United News of Bangladesh

A sector commander-level meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) was held on Wednesday morning at Sonamasjid border outpost conference room in Chapainawabganj. The 59 BGB Battalion issued a press release after the meeting. According to the press release, the meeting discussed various issues in a friendly environment and the both sides agreed on restricting access of all except farmers within 150 yards of the border. They discussed addressing border-related problems through discussion between the two forces, discouraging trespassing and drug smuggling, and preventing misinformation or rumors by media over border issues. The BGB delegation was led by Rajshahi Sector Commander Colonel Imran Ibne A. Rouf, while DIG Arun Kumar Gautam of the Malda Sector led the BSF team. Read: Flag meeting held between BGB and BSF over Fencing at Naogaon border Lt Col Golam Kibria, Commanding Officer of the 59 BGB Battalion, and Suraj Singh, Commanding Officer of the 119 BSF Battalion were present. Tensions between the two forces recently escalated due to BSF’s alleged construction of a barbed wire fence near the zero line at Chouka border on January 7 and the felling of mango trees in Bangladesh by Indian nationals near the Chouka and Kiranganj border areas on January 18.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MoFA)  has underscored the role of Bangladesh’s missions abroad in designing sustainable economic strategies and addressing critical challenges in market diversification, attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and leveraging technology and connectivity. The MoFA and Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) jointly launched the virtual session of the "Investment Talks with Bangladesh Missions," an initiative aimed at diversifying the nation’s global trade and prioritising investment strategies. CA Dr Yunus begins hectic 2nd day in Davos with 14 meetings lined up Chaired by Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin, the session was attended, among others, by Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, Executive Chairman of BIDA and BEZA Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun and acting Secretary, Ministry of Commerce Md Abdur Rahim Khan. Bangladesh Ambassadors and Heads of Missions in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany shared updates on their missions’ efforts, highlighting challenges, opportunities and actionable roadmaps for enhancing trade and investment ties. CA Yunus calls for putting global focus back on Rohingya crisis as it gets complicated

One more death was reported from dengue in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to nine this year. During the period, 32 more patients were hospitalised with viral fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Of them, one dengue patient was admitted in hospital under Dhaka North City Corporation while nine were hospitalized in Dhaka South City Corporation.  Read: 24 dengue patients hospitalised in 24hrs Some 196 patients are receiving treatment in different hospitals across the country. Last year, dengue claimed the lives of 575 people. In 2023, 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record. The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries in the same year.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus began a hectic second day at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday, with a packed schedule of at least 14 meetings planned as part of his extensive engagements with global leaders. Dr Yunus had his first meeting on the day with the Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks, Federal Chancellery of Germany, Wolfgang Schmidt, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB. CA Yunus calls for putting global focus back on Rohingya crisis as it gets complicated Principal Coordinator on SDGs Affairs Lamiya Morshed and Secretary (West) M Riaz Hamidullah were, among others, present at the meeting held on the sidelines of the WEF annual meeting. The Chief Adviser also held separate meetings with King Philippe, Kingdom of Belgium, and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, DPS Azad said. Meeting with Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, United Arab Emirates, is among the key engagements of Dr Yunus scheduled for today (Wednesday). Dr Yunus holds high-level meetings in Davos Dr Yunus arrived here on Tuesday afternoon to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and had six meetings with the global leaders since his arrival. Earlier, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam received the Chief Adviser at the Zurich International Airport upon his arrival. Chief Adviser's Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, Principal Coordinator on SDGs Affairs (Senior Secretary) Lamiya Morshed, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Secretary (West) M Riaz Hamidullah are, among others, accompany Dr Yunus. The annual meeting 2025 brought global leaders to address key global and regional challenges. Talks with Dr Yunus: Finland President seeks Global South's proactive roles in major global affairs These include responding to geopolitical shocks, stimulating growth to improve living standards, and stewarding just and inclusive energy transition. This year's meeting convened under the theme 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age' and the programme will be oriented around five distinct but highly interconnected thematic priorities: The meeting brings together nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, and 350 governmental leaders, including 60 heads of states and governments, from all key regions.

