For the second successive day in the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 competition in India, bowlers continue to outshine their batting counterparts.   On Saturday, Mustafizur Rahman produced the best bowling figures in this tournament after taking five New Zealand wickets in their last Super 10 Group 1 match at Eden Gardens.   Yesterday, Australian bowler James Faulkner took five Pakistani wicket to set up a 21 run win in their group match at Mohali, reports zeenews.   Rahman's figures (4-0-22-5) is the second best for any Bangladeshi bowler after Iliaz Sunny's 5 for 13 in four overs against Ireland in 2012. The 20-year-old took the wickets of Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Grant Elliott, Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum in an inspired spell of pace bowling.   Bangladesh, already out of the tournament, after losing to Pakistan, Australia and India, restricted the Kiwis to 145/8.   New Zealand have already qualified for the semis, and they will be join in the last four from the group by the winners from tomorrow's Australia-India match.

Cutter-master Mustafizur Rahman became the first Bangladeshi bowler to grab five wickets in the history of World Cup cricket after taking five wickets for 22 runs against New Zealand in their last Group-2 match of the ongoing 6th ICC World T20 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday.   According to UNB report, this is also the best bowling figure for any bowler in the ongoing World Twenty20.   The previous best bowling figure for Bangladesh was 4/34 made by Shakib Al Hasan against West Indies in Johannesburg in 2007 World T20.   On way to his five-wicket haul, 20-year-old left arm fast medium pacer from Satkhira district Mustafiz took the wickets of Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Grant Elliott, Mitchell Santner and Nathan McCullum of New Zealand, conceding 22 runs in his four-over spell.   After the day’s match, Mustafiz bagged 22 wickets conceding 301 runs in 51.1 overs in 13 T20 matches with an average of 13.68.   Mustafiz became the 2nd bowler after Brian Vitori to take five wickets in first two ODI matches, taking five wickets (5/50) in the first match and six-wicket (6/43) in the 2nd match, both against India on home soil in Dhaka in June last year.  

Belgian prosecutors have charged a man with terrorist offences, in relation to the deadly attacks in Brussels that left 31 dead.   A BBC report has said, they named him as Faycal C, who was arrested on Thursday.   Suicide bombings, claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS), killed 11 people at Zaventem airport on 22 March, while 20 people died in an attack on the metro.   Zaventem - Brussels international airport - will not reopen before Tuesday, authorities have announced.   Separately, the authorities have appealed for a "march against fear" planned for Sunday to be postponed, citing concerns that it could divert police resources away from the investigation.   Belgian prosecutors said that Faycal C had been detained outside the prosecutor's office in Brussels on Thursday. A search of his home had found no weapons, a statement said.   It said Faycal C was charged with "participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted terrorist murders".   It gave no further details and made no comment on Belgian media reports that he was the third man in an airport CCTV image that showed the two suicide bombers - Najim Laachraoui on the left, and Brahim el-Bakraoui. Belgian media say the third man is Faycal Cheffou, a freelance journalist.   Brahim's brother, Khalid el-Bakraoui, carried out the Maelbeek metro attack.

Director General (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benazir Ahmed on Saturday said the elite force has been given top priority to control militancy and terrorism with utmost sincerity to build the society free from terrorism.   "The main duty of RAB is to control militancy and terrorist activities, so they have been given top priority to curb terrorists and militants from the next working plan," he told newsmen at a function at its headquarter at Kurmitola.   The elite anti-crime forces celebrated its 12th founding anniversary and the 46th Independence and the National Day. The day's programme started in the morning.    The RAB was established 12 years ago to control terrorism and militancy and the force successfully brought law and order under control, Benazir said, reports BSS.   The director general said the elite crime-busting force could win the hearts of the people within a short period of time through its anti-crime activities.   With a view to fighting terrorism, the RAB was formed with members from seven departments along with civil people on March 26 in 2004 and it started operation on July 21 the same year, he added.    The force has the highest number of forensic laboratories and it has already prepared a criminal database and jail database.    "There is no alternative to identifying criminals to control militancy, but the RAB doesn't investigate all cases, except selected and sensational ones," the director general added.   Additional Director Generals (ADGs) Colonel Ziaul Ahsan, Dr Aftab Uddin Ahmed, Chief of Intelligence Department Lieutenant Colonel Abul Kalam Azad, Director (Media) Commander Mufti Mahmood Khan and officials of all battalion were present at the function.

