United News of Bangladesh

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Sunday described misinformation as the biggest challenge facing journalism in the digital age, saying the government has already taken several initiatives to tackle the growing problem. Speaking at a seminar titled "Politics, Power and Interconnections: Theory, Reality and the Future" organized by the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the Dhaka University to mark its 64th founding anniversary, Swapon said misinformation has expanded significantly with the rise of digital platforms. "Earlier, information flowed in one direction, and there was still scope for misinformation. But in the digital era, the spread of misinformation has increased many times over. We have taken several measures to combat it, and the government is working on the issue with great importance," he said. Quoting political theorists, the minister stressed the indispensable role of journalism in a democratic society. "Where there is no journalism, one may even question whether a state truly exists. If one had to choose between a state without journalism and journalism without a state, any civilized person would choose journalism without a state. Journalism is an essential component of civilization and the fourth pillar of the state," he said. Swapon said journalism carries the dual responsibility of uncovering the truth and maintaining objectivity, while acknowledging that public welfare or activism can also be an important part of the profession. "However, when a journalist is driven by a predetermined objective, whether good or bad, objectivity risks being distorted. If information is presented only to achieve a particular goal and the discovered truth does not support that goal, truth and aspiration come into conflict, and objectivity is often sacrificed," he said. Speaking on governance, the minister warned that a state could become an instrument of oppression if those in power lack vision or are motivated only by the pursuit of authority. Commenting on history and political narratives, he said every historic event has an established narrative, but the crucial question is who constructs that narrative. Unless the process of uncovering the truth becomes universal, historical debates will remain unresolved, he added. Earlier in the seminar, New Age Editor Nurul Kabir criticized the concept of "neutral journalism", arguing that journalists should stand in favour of public interest and people's rights rather than remaining detached from political and social realities. Responding to Kabir's call for repealing colonial-era media laws, Swapon said the government is working on amending the Printing Presses and Publications Act, 1973. "The Prime Minister has instructed that the provision should be amended so that it refers to writing against the state instead of writing against the government. We will work on the reform," he said.

The online application activities of Dhaka University’s undergraduate program for 2026-27 session will begin from 11 November,2026 on 12pm, said the university’s public relation office today. Applicants will be able to apply until 11:59pm of 25 November. The decisions have been taken in a meeting of the admission committee, held today at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban, presided by the vice chancellor prof. dr. ABM Obaidul Islam. The undergraduate program admission test for 2026-27 will be held under 5 units, just like the previous years, including Arts, Law and Social Science unit, Science unit, Business Studies unit, Fine Arts unit and IBA unit. The exam for Arts, Law and Social Science unit will take place on 19 December, while Science unit exam on 12 December, Business Studies unit exam on 26 December, Fine Arts unit exam (GK and Drawing) on 22 December and IBA unit exam to be held on 5 December, 2026. All units’ exams will commence from 11am to 12:30pm except IBA unit. The IBA unit exam will begin from 10am to 12pm.   Except for Fine Arts and IBA units, the exams will be held in 8 divisions across the country. The divisional centers include Rajshahi University, Chittagong University, Barisal University, Khulna University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh Agriculture University and Begum Rokeya University.  60 marks MCQ and 40 marks written test will be conducted for all the units except IBA and Fine Arts units. The Fine Arts unit’s exam will be held based on 40 marks MCQ and 60 marks drawing, while 70 marks MCQ and 30 marks written for the IBA unit. All the exams will be held on 100 marks and 20 marks will be added based on the results of HSC and SSC. Prospective applicants must pass the SSC or equivalent from 2021 to 2024 and the HSC or equivalent just in 2026. It was decided in the meeting that, in the Science unit, the question paper for the students of English medium will be formulated according to their curriculum. The class activities for 2026-27 academic session will begin from 28 March, 2027, the meeting decided.

