United News of Bangladesh

Shikho has launched “Think AI,” a free Bangla-language course designed to give students, teachers and workers a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence. The course, developed in collaboration with LightCastle Partners and supported by Meta, is available on Shikho’s learning platform, said a media statement. It consists of four lessons covering AI fundamentals, how generative tools work, the ethics of responsible use, and practical pathways for upskilling. It requires no prior technical background and is aimed at secondary and university students, educators, freelancers and young professionals across Bangladesh. The event recently held at a city hotel in Dhaka, drew more than 60 stakeholders from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, the private sector, and development partners. Discussions at the event centered on three objectives: distributing the course through Bangladesh's existing educational infrastructure, opening cross-sector dialogue on AI literacy and digital skills, and establishing a replicable model for public-private collaboration in digital skilling. Shahir Chowdhury, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shikho, framed AI as a civilizational shift and a defining opportunity for Bangladesh. "For the first time in modern history, geography doesn't have to dictate destiny," he said. Mahdi Amin, Adviser to the Prime Minister's Office (Education), said the government is moving to digitise the country's curriculum and standardise the quality of teaching across geographies, with AI as a core enabler.  "We are going to convert our curriculum to a digital curriculum. The finest teachers in Dhaka, the content they get access to, will have the same content in the remote villages," he said. "For our digital classroom and One Teacher One Tab programmes, AI will play an instrumental role." Rehan Asif Asad,Adviser to the Prime Minister's Office (ICT), said the government's first priority is laying the connectivity and data infrastructure that will allow AI to work at national scale. "If I don't have connectivity, I have nothing. For AI to work, it is absolutely critical to have the data," he said. “With that infrastructure in place, for the first time, the barrier is almost blurring between Rangpur and Palo Alto." The panel discussion, which brought together the senior government advisers and Meta's regional public policy leadership, was moderated by Bijon Islam, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LightCastle Partners.

A meeting of the cabinet began on Sunday evening at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair. The meeting started around 7:00pm, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Ministers and senior officials concerned are participating in the meeting. A number of important policy matters and administrative issues are expected to be discussed at the meeting.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has seized a large quantity of smuggled goods worth around Tk 1.90 crore in separate operations in the Sylhet border area. Acting on secret information, the Sylhet Battalion (48 BGB) conducted drives on Sunday in several border areas, including Banglabazar, Kalairag, Minatila, Sangram, Bichnakandi, Pratappur and Sripur, and recovered Indian smuggled goods, said BGB sources. The seized items include 7,264 kg of cumin, 7,200 pieces of skin bright cream, 2,260 sunglasses, 28,944 packets of biscuits, 3,450 pieces of Klop G cream, 1,701 pieces of gel, 495 kg of snakehead fish, one buffalo, 6,772 pieces of chocolate, 285 kg of betel nut, 345 kg of fuchka, 153 trousers, 585 tubes of toothpaste, 100 kg of sugar, 20 cubic feet of stone, one truck, one motorcycle, one trolley and 41 bottles of Indian liquor. The estimated value of the seized goods is Tk 1,90,08,070. Lieutenant Colonel Md Nazmul Haque, commanding officer of Sylhet Battalion (48 BGB), said BGB remains vigilant to ensure border security and prevent smuggling and drug trafficking. “As part of ongoing efforts, a significant amount of illegal goods has been seized. Legal action will be taken as per rules regarding the confiscated items,” he added.  

