United News of Bangladesh

A court in Natore on Thursday sentenced a woman to 10 years of jail in a case over the killing of her mother in Gurudaspur upazila of the district around four years back. Judge of Natore Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Muhammad Abdur Rahim tried her in absentia, said the court’s Public Prosecutor Abdul Kader Mia. The court issued an arrest warrant for convict Nusrat Jerin Boby Khan, he said. Unauthorised fishmeal factory sealed off in Natore The convict was aged 16 when she committed the crime, he added. According to the case deposition, Nusrat killed her mother Selina Begum with a sharp weapon out of anger for not buying a motorbike for her husband in Naribari village of the upazila on March 22, 2021. Later, the victim’s brother Sultan filed a case in this regard.              

The Traffic Department  of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) filed 1,969 cases for violating traffic rules in the capital on Wednesday.  As part of regular a drive, 75 vehicles were dumped, and 57 were towed. Biman bomb threat came from Pakistani number: DMP The drive was conducted by all eight traffic divisions  of the DMP to ensure better compliance with traffic regulations in the city, said Deputy Commissioner (media) of DMP Talebur Rahman.  DMP officials said the Traffic Division will continue its efforts to maintain discipline on Dhaka's roads.

Over 300 members of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) are being freed  on bail after 16 years in jails in an explosive case over the BDR carnage at Dhaka’s Pilkhana. The prisoners started coming out of Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj and Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur on Thursday morning. Of them, 178 BDR members are set to be freed from Dhaka Central Jail and 126 from Kashimpur Central Jail. Earlier on Sunday, Judge of Dhaka Special Tribunal-1 Md Ibrahim Mia granted the bail to the BDR members in the explosive case. The court was set up temporarily inside the Dhaka Central Jail. On Tuesday, the jail authorities disclosed the list of the convicts who secured bail. The necessary documents for the bail were sent to both jails on Wednesday. After completing legal procedures, the Dhaka Central Jail authority started releasing 178 prisoners. The rest will be freed later, said jailer AKM Masud. The authority of Kashimpur Central Jail has released 38 inmates till 1am on Thursday. Read: Awami League orchestrated BDR massacre for political gain: Shahidul Alam

