United News of Bangladesh

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a ground officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines for allegedly assisting three passengers in travelling to Italy using fake Schengen visas through a human trafficking network. The arrested official, Mohammad Akhlasur Rahman, was detained from Jamalpur on Tuesday morning, CID's Special Superintendent (SS) of Police Badrul Alam Molla told a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Malibagh. According to CID, the three passengers left Dhaka for Italy on May 26 on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Two of them—Mostafizur Rahman Anik and Akshay Chandra Das—were detected with forged Schengen visas upon arrival at Rome airport and were subsequently sent back to Bangladesh. A third passenger managed to clear immigration in Italy, but CID did not disclose his identity. After the two passengers were repatriated, questioning by different agencies on May 28 revealed information about a trafficking network that had arranged their travel. A case was later filed with Airport Police Station on May 30, leading to the investigation and arrest of the Biman official. CID said the passengers initially obtained boarding passes for a Nepal-bound flight, which did not require visas, and completed immigration formalities using those passes. However, their names were not included in the passenger manifest of the Nepal bound flight. Based on an analysis of CCTV footage from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, investigators found that after getting the Nepal boarding passes, the passengers exited through a staff gate and went to the car parking area, where they allegedly received Italy-bound boarding passes, tickets and forged visas from another individual. The passengers later returned, completed immigration procedures using the Nepal boarding passes and, at one stage, entered a washroom area outside CCTV coverage, where the fake Schengen visas were attached to their passports, CID said. Investigators alleged that Akhlasur assisted the passengers in passing through the INS gate, the final checkpoint before boarding the Italy-bound flight. Since their immigration clearance had been obtained using Nepal-bound boarding passes, the INS gate was the remaining barrier before boarding, CID officials said. Upon arrival in Italy, immigration authorities detected the forged visas of two passengers and returned them to Bangladesh. Badrul Alam said three people have been named in the case, including another Biman official.  He said those found involved during the investigation would be arrested in phases. He also said Akhlasur had verbally admitted his involvement in the incident, though investigators were still examining whether he had links to similar cases. The CID official pointed to a lack of coordination between airlines and immigration authorities regarding passenger manifests and boarding pass verification, describing it as a factor behind the incident.  He added that law enforcement would take action against anyone involved in human trafficking or migrant smuggling, regardless of their institutional affiliation.

Treasury bench lawmakers on Tuesday strongly defended the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026-27, describing it as people-oriented and welfare-focused, while dismissing opposition criticism as unfounded during a lively debate in Parliament. Participating in the budget discussion, ruling party MPs praised the proposed budget and thanked Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for what they termed a pro-people fiscal plan aimed at ensuring inclusive development. The debate saw sharp exchanges between treasury and opposition lawmakers over taxation, revenue targets and the overall direction of the budget. Opposition MPs argued that the revenue collection target set in the proposed budget was overly ambitious and warned that the burden of taxation on the middle class will increase. Responding to the criticism, BNP lawmaker Shariful Alam from Kishoreganj-6 said the opposition is criticising the budget merely for the sake of criticism. “The budget has increased taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, and that is perhaps why they do not like it,” he said. Reserved seat BNP MP Momtaj Alo also expressed frustration over the opposition’s stance, saying they were focusing only on selected aspects of the budget while ignoring its broader benefits. The discussion also featured a debate on the country’s road infrastructure. After an opposition MP raised concerns about dilapidated roads, BNP reserved seat member Zeeba Amina Khan blamed corruption during the previous administration for the current condition. Speaking largely in English during her 11-minute speech, she said, “The roads are in a very, very bad situation. This is due to corruption that you have seen from the previous regime.” Her remarks, which included occasional Bengali expressions, later attracted attention and humourous reactions on social media. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Moktar Ali from Jashore-6 also delivered his speech in English, arguing that the proposed budget will increase the tax burden on citizens. Another Jamaat lawmaker, Md Abdus Sattar, criticised the budget, saying high inflation and ambitious revenue collection targets could place additional pressure on consumers through indirect taxation. He warned that opportunities to legalise undisclosed money remained in the budget and echoed economists’ concerns about potential risks and negative impacts on the economy. During his speech, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad intervened and asked the MP to refrain from using inappropriate expressions. The Speaker subsequently ordered an objectionable colloquial term to be expunged from the parliamentary record. Independent MP AZM Rezwanul Haque, elected after failing to secure a BNP nomination, praised the budget but proposed reductions in certain taxes. BNP MP Md Maminul Haque said the budget reflected the core commitments outlined in the BNP’s election manifesto. Another BNP lawmaker Mohammad Abu Sufian claimed the proposed budget was accepted by Parliament, the public and the international community. He noted that unlike previous years, prices of essential commodities did not go up immediately after the budget announcement. He also highlighted reductions in source taxes on around 60 essential items, including rice, wheat, potatoes, fish, onions, garlic, edible oil and sugar. Responding to opposition criticism, BNP reserved seat member Nipun Roy Chowdhury described the budget as a roadmap for building a non-discriminatory and welfare-oriented state.  

