Rangpur Division created history by winning the title of the inaugural edition of the National Cricket League (NCL) T20 on Tuesday beating Dhaka Metro by five wickets on Tuesday in Sylhet.  The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) hosted the tournament to give the local cricketer more chances to play T20 cricket ahead of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). All the teams, which take part in the NCL First-class, also played the T20 edition of one of the most prestigious domestic cricket events of the country.  Rangpur won the toss in the final and opted to bowl first. Dhaka started with a big hope as Imranuzzaman drove Mukidul Islam Mugdho for a four through the deep cover region off the first ball of the match.  6-team 2nd South Asian Lawyers Cricket taking place Dec 23-26 But the morning did not show the day well for them. Dhaka lost four wickets in just eight runs with Mukidul taking three wickets in his first two overs.  With just 16 runs on the board, Dhaka lost five wickets. They had no clue against Rangpur's disciplined bowling attack.  Only two Dhaka batters— Shamsur Rahman Shuvo and Abu Hider Rony— were able to reach a double-digit figure.  Dhaka Metro beat Khulna to reach NCL T20 final Eventually, Dhaka crumbled for 62 runs in 16.3 overs. It was the lowest total in a T20 event final in Bangladesh.  For Rangpur, Mukidul and Alauddin Babu shared six wickets equally between them.    In reply, Rangpur reached the target with 52 balls to play and five wickets in hand.  But before closing the game, Rangpur also lost wickets quickly. They were reduced to 47 for five in 7.5 overs, keeping hope alive for Dhaka. But a cautious 23-run stand by Ariful Haque and Anamul Haque Anam sealed the match for Rangpur, earning them the pride of first NCL T20 title.  The NCL T20 served as a much-needed opportunity for local cricketers to prove their mettle in the shorter format of the game. These cricketers often get overlooked in BPL, where teams have a wider pool of cricketers, including foreign recruits.

The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Dhaka Metro has formed its board for 2024 with the commitment to foster positive change and leadership development. The board was announced on Tuesday at JCI Bangladesh Office in Banani, Dhaka, said a media release on Wednesday. Aligning with the national goal of the board, it will continue its work towards impactful changes through collective efforts. Founded in 1915, JCI is a global force for young individuals aged 18 to 40, spanning approximately 124 countries. With more than 6,000 members in Bangladesh, JCI is a vibrant movement of young, passionate individuals committed to creating substantial, tangible changes in their communities and the nation. JCI Dhaka Metro forms 2024 Board committed to positive change As a platform for young leaders, JCI Dhaka Metro introduced a diverse and talented group of individuals dedicated to creating positive societal transformations. The new board is comprised of passionate and visionary leaders who bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the organization. Md. Sariful Islam, working for the United Nations with 15 years of experience as a communications expert and journalist, has been elected as the Local President for 2024 at JCI Dhaka Metro.  Towhid Ahmed, Head of Corporate Communications at Banglalink, and Young Entrepreneur Annando Kutum have been elected as the local executive vice presidents.   Media personality Farabi Hafiz and businessperson Md. Belal Hosen Munna, communication professional Tanjim Ferdous, and independent researcher Nayeem Arefin joined the board as vice presidents. JCI Barishal distributes warm clothes to 150 children Entrepreneur Mustakim Hassan will serve as the Secretary General in 2024. The other vital members of the board are: Biswajit Kumar Paul, Treasurer; Wahida Zaman Shithi, Training Commissioner); and Sayed Monjurul Haque Rony, General Legal Counsel. Among the directors are Emran Hossain, Rayhan Masud, Sangeeta Aparajita, Alam Pintu, Towfiq Hasan, Dis Islam Raz, Shahadat Hossain Dipto, and Atm Rahat Mohammad. The primary focus of the newly formed board is to work with JCI Vision 2024 to ensure empowering communities, fostering growth and building a smart Bangladesh. President Md. Sariful Islam said, "Our vision for the upcoming journey is to ensure that every individual is not just a member but a valued contributor to the positive change we aim to bring. As we embark on this journey, let us unite in our commitment to building a society where the spirit of leadership and community thrive." " JCI Barishal holds free medical camp The new board was announced during the General Assembly (GA) of JCI Dhaka Metro. Imran Kadir, 2024 JCI Bangladesh National President, S.M. Tanveer Saad Akash, JCI Bangladesh BDC Chairperson; Sanama Faiz, 2023 Local President of JCI Dhaka Metro; Members of JCI Bangladesh National Governing Body, and Members of JCI Dhaka Metro joined the GA. Holding a prestigious consultative status with vital international bodies like the Council of Europe and UNESCO, JCI is a dynamic platform for young leaders to drive meaningful change.

