Declaring gambling in any form, involving cards or roll of the dice or luck and through games like bingo, a criminal offence, the High Court yesterday asked the government to stop these nationwide.

It’s a classic case of how poor planning can increase the cost of a project and delay its implementation. The upgrade of the 70km road from Joydevpur to Elenga in Tangail to a four-lane highway was due to be completed by March 2018 at a cost of Tk 2,788.45 crore.

Bangladesh’s first World Cup-winning captain, Under-19 skipper Akbar Ali talked to The Daily Star’s Abdullah Al Mehdi over the phone from South Africa regarding the team’s triumph, discussing his and the team’s feelings after delivering the historic result.

The government has taken measures to ensure navigability in 10,000 kilometres of river routes through dredging 178 rivers, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury today told parliament.

Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah became the youngest bowler to take a hattrick in Test cricket, leaving the visiting Bangladesh on the verge of yet another humiliating innings defeat in the longest format of the game.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday reiterated that the ongoing drives against corruption, drugs and terrorism will continue to protect the society from such menaces.

Fire incidents across the country rose by 22.5 percent to 24,074 last year, compared to 19,642 in 2018, causing a loss of Tk 330.41 crore, says a government report.

The office of the civil surgeons in Jashore is yet to start screening inbound train passengers from India, a country with confirmed coronavirus cases, at Benapole land port.

China raised the death toll from its coronavirus outbreak to 811 yesterday, passing the number killed globally by the SARS epidemic, as authorities made plans for millions of people returning to work after an extended Lunar New Year break.

No more agony, no more heartbreak against India. The Young Tigers wrote history for Bangladesh cricket at the Senwes Park in Potchefstroom yesterday, ending their wait for a major global trophy.

A Bangladeshi worker in Singapore has been diagnosed with coronavirus infection, said the Ministry of Health of Singapore.

To have firsthand knowledge about Phensedyl smuggling in the wake of an apparent rise in the flow of this contraband, our staff correspondent Mohammad Jamil Khan went to two villages in Chapainawabganj, a northwestern district bordering India.

The smuggling of Phensedyl through various border points appears to be rising with alleged relocation and reopening of some factories in India.

Following a dream run in the ICC Under-19 World Cup that has seen Bangladesh reach the final of the flagship event for the first time, the youngsters will be eyeing history as they try to clinch the title against defending champions India in the final in Potchefstroom today. The match is scheduled to start at 2:00pm BST.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday said they would rejuvenate the people to organise a “mass upsurge” to free party Chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

With the coronavirus outbreak getting worse, the authorities have started screening incoming international passengers at land ports and airports yesterday.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak soared to 722 in China yesterday, including the first foreign victim, as Hong Kong imposed a mandatory quarantine on mainland arrivals to block the spread of an epidemic that has caused global panic.

Bangladesh’s performance against Pakistan on the first day of the first Test was better in comparison to their showing against India in their previous Test just a couple of months ago as the visitors managed to reach 233 in their first innings before being bowled out in Rawalpindi yesterday.

As the BNP prepares to hold a rally at the city’s Nayapaltan today, the party and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police yesterday gave contradictory statements on permission for the programme.

The authorities of Dhaka Medical College Hospital have opened an “isolation unit” to treat coronavirus patients if there is any.