United News of Bangladesh

A college teacher was found dead near Shahagola Railway Station in Atrai upazila of Naogaon district on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Neyamul Bashir, 48, a teacher at Boroshimla Women's College and a resident of Chakramchandra Moholla in the district town. Apart from teaching, he was also involved in the Hajj business. Being informed, police recovered Bashir's body from Shimulia in the morning, said Mahbub Alam, Officer-in-Charge of Atrai Police Station. The body bore several injury marks, including injuries to the head, said OC. Habibur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Santahar Government Railway Police (GRP), said the body was sent to Naogaon 250-bed General Hospital for an autopsy. "Those involved in the killing will be identified and brought to justice under the law once a case is filed in this regard," he said. However, Mizanur Rahman, the victim's brother, alleged that miscreants killed him over a previous enmity.    

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Dhaka for Moulvibazar on Wednesday morning to attend two family card distribution programmes and a political meeting. He arrived at Sylhet Osmani International Airport from Dhaka at around 10:20am as part of his visit to Moulvibazar, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony. Political leaders from Sylhet division and senior government officials stationed in Sylhet received the Prime Minister at the airport. After a brief exchange of greetings with the leaders present, he left for Moulvibazar by road, Rony said. According to the programme schedule, Tarique Rahman will inaugurate a family card distribution programme at the historic Victoria High School ground in Sreemangal at 1:00pm. Under the programme, family cards will be distributed among 155 families in Ward No. 1 of Mirzapur Union in Sreemangal upazila. At 2:30pm, the Prime Minister will attend another family card distribution programme at Moulvibazar Government High School ground, where 152 families in Ward No. 7 of Tengra Union in Rajnagar upazila will receive family cards. Later in the afternoon, he will travel to DuSai Resort to attend a meeting with party leaders before leaving for Sylhet for his return journey to Dhaka. After spending more than one and a half decades in London, Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on December 25 last year. He previously visited Moulvibazar during the election campaign on January 22. This is his first visit to the district as Prime Minister since the BNP secured a majority in the national election.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday initiated the necessary process to bring back former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, who was recently arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), under the existing prisoner transfer framework. ACC Deputy Director Aktarul Islam confirmed the development to journalists. According to ACC officials, the required documents have already been handed over to Bangladesh’s National Central Bureau (NCB), which is coordinating the extradition process with the relevant authorities. As part of the legal and diplomatic efforts, two representatives of the NCB) visited the ACC headquarters on Tuesday and held discussions with ACC officials regarding the ongoing cases against Benazir Ahmed, arrest warrants issued by the courts, judicial orders, and other necessary documentation. ACC officials said details of the corruption and illicit wealth accumulation cases filed against the former police chief, along with court orders and supporting documents, have been provided to the NCB. The documents will be sent through diplomatic channels via the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the concerned authorities in the UAE. The extradition efforts are being pursued under the bilateral extradition arrangement and international legal cooperation mechanisms, officials added. Earlier, Home Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed informed Parliament on Sunday that UAE police arrested Benazir Ahmed on June 12 and that he is currently in custody there. Under UAE federal law, a formal extradition request must be submitted through diplomatic channels within 30 days of the arrest. Relevant government agencies are now preparing the required documents to meet the deadline. Benazir Ahmed, a former police chief, is facing multiple cases involving corruption, money laundering, and passport forgery. An Interpol Red Notice was issued against him on April 11, 2025, following a request from Bangladesh Police Headquarters. He was reportedly arrested on June 12 while transiting through Dubai International Airport after arriving from London. Authorities allegedly identified his location through an artificial intelligence-based surveillance system, leading to his detention.