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has emphasised social transformation through the enormous power of sports and leverage it as a tool for achieving meaningful social change. He said sports should not remain just an entertainment as it has so much social power. "There are many things right in front of us. We never try it in a different way. We are not sacrificing anything; we are adding something to it," said Dr Yunus at a plenary session on "The State of Climate and Nature" on Wednesday. Dr Yunus’ broader engagement with global leaders in Davos continues The event was held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in the Swiss city. Mentioning his experience of working for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Chief Adviser said he was invited in 2018 to include social issues to the Paris Olympics and simultaneously agreed, replying "Yes, of course, we can do that". He said Milan has also sought his help in hosting the Winter Olympics in 2026 to make it a social one. It was a massive highway robbery, Dr Yunus tells Lagarde seeking support for recovery of stolen money Lamiya Morshed, SDGs Affairs Coordinator, and Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam were, among others, present.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus continued his broader engagement with the global leaders here at the 2025 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, with over a dozen of engagements planned for Thursday, the third hectic day since his arrival in the Swiss city on January 21. The Forum has brought together governments, businesses and civil society members to improve the state of the world. Chief Adviser's Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator (Senior Secretary) Lamiya Morshed, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative in Geneva Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam and Secretary (West) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs M Riaz Hamidullah,among others, are accompanying the Chief Adviser at the WEF. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO, DP World; Sir Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs of Meta Platforms Inc; Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International and Robert Maersk Uggla, Chair of A.P. Moller – Maersk in addition to top executives of the global organisations are likely to meet the Chief Adviser on Thursday, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB. Thomas Eymond-Laritaz, founder & CEO of HIGHGATE (Strategic Advisory Firm), Hugh Evans, CEO, Global Citizens and Prof. Klaus Schwab, founder, World Economic Forum are also scheduled to meet the Chief Adviser, Azad said. Global media outlets - Reuters, Financial Times and CNBC International anchor Tania Bryer will interview the Chief Adviser. Over 50 heads of state and government including Nobel Laureate Dr Yunus gathered at the WEF that is taking place from January 20-25. The Summit is being held under the theme of “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age” and it welcomed close to 3,000 attendees from over 130 countries. It was a massive highway robbery, Dr Yunus tells Lagarde seeking support for recovery of stolen money Other participants world leaders include US President Donald J. Trump (via live video link); Javier Milei, President of Argentina; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; Karin Keller-Sutter, President of the Swiss Confederation: Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia; Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium; Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Mostafa Madbouli, Prime Minister of Egypt; Abdulatif Rashid, President of Iraq; Simon Harris, Taoiseach of Ireland; Dick Schoof, Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Dina Ercilia Boluarte, President of Peru; Andrzej Duda, President of Poland; Aeksandar Vučić, President of Serbia; Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of Singapore; Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden; Asaad Hassan Al Shibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria; Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand; Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia; and António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, according to the WEF information. Amid ongoing conflict, economic uncertainty and rapid technological advancements, heads of state gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2025. The gathering comes as uncertainty looms large over the international system, with new leaders coming into office and conflict persisting in multiple regions. Dr Yunus' visionary leadership to help transform Bangladesh: Italian opera singer In Davos, world leaders as well as top private sector voices and leading civil society experts are meeting to drive dialogue and catalyse durable solutions to shared challenges. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen delivered a special address during the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting. "The world today is still nearly as connected as ever," she stated. "But it has also started fracturing along new lines." Von der Leyen urged private and public sector leaders working together, noting that it is in "no one's interest to break the bonds of the global economy." In a special address, Chinese Vice-Premier Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang called on governments to uphold the institutions of multilateralism and warned against the increasing use of protectionist polices. "Trade wars have no winners," he stated. "We need to jointly uphold and practice true multilateralism," Ding said. "Multilateralism is the right way to maintain world peace and promote human progress. It is the golden key to solving the difficulties and challenges facing the world." Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany In a special address, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz detailed efforts to strengthen Europe as the global geopolitical landscape gets increasingly complex. "Predictability, honesty and reliability are having an increasingly difficult time," he said, adding that at the same time the world is becoming more "complicated and complex." Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa In a special address, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa detailed the emerging opportunities for Africa, noting that the African Union's entry into the G20 marked a major milestone for global cooperation. "Cooperation has been one of the key markers of human development, touching on many aspect of human life," Ramaphosa said. "Cooperation is the bedrock of human civilization." Dr Yunus engages with global leaders, seeks support to bring back stolen money In a special address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Europe to support Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia and bolster its defense alliances. "Europe needs to compete for the top spot in priorities, alliances and technological development," he said. Zelenskyy added that when it comes to Europe's security, the continent cannot "rely on goodwill from a few capitals." In a conversation with Provost Gillian Tett of King's College, University of Cambridge, Prime Minister of Viet Nam Pham Minh Chinh called for a new era of political stability — a "smart era", he said. "We need to ensure social progress and equality that leaves no one behind," Chinh said. In a conversation with World Economic Forum President and CEO Børge Brende, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed the latest developments in the Middle East. Topics of discussion included political shifts in Lebanon, the Gaza ceasefire deal and the "new chapter" for Syria following the fall of the former regime. In conversation with World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim explored the latest political developments in Southeast Asia and the pressing issues facing the global economy. "We focus on the economic fundamentals," Ibrahim said when speaking about collaboration between Southeast Asian countries. In a conversation with CNN host Fareed Zakaria, Iranian Vice President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif spoke about the latest developments in the Middle East and the ongoing conflicts. "We can move forward based on opportunities, rather than based on threats," he said while speaking about efforts to reduce tensions across the region. In a special address, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez discussed the impact of social media platforms on democracy and societal polarization. "We know that far from bringing humanity together and 'empowering the people', these platforms have resulted in a concentration of power and wealth in the hands of just a few," he said. "Like the ocean, they should be protected and managed."

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has reportedly received another potential threat from an unknown Whatsapp number, said the authorities  on Thursday morning. The threat comes a day after the national flag carrier received a bomb threat on Whatsapp at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on Wednesday. “We have received another potential threat in Armed Police Battalion Police (APBN) duty officer number from an unknown whatsapp number,” Group Captain Kamrul Islam, executive director of the Airport, informed the media in a message in the morning. Biman bomb threat came from Pakistani number: DMP As per protocol, they are working in coordination with all agencies and tightened security, reads the message. All operations at the HSIA are running normal, it said, “We request for no panic or additional news.” Work underway to enhance Biman's GSE fleet with modern equipment The Dhaka Metropolitan Police said that the WhatsApp message claiming that a Dhaka-bound Biman flight from Rome was carrying explosives originated from a Pakistani phone number. The flight landed safely at HSIA on Wednesday. DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Md Talebur Rahman said on Wednesday night that while the WhatsApp number was from Pakistan, they could not confirm the location from where the message was actually sent.