President Abdul Hamid and his wife Rashida Khanom on Saturday hosted a reception at Bangabhaban marking the country's 46th Independence and National Day.   Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined the reception on the lawn of the President's House, reports BSS.   Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and former president HM Ershad attended the reception.   Valiant freedom fighters and family members of Birshreshtha gallantry award recipients attended the Independence and National Day reception.   Cabinet members, Deputy Speaker, advisers to the Prime Minister, ambassadors and high commissioners of different countries, Chief Election Commissioner, state ministers, Supreme Court judges, cabinet secretary, senior lawyers, chiefs of three services, members of parliament, senior political leaders, editors, journalist leaders, senior civil and military officers, academics, business community leaders, artistes and distinguished citizens also joined the reception.   President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cut a cake on the occasion of the Independence and National Day. They exchanged greetings with the injured freedom fighters and other guests at the function.   Abdul Hamid and Sheikh Hasina also enquired about the wellbeing of the injured freedom fighters and assured them of extending allout support for their welfare.   Country's renowned artistes Fakir Alamgir and Bappa Mazumder presented patriotic songs at the function, among others.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday greeted the people of Bangladesh on the occasion of Independence and National Day.   "Today is glorious Independence and National Day of Bangladesh. On this occasion, I convey my heartiest greetings and congratulations to all Bangladeshi brothers and sisters,” Banerjee wrote on her Facebook post in Bangla, reports UNB.   She remembered all the martyrs and their family members with due respect and prayed for ‘stronger and sweeter ties’ between two Bengals.   Banerjee also paid tributes to all who brought Independence through their supreme sacrifice.   The Chief Minister also tweeted in Bangla saying, “Tributes to martyrs. Joy Bangla. Joy Hindi.”

New Zealand won the 28th Match of ICC WT20 2016 by 75 runs against Bangladesh in India’s Kolkata on Saturday.   Earlier New Zealand set a 146-run target against Bangladesh in the Super Ten match of ICC WT20 2016.   New Zealand have managed to score 145 runs after losing 8 wickets in their 20 overs at the iconic venue Eden Gardens.   In chase of 146 runs Bangladesh managed to score only 70 runs in 15.4 overs losing all wickets.   Mustafizur’s cutter proved to be too good for Kiwi batsmen as he picked up five wickets at a cost of only 22 runs. Al Amin also took two wickets.   New Zealand played 20 overs to score the moderate figure, including 11 boundaries and five sixes, spurred by the skipper Kane Williamson top-scoring 42 off 32 balls that witnessed five boundaries and one six.   Colin Munro and Ross Taylor were the other doubled figure scorers adding 35 and 28 runs respectively for the side, batted first after winning the toss.  

Sunny Leone, who was at the set of Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Raees', says this was the first time at a film shoot where she "kept wanting to pinch herself" just to see if it was a dream or a mere reality. Sunny, who was last seen on the silver screen in director Milap Zaveri's adult comedy film 'Mastizaade', tweeted after filmmaker Ritesh Sidhwani, who is producing 'Raees' shared that the former adult film star is a part of Rahul Dholakia's upcoming film. "So we have Laila Sunny Leone, Shah Rukh Khan and 'baniya ka dimaag' Rahul Dholakia in 'Raees'... Are you wondering what's next?" Ritesh tweeted, to which the 'Jism 2' actress replied by saying she wanted to keep pinching if it was real or not. "First time on a film set where I kept wanting to pinch myself to see if it was real or a dream. Amazing first day! Rahul Dholakia, Ritesh Sidhwani, Shah Rukh Khan," she wrote. 'Raees' also stars actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. Source: mid-day  

A two-day book fair is set to begin at the University of Liberal Arts (ULAB) in the city on Tuesday.   The annual fair of the private university will be held on its Dhanmondi campus, reports UNB.   Many reputed publishers are expected to participate in the fair which will remain open to all from 10am to 7pm.

Brussels international airport will not reopen before Tuesday, authorities say, following attacks in the Belgian capital that left 31 dead. According to a BBC report, Zaventem airport was the first target on 22 March, with two suicide bomb explosions in the departures hall.   An hour later, 20 people died in the suicide bombing of a metro station.   A suspect under arrest for November's deadly Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam, has refused to answer questions about the Brussels bombings, prosecutors say.   So-called Islamic State (IS) has said it carried out both the Brussels attacks, and the ones in Paris, in which 130 people died.   US President Barack Obama on Saturday said that Muslims must not be stigmatised following the attacks, as this would play "right into the hands of terrorists".