Dr Moudud Hossain Alamgir has been elected president of the new executive committee of the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) for 2026. All candidates for the committee's posts were elected unopposed in the election held on Tuesday. The newly elected committee will serve for the next two years after assuming office. The results were formally announced by the BCPS Election Commission. The information was confirmed in a notification signed by Election Commissioner Prof Kohinoor Begum. According to the notification, Dr Nuruddin Ahmad was elected senior vice-president, Dr Lutful Aziz vice-president, Dr Sehrin Farhad Siddika treasurer and Dr Imtiaz Faruk secretary. Dr Kazi Din Mohammad was elected as Member (1) of the executive committee. The Election Commission said no nomination paper was submitted for the post of Member (2). As per the rules, a fresh election will be held later for the vacant position.

A security guard died after being electrocuted while picking mangoes from a tree in the capital's Panthapath area on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Abu Raihan, 28, son of Jamal Uddin of Bauler Char area in Ishwarganj upazila of Mymensingh. He had been living with his family in the Panthapath area. According to Mamtazur Rahman, who took him to hospital, Raihan worked as a security guard for AVP Company. He said Raihan came into contact with an electric wire and lost consciousness while picking mangoes from a tree at his workplace. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where the doctor on duty at the emergency department declared him dead after examination. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, confirmed the death citing the attending physician. The body has been kept at the hospital morgue and the matter has been reported to the concerned police station, he said.

A court in Cumilla on Tuesday sent Jisan Ahmed Pradhan, expelled assistant secretary for international affairs of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, to jail in connection with a case filed over rape and forced miscarriage. He was produced before the Judge of Chief Judicial Magistrate Court-3 Tayeb Uddin Ahmed around 5:30pm under tight security. Following a hearing, the court ordered that he be sent to jail, said Court Police Inspector Mamunur Rashid. His lawyer Monir Hossain told reporters that they filed an application seeking court order to provide him with treatment at hospital considering his physical condition. However, after the hearing, the court sent him to jail. Earlier, Jisan’s family claimed that he was rescued from the Laksam Railway Junction area on Friday night, a day after he reportedly went missing from Daudkandi in Cumilla. He was later admitted to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for treatment. Following news of his rescue, a woman filed a case at Daudkandi Model Police Station on Friday night under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, naming Jisan and three others as accused. In the case statement, the woman alleged that she had been raped multiple times and that her pregnancy was forcibly terminated.

Director General for Asia and the Pacific at Federal Foreign Office of Germany Frank Hartmann has said Germany and Europe are willing and eager to engage more with Bangladesh and get to know the country better. “To that end, I would like to invite our Bangladeshi counterparts to come visit us in Germany,” he said reflecting on his recent visit to Bangladesh. With a packed two-day itinerary, Hartmann and Head of the South Asia Division Steffen Koch engaged with representatives from the government of Bangladesh, civil society organisations, the private sector, diplomatic missions and more, said the German Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday. The two senior officials from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office (FFO) visited Bangladesh from June 9 to 11. “This is my first visit to Bangladesh. I had very good talks to political and economic leaders here, as well as civil society organizations. Bangladesh has gone through a difficult political transition in recent years, but it led to a successful outcome of a new democratically elected government,” Hartmann said. “Visits like these open doors for deepened collaboration between Germany and Bangladesh,” said German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Rüdiger Lotz. “It was an honour to host Hartmann and Koch and accompany them on their engagements throughout this trip. I hope Bangladesh’s beauty, hospitality and immense potential will inspire our guests from Berlin to visit again,” he said.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva Nahida Sobhan, on Tuesday said Bangladesh remains proud to champion social justice, multilateralism, the democratization of global labour governance, and a ‘Culture of Peace’ within the United Nations system and beyond. In a speech that resonated across the conference hall, Ambassador Sobhan reminded delegates that without peace, there can be no social justice. “Peace remains the most fundamental precondition for decent work,” she said while speaking at the closing session of the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC). The Ambassador spoke in her capacity as Vice-President of the Government Group of the Conference. The ILC is the world’s largest gathering focused on the world of work, bringing together more than 5,000 delegates from 187 countries. She called for a more democratic and representative ILO, human-centred governance of artificial intelligence, greater focus on job creation and decent work, stronger support for developing and least-developed countries, and a global Culture of Peace among workers, employers, and governments. Drawing inspiration from the Albert Thomas Monument in Geneva, she reminded the Conference that “labour is not a commodity.” In one of the most memorable moments of the Conference, she highlighted a stark global paradox: “We spend more than USD 350 per person on guns and bullets, yet fail to provide even USD 2 a day to millions living in poverty or searching for work.” Ambassador Sobhan has become the first Bangladeshi to be elected Vice-President of the International Labour Conference (ILC), representing the Government Group of the ILO’s Member States.