The long-awaited Metro Rail in capital Dhaka is finally going to be opened to traffic by the year-end, bringing with it much hype and also its own share of challenges. The main challenge is ensuring its security. Authorities now have planned to form a specialised new police unit, “Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Police" or “MRT Police” to ensure security and safety checks at its every station. The proposal for formation of the new police unit is now awaiting the final approval of the Secretaries' Committee under the Cabinet Division. READ: Metro Rail’s performance test on Sunday  “The process of forming the MRT Police will start after getting the approval from the committee,” a senior official at the Police Headquarters told UNB. According to a Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP), Dhaka Mass Transit Development Company Limited (DMTCL) has planned to construct six metro rail routes in Dhaka by 2030, with a total length of 128.74km. Construction work on the six metro rail lines is underway aiming to complete it by the timeframe. The six metro rail routes will create a128.74km metro rail network, which will have 104 stations -- 53 underground and51 elevated, according to the DMTCL. The MRT police will ensure the security of the entire metro rails in the future as 5 million passengers will use the metro rail network per day. During a presentation of Metro rail at Ganobhaban in September 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina underscored the need for the formation of the separate police unit for ensuring the security of the metro rail. Later, the DMTCL, under the Ministry of Road, Transport, and Bridges Ministry, submitted the proposal to the Police Headquarters in the same month for the formation of the MRT police. Following the proposal, the Police Headquarters had sent a draft organogram to the Home Ministry’s Public Security Division for forming the new unit. After scrutiny, the division later sent the draft to the Public Administration Ministry, then the Finance Ministry and finally to the Cabinet division. Contacted, additional DIG (O&M) of Police Headquarters (PHQ), SM Mostak Ahmed told UNB that the draft proposal is now at the Cabinet Division for discussing it at the Secretaries’ Committee for its final approval. Replying to a question, he said, “Now the draft proposal is at the final stage. Once approved, more time will be needed to complete the formation process of the MRT police unit.” After the formation of the unit, the MRT police unit will work out a deployment plan after security assessments. “We’ll do everything from our part to ensure the security of the Metro Rail,” Mostak Ahmed said.

Dhaka Metropolis team were trailing by 326 runs against Chattogram Division  on the 2nd day of the four-day National Cricket League at the BKSP ground-3 in Savar on Monday.  Chattogram Division resumed their first innings Monday morning with overnight total 316 for 4 featuring two brilliant centuries by Test captain Mominul Haque and Mahmudul Hasan Joy and declared the innings for 445 for 9 in 134.1 overs. READ: NCL: Mominul, Mahmudul tons guide Ctg Div to 316/4 over Dhaka Metro  Nightwatchman Yasir Ali, resuming his knock on 1, scored a 39-ball 24 hitting two boundaries. Another overnight batter Nayeem Hasan (10) contributed 18 runs off 58 balls, also with two fours, Mehedi Hasan Rana hit an 81-ball 39 featuring four fours and a six while Mehedi Hasan  made 20-ball 25 runs with two fours.  Shohidul Islam grabbed three wickets for 66 runs, Abu Hider also claimed three wickets for 82 runs while Sharifullah bagged two for 106 runs. Replying to Chattagram Division mammoth total, Dhaka Metro team opened the first innings Monday afternoon and scored 119 for 4 in 25 overs when the bails were drawn for the 2nd day to trail by 326 runs.    National-capped opener Shadman Islam was batting on 68 runs off 98 balls featuring seven hits to the fence and one over the fence while Shamsur Rahman made 52-ball 32 runs with four boundaries. Mehedi Hasan Rana captured two wickets for35 runs.  Dhaka Metro batter Al Amin Junior rushed to the hospital during the match with head injury when a bouncer of Mehedi Hasan Rana hit his hamlet.        In the day’s other match, Rajshahi Division were trailing by 177 runs against Barishal Division on the 2nd day of the league at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium in Cox’s Bazar on Monday. Barishal Division resumed the first innings Monday morning with overnight score 360 for 7 featuring a century by Shohag Gazi (113) and were all out for 404 in 102.3 overs.    Night watchman Shamsul Islam, who was on batting with 56 runs, contributed 84 runs off 148 balls hitting eight fours and two sixes while another overnight batter Monir Hossain scored 13 runs.  National coloured spinner Taijul Islam claimed four wickets for 125 runs, Nahid Rana, Asaduzzaman and Sunzamul Islam took two wickets each conceding 47, 96 and 120 runs respectively.     In reply, Rajshahi Division opened the first inning and scored 227 for 4 in 75 overs at the end of the 2nd day (Monday) and were trailing by 177 runs. READ: NCL: Sylhet beat Khulna by 4 wkts National-capped batter Nazmul Hossain Shanto hits the team highest 68 runs playing 114 balls featuring seven boundaries, Towhid Rana scored 50 runs off 88 balls with three fours, Tanzid Hasan made 57-ball 42 runs hitting four fours and a six while Farhad Hossain was on batting with 26 nuns. Monir Hossain captured two wickets for 52 runs.   At the Academy ground of Sylhet International Cricket Stadium Dhaka Division were trailing by 333 runs against Khulna Division on the 2nd day (Monday). Replying to Khulna Division first innings collection 419 runs, Dhaka Division scored 86 for no loss in 36 overs at the end of the 2nd day.  In the day’s other match, hosts Sylhet Division were struggling against Rangpur Division at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on the 2nd day. Replying to Rangpur Division ‘s first inning score 266 runs, hosts Sylhet Division scored 113 runs in the first innings and scored 31 for 1 in the 2nd innings when bails were drawn on the 2nd day.