he said. His legal team also decried the indictment as politically and/or personally motivated, calling it "unconstitutional." It said the indictment was based on a "one-sided grand jury presentation" that "relied on witnesses who harbor their own personal and political interests — some of whom ran campaigns touting their efforts against the accused and/or profited from book deals and employment opportunities as a result." However, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, told broadcaster MSNBC the indictment showed that justice in the US was working. At the same time, she called it "a terrible moment for our country, to have a former president accused of these terribly important crimes."

Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced he is appointing a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe. The development elevates the investigation of the president's son ahead of the 2024 election. Garland announced on Friday that David Weiss, the Delaware attorney who has been probing Hunter Biden's financial and business dealings, would be the special counsel. The appointment comes at Weiss's request. "Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel," Garland was quoted as saying. The appointment gives Weiss additional authority to probe whether the president's son engaged in improper business dealings.  As per a court filing reported on by the Reuters news agency, Weiss said on Friday that parties in the case are at an impasse in plea negotiations, making a trial in order. What do we know about the case? Hunter Biden has been involved in a years-long legal ordeal.  In June, he agreed to plead guilty to federal income tax charges in a deal he made with the US Justice Department that would have allowed him to avert a trial and conviction on a charge related to gun possession in a separate case. However, the deal fell apart in court last month, when a federal judge expressed concern over the gun charge and uncertainty about whether the agreement gave Hunter Biden protection from future charges. US District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by former president Donald Trump, said she was concerned about the language in the plea deal and recommended lawyers discuss it. Besides the three charges leveled against him, Republicans have accused Hunter Biden in Congress of leveraging his father's political power for gains in dealings with Ukraine and China. Weiss's probe into the accusations had not presented any evidence to support the claims.

As the Special Olympics looks to change the attitude towards disabilities, its athletes are inspiring people the world over. Those include stars from the sport's world like Dirk Nowitzki and Lewis Hamilton. As the Special Olympics World Games kicked off with its opening ceremony in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, former Dallas Mavericks' star Dirk Nowitzki had one simple request: "Come out and support all the athletes." The basketball star was not alone in lending his support to the Special Olympians as seven-time Formula 1 champion driver Lewis Hamilton sent a message to the 7,000 Special Olympics athletes from 180 countries, especially those athletes from Great Britain. "It's really amazing what you are able to do out there," Hamilton said in a video. "Just go out and have the best time and enjoy yourself."   Taking part Indeed, as Hamilton implies, the "taking part" is as, if not more, important than the competition at the Special Olympics World Games, adding:  "I am massively inspired and so proud of all of you."   "It is not about winning or losing but about engaging in sport," said Dirk Nowitzki, the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2007, who hails from from Würzburg, Germany. "It's about athletes coming together and having the chance to play and learn from sports, just like I did," Nowitzki said after an appearance with the German Special Olympics 3-on-3 basketball teams. "I am happy to experience this." Romania's five-time Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci is similarly inspired, and not just by the athletes. "Special Olympics is not just about a big event like Berlin, important though that is," she wrote recently. "It's also about the work done at grassroots level" by coaches, trainers and administrators. 3,000 coaches have joined the athletes in Berlin. But that is a drop in the ocean compared to those who work with the six million athletes with intellectual disabilities globally "using sport to create an inclusive world for people of all abilities," as Comaneci, a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics, wrote in a Laureus Sport for Good column. Challenge to German, European sports clubs Among the star power boosting Special Olympics in Berlin is a member of unofficial United States royalty. Timothy Shriver, the Chairman of Special Olympics, is a part of the Kennedy family. His mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the younger sister of President John F. Kennedy, helped start the Special Olympics.  He told he sees the Games in Berlin specifically helping German and European sports clubs further open their doors to Special Olympians. "We're very confident that this country will embrace the idea of the Special Olympics as a challenge to be more inclusive in sports clubs and schools." "Less than 10% of the clubs offer sport for Special Olympics athletes. I hope that the Special Olympics World Games will create more attention." We hope that this message resonates throughout Europe," Shriver told DW. "People with intellectual disabilities have something unique to offer." Changing attitudes As the Special Olympics' inspirational athletes and message continues to resonate around the world, the hope is that events in Berling can further change the perception. "Let's change public attitudes towards disability, Special Olympics," Drogba, the former Ivory Coast football star, has tweeted.  He, like Nadia Comaneci, famous for her the first-ever Olympics perfect gymnasitcs score of 10 in 1976, is a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics.  As is Irish golfer Padraig Harrington, American figure skater Michelle Kwan, Chinese tennis star, Li-Na, and a host of other stars from the world of sport.  Speaking to the athletes, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton said in his video: "I am massively inspired and so proud of all of you, I don't think anyone can understand just how hard the journey has been for all of you to be able to be where you are." As the World Games continue to inspire people across the globe, many, it seems, are coming closer to that understanding. 

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama began a two-day special teaching for the Tibetan youth on Tuesday. Over two thousand students from different schools and colleges in and around the country gathered at the main Tibetan Temple, Tsuglagkhang, here in Dharamshala on Tuesday. Every year, the Dalai Lama imparts his teachings, especially to the younger generation. The Tibetan spiritual leader will impart teachings on human values and the Three Objects of Refuge (kyapdro ngotro) and will also conduct the ceremony of generating of Bodhichitta (semkye). Tibetan students find these teachings very important as the Dalai Lama always tries to develop human values. Tenzin Chodon, a Tibetan student said, “His Holiness has come here to give us a speech so all of us have come here to attend this event specially organized for Tibetan youth. This is very important for us because he is like a lord to us. I am feeling very happy and blessed. I want to cry.” Another Tibetan student, Tsering Dicky said, “Today, all the Tibetan students have gathered here to attend a special spiritual teaching, organised for us. This is very important for us to know about the values that we have to pass on to our younger generation. I feel very blessed and lucky to be a part of this event here.” Earlier, Tibetan Buddhist monks in Shimla performed traditional Cham (Lama Dance) to celebrate the birthday of the Guru Padmasambhava. Scores of monks assembled here at Dorjeedak Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Panthaghati near Shimla. Through these rituals, Tibetan Buddhist monks prayed for compassion and world peace. Before the dance performance, the monks and other Tibetan offered prayers for Guru Padmasambhava. The Buddhist monks through Lama Dance enacted the drama of the arrival of the 8 reincarnations of Lord Padmasambhava and welcomed the lord here. This dance is performed with traditional Tibetan musical instruments and monks wear masks and traditional hats and caps. The Buddhist monks here believe that this is performed to pay respects to Guru Padmasambhava. The day of the dance performance is celebrated as his birthday. All Buddhist monks pray for the long life of the Dalai Lama and also other high Lamas. Tibetan monks also offer prayers for world peace and perform dances to preserve their centuries-old tradition. People from the Tibetan community gathered here also to see the rich traditional dances of the Buddhist monks. The local residents of the Tibetan Buddhist community in exile here were pleased to take part in the Buddhist chanting. The local residents of the Tibetan Community here believe that the preaching of the Guru is important in propagating Buddhism and the message of compassion and peace.