United News of Bangladesh

Residents of Khagail area in Sylhet's Companiganj upazila blocked the Sylhet–Companiganj–Bholaganj highway on Tuesday noon protesting frequent power outages, causing immense suffering to commuters and tourists. The demonstration began around 12pm in Khagail Mor area where local residents obstructed vehicular movement for nearly half an hour, demanding an end to persistent load-shedding. The road blockade resulted in long traffic congestion on both sides of the highway, affecting those traveling to and from the popular Sadapathor tourist spot. Tourists, drivers, and passengers were stuck in sweltering heat during the peak hours of the day. Upon receiving information, police from Companiganj Police Station rushed to the spot and managed to persuade the protesters to withdraw blockade, restoring traffic movement. Attackers vandalise Rabindra Kacharibari in Sirajganj over assault on a visitor  Local residents said power outages Companiganj area under Palli Bidyut have increased significantly in recent days, occurring repeatedly both during the day and night. On Monday night, a resident of the Khagail area  fell sick due to intense heat during power cut , triggering public outrage. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Companiganj Police Station Uzair Al Mahmud said, “We spoke with the protesters and convinced them to withdraw blockade. They were also assured that the matter would be discussed with the Deputy General Manager of Palli Bidyut to find a solution.”

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has issued a show-cause notice to its central executive member Zobairul Alam Manik for making a controversial statement in which he claimed, “We are the biggest mafia.” The notice, signed by NCP’s Joint Office Secretary Saleh Uddin Sifat, said Zobairul’s “objectionable and organisationally inappropriate” comment came to the attention of the party’s Central Disciplinary Committee. The remarks were made on Monday at an Eid reunion event in Chattogram’s Anwara upazila. The statement, according to the notice, tarnished the image of the party and portrayed it negatively in the public eye. In light of this, the party has asked Zobairul to submit a written explanation within three days to the head of the Central Disciplinary Committee, explaining why organisational action should not be taken against him for violating party discipline and damaging its reputation. NCP for financial transparency in politics, urges EC to be tougher At Monday’s event, Zobairul said, “We successfully led the July uprising. For the past 16–17 years, no one else could provide such leadership. It was a political revolution. If anyone says that the students have done their part and should now return to campuses, we would say they managed to topple a mafia in 16 years. If anyone now, with cunning, tries to become a mafia again—we will tell them, if there’s a big mafia in Bangladesh now, it is us. There’s no bigger mafia than us.” Following the remarks, Zobairul faced widespread criticism across various quarters. The party issued the show-cause notice just a day after the statement drew public backlash.

Police on Tuesday night said they recovered the bullet-riddled body of a 40-year-old man by the side of Kushtia-Jhenidah Highway in Sadar upazila. The deceased was identified as Tutul Hossain, son of late freedom fighter Turab Hossain of Madhupur village. After returning from abroad, Tutul had been running a tea stall in the area. Islami University Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mehedi Hasan said locals spotted the body lying by the roadside around 9pm and alerted the police. 2 killed as microbus hits three-wheeler in N’ganj Upon receiving the information, police rushed to the spot and recovered the body, along with a shotgun, several rounds of bullets and a motorcycle. “He was shot in the face. Initial evidence suggests that he might have been killed elsewhere and his body dumped here,” the OC said. He added that they are at the scene and investigation is underway

Dhallywood actress and a member of the Bangladesh Film Artistes' Association, Tanin Subha, passed away on Tuesday evening. She was 31. The actress had been on life support at Popular Hospital in the capital’s Dhanmondi since June 2 after falling critically ill. According to family sources, her kidneys, brain, eyes, and heart had ceased to function, and despite medical efforts, she breathed her last at 7:57 pm on Tuesday. Her body will be taken to her ancestral home in Koiria Union under Kalkini upazila of Madaripur district. She will be laid to rest there following her namaz-e-janaza, according to Sony Rahman, Executive Member of Bangladesh Film Artistes' Association. The Bangladesh Film Artistes' Association and her fans expressed deep sorrow at her untimely demise, offering prayers and condolences to her bereaved family. Tanin Subha entered the media industry through the audition round of “CloseUp 1” on January 1, 2012. Although she began her career as a singer, she later focused on acting. Subah's first on-screen appearance was in a TV commercial, followed by her small-screen debut opposite Mosharraf Karim in the drama 'Jamaj'. Actress Tanin Subha 'Brain Dead', remains on life support She made her silver screen debut with the film 'Abastab Bhalobasha', although it was never released. Her major breakthrough came with 'Matir Pori', establishing her position in the film industry. Throughout her career, Tanin Subha acted in several films including 'Bhalo Theko', 'Tui Amar', 'Demag', 'Begum Jaan', 'Bir Bangali', and 'Raja Ranir Golpo'. Some of her upcoming unreleased films include 'Bir Mata', 'Dui Rajkonna' and 'Premer Bandhon'. She is mourned by colleagues and fans alike for her contribution to the entertainment industry. Tanin is survived by two daughters.

A group of UK parliamentarians under the banner of All Party Parliamentary Group called on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at his hotel here on Tuesday and discussed issues of mutual interest. Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Md Nazrul Islam and Bangladesh Ambassador to the UK Abida Islam, among others, were present. Earlier in the day, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus held separate meetings with Wouter van Wersch, Executive Vice President of Airbus, and Charles Wyley, Executive Vice President of Menzies Aviation, and discussed issues of mutual interest. Airbus, Menzies Aviation executives meet Prof Yunus in London The meetings were held at his (Prof Yunus) place at residence (hotel) in London separately, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told UNB. The Commonwealth Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey also met Prof Yunus separately later today.  

