News5h

 Lorcan Tucker hit a century on debut as Ireland recovered from a shaky start to keep the one-off Test against Bangladesh alive, showing an unwavering resolve on day three at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Thursday.

    Resuming the day at 27-4 and with a fear of being rolled out in a session against a much-vaunted spin attack of Bangladesh, Ireland put a brave face to give them a faint hope to pull off a miraculous victory.

    For a grim stat, Bangladesh have never won their first match against any Test nation.

    Tucker’s ton, complemented by Harry Tector and Andy McBrine’s half-century, helped Ireland survive the third day and ended on 286-8 at stumps, leading Bangladesh by 131 runs.

    Tucker who made 108 off 162 with 14 fours and one six indeed became the second Irish batter to hit a century on debut after Kevin O’Brien.

    He formed two significant partnerships-72 with Harry Tector for the sixth wicket and 111 with Andy McBrine for the seventh wickets to give Ireland a lead.

    Bangladesh was bowled out for 369 in its first innings in reply to Ireland’s 214, taking a 155-run lead.

    Tector, one of the six debutants of Ireland, followed his 50 in the first innings with 56 and McBrine, who registered a best bowling figure by an Irish bowler in the first innings with 6-118, was batting on 71.

    In all, Bangladesh were able to take just four wickets, which was the testament of the temperament of the Irish batters in their only fourth Test.

    After resuming the day, Ireland hit back brilliantly thanks to Harry Tector and Peter Moor who added a little but significant 38-run for the fourth wicket. The partnership boosted the Irish confidence to a great extent.

    The hosts could have got the wicket of Tector early in the third morning as he edged a slower delivery of left-arm spinner Taijul Islam behind the wicket when on 9 but wicket-keeper Liton Das put it down.

    Tector then made Bangladesh paying for it heavily, frustrating them throughout the morning session.

    Pacer Shoriful Islam finally broke the partnership, when Moor edged a moving delivery behind the wicket to be out on 16.

    But Tucker’s arrival paced the scoreboard as his bold approach to attack the spinners, specially left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, paid off.

    Tector raised his second fifty in the Test then off 145 balls, with an outside edge of Khaled Ahmed delivery that flew into the gap between the slips and gully.

    But after a little while Taijul had him leg-before after Tector tried to paddle sweep a delivery that didn’t turn much.

    Bangladesh got a ray of after the dismissal of Tector but Tucker and McBrine frustrated them further to take the match to the last session when the hosts believed they could wrap up the innings in the first session.

    Both Tucker and McBrine showed courageous approach of going after the Bangladeshi spinners fearlessly, which paid off nicely for them.

    Tucker however drove Taijul to the mid-wicket for a single to raise his fifty on debut Test off 94 balls and went on to strength to strength, much to the despair of the Bangladeshi bowlers.

    McBrine’s assured presence at the other end also boosted him, as he kept punishing Bangladesh bowlers.

    He however drove Taijul Islam for a boundary through mid-off region to raise his hundred off just 149 balls.

    But Tucker couldn’t prolong the innings as Ebadot Hossain had him caught by Shoriful Islam with the second new ball.

    Taijul Islam then removed Mark Adair for 13 to end the day as the best Bangladesh bowler with 4-86. Skipper Shakib Al Hasan, a left-arm spinner who bagged two wickets on day two, bowled only six overs on day three.  McBrine and Graham Hume, who was on 9, saw out the day without further trouble.

 Awami League (AL) General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said BNP has chosen the way of conspiracy sensing defeat in the next national parliament elections.

“There is a deep conspiracy on our way …conspiracy is underway to oust Bangabandhu’s daughter and the political evil force is intriguing. They will not win the upcoming polls against Sheikh Hasina and that’s why, BNP is leading the conspiracy”, he said.

The minister told the newsmen after paying homage at the portrait of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in front of Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi road no-32 here on the historic Mujibnagar Day.

Quader said, “We are pledging to build smart Bangladesh and we have to resist and defeat political evil force BNP, militant elements and communal force those are creating impediment on the way of development and prosperity”.

“We will go ahead to build Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu and it is the pledge of the day”, he added.

About country’s achievement the ruling party leader also said country’s achievement is not zero, adding Bangabandhu’s least development country (LDC) is now a developing country under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina.

“Now our pledge is to build a modern Smart Bangladesh by 2041. But, there are obstructions and even challenges on the way to reach the target as well”, he said.

 Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida resumed campaigning on Saturday, shortly after being evacuated unharmed from the scene of an apparent “smoke bomb” blast, local media reported.

“There was a loud blast sound at the previous speech venue. Police are investigating details, but I’d like to apologise for worrying many people and causing them trouble,” national broadcaster NHK quoted Kishida as saying at a stop in western Japan’s Wakayama.

“An election that’s important to our country is taking place, and we must
work together and follow through on it.”

 After a spell of severe heatwave, met office forecast some relief from the scorching heat as maximum temperatures are likely to drop from tomorrow across the country. 

 Thousands of residents fled Sudan’s capital Wednesday as fighting between the army and paramilitaries, that has killed around 200 people, raged for a fifth day after a 24-hour truce collapsed.