The government has sent 17 senior police officers, including 16 holding the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), into compulsory retirement. The order was issued on Sunday through a notification from the Home Ministry, signed by its Senior Secretary Manjur Morshed Chowdhury by order of the President. According to the notification, the police officers have been retired in the public interest under Section 45 of the Government Service Act, 2018. They will receive all retirement benefits as per the rules. Those retired include DIG of the Anti-Terrorism Unit Mofiz Uddin Ahmed, DIG of Highway Police Imtiaz Ahmed, DIG of CID Md. Habibur Rahman, DIG (TR) at Police Headquarters Saleh Mohammad Tanvir, Director of National Security Intelligence (NSI) Md. Harun-or-Rashid, and DIG of Dhaka Police Staff College SM Akhtaruzzaman. Besides, Commandant (DIG) of Noakhali PTC Md. Haidar Ali Khan, Commandant of Khulna PTC Md. Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiya, DIG of Tourist Police Md. Ruhul Amin, DIG of Highway Police Md. Rafiqul Hasan Gani, DIG of River Police Md. Mizanur Rahman, and Commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police Md. Majid Ali. The list further includes DIG at Police Headquarters Kazi Zia Uddin, DIG of Railway Police Md. Golam Rauf Khan, Commandant of Rangpur PTC Sheikh Mohammad Rezaul Haider, and DIG of Highway Police Rakhfar Sultana Khanam. In the same order, Superintendent of Police (Supernumerary Additional DIG) of Railway Police Farhat Ahmed has also been sent into retirement. The order, issued in the public interest, takes immediate effect, the notification said.

The government has formed a National Tourism Council to ensure sustainable and coordinated development of the country’s tourism industry. The Cabinet Division recently issued a gazette notification in this regard. The 16-member council  headed by the Prime Minister included Local Government, Finance, Planning, Home, Foreign Affairs, Environment, Cultural Affairs, Land, Civil Aviation and Tourism, Commerce, Water Resources, Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs and Shipping  ministers as members. The State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism will also serve as a member, while the secretary of the same ministry will act as member-secretary of the council. According to the notification, the council will be responsible for supervising, coordinating and providing policy direction for the implementation of tourism development plans. It will also provide advice on the expansion of the tourism sector at national, regional and international levels. The body will formulate policy decisions related to tourism laws and administrative measures, determine strategies to attract domestic and foreign investment, and strengthen coordination among relevant ministries. It will also guide public-private partnerships for the development of the sector. The council will also review and approve recommendations of other tourism-related committees and monitor the progress of implementing election pledges related to the sector. It will have the authority to take decisions on any important matters when necessary. The notification said council meetings will be held as required, and new members may be co-opted if needed. The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism will provide secretarial and administrative support to the council.

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, on Sunday said democracy was endangered in Bangladesh during the 16-year rule of Sheikh Hasina. “Democracy was at stake in Bangladesh during the 16 years under Sheikh Hasina’s rule. A reign of fear was established through repression of opposition parties and extrajudicial killings,” he said. He made the remarks when Ambassador of Algeria to Bangladesh Abdelouahab Saidani paid a courtesy call on him at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, according to a press release. During the meeting, the Speaker recalled the sacrifice of late Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in this long process of restoring democracy. “The people of Bangladesh have regained their democratic rights through the exercise of their franchise in the recently held national election,” he said. Highlighting bilateral ties, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said the future joint progress of Bangladesh and Algeria relationship would be strengthened based on strong people-to-people contact and cultural exchange.

An HSC examinee drowned in a swimming pool in the city’s Demra area on Sunday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Md. Shakib Hossain, 22, a student of Dania College and a resident of Dania Borobari area in Kadamtali and son of Md Arif Hossain . The incident occurred around 2:15 pm at ‘Shamsi Gallery’ swimming pool in Konapara Balurmath area. Vctim's classmate, Ifad, said a group of 15 to 16 friends went to Shamsi Gallery’ swimming pool in Konapara Balurmath area for a swim. Shakib did not know how to swim, so we told him to stay in a shallow, safe area of the pool. However, while the rest of us were distracted, he unknowingly moved into deeper water and drowned,’’ Ifad said. Upon realising he was missing, his friends rescued him in an unconscious state and rushed him to the Emergency Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where the attending physician declared him dead. Inspector Md Faruk said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue and the concerned police station has been informed.