Vehicular movement at Karwan Bazar remained suspended for nearly three hours as a group of stranded migrant workers staged demonstration demanding government steps to ensure their return to Malaysia. Witnesses said the workers took to the street around 9 am, halting vehicular movement. The workers were supposed to travel to Malaysia through recruiting agencies on May 31, 2024 but due to ticket complications they were unable to travel. CNG drivers’ protests cause severe traffic jam at Mohakhali The demonstration created huge traffic gridlock at Farmgate, Bangla Motor, Panthapath and adjacent areas, causing suffering to commuters. Traffic Inspector Anwar Kabir  said the traffic movement returned to normal around 12 pm after they left the roads. The protesters later marched towards the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment to press home their demand. Bhorer Kagoj shuts down operations; workers stage protests They were staging demonstrations in front of the ministry till the filling of this report around 3 pm. On October 5, 2024, Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment said that Malaysia has agreed to receive 18,000 Bangladeshi workers who previously missed the deadline to enter the country.

Traders of Bangladesh and Pakistan have called for the removal of customs and non-customs barriers between the two countries to enhance trade between the two countries. They made the call at a meeting held between the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and a business delegation from Pakistan in Gulshan on Wednesday. Bangladeshi traders said they see great potential in importing dates, oranges and other fruits and agricultural products from Pakistan to meet the demand throughout the year including during holy Ramadan. They also think that there is a potential for exporting various Bangladeshi products to Pakistan. Bangladesh to import 100,000mt of rice from India and Pakistan The meeting was presided over by FBCCI Administrator Md. Hafizur Rahman. In his welcome address, he said that there is a huge demand for dates in Bangladesh during the month of Ramadan. The demand for other fruits also increases during this time and there is huge demand for fruits in the local market throughout the year, he said. “Pakistan can be an affordable and easily available source of fruits and agricultural products for Bangladesh,” said the FBCCI Administrator.” Stressing on the growth of bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan, Md. Hafizur Rahman said there is an opportunity to expand trade between the two countries through joint initiatives and mutual cooperation in the private sector. Bangladesh to import Atap rice from Pakistan, MoU signed He also emphasised the importance of signing a Bangladesh-Pakistan trade agreement. Businessmen from both countries emphasised the development of logistics, supply chain, cold storage, packaging and goods transportation systems to facilitate and expand trade between Bangladesh and Pakistan.  

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued several notifications by re-fixing the rates of VAT, Supplementary Duty and Excise Duty on some goods and services, which were increased on January 9, aiming to strengthen the country's economic base. The government had issued the "Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025" and "The Excises and Salt Act (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025" on January 9, 2025. Later, considering the requests of various professional organizations, civil society and stakeholders, in the larger public interest, the National Board of Revenue has issued 4 new notifications on Wednesday reducing the existing VAT rate, VAT deduction rate at source and Supplementary Duty rate on some goods and services. Medicines: In order to make medical services more accessible to all sections of the population, the increased VAT rate on the pharmaceutical industry at the business level has been completely withdrawn and the previous rate of 2.4% has been maintained. Read more: VAT on hotels, restaurants to be revised to previous level: NBR With the withdrawal of the additional VAT imposed on medicines, the continuous development of the pharmaceutical industry will continue and the price of medicines will not increase at the general consumer level. Mobile Phone and ISP Services: In order to continue the ongoing digitization activities of the country and to create a modern IT-savvy young generation and increase online-based activities, the increased supplementary duty on services provided through the use of mobile phone SIM/RIM cards and the newly imposed supplementary duty on ISP services have been completely withdrawn. With the complete withdrawal of the increased/newly imposed supplementary duty on mobile phone and ISP services, the cost of consumers in these two sectors will not increase. Restaurants: In order to facilitate the large population of the country to consume food in restaurants at affordable prices, the additional VAT imposed on all restaurants except three-star, four-star and five-star hotels has been completely withdrawn. Read more: VAT reduction on medicines recommended: Health Adviser As a result of the complete withdrawal of the additional VAT, the general public will be able to consume food in these restaurants at the previous price. Motor vehicle garages and workshops: In the public interest, the increased VAT rate has been completely withdrawn in the case of motor vehicle garage and workshop services. As a result of the complete withdrawal of the additional VAT, the price of the related service will not increase. Others: In the same consideration, the additional VAT imposed on the marketing of other clothes except for own-brand ready-made clothes has been completely withdrawn. In addition, the VAT rate on services has been reduced from 15 percent to 10 percent in the case of non-AC hotels, dessert shops, and marketing of own-brand ready-made clothes. Read more: Commerce Adviser defends govt’s move to increase VAT A press release from NBR said that that in the larger interest of the people of the country, in the last few months, the National Board of Revenue has provided massive tax exemptions on import duty, regulatory duty, VAT, advance income tax and advance tax on edible oil, sugar, potatoes, eggs, onions, rice, dates and pesticides. In order to ensure easy availability of books for students at all levels of Bangladesh, to establish a modern and information technology-based education system and to improve the quality of the education system, VAT exemption has been provided for e-book services at the local supply and import level. VAT exemption has been provided on the fast, safe and environment-friendly metro rail service for its important role in reducing traffic congestion. In addition, the National Board of Revenue has completely withdrawn the excise duty on Hajj tickets in order to reduce the expenses of Hajj passengers.

