The Ministry of Public Administration has issued a gazette notification declaring a general holiday on the day of the 12th parliamentary election.
A gazette notification, signed by Sonia Hassan, deputy secretary of the ministry, was issued in this regard on Wednesday.
At the request of the Election Commission, all public, semi-public, autonomous and private offices, institutions and organisations will be closed to allow all employees to exercise their voting rights across the country, the notice said.
Country export earnings during the first half
(July-December) period of the current fiscal year (FY24) totaled $27,540.37
million with a 0.84 percent growth.
According to the latest statistics of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB),
country export earnings during the July-December period of the last fiscal
year (FY23) totaled $27,311.26 million.
The EPB figures, however, showed that the single-month export earnings in
December witnessed a fall of 1.06 percent bagging $5,308.09 million.
A powerful earthquake has struck central Japan, destroying buildings, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and prompting residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground.
The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of about 1m (3 feet) along Japan west coast and neighbouring South Korea on Monday, with authorities saying larger waves could follow.
Media reports said two people were feared dead after the 7.5-magnitude quake struck Ishikawa prefecture on the Sea of Japan side of the main island of Honshu at 4:10 pm (0710 GMT), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Japanese authorities put the magnitude at 7.6 and said that it was one of more than 50 quakes of 3.2 magnitude or more to rock the region on the New Year Day holiday -- when families get together and visit shrines -- over several hours.
Television channels interrupted normal services with special programming including of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urging people in danger areas to "evacuate as soon as possible" to higher ground.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal today said violence during election is not acceptable anyhow as it creates panic among people.
"Violence at polls will not be tolerated in any way as it creates panic among people. So, violent activities must be resisted," he said while inaugurating a training programme for judicial magistrates in the city Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
A total of 650 judicial magistrates took part in the training session ahead of the 12th Parliament Election slated for January 7.