More than 81% of children in Bangladesh have received measles vaccine and the government is working to achieve 100 percent coverage soon, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain said on Sunday. “We have achieved 81% coverage in measles vaccination. The remaining children will brought under vaccination very soon,” the minister said at a press briefing at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka after the second session of the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference. Measles is currently under control in the country and the death rate has declined significantly, he said. There is an adequate supply of vaccines and distribution across the country is running smoothly, he said. A nationwide emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign was launched on April 20 to vaccinate around 1.8 crore children aged 6 months to under 5 years across the country. Besides, on April 5, the government, with support from UNICEF, WHO and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, launched an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign to protect more than 1.2 million children aged 6 months to 5 years in 30 upazilas in 18 high-risk districts. Meanwhile, 10 children died from measles and symptoms consistent with the highly contagious but preventable disease in the country in 24 hours till 8:00am on Sunday, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Of the new deaths, one was confirmed as measles-related, while the remaining nine were classified as suspected. Of the suspected deaths, highest four were recorded in Dhaka. With this, the total number of confirmed deaths from measles has risen to 50 and suspected deaths to 244 since March 15.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will back $70 billion in new energy and digital infrastructure initiatives by 2035, aiming to connect power grids, expand cross-border electricity trade, and improve broadband access across Asia and the Pacific. The Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative will connect national and subregional power systems so renewable energy can flow across borders, while the Asia-Pacific Digital Highway will help close the digital infrastructure gap and enable the region to benefit from AI-driven growth.   Under the Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative, ADB will work with governments, utilities, the private sector, and development partners to mobilize $50 billion by 2035 for cross-border power infrastructure that can unlock renewable energy at scale, said a press release. The initiative will focus on transmission and grid integration, including cross-border lines, substations, storage, and grid digitalization. It will also support power generation linked to electricity trade, including renewable energy export projects, regional renewable hubs, and hybrid generation-storage facilities. By 2035, ADB aims to integrate about 20 gigawatts of renewable energy across borders, connect 22,000 circuit-kilometers of transmission lines, improve energy access for 200 million people, create 840,000 jobs, and cut regional power sector emissions by 15%. ADB expects to finance about half of the $50 billion initiative from its own resources and raise the rest through cofinancing, including from the private sector. Up to $10 million in technical assistance will support efforts to align regulations, adopt common technical standards, prepare feasibility studies and advance other work needed for major projects. The Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative marks a shift from country-to-country energy links to a regional approach to power trade. It builds on existing subregional cooperation initiatives, including the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation program, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation grid interconnection planning, the ASEAN Power Grid, and the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Energy Strategy 2030. The Asia-Pacific Digital Highway will mobilize $20 billion by 2035 to finance digital corridors, data infrastructure, and AI-ready economies. Investments will focus on connected infrastructure, including terrestrial and subsea fiber networks, satellite links and regional data centers. ADB will also provide policy and regulatory support, including on cybersecurity risk management, and invest in skills programs to strengthen digital and AI readiness. By 2035, the initiative aims to provide first-time broadband access to 200 million people and faster, more reliable digital connectivity for another 450 million people across the region. It is expected to cut connectivity costs in remote and landlocked areas by about 40% and help create 4 million jobs. ADB expects to finance $15 billion of the $20 billion initiative from its own resources and raise $5 billion through cofinancing, including from the private sector. The Center for AI Innovation and Development will be established in Seoul to support the initiative. Backed by a $20 million contribution from the Government of the Republic of Korea, the center will promote responsible and inclusive AI adoption and help train about 3 million people in digital and AI-related skills by 2035. ADB President Masato Kanda said that Energy and digital access will define the region’s future. “These two initiatives build the systems Asia and the Pacific need to grow, compete, and connect. By linking power grids and digital networks across borders, we can lower costs, expand opportunity, and bring reliable power and digital access to hundreds of millions of people.”    

Police recovered the decomposed body of a sexagenarian man from an apartment at Lake City in Khilkhet area of the capital on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Faruk Kabir Badal of Tongibari area in Munshiganj district. He had been living alone in the flat as his wife and daughter reside in the United States.  Jibon Chandra Das, sub-inspector of Khilkhet Police Station, said being informed by neighbours, police recovered the body of Badal and sent it to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital morgue. No injury marks were found on the body and it is suspected that he might have died due to age-related complications, the officer said. The exact cause of death will be determined after the autopsy report is received, he added.