United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday shared his plan to make Dhaka as clean as Tokyo, saying a cleaner environment, better waste management and reduced air pollution will help keep people healthy. “If we can make Dhaka as clean as Tokyo, as clean as Japan, that will be a major achievement,” he said at an exchange of views with Bangladeshi expatriates at Hotel New Otani in Tokyo, organised by Bangladesh Community, Japan. The Prime Minister said he has asked a member of his delegation how he found Tokyo, and the person replied that he did not see any rubbish on the streets. In contrast, he said, Dhaka has waste scattered in many places. Tarique said the government is trying to make Dhaka and the rest of the country cleaner, noting that air pollution in the capital is a regular concern in news reports. He said the government wants to improve air quality, filter polluted air where possible and plant trees in different areas. “People will gradually fall sick if rubbish and waste keep accumulating everywhere. Germs and diseases can spread from accumulated waste. If we want to keep people healthy, we have to clean the environment and remove waste properly," the Prime Minister said.   He described making cities cleaner and ensuring a healthy environment for ordinary people as a major reform, saying such initiatives can directly improve people’s lives. “What better reform can there be than ensuring that people can walk freely without being obstructed by waste, that they do not fall sick because of rubbish and that the country’s air is not polluted?” Tarique said. He said he considers measures that will help children, women and other citizens remain healthy to be among the most important reforms. Responding to questions from expatriates, Tarique also outlined plans concerning Japanese-language education, healthcare, children’s development through sports and other activities, easier business procedures, closed industries, investment and employment. ‘Attempts are being made to create a situation against the government’ The Prime Minister alleged that efforts are being made to create a situation in which the BNP government cannot implement reforms that will benefit people at the grassroots level. Addressing Bangladeshis watching the programme in person and online, he said the reforms will benefit them and their children if the government can carry them out. “Those who are trying to obstruct the government’s work - whom will you support? I am not asking you to vote. If you think we are trying to do the right things, at least support these initiatives so that we can implement them,” Tarique said. The expatriates responded with loud applause. The Prime Minister also criticised what he described as mockery and ridicule on social media of Md Tarek Rahman, general secretary of the Am Janata Dal, who is accompanying the delegation, saying little attention is being paid to many of the country’s real problems. He said the reforms he wants to implement in education, healthcare and the environment are intended to benefit people across society, including rickshaw pullers, CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers, doctors, lawyers, employees, businesspeople and teachers. Tarique said he is not suggesting that other proposed reforms will bring no benefits to the country or its people. However, he argued that some reforms might benefit only a limited number of people, while his priority is to ensure that ordinary and working people benefit directly. “As a politician, I understand reform to mean changes whose benefits reach people at the grassroots level. There are different kinds of reform — some may benefit people in air-conditioned rooms, while others can make life better for working people,” he said. The Prime Minister said improving the lives of working people is a priority because the government sought public support through elections. He called for cooperation from expatriates and democratic-minded people across the country to build the Bangladesh they aspired to. Tarique also stressed the need for hard work, patience, unity and collective efforts to achieve that goal, seeking the support and prayers of expatriate Bangladeshis. The programme was moderated by BNP executive committee member Abdus Sattar Patwary. Prime Minister’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Civil Aviation Minister Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Aninda Islam Amit, Invest Bangladesh Authority Chairman Ashik Chowdhury and other members of the delegation were present. At the programme, Japan BNP presented the Prime Minister and Dr Zubaida Rahman with photographs as gifts.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday called upon all Bangladeshis, including expatriates living abroad, to contribute to building a developed and better country with improved facilities for its people at home and overseas. “We are all Bangladeshis. Our first priority should be to do something for our country and do something better,” he said while exchanging views with Bangladeshi expatriates at a hotel in Tokyo. Tarique said a better Bangladesh will benefit its citizens whether they live in the country or overseas. He said the government wants people to work together towards the country’s progress, irrespective of their position or location. “So, wherever we are and whatever position we hold, if we believe that any work we do can bring something good for our country and its people, we should try to do it,” the Prime Minister said. He made the remarks while responding to a question from a Bangladeshi expatriate about the government’s plans for overseas Bangladeshis, including those involved in political activities abroad.

Officer-in-Charge of Gurudaspur Police Station in Natore Abdul Hannan has been withdrawn two days after the killing of Chhatra Dal leader Shakil Islam. Additional Superintendent of Natore Police Iftekhar Alam on Wednesday said OC Abdul Hanna was withdrawn and attached to the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police of Rajshahi Range. The central committee of Jubo Dal expelled Nuruzzaman Mintu, son of Natore-4 MP Abdul Aziz on Tuesday following his arrest in connection with the murder. Earlier, On Tuesday night, the namaz-e-janaza of Shakil, member secretary of Gurudaspur municipality unit Chhatra Dal, was held at Shahid Shamsuzzoha Government College ground around 10:00 pm. Tension erupted over the presence of MP Abdul Aziz at the namaz-e-janaza as attendees obstructed the MP from speaking. After the janaza, some unruly people vandalised and looted a supermarket owned by businessman Russel Hossain, a friend of the MP’s son Nuruzzaman Mintu, who is suspected of involvement in Shakil’s murder. The local unit JCD announced a protest programme in Natore district town at noon demanding justice for Shakil’s killing. On October 14, a group of miscreants stabbed JCD leader Shakil, leaving him injured. Later, he died at a hospital in Dhaka on October 26. Police arrested Mintu over his alleged involvement in the killing on Monday. Later, he was placed on a three-day remand for interrogation on Tuesday night.  