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday released a commemorative postage stamp, a first-day cover and a data card marking the 46th Independence and National Day.   The Premier released the stamp and the first-day cover of Taka 10 and the data card of Taka 5 at her official Ganobhaban residence here this afternoon. A "special cancelor" was used on the occasion, reports BSS.   Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, State Minister for Post and Telecommunication Tarana Halim, Additional Secretary of Ministry of Post and Telecommunication Muhammad Mahfuzur Rahman and Director General of Bangladesh Post Office Prabash Chandra Saha were present on the occasion, among others.    The stamp, first-day cover and data card would be sold from Philatelic Bureau of Dhaka GPO today and those would be available at other GPOs and head post offices across the country later.   There is also an arrangement for "special cancelor" in four GPOs to be used for the first-day cover.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday greeted Freedom Fighters (FFs) of the country marking the 46th Independence and National Day.    On the occasion, she sent flowers, fruits and sweetmeats to the war-wounded FFs as a mark of her good wishes for them, reports BSS.   PM's Assistant Private Secretary (APS)-1 Jahangir Alam, APS-2 Saifuzzaman Shikhar and Protocol Officer Khurshid Alam handed over these items to the war-wounded FFs at Muktijoddha Punarbashan Kendra at Mohammadpur in the capital this morning.   The Freedom Fighters thanked and expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for remembering them on every occasions including the Independence Day, the Victory Day and Eids as well as constructing a multistoried residential and commercial building at Mohammadpur for their rehabilitation.    Nearly 80 families of the war-wounded FFs have been residing in the building.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) interrogated family members of slain college student Sohagi Jahan Tonu at RAB-11 office here on Friday midnight.   A team of RAB-11 took the Tanu’s mother Anwara Begum, brother Anwar Hossain and her cousin Laizu Zahan to their office from their residence in Mirzapur of Muradnagar upazila on Friday midnight for quizzing, said Comilla Crime Prevention Company-2 Commanding officer Major Khorshed Alam of RAB-11, reports the UNB.   Earlier on Friday afternoon, the official concerned of Cantonment Board picked up Tanu’s father Yar Hossain and elder brother Nazmul Hossain for interrogation, said Humayun Kabir, a neighbour of Tonu.   Later, the elite force members took the five members of Tonu’s family to the Rest House of the Cantonment Board around 4:30 am, said Major Khorshed.   The body of Sohagi Jahan Tonu (19), a second year history student of Victoria College and a member of Victoria College Theatre, was recovered from Comilla’s Mynamati Cantonment area on Sunday night. Police suspected that she had been raped before the murder.   The killing of the college student sparked protests across the country.

New Zealand set a 146-run target against Bangladesh in the Super Ten match of ICC WT20 2016 in India’s Kolkata on Saturday.   New Zealand have managed to score 145 runs after losing 8 wickets in their 20 overs at the iconic venue Eden Gardens.   Mustafizur’s cutter proved to be too good for Kiwi batsmen as he picked up five wickets at a cost of only 22 runs. Al Amin also took two wickets.   New Zealand played 20 overs to score the moderate figure, including 11 boundaries and five sixes, spurred by the skipper Kane Williamson top-scoring 42 off 32 balls that witnessed five boundaries and one six. Colin Munro and Ross Taylor were the other doubled figure scorers adding 35 and 28 runs respectively for the side, batted first after winning the toss. The Black Caps are the only team to have qualified for the semi-final so far and they will be keen to extend their dominance in the tournament and end the group stage unbeaten, while Mashrafe Mortaza's side will be hoping to end their campaign with a consolation win.   Bangladesh Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Shuvagata Hom, Mashrafe Mortaza(c), Al-Amin Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman New Zealand Kane Williamson(c), Henry Nicholls, Colin Munro, Corey Anderson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Luke Ronchi(w), Mitchell Santner, Nathan McCullum, Mitchell McClenaghan and Ish Sodhi

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Saturday paid tributes to Liberation War martyrs at Savar National Mausoleum on the occasion of the 46th Independence Day, reports the UNB.   Khaleda Zia placed a wreath at the National Mausoleum around 8:30 am.   Later, she along with her party’s leaders and activists also placed wreaths at the grave of BNP founder and late President Ziaur Rahman at 9:30 am.   BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP standing committee members Moudud Ahmed, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Mahbub Uddin Khokan, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mahbubur Rahman, Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yousuf, AZM Zahid Hossain and BNP vice chairmen Abdullah Al Noman, among others, were present.   BNP arranged a two-day program to mark the day.   In observance of the day, BNP hoisted the national flag and party flag at its Nayapaltan central office at 6 am on Saturday.

