The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday filed a case against three officials of Dhaka Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd for embezzling Tk 9.25 crore.

The accused are former Chairman of the bank Shihan Abrar Chowdhury, Vice-chairman Belayet Hossain and Managing Director Shamsun Nahar.

ACC Deputy Director Md Salauddin filed the case with its Dhaka-1 coordinated district office.

According to the case statement, the accused misappropriated the amount through misusing power in the name of loan.

The High Court Monday turned down a petition seeking cancellation of BNP's mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Tabith Awal’s nomination, clearing the way for Tabith’s participation in the upcoming election.

The HC bench of Justice JBM Hasan and Justice MD Khairul Alam rejected the writ petition.

Earlier on Sunday, Retired judge of Appellate division AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhur yManik filed the  writ petition with the HC bringing allegation of concealing wealth information in the election affidavit.

The petitioner said that the Election Commission and the other concerned have been made respondents to the writ.

Earlier, the retired judge met election commissioner MdRafiqul Islam on January 23 afternoon and demanded cancellation of Tabith’s nomination. He also submitted a written complaint.

The petitioner told  reporters on the day that ‘Tabith along two others has shares in NFM Energy (Singapore) private company limited. Tabith did not mention it in his affidavit.”

As the EC did not take any action as per his complaint, he filed the writ with the HC, said the former judge.

The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of the Child Daycare Centre Bill 2020 to support the children of professional and working women as the number of nuclear families is increasing day by day amid the gradual breakdown of joint family tradition in the country.

The approval came at the weekly cabinet meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

The Women and Children Affairs Ministry placed the bill for the cabinet’s endorsement as the number of professional and working women is increasing day by day in the country,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing reporters after the meeting.

According to the proposed law, there would be four types of child daycare centres in the country, he said.

The four types are child daycare centres run with subsidy provided by the government;  daycare centres run by the government, any government agency, directorate, department, statutory agency or autonomous agency to provide services free of cost; daycare centres run by individuals or organisations for commercial purposes; and non-profitable daycare centre run by any individual, organisation, non-government organisation, club, association, corporate sector or industrial sector.

The Cabinet Secretary said registration will be required to set up the child daycare centre and there would be a separate authority for the registration of the centre.

He said the Women and Children Affairs Ministry will monitor the daycare centres.

As per the bill, the maximum punishment for failure to maintain proper safety and security of children in the daycare centre would be Tk 10 lakh fine, he said.

He said if anyone runs any child daycare centre without registration, they would be fined with Tk 50,000, according to the proposed law.

Besides, the Cabinet approved in principle the draft of bills for establishing two science and technology universities in Lakshmipur and Bogura districts.

The titles of the bills are ‘Lakshmipur Science and Technology University Bill, 2020’ and ‘Bogura Science and Technology University Bill, 2020’.

A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Sunday seeking its directive to raise the maximum age limit for entry into Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) jobs to 32 years from existing 30.

Five government job-seekers, including Bijit Sarkar, filed the writ.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman is likely to hear the petition.

It also challenged rule No. 14 of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) regulations-2014.

PSC Chairman, education and public administration secretaries, and others concerned were made respondents to the rule.

Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain stood for the petitioners.

According to the writ, as per the rule 14 of the BPSC regulations, an applicant must have age limit of 30 for taking part in the BCS examination under general cadre while in the Judicial Service Examination an applicant aged 32 can sit for the examination, which is contradictory to the rule.

Police on Thursday conducted a mobile court and seized 14 illegal Tata Sky Umbrella, direct to home (DTH) equipment and devices from a  shop at Bangabandhu Stadium Super market in the city.

During the drive, the mobile court, led by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) executive magistrate Abdullah Al Mamun, seized 14 illegal Tata Sky Umbrella and other equipment from “Tokyo Electronics” and also fined the shop Tk 50,000 for illegally selling the devices, said Executive magistrate Abdullah Al Mamun.

As the government has provided licenses to two local companies for DTH connection, foreign company’s DTH equipment is banned in the country, said Executive Magistrate Abdullah Al Mamun.

The DMP’s mobile court earlier conducted two drives against illegal DTH devices and seized a huge quantity of banned devices.