The decision of suspending examinations of seven Dhaka University affiliated colleges has been withdrawn owing to movement by the students. Over the condition of not opening the residential hostels the decision has been taken to continue the examinations. The decision of continuing the examinations has been taken in a meeting presided over by Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday a decision was taken to suspend the ongoing examinations in an emergency meeting. As the news spread among the students they began to agitate after seizing the Nilkhet intersection in the capital. They again seized the same place from 9 am on Wednesday to meet their demand of holding examinations. AH

The countrywide indefinite strike enforced by the vessel workers has been withdrawn as the main demand of food allowance is met by the vessel owners. The vessel workers have taken the decision on Thursday evening after fruitful negotiation between the vessel owners and workers. Earlier, Bangladesh Noujan Shramik Fedaration and Noushramik Odhikar Sangrakkhon Oikya Parishad called the countrywide strike to meet their 11-point demand. State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury earlier hoped that the ongoing vessel workers’ strike could end within today. The vessel workers’ indefinite strike began from Monday midnight. AH  

National Board of Revenue (NBR) has withdrawn the import duty on onion to control the prices. Now traders can import onion without imposed duty till March 31, 2021. The information was delivered through a press release of the public relations department of finance ministry on Sunday. The release said that the duty on onion has been withdrawn in this lean period following direction of the Prime Minister. Of the total imported onions more than 90 percent come from neighboring country India. As India suspended onion export on September 14, the price of this kind of spice went up by 50 taka per kilogram within one day of difference. During the budget of 2020-21 fiscal year five percent duty was imposed on onion import to discourage import and to ensure proper price for the onion growers in the country. As the price has gone up at the moment importers recommended for withdrawing the duty to the commerce ministry. On pretext of the demand of the businessmen commerce ministry recommended to NBR to withdraw the duty through a letter. AH

Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen said, in the Rohingya camps 139 NGOs began their activities after emerging the crisis. Of those, 41 NGOs have been withdrawn from the list for their involvement in misdeed. The minister said these after inaugurating the medical waste management activities of Sylhet City Corporation at South Surma on Saturday. Dr. A K Abdul Momen said, still now some NGOs are performing the same activities. We are getting such evidences. Action will be taken against them. He said that some local and international NGOs are lobbying in different ways for not taking action against them. Sylhet City Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury, officials of the City Corporation, Sylhet district and metropolitan Awami League leaders were present at that time. AH

The new integrated Indian visa center is going to be inaugurated at Jamuna Future Park at Baridhara in the capital. After the inauguration the existing E-token (Interview) system is going to be withdrawn. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh will jointly inaugurate the application center at 11:30 am on Saturday. The Indian High Commission said this in a press release on Friday. The press release said, all the existing visa application centers in Dhaka will be replaced by the new visa application center at Jamuna Future Park. Visa application centers at Motijheel and Uttara will be replaced on July 15, 2018 and the rest two visa application centers at Gulshan and Mirpur Road will also be shifted to the new visa center by August 31, 2018. Then the new center will be the only visa application center in Dhaka without pre fixed interview schedule for obtaining all types of visas. The press release said, the visa center at Jamuna Future Park will be a model visa center. Situated at a commercial area this 18,500 square feet visa center will be decorated with computerized token vending machine, comfortable sitting arrangement and air conditioned waiting place, coffee and soft drink vending machine, food court and 48 counters for application submission. There will be separate counters for senior citizens, women, freedom fighters and business visa applicants.  There will be counters for special help desk and other service like printing and photocopy which can be availed by payment. As it is situated in a wide and safe shopping center so comfortable and uninterrupted visa service can be offered and people also will get time to wait. It also said, the center at Jamuna Future Park was built with help of State Bank of India to coordinate visa application service and to strengthen the Indian visa application process for strengthening the relation between the people of India and Bangladesh. AH

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) claimed that Dhaka University Sufia Kamal hall unit Chhatra League president Ishrat Jahan Isha is innocent. Besides, the organization has withdrawn the expulsion order and reinstated her to the post. The information came in through a press release of BCL on Friday morning. Earlier BCL formed a four-member investigation team over the incident of assault on students at Sufia Kamal hall. Isha was found innocent in the investigation team report. BCL expelled Isha over the allegation of assaulting some female students who took part in quota reformation movement on Tuesday night. The general students alleged that, hall unit president Isharat Jahan called Botany department fourth year student Morsheda Akter to her room in the night and assaulted her. At that moment a cut was made on Morsheda’s foot. Isha used to beat general students by calling them in her room from the beginning of quota reform movement. Nobody protested over the incidents from the point of fear. The university authority was aware of the incident from the statement of general students. Moreover audio was published in the social media. After the incident, in the midnight BCL expelled the student leader following a press release signed by BCL central committee president Saifur Rahman Sohag and general secretary SM Jakir Hossain. The press release said that Isha was expelled from the organization for violating discipline. On that day injured Morsheda took treatment from Government Staff Hospital and went to University Medical Center. From there she went to her relative’s home. On the same day the university authority also expelled Isha. AH