President of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) Abdulhadi Turus has highlighted the huge potential of the youth in Bangladesh and reaffirmed YTB’s commitment to supporting Bangladeshi students and young professionals through scholarships, training, and leadership programmes. Ambassador of Bangladesh to Türkiye Amanul Haq called on Abdulhadi Turus in Ankara on Monday when they discussed expanding cooperation in education, youth development, cultural exchange, and people-to-people connectivity. Ambassador Haq appreciated YTB's continued support for Bangladeshi students and proposed increasing scholarship opportunities, as many Bangladeshi students are now interested in studying in Türkiye, and establishing a formal framework of cooperation through a memorandum of understanding, said the Bangladesh Embassy in Türkiye. Both sides agreed to explore opportunities to deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The meeting wrapped up with a mutual pledge to further consolidate the age-old brotherly relations between Bangladesh and Türkiye.

In a milestone initiative to preserve Bangladesh's cultural heritage and modernise its labour-intensive handloom industry, the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) has validated a comprehensive competency standard to develop highly skilled artisans for Tangail Saree weaving. The validation workshop for the 'Tangail Saree Weaving (Level-2)' occupation’s Competency Standard (CS) and Course Accreditation Document (CAD)—developed under the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework (BNQF)—concluded at the NSDA conference room in the capital on Tuesday. NSDA Executive Chairman (Secretary) Dr. Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury presided over the session. Abu Ahmed Siddique, NDC, Chairman (Additional Secretary) of the Bangladesh Handloom Board, and Mirza Nurul Ghani Shovon, Chairman of the Informal Sector Industry Skills Council (ISC), attended the event as special guests. Addressing the session, Dr. Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury stated that the NSDA is actively working to bring traditional, informal, and labour-intensive sectors under the umbrella of the national skills framework alongside modern technology-driven professions. "The newly developed competency standards and course accreditation for Tangail Saree weaving will expand skill development, official recognition, and formal employment opportunities for the workers in this historic sector," she said. The NSDA chief revealed that over the last 10 months, the authority has developed and reviewed 85 demand-driven competency standards and training curricula across various sectors. This includes structural training frameworks for traditional crafts like Jamdani and Tangail sarees to protect cultural identity and maximize export potential. Highlighting the global success of the national certification system, Dr. Chowdhury disclosed that according to the NSDA tracking system, workers holding the National Skills Certificate (NSC) have successfully secured employment in 58 countries. Additionally, the framework has facilitated domestic employment for nearly 70,000 certificate holders and helped create over 20,000 new entrepreneurs. To expand international market reach, she mentioned that the NSDA is initiating Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) and joint certifications with foreign institutions, including Saudi Arabia's Takamol, Japan's Technogram and Nexus Group, and Australia's TAFE. Furthermore, to cater to global labor market demands, six country-specific competency standards targeting South Korea, the USA, Japan, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia have recently been introduced along with Japanese and English language curricula. The NSDA is also moving toward issuing digitalized certificates featuring QR codes and digital signatures to enhance global acceptability. Special Guest Abu Ahmed Siddique termed the standardisation a vital milestone for the country's weaving community. He announced that the Bangladesh Handloom Board will soon register its Tangail-based training institute with the NSDA to formally roll out the specialized Tangail Saree weaving courses. Industry representatives, textile experts, academics, and senior government officials attended the workshop to finalize the curriculum, which analysts believe will significantly scale up productivity, product quality, and the global competitive edge of traditional Bangladeshi apparel.