BNP and its associate bodies will observe the 12th death anniversary of its former secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain on Thursday. Besides, the second death anniversary of the party’s late standing committee former Moudud Ahmed will also be observed on the same day. Central and Manikganj unit BNP and Khandaker Delwar Hossain Smriti Parishad have taken various programmes, including placing wreaths at Delwar's grave, offering fateha there and holding milad mahfil and discussions in observance of the death anniversary of the former party secretary general. Local BNP leaders will offer fateha and place wreaths at Delwar’s grave in Manikganj’s Pachuria at noon. Later, they will join a milad mahfil at Pachuria Jame-e-Mosque. Besides, BNP will hold a milad mahfil on the ground floor of its Nayaplatan central office at 10am. Khandaker Delwar Hossain Smriti Parishad will arrange a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club in the capital on March 20 (Monday), marking the ex-BNP secretary general’s death anniversary. Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir issued a message on Wednesday recalling Delwar’s contributions to the party and his role after 1/11 political changeover in foiling various plots against BNP. Born in Manikganj on February 1, 1933, Delwar was elected MP for four times and became Chief Whip of Jatiya Sangsad. A valiant freedom fighter, Delwar had been involved with BNP politics since its birth. Delwar died of old-age complications at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on March 16, 2011. Meanwhile, local units of BNP will arrange different programmes to mark Moudud Ahmed’s first death anniversary in his constituency in Noakhali’s Companiganj upazila. They will offer fateha at Moudud’s grave at Manikpur village in Companiganj at 10am and arrange a discussion there, highlighting the colorful political life of Moudud. Besides, BNP will hold a milad mahfil at its Nayapaltan central office on Thursday morning, seeking the salvation of the departed soul of Moudud. On March 16, 202, Moudud, also a former vice president, law minister and six-time MP, died at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore at the age of 81.  BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also issued a message on Wednesday recalling Moudud's contributions to the party. He also prayed for the salvation of the departed soul of the BNP leader.  

Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will lock horns in a do-or-die match Thursday at the Asia Cup in the UAE's Dubai. Both teams head into the match after suffering heavy defeats against Afghanistan. The winners of the September 1 match will qualify for the next phase. Afghanistan Tuesday became the first team to qualify for the Super 4. Bangladesh team director and former captain Khaled Mahmud said Sri Lanka do not have a quality bowling attack that will help the Tigers get the result their way. However, Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka said Bangladesh are an easier opponent than Afghanistan. Read: Asia Cup 2022: Group standings, where to watch live on App, OTT, TV Sri Lanka were hammered by eight wickets against the Afghans. Bangladesh, however, were engaged in a close contest, only to be let down by their batters. Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are competing in group B of the Asia Cup. In Group A, India, Pakistan and Hong Kong are taking on each other. Bangladesh may make a few changes to their playing XI. Mohammad Naim, who made a comeback to the national team after hitting a hundred for Bangladesh A in the West Indies, failed to prove his T20 prowess in Bangladesh's Asia Cup opener. Parvez Hossain Emon, who has played only one T20 so far, may make it to the squad.

The home and away basis 4th round of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football 2021-22 begins Thursday (Feb 17) at a new city venue --Bashundhara Sports Complex (Bashundhara Kings Arena). Last two times champions Bashundhara Kings will start the campaign in their newly constructed home venue --Bashundhara Sports Complex-taking on Bangladesh Police FC in the opening 4th round match, kicks off at 3: pm. In the day's other match, Joints league leader and last time runners-up Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club will meet Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society at the Sylhet District Stadium , also at 3 pm. The first three rounds of the BPL football was held at two venues adjacent to the capital---Shaheed Ahsanullah Master Stadium in Tongi and Bir Shreshtha FL Lt Motiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj- due to increasing trend of Covid- 19 pandemic in the country. READ: BPL Football: Mohammedan SC play 1-1 draw with Ctg Abahani  But,the league committee in it's last meeting have decided to arrange BPL in old format of home away basis in six venues across the country, sparing the Shaheed Ahsanullah Master Stadium in Tongi for Archery. Apart from Bashundhara Sports Complex and Sylhet District Stadium, four other venues are: Bir Shreshtha FL Lt Motiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj, Gopalganj Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni Stadium, Cumilla Shaheed Dhirendranath Dutta Stadium and Rajshahi Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium. After the first three round matches, six times champions Dhaka Abahani Ltd and three times champions Sheikh Jamal DC dominated the league table, with an unbeaten record collecting seven points each from straight three league matches. READ: BPL Football: Dorielton's hattrick guides Dhaka Abahani to share top slot The joint leaders are followed by holders Bashundhara Kings and Saif SC with six points each, Dhaka Mohammedan SC and Chittagong Abahani Ltd with five points each.

Amid a serious spike of coronavirus cases, the government is going to resume the countrywide mass vaccination campaign on Thursday through administering Sinopharm jabs. Besides, the online registration process for those who are on the priority list for vaccination resumed today (Wednesday) after a long pause. Dr Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the Vaccine Deployment Committee, came up with the announcement at a virtual press briefing arranged by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). He said the Sinopharm jabs will be administered at 40 centres in Dhaka city and at all district hospitals from 8am to 3pm every day as in the past. Dr Haque said the vaccine will also be given at Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) in Chattogram and Saiddpur Sadar Hospital during the same period. READ: Mass vaccination expected to resume in July: Principal Secretary  He said those who got registered earlier but could not receive the vaccines will be given the Sinopharm jabs now while the medical and university students and those who are on the priority lists can get registered for the vaccine. “Everyone will get an SMS from a vaccination centre after the registration and all must receive the vaccine at that centre accordingly. “In this case, the vaccine card and NID card must be brought for receiving the vaccine.” Dr Haque said the Covid vaccination centres will remain out of the purview of the lockdown. “Those who have vaccine cards will be able to go to the relevant centre showing it.” He said the expatriate workers who stay in countries where the Sinopharm vaccine is accepted also can receive the vaccine at the centres both in Dhaka and outside. “But no one will get the vaccine without registration.” Besides, Dr Haque said, the Pfizer vaccine will also be administered at seven centres--Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Shuhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Kurmitola General Hospital, and Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital—in the capital. He said the outbound expatriate workers who are not allowed to return to their workplaces without getting Pfizer vaccine can only receive the vaccine at the seven centres as per the list from the Manpower Export Promotion Bureau.   READ: Japan opens mass vaccination centers 2 months before Games Dr Haque said those who are supposed to receive Sinopharm jabs from these centres will have to go to alternative centres.

Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Thursday in Saudi Arabia, as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in the country's skies today. Al Arabiya English reported the news citing the country’s moon sighting committee. Wednesday will be the last and 30th day of Ramadan in the kingdom. Also read: Eid-ul-Fitr: BNP greets PM Hasina Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s National Moon Sighting Committee decided to meet on Wednesday evening to fix the date of Eid-ul-Fitr upon sighting of Shawal Moon. It is usual for the new moon phase to start a day later in Bangladesh, and so it is expected to announce Eid ul Fitr on Friday for Bangladesh.

The ninth edition of Dhaka Lit Fest, an international literature festival, begins on Thursday on the Bangla Academy premises, aiming to create a bridge between native and international literary figures.