Two more children died with measles-like symptoms in 24 hours until 8:00am on Wednesday, bringing the country’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 1,242 this year. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified all the latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths. With these, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 1,137, while confirmed deaths from measles have remained the same at 105. A total of 1,322 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, bringing the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 225,106. Meanwhile, 90 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 23,631. Since March 15 this year, a total of 200,319 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 192,178 have recovered, according to DGHS data.

Japan is keen to increase investment in Bangladesh, viewing the country as an attractive investment destination, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akazawa Ryosei told Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday. During a meeting with the Prime Minister in Japan, Akazawa expressed his country’s interest in further developing bilateral relations and expanding Japanese investment in Bangladesh, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin. Tarique thanked the Japanese government for its continued support and cooperation in building a developed and prosperous Bangladesh. Both sides agreed to advance cooperation in areas discussed during the recent bilateral summit between Tarique and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and further strengthen bilateral relations. They also stressed the need to capitalise on the interest among Japanese business leaders in Bangladesh to attract more Japanese investment to the country.  

Bangladesh’s newly appointed Permanent Representative to the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva, M Riaz Hamidullah, has said he will seek to highlight Bangladesh’s perspectives on advancing multilateralism and promoting shared interests in a fractured world. He said areas such as women, water, climate change and culture offer opportunities for countries to find common ground where the values and interests of the vast majority converge. “Beginning a new innings in Geneva, Switzerland. I look forward to contributing my modest bit and flagging Bangladesh perspectives to advance multilateralism in a fractured world,” Ambassador Riaz said in a message posted on social media. He also highlighted the need for the international community to work towards a successor development architecture beyond 2030 to address challenges and harness opportunities for people across different regions. Before taking up his new assignment in Geneva, Riaz served as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, assuming the charge on April 7, 2025. Ambassador Riaz presented his credentials to Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva Tatiana Valovaya on October 27. Tatiana Valovaya, 13th Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva and the first woman to occupy the position, welcomed his appointment. “It was a pleasure to receive the credentials of Riaz Hamidullah, newly appointed Permanent Representative of Bangladesh. I look forward to working together to advance shared priorities and strengthen multilateral cooperation,” she said. Riaz joined the Bangladesh Foreign Service in 1995 and has spent a considerable part of his career in multilateral economic diplomacy. He first served at Bangladesh’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 1999 to 2003, followed by an assignment as a mid-career political officer at the Bangladesh Mission in New Delhi from 2003 to 2005. From 2005 to 2011, he worked on South Asian regional cooperation, including a three-and-a-half-year stint as a director at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu. There, he dealt with regional agriculture and rural development, transport connectivity, the SAARC Development Fund and the development of regional projects. He also contributed to the development and reorganisation of SAARC institutions and processes. In 2012, he served as Director-General in charge of Europe and EU Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2013 to 2016, as Director-General for Multilateral Economic Affairs, he covered sustainable development, climate change, migration, development finance, multilateral trade, connectivity, water and the blue economy. He also led Bangladesh’s engagement in various multilateral processes, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. During this period, he served as the lead interlocutor and negotiator on the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact concerning the readymade garment and textile industry with the United States and the European Union, as well as on issues related to responsible business conduct. Riaz served as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka from August 2016 to July 2020 and later as Ambassador to the Netherlands from July 2020 to August 2024. After returning to headquarters, he served as Additional Foreign Secretary for Multilateral and Regional Affairs from August to December 2024, followed by an assignment as Secretary (West) from January to March 2025. He subsequently assumed office as Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India on April 7, 2025.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday called on Switzerland to increase investment in Bangladesh and expand bilateral trade to accelerate the country’s economic growth. He made the call when Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Reto Siegfried Renggli paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban. During the meeting, the president praised the contributions of reputed Swiss companies operating in Bangladesh and emphasised the need to increase Swiss investment in various promising sectors. “Bangladesh now wants substantial investment rather than aid,” he said, highlighting the country’s vast potential. He said increased investment would create employment opportunities and help Bangladesh progress faster. The president also praised Switzerland’s local government system and expressed interest in drawing on the country’s experience to make Bangladesh’s local government institutions more effective and stronger. He sought Switzerland’s cooperation in this regard and the Ambassador assured him of his country’s support. Mirza Fakhrul also appreciated Switzerland’s cooperation in strengthening the capacity of Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and parliamentary processes. The meeting also discussed cooperation in addressing climate change, skills development, cultural exchanges, technical education, and research. The president’s Military Secretary, Secretary, Press Secretary, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Swiss Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Diepak Elmer were present at the meeting. They discussed various aspects of the longstanding bilateral relations between the two countries and other important issues, including reforms and good governance, said the Swiss Embassy in Dhaka. The Ambassador congratulated the President on assuming office and conveyed Switzerland’s intention to focus more on bilateral trade, investment and knowledge cooperation, as well as to cooperate closely on shared priorities such as democracy and multilateralism.

