United News of Bangladesh

The government has withdrawn Trishal Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Arafat Siddiqui following an alleged assault on an employee of a sand quarry leaseholder. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification on Thursday, attaching the UNO to the ministry. The move comes a day after Arafat Siddiqui allegedly assaulted the sand quarry leaseholder’s employee on Wednesday, with CCTV footage of the incident going viral on social media. The roughly one-minute footage appears to show the UNO slapping a man several times and hitting him with a stick. Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md Mahbubur Rahman and members of law enforcement agencies were also present at the scene. According to the leaseholder, the incident took place around 1:59pm on Wednesday at a sand sales point in the Kulurbaria area of Kalirbazar under Kanthal union of the upazila. The leaseholder claimed that its employee Sarwar Jahan alias Bachchu was assaulted after he asked the officials who arrived to conduct an operation to identify themselves, leading to an altercation. The CCTV footage shows a team, led by the UNO, accompanied by members of Ansar and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), arriving at the sand sales point. The UNO is seen asking for documents, while Sarwar Jahan, manager of Srishti Enterprise, asked the visiting officials to identify themselves. At one point, the UNO allegedly slapped Sarwar several times. A RAB member then appeared to try to take away Sarwar from the scene. The UNO allegedly took a stick from the RAB member and hit Sarwar several times with it. Mahbubur Rahman is seen trying to stop the UNO.

The National Fisheries Fortnight 2026 will begin on August 16, with 14 individuals and institutions set to receive National Fisheries Awards (gold medals) in 13 categories. The fortnight will be observed under the theme “A self-sufficient country with silver fish, Bangladesh first.” The event aims to highlight Bangladesh’s growing success in fish production, conservation of fisheries resources, safe and quality fish production, improvement of fishermen’s livelihoods and strengthening the country’s position in international markets. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid disclosed the details at a press conference at his ministry on Thursday. He said the central opening ceremony will be held on August 16 at the George Institute Mini Stadium in Acmita union of Katiadi upazila in Kishoreganj. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the National Fisheries Fortnight 2026 and distribute the awards, the minister said. He said the fisheries sector’s contribution to the country’s economy, food security and nutrition is increasing steadily. The sector currently contributes 2.58 percent to the national GDP and 22.03 percent to agricultural GDP. Around 2.06 crore people, including a significant number of women, are directly or indirectly involved in the sector, Aminur said.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam hosted a luncheon in honour of the delegation of the U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council (USBBC) and exchanged views on strengthening Bangladesh-US economic and commercial relations. She underscored the importance of continued engagement between Bangladesh and the US business community.  Members of the delegation and Bangladeshi business leaders exchanged views and shared experiences on opportunities and challenges relating to trade, investment, and business operations in Bangladesh. The discussions covered a range of areas, including energy, technology, digital economy, healthcare, agriculture, and financial services, reflecting the broad scope of Bangladesh-US economic engagement. The event, held at a city hotel, provided a platform for business leaders from both countries to interact and explore potential partnerships. The luncheon was attended by Ambassador (Retd.) Atul Keshap, President of the U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council and Senior Vice President for South Asia at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Oliver Simpson, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Excelerate Energy, along with the USBBC delegation, senior government officials and prominent business leaders from Bangladesh. The 45-member USBBC delegation, representing 25 leading U.S. companies across energy, technology, financial services, healthcare, and agriculture concluded their three-day visit on Thursday after exploring avenues for deepening bilateral trade and investment cooperation. Leading American companies across energy, technology, agriculture, and finance explored opportunities.  

The holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi, marking the anniversary of the birth and demise of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM), will be observed in the country on August 26. The decision was made at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee held at the Islamic Foundation Conference Room at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Thursday evening with Religious Affairs Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad in the chair. The meeting informed that as the moon of Rabiul Awal of 1448 Hijri was not sighted in the sky of Bangladesh on Thursday. Prophet Muhammad (SM) was born in Makkah of Saudi Arabia on the 12th of Rabiul Awal of the Hijri calendar in 570 AD. He also passed away on the same day in 632 AD.

A four-year-old boy was killed after a wall of an under-construction building collapsed on him in the Khilbarirtek area under Vatara Police Station in the capital on Thursday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Mahid Islam, son of Habib Hossain. Hailing from Ratanpur village in Bhola Sadar upazila, the family currently lives at Hazari Goli of Khilbarirtek. The victim’s father said the wall suddenly collapsed around 3:00pm, trapping Mahid underneath. Locals rescued the child and took him to a nearby hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where the on-duty doctor declared him dead around 4:30pm. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue.