Step side Qandeel Balooch-- Pakistani TV actress who promised to strip had Pakistan defeated India in ICC World Twenty20 game in Kolkata in last week-- as Poonam Pandey is back in action, reports the Deccan Chronicle.   Balooch had promised to "strip dance" had her home team defeated arch-rivals India in Kolkata.   However, after Pakistan's failure to beat MS Dhoni-led Indian side, Balooch dedicated a dance performance to Indian fans.   Pandey, who hit the headlines after promising to go nude following India’s World Cup triumph in 2011, congratulated Team India after their win against Bangladesh in Bengaluru on Wednesday.   The Indian cricket board had stopped her from going ahead with her antics in 2011. However, she had her way after Kolkata Knight Riders won IPL in 2012.   The two-film old Bollywood actress took to Twitter as she shared a "small gift” for Team India after the Bengaluru win.   This time she lose her bra a little and post it on her social media site as a gift!

A ceremonious program was held yesterday in the city on the occasion of ‘Nowruz’-- the first day of Persian calendar.   Iran Cultural Centre (ICC) in Dhaka and Persian Language and Literature Department of Dhaka University jointly organised the festivity at BMA auditorium in the city.   Addressing the function, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said Iran and Bangladesh are united to combat against terrorism.   Despite their different culture and history, both the countries have belief in Islam which will consolidate the long friendship between them, he observed.   Iran Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Abbas Vaezi Dehnavi said Iran has good relations with Bangladesh, and it will continue in future.    He stressed the need for cultural exchange between the two countries to make the friendship stronger.   Inu also inaugurated the website of ICC (iranmirrorbd.com) and a grand cultural program was held at the end of the program.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday urged all to build the country through united efforts so that the national does not lag behind anymore, reports UNB.   "The government has taken all sorts of steps to make the country hunger and poverty-free one...we'll build the country...we'll no longer lag behind...we'll march forward...let's build the country through united efforts," she said. The Prime Minister said this while addressing a rally of children and juveniles, arranged by the Dhaka district administration, marking the 46th Independence and National Day, at Bangabandhu National Stadium. Sheikh Hasina said, "We have attained a position in the world arena... now we'll march forward further." The government wants to build the country in a way so that no one can neglect Bangladesh anymore, she said adding, "We'll build the country in such a way so that we can move around the world keeping our heads high." The Prime Minister inspected a parade of children arranged on the occasion and took salute. She also witnessed a spectacular march past and colorful physical display of the children. The gallery of Bangabandhu National Stadium was decorated with portraits of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bir Shresthas, photographs of the Prime Minister and natural beauty of Bangladesh.

In the wee hours of March 26, 1971 Bangabandhu made a declaration.    It said "Today Bangladesh is a sovereign and independent country. On Thursday night, West Pakistani armed forces suddenly attacked the police barracks at Razarbagh and the EPR headquarters at Pilkhana in Dhaka. Many innocent and unarmed have been killed in Dhaka city and other places of Bangladesh. Violent clashes between E.P.R. and Police on the one hand and the armed forces of Pakistan on the other, are going on. The Bengalis are fighting the enemy with great courage for an independent Bangladesh. May Allah aid us in our fight for freedom. Joy Bangla".   The message was picked up by a number of sources including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US government and it conveyed the message to the State Department, reports the BSS.    The issue, naturally, came up for discussion in a number of high-level meetings in Washington D C. on March 27, 1971 (US Eastern time) and after.   The news was also printed in a number of US dailies of March 27, 1971 that included the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Baltimore Sun and L.A. Times. It was also broadcast by American television network CBS and a couple of other channels.   In neighboring India most media outlets carried the Father of the Nation's declaration. Apparently it was sent by EPR, now BGB, wireless before the Pakistan army arrested him at 1 am on March 26, 1971.   According to US declassified files they were surprised that the Pakistan army had gone on the "rampage" after such a fruitful discussion between Mujib and Yahya. Their conclusion was Yahya would not be able to sell the deal in West Pakistan. Also that the "talks" were a "decoy" for military build-up and crackdown in what was still then East Pakistan.