The Local Government Division has withdrawn its earlier directive suspending all government tendering and procurement activities, except those involving urgent state matters, pending the formulation of new rules and publication of a revised rate schedule under the Public Procurement (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026. It issued an order in this regard on Monday. It has also directed that all tender and procurement processes related to works, services and the supply of goods continue in accordance with existing rules. On October 15, the division instructed authorities to suspend all tender and procurement activities concerning works, services and goods, except those involving urgent state matters, until the new rules were framed and the rate schedule published. The directive was sent to the chief executive officers of all city corporations, managing directors of WASA, chief engineers of the Local Government Engineering Department and the Department of Public Health Engineering, deputy commissioners, chief executive officers of district councils, administrators of upazila parishads and administrators of municipalities.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday invited Japanese companies to invest in Bangladesh's priority sectors, including automotive manufacturing, energy, technology and space, and high-speed rail and logistics, promising government support and reforms to improve the business environment. Addressing the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Forum Dialogue at JETRO headquarters in Tokyo, he said the two countries should take their long-standing relationship to a new level through trade and investment following the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Bangladesh’s first such agreement with any country. The dialogue was organised by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in cooperation with the Japan-Bangladesh Committee for Commercial and Economic Co-operation (JBCCEC), with support from the Bangladesh Embassy in Japan. JETRO President Susumu Kataoka delivered the opening remarks, while Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Shinji Wakayama addressed the event as a guest speaker. The programme also featured a memorandum of understanding (MoU) exchange and announcements of investment and cooperation projects. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has a market of more than 180 million people, a young workforce with a median age of 27 and a growing middle class. “The country is expected to become one of the world’s top 10 consumer economies by 2030,” he added. He said Bangladesh is expected to become the world’s ninth-largest consumer economy by 2030, while its annual GDP is projected to cross US$1 trillion by 2034, driven by a rising affluent middle class. Under the EPA signed between Bangladesh and Japan in February this year, Tarique said 7,379 Bangladeshi products will enjoy duty-free access to Japan, while Japanese goods, including steel, automotive parts and electronic components, will receive preferential access to Bangladesh. “Investors on both sides will benefit from recently simplified and progressive rules on investment, services and customs procedures.” He said Japanese automotive manufacturers, large retailers, agro machinery developers and many others are already taking steps to set up factories in the Japanese Economic Zone in Araihazar, pledging that the government will provide all the support in this regard. The Prime Minister said Japanese companies have raised three key concerns — reliable energy, efficient infrastructure, and predictable customs clearance and taxation — and that his government has already resolved some of them and is working to address the remaining issues. “I fully understand that businesses need certainty. Investors need confidence. Our job is creating the right environment to deliver both,” he said, adding that the government will provide every possible support for the initiative. Tarique said Bangladesh’s ambition is to transform the country into a global manufacturing hub. “By setting up factories in Bangladesh, you not only enjoy direct access to a large and growing domestic market but also benefit from efficient factors of production to export to the rest of the world,” he said. In the energy sector, the Prime Minister invited Japanese companies to explore Bangladesh’s future energy needs and participate in energy infrastructure, efficient power generation and renewable energy projects. He said Bangladesh is planning to establish a Bangladesh-Japan Technology Park focused on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, robotics and electronics manufacturing, involving Japanese companies, universities and investors. Tarique also called for cooperation with Japanese institutions in space science, satellite engineering and related technologies to strengthen Bangladesh’s space capabilities. On rail and logistics, he said Bangladesh plans to develop a nationwide elevated high-speed rail network connecting six major divisional cities. The Prime Minister said the government plans to prepare a national master plan, assess passenger and freight demand, prioritise routes and conduct feasibility studies, inviting Japanese institutions to invest in the initiative.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain found five doctors absent during a surprise visit to Muradnagar Upazila Health Complex in Cumilla on Wednesday morning and ordered departmental action against them. The minister expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of the doctors. He also announced plans to upgrade the health complex to a 151-bed facility. Under the plan, the hospital will have 10 dialysis machines, a 20-bed maternity ward, a 20-bed facility for newborns, separate physiotherapy services for men and women, and a breastfeeding centre. The minister said the tender process for the project was expected to be completed within the next 15 to 16 days. He also said doctors would be appointed to Muradnagar hospital from among the 48 physicians scheduled to join on November 1. Although the minister observed improvements in the hospital's overall management compared with the past, he expressed dissatisfaction with its waste and garbage management. He said doctors posted on deputation have been instructed to remain present at the hospital. He also emphasised the government's focus on healthcare for women and said separate treatment facilities were being arranged for children.