A Class-IX madrasah student was killed after being run over by a train in Chandpur town on Thursday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Tayeba Akter, 14, a student of Bishnudi Islamia Senior Alim Madrasah and daughter of Tajul Islam. According to locals, the Chattogram-bound Sagarika Express hit Tayeba near the Chhayabani level crossing around 3:00pm when she attempted to cross the railway track, leaving her dead on the spot. On information, police recovered the body. Rajib Kor, officer-in-charge of Chandpur Railway Police Station, said the victim’s parents reached the police station and the body was handed over to the family after completing the necessary legal formalities.

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) and the Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS) separately paid tribute to filmmaker Tareque Masud and ATN News CEO Mishuk Munier thin evening, marking 15 years since the road crash that killed them along with three colleagues on the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Manikganj on 13 August, 2011. Candles were lit at the Tareque Masud-Mishuk Munier memorial sculpture near Dhaka University's TSC, attended by family members, road safety activists, lawyers and BLAST officials. Following the event of BLAST, DUFS organised a film screening at the same monument, showing "Muktir Gaan" and "Fera" by Tareque Masud. The organisation said it holds such a screening at the site every year in memory of the two filmmakers.

A former scientific officer of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), Faria Azad who is studying abroad has alleged that she was subjected to harassment and derogatory discussions by some of her colleagues in a WhatsApp group. Faria said she had received screenshots of what she described as “indecent and distasteful” conversations about her in the group and shared the screenshots with UNB. She also emailed his complaints to the chairman of the authority to investigate the issue. She complained against Chinmoy Pramanik, food safety officer in Rajshahi; Abu Naser Mohammad Shafiullah,  food safety officer in Jamalpur; Syed Sarfraz Hossain,  food safety officer in Sylhet Metropolitan; Md Lokman Hossain, food safety officer in Rangpur; Md Shakib Hossain, food safety officer in Moulvibazar; and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, a drug supervisor at the Directorate General of Drug Administration’s headquarters. She has also raised the issue publicly through her social media account, naming several current and former BFSA officials and colleagues. In her social media post, Faria expressed her disappointment over the alleged discussions and said she now understood why a former BFSA colleague, Laboni, had removed her former colleagues from her social media friends list after leaving the organisation. “Today I understand why she did that. She was the wiser one,” Faria wrote. Addressing Md Sakib Hossain, she said she could not recall ever causing him any harm and claimed that she had helped him about six months ago when he sought assistance regarding a scholarship. She also questioned comments allegedly made by Lokman Hossain, saying she had never had any disagreement with him and that she remained on his Facebook friends list. Faria criticised another colleague, Sarfaraz Sunny, over what she described as comments concerning the reasons for her divorce. “Extra-marital affair is not the only reason people get divorced,” she wrote, urging him not to make comments about others without knowing the facts. She also called on the BFSA employees who remain on her Facebook friends list to remove themselves, saying she did not wish to maintain contact with those involved in the alleged discussions. Referring to the screenshots, Faria questioned Chinmay Pramanik about allegedly sharing her photograph in the WhatsApp group and asked him why her picture had been posted there. She also mentioned several other individuals in her post, including Mohammad Ali Zinnah and former BFSA employee Shakil Ahmed, making comments about their alleged involvement in or connection with the discussions. Faria said she was considering sending the screenshots to the higher authorities so that the matter could be investigated and those responsible could face consequences. “I am thinking about sending the screenshots to the higher authority. They need to go through some kind of consequences for their … conversations. That's why I posted this publicly,” she wrote. The allegations could not immediately be independently verified. It was also not immediately clear whether the BFSA had initiated any inquiry into the matter. "It is terrifying to realize how many 'educated' men walk among us wearing masks of decency. It’s scary to think that any female colleague could be the target of such disrespect. they act so respectful to your face, it really makes you question who you can actually trust," another female colleague of hers Farzia Huq said. "Md Lokman Hossain, Md Sakib Hossain and Syed Sarfaraj Hossain were apologizing for their act but they would never apologize if this conversation was never out in the public. That's why I don't think they deserve an apology," she said.  She also filed a complaint against the Assistant Director of  Department of Narcotics Control Bangladesh in Joyopurhat Shakil Ahammed to the respective authority.  UNB verified the identities of all participants allegedly involved in the dis discussions. Mehedi Hasan, a friend and former departmental batchmate of Azad, raised the allegations in a social media post , saying screenshots of conversations in the group showed what he described as “highly indecent, sexually suggestive and derogatory” comments about Azad. According to Hasan, Azad completed her higher studies at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and is currently working as a toxicology specialist. She previously served as a scientific officer at BFSA. He alleged that some officials used Azad’s personal photographs in the WhatsApp group and made offensive comments about her appearance, clothing and personal life. Hasan called on the BFSA and the Directorate General of Drug Administration to investigate the allegations and take appropriate departmental and legal action if the claims are substantiated. He also referred to the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979, the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018, and relevant High Court directives concerning sexual harassment in workplaces. Azad has publicly spoken out against the alleged harassment and shared information concerning the incident on social media, according to Hasan. Hasan urged the BFSA, DGDA and the Ministry of Public Administration to form an impartial inquiry committee and ensure a safe, respectful and harassment-free working environment for women. He said allegations of this nature should be investigated through due process and that those found responsible should face appropriate disciplinary and legal action. Food Safety Officer of Sylhet Syed Sarfaraz Hossain denied the allegations against him.  Abu Naser Mohammad Shafiullah, food safety officer in Jamalpur also told UNB he was not part of this crime.  BFSA Chairman Md Shafiqul Islam said he has received a complaint regarding the matter and is taking it seriously. He said the complaint would be investigated properly and that strict action would be taken against those concerned if the allegations are found to be true. He also said necessary measures would be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed has directed police to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to drug-related crimes, take effective measures to prevent illegal activities at hotels and spa centres, and maintain round-the-clock surveillance in snatching-prone areas. He gave the directives at the monthly crime review meeting for July 2026, held at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh in the capital on Thursday. The DMP commissioner instructed police to strengthen intelligence activities alongside regular drives against drug dealers and others involved in drug-related crimes. He also directed officials concerned to take necessary measures to prevent illegal activities at hotels and spa centres within their respective police station areas. “If information about such activities is received, immediate legal action should be taken while maintaining regular surveillance,” he said. To prevent snatching, Mosleh Uddin instructed the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit and Detective Branch (DB) to maintain round-the-clock field presence in coordination with the Crime Division after identifying snatching-prone areas. He also ordered stronger intelligence surveillance, patrols and operations in those areas and directed the units concerned to work in coordination to bring the criminals to justice. The DMP chief further asked the officers-in-charge of the relevant police stations and senior officials of the Crime Division to visit the scene of every crime. He stressed the importance of visiting crime scenes in person, collecting necessary evidence and properly examining the circumstances surrounding incidents to establish the facts and make investigations more effective. Mosleh Uddin also directed field-level police officials to discharge their duties with the highest professionalism, responsibility and dedication to control crime and ensure the safety of city residents.