The government has decided to develop a seamless and time-efficient rail communication network across the country, aiming to modernise Bangladesh’s railway system. The decision was taken at a meeting on the future planning of Bangladesh Railway held on Tuesday morning at the Cabinet Division’s Public Administration Room at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Briefing reporters, Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said the meeting discussed both medium- and long-term development plans for the railway sector. “Detailed discussions were held on the modernisation of Bangladesh Railway, including phased conversion of metre-gauge lines from Panchagarh to Cox’s Bazar into broad-gauge lines and upgrading the signalling system,” he said. Shiplu also said issues related to financing of these plans were discussed at the meeting, with the Prime Minister giving necessary directives. Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister Habibur Rashid, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Railways Secretary Md Fahimul Islam, and Director General of Bangladesh Railway Afzal Hossain, among others, were present.

Holy Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), will be observed in the country on June 26 as the Muharram moon was sighted in Bangladesh sky on Tuesday. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee held at the conference room of Islamic Foundation's Baitul Mukarram office with Additional Religious Affairs Secretary Md Fazlur Rahman in the chair, according to a press release. Holy Ashura is observed on 10th of Muharram in the Hijri year commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM). On this day in the Hijri year of 61, Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) along with his family members and 72 followers embraced the martyrdom in the hands of soldiers of Yazid at the desert of Karbala to uphold the teachings of the Prophet (SM).

When power outages disrupt daily life, the demand for candles as an alternative light source increases several times, prompting small manufacturing units to operate at full capacity. At Ashrafabad of Kamrangirchar, dozens of small -and medium-sized candle factories are now operating day and night to meet the rising demand. Workers remain busy throughout the day, pouring wax, fitting wicks, and packing finished candles as orders continue to pile up.  

Global rating agency Fitch Ratings on Tuesday said that achieving the revenue target outlined in Bangladesh's proposed national budget for the fiscal year FY2026-27 will be highly challenging and risks being derailed by structural weaknesses. According to a fresh commentary published by the international credit rating agency, the country’s long-standing weaknesses in tax collection combined with slow reform implementation present significant downside risks to hitting the projected fiscal milestones. The report noted that the new budget aims to elevate Bangladesh's revenue-to-GDP ratio to 10.2 percent, up from approximately 8 percent estimated for the outgoing fiscal year 2025-26. If fully realized, this would mark the highest revenue-to-GDP ratio achieved by the country since 1993. Fitch identified the proper execution of the tax collection mechanism as the primary near-term fiscal challenge for the next financial year. This comes as the proposed budget expands state expenditure by 19 percent, while concurrently setting an ambitious 18 percent year-on-year growth target for nominal revenue. The global agency acknowledged that structural measures embedded in the budget—such as streamlining the tax filing process, trimming extensive tax exemptions, easing VAT compliance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and ramping up non-tax revenue from state-owned enterprises—could potentially broaden the tax base in the long term. "However, past performance indicates that weak implementation capacity has historically undermined many of Bangladesh’s similar reform initiatives," Fitch noted in its evaluation. The rating agency also flagged concerns over the high expenditure commitments built into the budget, pointing out that social safety nets and infrastructure sectors have been allocated 29.7 percent and 18.7 percent of the total budget respectively. While this reflects the newly elected government’s core political priorities, it places intense pressure on achieving the revenue target. Fitch, however, highlighted that Bangladesh historically retains a pattern of under-spending its budgetary allocations. In the event of a revenue shortfall, this structural under-spending could ultimately act as a buffer to keep the fiscal deficit contained. Consequently, Fitch maintained its financial deficit forecast for Bangladesh at 3.6 percent of GDP for FY2026-27, aligning with the government's target, but based on a calculation of lower revenue matched by lower expenditure. Terming the government's economic growth projections as "overly optimistic," Fitch projected a real GDP growth of just 3.5 percent for FY2026-27, heavily contrasting the state target of 6.5 percent. The agency attributed its conservative forecast to a fragile banking sector, weak credit growth in the private sector, policy vulnerabilities, and an uncertain global environment. On a positive note, Fitch lauded some of the government's latest initiatives in the energy sector. It observed that prioritizing domestic natural gas exploration, enhancing efficiency in power generation and distribution, and reinforcing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure could significantly bolster medium-term economic growth if executed flawlessly.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday called for an end to what he described as a “mentality of revenge”, urging all to focus on the interest of the country and its people rather than retaliation. Speaking at a view-exchange meeting with journalists covering the BNP beat at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital, he said at present, there is no environment in Bangladesh for muzzling the media, and sought cooperation from journalists in addressing social challenges. “Let us try to change our mindset a little. If something happened to me, taking revenge will not bring it back or make things as they were before. We should move away from that mindset and think about what we can do for the country, for society, and for people,” the Prime Minister said. “Whether we succeed or not is a different matter… but at least we can try. Success is a different issue. With this mindset, why shouldn’t we move forward?” he said. Tarique Rahman also spoke emotionally about his past experiences, saying he endured both physical and mental hardship during imprisonment. “I came from prison. I was physically and mentally tortured. I can say many things about who is responsible for what, but that is not the point now,” he said.