The ferry services between Chandpur’s Horinia Ghat and Shariatpur’s Alur Bazar Ghat resumed after 10 hours of suspension due to the thick fog in the Meghna River. Faisal Alam Chowdhury, manager of Horinia Ferry Ghat at Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC), said the ferry services resumed around 10 am after the fog cleared.    Earlier at 12am, the BIWTC was forced to suspend the ferry services between the ghats to ward off any unwanted incident amid the poor visibility. Fog-hit ferry services resume on Aricha-Kazirhat, Paturia-Daulatpur routes The suspension caused a good number of light, medium, and heavy cargo vehicles stuck on both sides of the ferry ghat. People didn’t come out of their homes unless emergency as the thick fog blanked the district headquarters and surroundings. Fog disrupts ferry services on two key waterways Ali Azgar, supervisor of launch operators at Chandpur Ghat, said that the launch schedule from Chandpur to Dhaka collapsed due to poor visibility. Three scheduled launches from Chandpur Ghat to Dhaka could not leave at 6am, 7am, and 8am, according to the staff members of those launches. Moreover, launches coming from Dhaka to Chandpur were also delayed, with several passenger launches, including Sonar Tari, Meghna Rani, and Hasan Imam, still stuck in the river due to the dense fog. Fog-disrupted ferry services on Aricha-Kazirhat route resume after 6 hrs They are moving very slowly, and it will take several more hours to reach the Chandpur Ghat, according to the launch supervisors. Shah Mohammad Shoaib, meteorologist of Chandpur's weather office, said that they recorded on Thursday a temperature of 15.6°C, a six degree Celsius fall compared to Wednesday.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has said the UN fact-finding mission on the atrocities during the July-August uprising is in a final stage and will be released by mid-February. He made the comments during a meeting with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in the Swiss mountain city on Wednesday, said Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. Türk said the report would also be shared with the Bangladesh side ahead of its publication from the UN rights office in Geneva. The fact-finding team is mandated to establish facts, identify responsibilities, analyze root causes, and make concrete recommendations for Bangladesh to address past human rights violations and prevent their recurrence. Dr Yunus thanked the UN rights office for investigating the crimes committed during the student-led uprising. He said reports of the six major independent commissions would also come out at around the same time. These reports might serve to complement each other, they observed. The chief adviser urged the UN human rights chief for his support in resolving the Rohingya crisis, which has worsened in recent months following the influx of tens of thousands of new refugees from Myanmar. Read: RAB fully cooperating with UN fact-finding team, says Director General While assuring of his full support, Türk said that he was in conversation with relevant stakeholders, including UN special envoy on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, in this regard. The deep human rights crisis in Myanmar needs the world’s attention, Turk said, after his meetings with key leaders including Special Envoy on Myanmar for talks on the urgent need for solutions and a coordinated response that prioritises peace and human rights. Yunus called for creating a UN-overseen safe zone inside Myanmar's Rakhine side in an effort to stop the fresh influx of Rohingyas. The chief adviser referred to the upcoming high-level conference on the Rohingya crisis, saying it will bring global focus to one of the worst humanitarian crises. Türk agreed that such a conference is very important to bring back the lost focus of the international community on the crisis. Read more: Govt to help UN fact-finding mission if they seek any help : Foreign Adviser Lamiya Morshed, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator (Senior Secretary), Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative in Geneva and M Riaz Hamidullah, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others, were present.

Highway police have seized a CNG-run autorickshaw along with 90 bottles of contraband Phensedyl in Jaintapur upazila of Sylhet on Wednesday night. Tamabil Highway Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Habibur Rahman said being tipped-off they set up a checkpost on Sylhet-Tamabil Highway in Katagang area around 10:30pm. Read: Five drug peddlers held with phensedyl in Sylhet Sensing the presence of the checkpost, the drug dealers fled away leaving the autorickshaw with the phensedyls, he said. The vehicle had no number plate. Later, the vehicle with the drugs was seized, the OC said, adding that a process was underway to file a case in this connection.

Two friends were killed after being crushed by a bus on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Cumilla’s Daudkandi upazila on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Arif Uddin, 18, a first-year student at Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain College in Daudkandi, and his friend Saikat Sarkar, 18, a Bangladeshi expatriate from Italy. 9-year-old drowns in Magura pond Arif was the son of Md. Salah Uddin, a former councillor of Ward No. 6 in Daudkandi municipality. The accident occurred on the Gumti-Meghna Bridge in Daudkandi on Wednesday afternoon. According to police, the two friends were riding a motorcycle when they were struck by a Dhaka-bound bus on the Gumti-Meghna Bridge. Both were crushed by the vehicle and died on the spot. Two college students die in Sylhet road accident Abu Obaid, officer-in-charge (OC) of Daudkandi Highway Police, said the bodies were recovered and taken to the police station. The bodies were later handed over to the relatives of the deceased after the completion of due procedures, he added.