The government is working to introduce a unified regulatory policy for battery-run rickshaws (e-rickshaws) across city corporations, municipalities, upazilas, and union parishads across the country, said State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam on Thursday. He made the announcement during an inter-ministerial meeting at the conference room of the Local Government Ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat according to a PID Handout. State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam presided over the meeting. A policy for the management of e-rickshaws is being formulated in accordance with the Local Government (City Corporation) Act 2009, and the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act 2026, the handout said. Mir Shahe Alam said, “Initiatives will be taken to update existing regulations and designate a unified licensing authority for city corporations, municipalities, upazila and union parishads. The smooth and effective implementation of this policy would play a significant role in controlling urban traffic, bringing traffic discipline, and ensuring road safety. At the same time, the systematic licensing and registration processes conducted through local government bodies would generate revenue for the state exchequer, he added. The Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Act, 2026, has already been revised to facilitate e-rickshaw registration and driver licensing followed by the Local Government Division's gazette notification of the E-Rickshaw Operation Rules in December 2025. The meeting featured a detailed discussion on taking effective measures regarding urban management, traffic discipline, road safety, and the management of battery-operated e-rickshaws in light of current realities. Relevant stakeholders presented various opinions and recommendations on the matter. At the meeting, BUET civil engineering professor Dr. Md. Hadiuzzaman provided expert opinion on the relevant subject.The meeting brought together DNCC administrator Safiqul Islam Khan and DSCC administrator Md. Abdus Salam among others.