In 2010, Musa Ibrahim made history by becoming the first Bangladeshi to plant the national flag on the peak of Mount Everest. Bangladeshi scientists also achieved a milestone by sequencing the jute genome. However, the year was overshadowed by negative events such as a drop in Dhaka stocks and allegations of fund siphoning against Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The top ten news stories of the year, according to bdnews24.com, included the successful ascent of Mount Everest by Musa Ibrahim on May 23rd, which was a source of great pride and joy for Bangladeshis. The president of the North Alpine Club, Musa, is a graduate of both Dhaka University and BRAC University, and he is originally from Lalmonirhat. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced in parliament on June 16 that researchers from Bangladesh, specifically from Dhaka University's biochemistry and biotechnology departments led by Dr. Maqsudul Alam, have successfully sequenced the genome of jute. This development is expected to enhance the quality of jute fiber, helping it withstand adverse weather conditions caused by climate change. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been embroiled in controversy over allegations of misappropriating funds from Grameen Bank and attempting to cover up the issue from Norwegian donors. On November 30, the Norwegian state television NRK broadcasted a documentary called 'Caught in Micro Debt' by Danish investigative journalist Tom Heinemann. This documentary brought to light the fund transfer issue 12 years after it occurred. The story was first reported in Bangladesh by bdnews24.com on December 1. Yunus called upon the media on Sunday to address the controversy surrounding the 'channelled fund'. Grameen Bank, on the other hand, claimed that the issue had already been resolved by the Norwegian government and the bank in 1998. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other leaders of the ruling party criticized the Grameen Bank chief and called for investigations. The MV Jahan Moni, a Bangladeshi ship, was recently hijacked by Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea near the Indian coast of Kochin. There are 26 Bangladeshis, including 25 crew members, on board the ship, which has been taken to the Somali coast. The government is being urged to negotiate with the pirates by paying ransom. Relatives of the crew who have been taken captive are calling for urgent government intervention to secure their release. Foreign minister Dipu Moni stated to the press two weeks ago that no country should negotiate ransom payments. The ship's owner has reported ongoing negotiations with Somali pirates. In contrast, Somali pirates recently released a German ship after receiving a $5.5 million ransom, which had been captured in May. Stalking incidents resulting in violence and death have been making headlines in newspapers recently. The issue gained attention after the death of Mizanur Rahman, a college teacher from Natore, who was run over by a stalker in October. Following this, Chanpa Rani Bhowmik was killed for protesting against harassment in Faridpur, and Rupali Rani of Sirajganj took her own life after being kidnapped by an eve-teaser. In response to these incidents, the government, prompted by the High Court, amended laws to allow for stalkers to be tried in mobile courts, which began operating in early November. The country's financial market was thrown into chaos at the end of the year due to a sudden drop in share prices. People's interest in investing in the stock market had increased as several exchange records were broken. However, investors pushed share prices up until the general index at the Dhaka Stock Exchange plummeted in the second week of December, losing over 500 points in just one hour. Frustrated and angry investors took to the streets twice in the last month as the market showed signs of decline, protesting and causing damage to property. On December 8 and 19, investors clashed with police as the market experienced a record fall in a single hour and the highest fall in a single day. The nation recently adopted its first comprehensive education policy in history. The National Education Policy was approved by the cabinet on May 31 and by parliament on Dec 7. Despite protests from some Islamic parties claiming a decrease in religious education opportunities, the government refutes these claims and is focused on implementing the policy. The new policy includes extending primary education to class VIII and eliminating the Secondary School Certificate exam. The policy aims to update textbooks, revise exam systems, and modernize madrasa education. Anthrax caused panic in the middle of the year, affecting at least 500 people in various districts. The government issued a red alert and conducted large-scale cattle testing nationwide, including in border areas where foreign cattle enter. The demand for cattle meat dropped suddenly, leading the government to declare the country anthrax-free in early October. Butchers claimed that poultry traders purposely caused panic to make profits. Livestock state minister Abdul Latif Biswas supported this claim and announced that the government would look into the issue. The national carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, came to a standstill on Oct 26 due to a strike called by pilots. The strike, led by younger pilots, was ended after a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Oct 29, saving the airline from potential closure. Biman suspended four pilots, including the acting president and general secretary of the pilots' association BAPA, on Oct 25. BAPA made the decision to go on strike immediately in response to a decision they were protesting. That same evening, 53 pilots called in sick. On October 20, the 116-member BAPA group issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Biman, demanding that their 5-point request be met, which included cancelling the order to raise the retirement age of pilots from 57 to 62 years. The pilots also warned that they would not fulfill any duties beyond their contractual obligations with Biman if their demands were not addressed.