The violence erupted on Saturday between the forces of two generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

It followed a bitter dispute between Burhan and Daglo over the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army — a key condition for a final deal aimed at resuming Sudan’s democratic transition.

Loud explosions and heavy gunfire were heard in the capital on Wednesday morning, as witnesses said plumes of thick black smoke emanated from buildings around the army headquarters in central Khartoum.

RSF fighters atop armoured vehicles and pick-up trucks laden with heavy weapons and ammunition swarmed the streets, as the army’s fighter jets roared overhead and fired on RSF targets, the witnesses said.

Civilians huddled in their homes were becoming increasingly desperate, with dwindling food supplies, power outages, and a lack of running water.

Their hopes of being evacuated were dashed on Tuesday when a 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire collapsed within minutes of its proposed start at 1600 GMT.

– Streets littered with bodies –

On Wednesday morning, thousands of people took matters into their own hands and began leaving their homes in Khartoum, some in cars and others on foot, including women and children.

They said the streets were littered with dead bodies, the stench of which filled the air.

Governments have starting planning to evacuate thousands of foreigners, among them many UN staff.

Japan said on Wednesday that its defence ministry had begun the “necessary preparations” to evacuate around 60 of its nationals from Sudan, including embassy staff.

After the truce collapsed, the army accused the “rebel militia” of failing to commit to it and of continuing “skirmishes around the army headquarters and the airport”.

The RSF in turn accused the army of “committing violations” and breaching the ceasefire by launching “sporadic attacks” on its forces and bases around the capital.

The fighting has left at least 185 people dead and more than 1,800 injured, according to the United Nations.

But the real figure is thought to be far higher with many wounded unable to reach hospitals, which are themselves being shelled, according to the official doctors’ union.

Deafening explosions rattled buildings, windows and the nerves of many terrified residents who hunkered down hoping for an end to the violence.

Offices and residential buildings in the city have been left with shattered windows and facades riddled with bullets.

Electricity and water are out in many parts of Khartoum, forcing residents to sneak out during lulls in fighting to buy food and supplies, witnesses said.

– Derailed transition –

The latest violence, during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, came after more than 120 civilians had already been killed in a crackdown on regular pro-democracy demonstrations over the past 18 months.

Both generals have positioned themselves as saviours of Sudan and guardians of democracy — in a country which has known only brief democratic interludes.

Since the start of fighting, each side has claimed the upper hand and that they have taken control of key sites or made advances on the other’s bases across Sudan.

None of the claims could be independently verified.

Saturday’s outbreak of violence is the culmination of deep-seated divisions between the army and the RSF, which was created in 2013 by longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Burhan and Daglo toppled Bashir together in April 2019 following mass protests against his three decades of iron-fisted rule.

They have since been allies with their relationship interspersed with brief periods of tensions.

In October 2021, the two men led a military coup against the civilian government which was installed following Bashir’s ouster, derailing an internationally backed transition.

Burhan, a career soldier from northern Sudan who rose the through ranks under Bashir, has maintained his coup was “necessary” to include more factions into politics.

But Daglo, also known as Hemeti, has since called the coup a “mistake” that failed to bring about change and invigorated Bashir’s remnants.

 Bangladesh Metrological Department (BMD) has predicted Rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with hails at isolated places.

According to the BMD forecast for the 24 hours from 9am today, weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country.

Severe heat wave is sweeping over the districts of Dinajpur, Rajshshi, Pabna and Chuadanga and mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping over Dhaka and Barishal divisions and the rest part of Rajshahi and Khulna divisions and the districts of Panchagarh, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Moulvibazar, Rangamati and Bandarban and it may continue.

The highest temperature of the country was recorded on Tuesday 42.2 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi and minimum temperature today was 22 degrees Celsius at Badalgashi.
 
The sun sets at 6.22pm today and rises at 5.33am tomorrow in the capital.

 The holy Shab-e-Qadr, also known as Lailatul Qadr, (the Night of Decree) when the first verses of the holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), was observed across the country last night.

The Muslim devotees passed the night offering special prayers, reciting the holy Quran, holding zikr and other religious rituals, seeking blessings of the almighty Allah for long life, peace and progress for themselves, their families, relatives, friends as well as the nation and the Muslim Ummah.

Marking the Lailatul Qadr, today is a public holiday.

 Newspapers published special articles while state-run Bangladesh Betar,
Bangladesh Television and private television channels aired special
programmes highlighting significance of the Lailatul Qadr.

According to the holy Quran, the night is better than 1,000 nights as the
angels and the spirit descend therein, by the permission of almighty Allah with all decrees.

This is one of the holiest and most blessed nights which is likely to occur on one of the odd number nights in the last 10 days of Ramadan and most likely to be the 27th of the holy month.

Devotees, on the nights, usually visit graveyards to seek eternal blessings for the departed souls of their near and dear ones.

To the Muslims, the entire month of Ramadan is a period of spiritual
training. Besides fasting, they devote themselves to praying, reciting the holy Quran and offering charity.