The European Union and UN Women have signed a partnership agreement in Dhaka to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in public spaces, workplaces and tertiary educational institutions in Bangladesh. The project is aligned with the government of Bangladesh’s commitment to achieving "a society without violence against women and children by 2025," as outlined in its National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children (2018–2030) (NAPVAWC) and will integrate strategies for both the prevention of and response to gender-based violence (GBV). It will focus on addressing sexual harassment and violence in key areas of daily life, including public spaces, workplaces, and educational institutions. The partnership will further support UN Women in advocating that the Government quickly fulfills its commitments to international gender equality and human rights standards. New US Secretary of State Rubio meets Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar These include the recommendations of the Universal Periodic Review, the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the NAPVAWC. The project will also contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.1.1, which aims to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls. Building on the EU’s political and financial support and UN Women’s prevention programming over the last five years, the 4.8 million Euro grant will focus on three key critical areas: i) Strengthening an enabling environment through policies, systems and improving institutional knowledge, resources, and practices to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in public spaces, workplaces and tertiary educational institutions; ii) Transforming harmful social and gender norms to address discriminatory practices and iii) Strengthening the agency and leadership of civil society and women’s rights organisations to ensure sustained impact. Speaking at the signing ceremony on January 21, Michael Miller, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, said this intervention is an example of the European Union taking each and every opportunity to advance gender equality and eliminate violence against women and girls.  "It will foster safe environments where women and girls can thrive without fear of harassment or discrimination. The EU is proud to partner with UN Women and to support the authorities of Bangladesh in meeting the rightful expectations of its citizens.” Talks with Dr Yunus: Finland President seeks Global South's proactive roles in major global affairs Thanking the EU for its support and strategic partnership, UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh said this year marks a pivotal moment for women’s rights as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The collaboration with EU to advance gender equality will enable UN Women to continue the critical work of preventing violence against women and girls, addressing discriminatory norms and investing in civil society to make gender equality a lived reality in Bangladesh, she said. This partnership underscores the shared commitment of the European Union and UN Women to creating a future free from violence and discrimination for all women and girls in Bangladesh.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on January 21 in Washington, D.C. Rubio and Jaishankar affirmed a shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the partnership between the United States and India, said Spokesperson Tammy Bruce. They discussed a wide range of topics, including regional issues and opportunities to further deepen the U.S.-India relationship, in particular on critical and emerging technologies, defense cooperation, energy, and on advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Secretary Rubio also emphasised the Trump administration’s desire to work with India to advance economic ties and address concerns related to irregular migration.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy have recently included Bangladesh in the 10th edition of the scholarship programme ‘Invest your Talent in Italy’, for the academic year 2025-2026. Bangladeshi students will be eligible for availing this scholarship from the upcoming session. The selected students will receive a nine-month scholarship and complete a three-month internship with an Italian company relevant to their field of study. They can study in a variety of masters and postgraduate courses in three fields - Engineering-Advanced Technologies, Economics-Management and Architecture-Design. (Interested students may like to visit the following website for further details.https://investyourtalentapplication.esteri.it/SitoIYT/EN/invest-your-talent-in-italy ) This inclusion demonstrates the existing excellent friendly relations between Bangladesh and Italy. It would be a great opportunity for Bangladeshi students to pursue higher education and thrive in Italian universities, said the Bangladesh Embassy in Rome. And, it would further expand educational collaboration and strengthen people-to-people contact and foster goodwill between the two countries.