The global problem of antibiotic resistant-bacteria has been shown to be prevalent in Bangladesh as well. At least 10 types of bacteria have become more resistant to 17 life-saving antibiotics used for treating patients with various infectious diseases across the country, according to a study conducted by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). The study was based on laboratory analysis of the samples of 10 common bacteria collected from 14,669 patients at nine hospitals.

Antibiotics are becoming ineffective in killing the 10 types of bacteria that cause a number of diseases, including urinary tract infection, septicaemia, diarrhoea, pneumonia and wound infection, according to the findings. The IEDCR conducted the study from 2017 to September this year with technical support from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (US-CDC), and the World Health Organization.

The Supreme Court directed Grameenphone to pay Tk 2,000 crore, around 10 times higher than what the carrier was willing to pay as adjustable deposit, to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. Whether the sum would be considered a deposit or an advance payment was unclear.

The SC also ordered the leading mobile operator to pay the amount within the next three months. Failure to do so could result in BTRC taking punitive measures -- including appointing administrators -- against Grameenphone. Earlier on November 14, Grameenphone had offered to pay BTRC a sum of Tk 200 crore against the regulator's audit claim of Tk 12,580 crore. The SC also said that if the Tk 2,000 crore was not paid in three months, it would stay the High Court order which issued an injunction on BTRC's move to realise the total sum.

Urging the government to remove 'flaws' from the Road Transport Act by next June 30th, the president of the influential Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, ex-shipping minister Shajahan Khan, said they will refrain from declaring any protest programme till then. He made the announcement while talking to reporters after attending a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who has been entrusted with the responsibility of resolving the issues surrounding the RTA, that came into effect earlier this month.

While talking about the validity of some of the federation's demands regarding transport fitness and driving license, the home minister said the law enforcement will be lenient on those matters. "Some of the nine sections of the Road Transport Act need to be simplified. Therefore, law enforcers have been asked to consider those issues until June 30, 2019," he added.

Bangladesh Bank withdrew its restriction on buying products online from international market place using credit cards. A circular issued by the central bank's Foreign Exchange Policy Department (FEPD), said that in order to simplify online transactions, it has been decided to waive Online Transaction Authorization Form (OTAF) formalities for online payments abroad through international cards (ICs).

However, the circular advised authorised dealers, in this case banks, to guard against illegitimate online payments abroad through ICs from Bangladesh like payments for participating in online casinos/gambling, trading in forex/stock exchanges, purchase of crypto currencies/lottery tickets, etc as well as to strictly observe KYC (know your clients) and AML/CFT standards (anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism).