The rally announced by the employees of Bangladesh Secretariat for Wednesday inside the Secretariat to press home a nine-point demand has been postponed. Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees United Council president Md. Badiul Kabir announced the decision on Sunday at a press briefing following a meeting with the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and the Land Secretary at the Secretariat. The council had earlier planned the rally to demand financial benefits for ‘long-deprived’ officials, a 50% dearness allowance until a new pay commission is formed, reinstatement of the time scale and selection grade, reintroduction of rationing, an increase in the retirement age, changes to designations, and timely promotions. Deputy Governor Nurun Nahar removed from 2 key departments Kabir said, "Tensions has been rising within the Secretariat. Our demands were acknowledged as logical during discussions with the Public Administration Secretary, Land Secretary, and other senior officials. They assured us that these issues would be addressed in phases through dialogue. Thus, we have decided to suspend the rally." Senior Secretary of the Public Administration Ministry Md. Mokhlesur Rahman said over 2,000 administrative and personal staff members at the Secretariat have long been deprived of pay raises and promotions. HC acquits Tarique Rahman, others in Aug 21 grenade attack cases "The nine demands are reasonable and achievable though fulfilling some will take time. While certain issues can be resolved immediately, others require long-term planning," he said. Land Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed said, "We discussed the employees' demands and will implement them in phases. However, some legal complexities require consultations with the Chief Adviser."

Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations, under all the education boards due to begin from June 19 have been indefinitely postponed due to floods, authorities said. A notice issued from the education minister's office confirms the matter on Friday. A new schedule of the exams will be announced later, it said. READ: June 25 SSC exam rescheduled to June 24: Education Minister

Amid the spike in Covid-19 cases in the country, Amar Ekushey Book Fair -2022, which was scheduled to begin on February 1, has been postponed by two weeks. “State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said the government has taken a decision to postpone the Amar Ekushey Book Fair  considering the overall Covid situation,” Foysal Hasan, senior Public relations officer of the ministry told UNB. Last year, the month-long fair, which usually begins on Fenruary1, was also postponed to avoid the risks of Covid-19 infections. Later, the fair began on March 18 at the Bangla Academy premises and the adjacent venue at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital. READ: Bangla Academy on war footing ahead of Amar Ekushey Book Fair The book fair is arranged every year in February commemorating the sacrifices of those who laid down their lives on 21 February 1952 for establishing Bangla as the mother tongue. The traditional Amar Ekushey Book Fair began informally in 1972 at the Bangla Academy premises.  However, the academy officially took the responsibility to arrange the fair regularly -- every year since 1978. READ: Ekushey Book Fair: 3 publishing houses awarded for using bKash It was then named as ‘Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela’ and a guideline was laid out in this regard in 1984.

The Election Commission (EC) has postponed the election for the post of Chairman at Bharara Union Parishad (UP) of Pabna Sadar Upazila following the death of a chairman candidate in a clash. Pabna District Senior Election Officer Mahbubur Rahman said that if a candidate is killed in pre-polls violence, there is a provision to postpone the polls for that post as per the rules of the EC. Police said a clash ensued between the supporters of independent chairman candidate Sultan Mahmud Khan and Awami League candidate Abu Sayed Khan over pasting posters at Bhatara village on Saturday. READ: 7 arrested for attacking presiding officer in Cumilla UP election  During the clash the rival groups exchanged gunfire, leaving Yasin and 12 others injured, said Masud Alam, additional superintendent of Pabna police.  Yasin succumbed to his injuries on the way to Rajshahi Medical College, he said.  Nine of the injured were admitted to Pabna General Hospital and six of them later shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.   READ: Aushkandi UP election finally held: AL’s Delwar Hossain elected as chairman

All professional final examinations of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) scheduled to start on Sunday (April 4, 2021) under the Dhaka University affiliated medical colleges have been postponed. The decision was taken as Bangladesh saw a sudden spike in Covid-19 infection. The next dates of the exams will be announced later, a press release issued by the Dhaka University said. But the first and second professional MBBS May-2020 and November-2020 practical and oral examination will be held on time maintaining hygienic rules, the press release added. Also read: MBBS admission test results published

The two-day special session of Parliament, scheduled to begin on Sunday on the occasion of the Mujib Borsho, was postponed on Saturday amid the growing coronavirus scare.

The 5th Cosmos Art Echo session has been postponed following growing concern of novel coronavirus or COVID-19.