The Bangladesh Bank has announced that some bank branches in Bangladesh will operate on Wednesday (June 11) and Thursday (June 12) during the Eid-ul-Azha public holidays. This move aims to ensure the smooth continuation of essential import and export transactions, especially for the pharmaceutical industry and other businesses, according to the central bank. The decision, made under the powers granted by Section 45 of the Bank Company Act, 1991, specifies that authorised dealer (AD) branches in Dhaka, Chattogram and other significant commercial areas will operate on these two days at the discretion of individual banks. The Bangladesh Bank's Department of Offsite Supervision (DOS) issued the directive. Banking hours for these designated branches will be from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, with transaction services available from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Rush at banks on last working day before Eid-ul-Azha holiday The central bank has also confirmed that employees working on these public holidays will receive allowances in accordance with relevant regulations. This instruction, deemed to be in the public interest, has been circulated to the managing directors and chief executive officers of all scheduled banks operating in the country.

As Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus begins his official visit to the United Kingdom, anti-corruption campaigners from both countries have urged the UK government to take stronger action in helping Bangladesh trace and recover assets allegedly stolen by the previous regime. Transparency International Bangladesh, Transparency International UK and Spotlight on Corruption jointly called for the UK authorities to impose sanctions on individuals from the Bangladeshi elite suspected of serious corruption and to step up enforcement efforts to seize suspicious assets located in Britain, said a press release of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) issued on Tuesday. Iftekhar Zaman, executive director of TIB said “The UK needs to act urgently to make the most of this rare window for democratic transition and accountable governance in Bangladesh. The return of stolen wealth should be a central plank of ongoing anti-corruption reform efforts in the country and a powerful message that money laundering is in the end effectively held to account in both source and destination”.  Susan Hawley, executive director of Spotlight on Corruption, said “There is no time to lose for the UK Government to put Anti-Corruption sanctions in place to make sure Bangladeshi assets linked to misappropriation and bribery are frozen here and in the UK’s overseas territories. This will give law enforcement agencies crucial time to pursue cases and recover these assets and send a strong message that those linked to grand corruption cannot get away with looting assets with impunity.” Duncan Hames, director of Policy at Transparency International UK, said “Having declared a war on money laundering, the UK should immediately investigate the £400 million in British properties tied to Sheikh Hasina's associates and seize any assets linked to corruption. Swift action would prove Britain's commitment to accountability isn't just rhetoric, and support Bangladesh's quest for democratic renewal.” Airbus, Menzies Aviation executives meet Prof Yunus in London Investigations by The Observer and Transparency International UK have identified at least £400 million worth of UK properties allegedly owned by close associates of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The UK’s National Crime Agency has reportedly frozen £90 million worth of these assets. Chief Adviser Yunus, who heads Bangladesh’s interim government, has pledged to root out corruption and recover public funds allegedly stolen during Hasina’s 15-year tenure. A government-commissioned white paper estimates that some $234 billion was siphoned out of the country between 2009 and 2023—equivalent to about $16 billion a year. The British high commissioner in Dhaka has pledged support to Bangladesh’s interim government in restoring peace and ensuring accountability. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Secretary has stated that the “golden age of money laundering is over.” Sheikh Hasina’s government fell in August 2024 following weeks of mass protests led by student movements demanding democratic reforms.

This year's Eid-ul-Azha saw over 9.1 million animals, mostly cows and goats, sacrificed throughout Bangladesh, according to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. Data from the Department of Livestock Services (DLS), a government agency, shows that a total of 9,136,734 animals were sacrificed in 2025. Of these, 4,705,106 were cows and buffaloes, while 4,430,668 were goats and sheep. Other types of animals accounted for 960. The ministry says that this estimate was compiled based on reports from DLS officials at district and upazila levels. According to the DLS, a significant number of sacrificial animals—3,310,603—remained unsold this year. Qurbani Rawhides: Even price revisions fail to ease market woes  The department explained that this surplus is due to a higher production of sacrificial animals compared to market demand. It also noted that having unsold animals is not unusual, as these may be needed for upcoming social and religious events. An analysis of the DLS data reveals that the Sylhet division saw the fewest number of sacrifices, with 319,823 animals sacrificed. Mymensingh division followed with 383,162. The highest number of animals were sacrificed in Rajshahi division—2,324,971. This was followed by Dhaka division, where 2,185,040 animals were sacrificed. Chattogram division recorded 1,753,732 sacrifices, followed by Khulna with 804,224, Barishal with 400,783, and Rangpur with 964,999 animals.

Thirteen fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Bangladesh in the last 24 hours till Tuesday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). With the latest figure, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 20,51,760. The death toll from the virus remains unchanged at 29,500. A total of 101 samples were tested during the latest reporting period of 24 hours [between 8am Monday and 8am Tuesday], resulting in a daily positivity rate of 12.87 per cent. 38 more dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hrs The overall positivity rate stands at 13.05 per cent till now, while the fatality rate based on detected cases remains at 1.44 per cent, said the DGHS press release. Meanwhile, the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the country now stands at 20,19,378.

Forest officials under the Jashore Social Forest Division rescued two geckos and a fishing cat from different parts of Jashore division on Tuesday. Police intercepted a motorcycle at Taltala in Satkhira district and rescued a gecko from the biker's possession. Later, officials from Jashore forest department rescued another gecko from Jashore on the same day. Besides, an ailing fishing cat was rescued from a mango orchard at Bujtala village in Sharsha upazila of Jashore district on Tuesday. It was taken to the Saharsa SFNTCL Hospital and given primary treatment. The cat is now somewhat recovered and able to move around a little on its own. Once fully recovered, it will be released near its natural habitat. The Forest Department's ongoing efforts to protect natural resources and safeguard wildlife through such activities will continue, officials said.