Ayesha Begum, the mother of Premier Bank PLC Managing Director Md Monzur Mofiz, died on Tuesday due to old-age complications. She was 78. She breathed her last at her Bakalia residence in Chattogram city, according to a press release. Ayesha Begum is survived by two sons, two daughters and numerous relatives. Meanwhile, the Premier Bank family expressed deep shock at her death. They prayed for salvation of the departed soul and conveyed heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family.

Jahangirnagar University (JU) has expelled two female students for two years after finding them guilty of possessing and consuming narcotics in a room at Nawab Faizunnesa Hall. The university also permanently expelled them from the residential hall and recommended filing a criminal case against one of them. Registrar ABM Azizur Rahman announced the decisions while briefing reporters after a Syndicate meeting early Tuesday at the university's administrative building. Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan chaired the meeting. The expelled students are Tanuja Tithi,  51st-batch student of the Management Studies Department, and Sanzida Amir Inisi, 48th-batch student of the Department of Drama and Dramatics. University authorities formed an investigation committee after reports of narcotics possession and consumption in Room 116 of Nawab Faizunnesa Hall. The investigation found that both students had violated the Jahangirnagar University Discipline Ordinance-2018, which strictly prohibits the possession, consumption and trading of any kind of narcotics on the university campus, including academic departments, institutes and residential halls. Based on the findings, the university's Disciplinary Board expelled both students from the university for two years and permanently barred them from staying in any residential hall. The board also recommended filing a criminal case against Tanuja Tithi under the relevant laws. On April 18, hall authorities recovered narcotics during a raid on Room 116 of Nawab Faizunnesa Hall. The room had been allocated to Tanuja Tithi, while Sanzida Amir Inisi was present there during the raid.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Tuesday said inter-district bus terminals in the capital will not be relocated immediately, adding that buses will instead be kept at depots outside the city and allowed to enter terminals shortly before departure. “Buses will be kept at designated depots outside the city and will come to the terminals only shortly before departure. Terminals are meant for passenger boarding, not long-hour parking,” he said while speaking at a press briefing at the Press Information Department (PID) conference room in Dhaka. His comments came a day after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed the authorities concerned to relocate Dhaka’s four major inter-district bus terminals – Fulbaria-Gulistan, Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Sayedabad-Jatrabari – swiftly to help ease chronic traffic congestion. Explaining the government's plan, Rabiul said many buses currently remain parked at terminals for 12 to 24 hours, contributing to traffic congestion and operational disorder. “We want buses to stay at designated depots and come to the terminals only shortly before the departure. Terminals should be used for passenger boarding, not for parking buses for hours or days,” he said. The Mohakhali Bus Terminal will remain operational for the time being, although a decision has been taken to acquire around 50 bighas of land at Uttara for its permanent relocation, the minister said. “Buses scheduled for departure will continue to use Mohakhali terminal, but vehicles waiting for their next trips for extended periods will not be allowed to remain there,” he said. An interim depot site has already been identified near the Purbachal Expressway (300-foot Road) where buses can be stationed until their scheduled departures, he said. Referring to the Sayedabad Bus Terminal, Rabiul said preparations are underway to establish a temporary facility at Kanchpur in Narayanganj. “The terminal will eventually be shifted there once adequate facilities are in place. Until then, buses will use the nearby depot and only enter the terminal during designated departure times,” he added. The minister stressed that all major terminals will eventually be relocated, but the process will be carried out gradually rather than overnight. Responding to a question regarding the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to China and the possibility of signing agreements, he said discussions will focus on projects that serve Bangladesh’s national interests and economic priorities. “China has shown interest in investing in railways, roads and waterways. We are reviewing a number of proposals and evaluating them based on their economic viability, development benefits and alignment with Bangladesh’s interests,” Rabiul said. Several infrastructure projects have already attracted positive interest from China and that any future agreements will be concluded only if they safeguard the interests and benefits of both countries, he added. “We will consider proposals that contribute to our development goals, strengthen technological capacity and ensure mutual benefits.”