United News of Bangladesh

A man was murdered allegedly by his friend over an iPhone in Lakhai upazila of Habiganj. The victim is Tarek Mia, 22, son of Marfat Ullah of Chausatpur village in Nabiganj upazila. Tarek’s friend Sahel, son of Nuruzzaman Mia of the same village, was arrested in this connection. Police recovered Tarek’s decomposed body from a pond in Fulbaria village of Lakhai around 8pm on Tuesday. Tarek and Sahel went to the house of Surur Rahman in Fulbaria village on October 21 to work as masons. Sahel killed Tarek by slitting his throat the next day for his iPhone 11 and dumped the body in a pond. police said. After Tarek remained missing, his family filed a GD with Nabiganj Police Station and police  later arrested Sahel with the help of technology. Saheld reportedly confessed to the killing for the phone, and police recovered Tarek’s body based on his information on Tuesday night. Officer-in-Charge of Lakhai Police Station Sharif Ahmed said the body was sent to the morgue of Habiganj Sadar Hospital for an autopsy. The process of filing a murder case is underway, he added.

Three people were killed and 14 others injured when a night coach rammed into a stationary drum truck at Bairagiganj in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur early Wednesday. The identities of the deceased could not be ascertained immediately. According to locals and police, the accident occurred when the coach of Khan Paribahan crashed onto the parked drum truck on Dhaka-Rangpur highway around 6:30am, leaving a man dead on the spot. Being informed, highway police and Fire Service personnel rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations, said  Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, Officer-in-Charge of Pirganj Barodargah Highway Police Station. The injured were taken to Rangpur Medical College Hospital for treatment were two other victims died. The OC said the damaged coach and the truck have been removed from the highway and traffic movement is normal.

Liu Haixing, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee (IDCPC), will visit Bangladesh from November 3 to 5 to discuss ways to strengthen relations between the two countries. He is scheduled to meet President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during his stay in Dhaka, a senior government official told UNB. Liu will also speak at a seminar on November 4 in Dhaka. The seminar, titled “Where History Illuminates the Future: China-Bangladesh ‘Political Parties Plus’ Roundtable & Inauguration Ceremony of Bangladesh-China Centre for Party and State Governance Studies”, will be hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka at a venue in the capital. Liu was appointed head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee last year. Born in April 1963, Liu is currently a member of the 20th CPC Central Committee. He joined the Chinese Foreign Ministry in 1985 and is a seasoned diplomat. He previously served as assistant foreign minister and director-general of the Department of European Affairs. Before taking up his current post, Liu served as executive vice-director of the General Office of the National Security Commission of the CPC Central Committee. Founded in 1951, the International Department of the CPC Central Committee is responsible for managing the Communist Party's external relations.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday sought Japan’s cooperation in diversifying Bangladesh’s export basket and expanding trade and investment opportunities as the two countries look to strengthen their economic partnership. He made the call during a meeting with Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) President Susumu Kataoka in Tokyo at 11:45am local time, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin. The Prime Minister also called for increased Japanese investment in Bangladesh’s special economic zones, particularly in advanced manufacturing, ICT, automobiles, renewable energy and agro-processing, as he sought stronger trade and economic ties between the two countries. He praised JETRO’s role in expanding Japanese investment in Bangladesh, saying new opportunities are emerging for Japanese companies in the country. Both sides agreed that the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will play an important role in strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. Tarique also called for Japanese support for skills development programmes and the establishment of Japanese language training centres in Bangladesh. He said such initiatives will help create employment opportunities in Japan and strengthen the long-term economic partnership between the two countries. JETRO President Susumu Kataoka said Bangladesh has strong investment potential because of its economic growth and geographical location. He said Japanese companies are already showing interest in doing business and investing in Bangladesh in response to various initiatives taken by the government under Tarique’s leadership.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday urged Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo to expand its investment in Bangladesh’s garment sector, particularly in man-made fibres, technical textiles and sustainable apparel, pledging government support for the expansion. The call came during a meeting with a delegation led by Tadashi Yanai, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Fast Retailing Co Ltd, the parent company of Uniqlo, at 10:30am local time in Tokyo, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin. Tarique praised Uniqlo’s trust in Bangladesh and its parent company’s longstanding business engagement with the country. The meeting discussed opportunities to increase investment in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry, with particular emphasis on man-made fibres, technical textiles and sustainable clothing production. They also discussed expanding cooperation in technology transfer, skills development, product innovation, advanced manufacturing systems and environment-friendly production processes. The Prime Minister said his government is ready to provide the necessary support to help Uniqlo expand its operations in Bangladesh. He also highlighted the government’s willingness to facilitate land arrangements, investment approvals and other necessary administrative clearances to support the company’s expansion.

Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Irene Zubaida Khan has called for placing human rights at the centre of economic policymaking and governance. She made the call during a high-level dialogue titled “The Political Economy of Human Rights” at the UN Headquarters on Tuesday. Ambassador Khan stressed that economic progress should be measured not merely by growth but also by its contribution to equality, human dignity and the realisation of fundamental rights. She also underscored the need for equitable taxation, affordable development financing, debt sustainability and reforms to the international financial architecture. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk highlighted growing concentrations of economic and political power, rising military expenditure, mounting debt burdens and widening inequalities that are undermining human rights. Speakers at the dialogue stressed the need for a fairer international tax system, equitable debt restructuring, accountable economic governance and meaningful civil society participation to address structural inequalities and protect vulnerable communities. The event brought together Ambassadors Omar Hilale of Morocco, Laura Dupuy Lasserre of Uruguay, Mxolisi Nkosi of South Africa and Stavros Lambrinidis of the European Union, alongside human rights expert Ignacio Saiz, Professor Sakiko Fukuda-Parr and UN Independent Expert Attiya Waris. The Permanent Missions of Bangladesh, Morocco, South Africa and Uruguay jointly organised the dialogue, which emphasised the need to embed human rights principles in international economic governance and future global development frameworks beyond 2030.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday urged the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to open an office in Dhaka to strengthen investment and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan. The proposal came during a meeting with JBIC Governor Kazuhiko Amakawa in Tokyo at 9:30am local time. Both sides discussed investment and economic cooperation in Bangladesh’s energy, information and communication technology (ICT) and infrastructure sectors. Tarique expressed gratitude to JBIC for its support for Bangladesh’s economic development and investment in various sectors. He said his government has taken initiatives to reform and simplify regulations to ensure a business-friendly environment and attract both local and foreign investment. The Prime Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to investment-friendly policies and improving the business environment, noting that JBIC’s priority projects are aligned with the government’s development priorities.

A youth was shot dead by miscreants near City Goli in the Dhalpur area of Jatrabari in the capital on Tuesday evening. The deceased was identified as Maruf Hossain Dukhu, 17, son of late Abdur Rashid of Dhalpur. The incident took place around 7pm. He was rescued in a bullet-hit condition and taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where doctors declared him dead. Maruf’s wife Mim said her husband worked at a pot factory in a lane beside Malancha Centre in Sayedabad. He was shot by miscreants at a field in City Palli near their home after returning from work in the evening. “We cannot understand who shot and killed my husband or why. He was a good person and never had disputes or trouble with anyone,” she said, breaking down in tears. Md Habibur Rahman, in charge of the DMCH police camp, said the body was kept in the hospital’s emergency department morgue and Jatrabari Police Station had been informed.

A salon owner was allegedly stabbed to death by a man for refusing to cut his hair on credit in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh on Tuesday evening. The deceased was identified as Rabendra Rishi, 43, son of Ranjit Rishi of Uttarpara area in Dhobaura upazila. He lived in a rented house in the Tariff Munshi Mor area of Jamirdia and ran a salon at a local market. The accused, Saddam Hossain, son of Babul Mia, was arrested by police from the National Polymer area of Habirbari following the incident. According to locals, Saddam entered Rabendra’s salon with a sharp knife and stabbed him. In an attempt to save his life, the bloodied victim ran to a nearby shop owned by Saddam’s father, but the attacker followed him and stabbed him repeatedly. Rabendra then tried to take shelter in the courtyard of a nearby house, where Saddam allegedly knocked him to the ground and stabbed him several more times. He died at the scene from excessive blood loss. The victim’s wife, Suchitra, alleged that Saddam frequently extorted money from her husband to buy drugs and regularly received haircuts and beard trims without paying. When Rabendra demanded payment, arguments would break out. She claimed her husband was killed after refusing to provide another haircut on credit. Saddam had allegedly threatened to kill him several times, including before Durga Puja, when he told her, “You will receive your husband’s body after Puja.” Officer-in-Charge of Bhaluka Model Police Station Md Zahidul Islam said police recovered the body and sent it to the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. He said Saddam had been arrested and police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder.  

Reflecting on the changing nature of diplomacy, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen has underscored the importance of keeping diplomatic engagement “at the speed of relevance”—responsive to emerging challenges, attentive to evolving national priorities, and focused on delivering meaningful outcomes. The Foreign Service Academy hosted Ambassador Christensen for an interactive session with the trainee officers of the 32nd Specialized Diplomatic Training Course (SDTC) and the 4th Professional Master’s in International Relations and Diplomacy (PMIRD). The discussion offered valuable insights into the priorities guiding U.S. engagement with Bangladesh, particularly in the areas of commercial diplomacy, trade facilitation, energy and defence cooperation, humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya, and cooperation in the health sector.