A direct bus service from Dhaka to Jaflong and Bholaganj, popular tourist spots in Sylhet division, will start operating from November 2, with the aim to boost the tourism in the country, according to Imran Ahmad, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister.

The Minister came up with the remarks on Saturday while inaugurating AC bus service on Sylhet-Tamabil-Jaflong route on Saturday.

Two bus services from Jaflong to Dhaka and Bholaganj to Dhaka will operate from November 2, he said adding that tourism in Sylhet has great possibilities.

“Many people will get employment centering the tourism business in Sylhet”, he hoped.

Also read: BRTC launches AC bus service on Dhaka-N’ganj route

Two teenage boys drowned in a pond at Julumsagar of district town Dinajpur on Saturday.

The deceased are identified as Dipu Roy, 15, son of Chandan Roy and Raja, 19, son of Abdur Rashid.

Jahidul Islam, Sub-Inspector of Dinajpur Kotwali Police Station, said the duo were riding a boat on the pond when Depu fell into the water and drowned.

Raja also drowned while trying to save Dipu, he said.

After being taken to the hospital they were declared dead, SI said.

Also read:3 sisters drown in Patuakhali

A Khulna court on Saturday sent the wife of a leader of Sramik League, ruling party Awami League's labour front, 
to jail in a case filed over physically assaulting a police officer.

Two separate cases were filed against Fatema Aktar Beauty, wife of Mofizul Islam, President of Sramik League Rupsha unit, after reviewing CCTV footage of the assault on Friday night, said Officer-in-Charge of Rupsha Police Station Jakir Hossain.

Masud Rana, Supervisor of Rupsha Bridge Toll Plaza said Beauty physically assaulted several cops including Nayek Razib Hossain on Friday afternoon.

Also read: UP chairman sued for assaulting cop in Shariatpur

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Saturday said that an agreement to get supplies of the Covid-19 vaccine once it is approved would hopefully be reached in the next 'two to four days'.

The Minister came up with the remarks while distributing food packages among people  affected by the pandemic, including the disease and the lockdown measures, in Garpara of Manikganj Sadar upazila.

"Vaccine is being prepared in many places across the world, we're in touch with them, and hopefully we will be able to sign an agreement shortly, in the next two to four days," he said.

However, not everyone would get the vaccine at the same time. Some people (the elderly or vulnerable) would get it in the first phase and gradually as more supplies are secured, others would also get vaccinated, Maleque explained.

"But vaccine alone can’t prevent an epidemic; people must follow health guidelines and maintain social distance even after being vaccinated," he insisted.

Covid-19 in Bangladesh:

Bangladesh on Saturday registered 1,320 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, pushing the caseload to 407,684.

Besides, 18 more patients died from Covid-19 during the period, taking the fatalities to 5,923.

So far, 324,I45 patients have recovered from the disease-- 1,442 in the last 24 hours.

The fatality rate in Bangladesh is 1.45 percent, the Directorate General of Health Services said.

Bangladesh reported its first cases on March 8. The number of cases reached the 300,000-mark on August 26. The first death was reported on March 18 and the death toll exceeded 5,000 on Sept 22.

The global confirmed cases of Covid-19 exceeded 45 million on Saturday, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

The data shows the Covid-19 cases reached 45,477,552 (over 4.5 crore) while 1,187,023 (11 lakh 87 thousand 23) more fatalities were recorded till this morning.

Coronavirus cases were first reported in China in December last year. The World Health Organisation declared it a pandemic in March.

Also read: Working to bring Covid-19 vaccine to Bangladesh: Health Minister

BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Saturday said their party will fail in  their movement to oust the government unless the prevailing intra-party feuds are resolved first.

"After 42 years, the party formed by Shaheed Ziaur Rahman to unite the nation is split both mentally and organisationally. It means we’re in the same party, but we can’t adjust with each other,” he said.

Speaking at a representative meeting of Krishok Dal, the BNP leader further said, "We don't like to oppose each other openly, but we indulge in rivalry internally, and we try to undermine and defeat one another. We won’t be able to gain anything if we don’t have unity and mental adjustment within the party.”

He said their party did not get success in their movement to dislodge the government over the last 12 years only because of mental distance among the party leaders and activists.

Dhaka District unit of Krishak Dal arranged the programme at Gayeshwar Chandra Roy’s law chamber in the city’s Naya Paltan area.

The BNP leader bemoaned that although the majority people of the country like BNP, it cannot do anything to a government which is dependent on others, and ensure its fall. "Rather, they (ruling party leaders) speak in  a sarcastic language against us and we tolerate it.”

To get rid of this situation, Gayeshwar urged the party leaders to strengthen their organisational capacity and cooperate with each other putting aside all the divisions among them.

Besides, he said their party should overhaul its grassroots and associate bodies based on opinions contributed by all.

"We have to remember that if any of you fail, our party will fail. That is why if we all cooperate with each other we’ll be able to create a strong position (in politics) and restore democracy in the country,” the BNP leader added.

Also read: Gayeshwar suggests a decisive movement for Khaleda’s release