Bangladesh witnessed a sharp decline in foreign assistance commitments in the 2025-26 fiscal year, while debt servicing on external loans increased significantly, according to provisional data released by the Economic Relations Division (ERD). The latest Foreign Assistance Monthly Report showed that total foreign aid commitments stood at USD 5.24 billion during FY2025-26, down from USD 8.32 billion in the previous fiscal year, marking a decline of nearly 37 per cent.  The drop was driven entirely by lower project assistance commitments, which fell to USD 5.01 billion in loans and USD 233.78 million in grants, compared with USD 7.94 billion in loans and USD 381.65 million in grants in FY2024-25. No food assistance commitments were recorded in either fiscal year. Despite the decline in new commitments, foreign aid disbursement remained relatively strong. According to the report, total disbursement amounted to USD 8.07 billion in FY2025-26, compared with USD 8.57 billion in the previous fiscal year. Project assistance disbursement reached USD 8.02 billion, including USD 7.52 billion in loans and USD 503.95 million in grants. Food assistance remained unchanged at USD 50 million. The report also highlighted a continued rise in Bangladesh’s external debt servicing obligations. During FY2025-26, the country paid USD 4.49 billion in principal and interest on foreign loans, up from USD 4.09 billion in FY2024-25. Of the total debt servicing, USD 2.95 billion was principal repayment and USD 1.54 billion was interest payment in the last 2025-26 fiscal. It was USD 2.59 billion of principal repayment and USD 1.49 billion interest payment in the last 2024-25 fiscal. In local currency, total external debt servicing amounted to Tk 54,957.23 crore, compared with Tk 49,390.68 crore in the previous fiscal year.  The provisional report, prepared by the Foreign Aid Budget and Accounts (FABA) Wing of the ERD, covers the period from July 2025 to June 2026. 

The government of Bangladesh, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Sunday officially launched the National Action Plan (NAP) 2026-2030 for implementing the objectives of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). The event was convened by the co-chairs of the Bangladesh Migration Compact Taskforce (BMCT) - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, in coordination with IOM. The development process of the NAP was supported by the European Union through the EU-funded Prottasha II project, implemented by IOM. The event also included a debriefing on the outcomes of the International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) 2026, highlighting Bangladesh’s leadership and contributions to the global migration agenda. The National Action Plan was approved by the Cabinet on 21 May 2026.  Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury attended the event as the chief guest. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Nurul Haque, Adviser to the Prime Minister Mahdi Amin, and Deputy Director General for Operations of the International Organization for Migration Ugochi Daniels also attended the event. Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam and Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md. Mokhtar Ahmed delivered remarks on the NAP and shared their reflections on the 2026 IMRF. The speakers laid emphasis sustained collaboration among government institutions, international partners, civil society, the private sector, and migrants for the successful implementation of the NAP. They underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring that migration remains safe, orderly, and regular while maximising its contribution to national development and protecting the rights and dignity of Bangladeshi migrants. The event also featured Bangladesh’s renewed commitments and pledged toward the implementation of the GCM, remarks from civil society, and the official unveiling of the National Action Plan. Bangladesh’s GCM journey, achievements, and challenges were showcased at the venue through a video documentary and a thematic exhibition.

Detectives have arrested four people including three Chinese nationals during a drive in the capital's Bashundhara residential area on charge of operating an online fraud network using an illegal SIM gateway. The arrestees were Jharna Chakma alias Jiana, 27, Liu Hui Zhang, 46, Wei Yuji, 30, and She Yi Ran, 42. According to the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the group had  been operating fraudulent activities through online gambling websites from a rented apartment and used around 6,000 SIM cards in the operation. Briefing reporters at the DMP Media Centre, Additional Commissioner (DB) Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said a DB Cyber Crime team conducted the drive at around 8pm on Saturday based on secret information. He said the apartment was rented by ethnic community member Jharna Chakma. The six-storey building was largely rented out to Chinese nationals, with Jharna residing on the ground floor while the remaining floors were occupied by them.   During the operation, detectives found equipment allegedly used for online gateway operations, online gambling and other fraudulent activities. Police seized 14 laptops, 16 mobile phones, about 6,000 SIM cards of different mobile operators, 20 gateway machines, foreign liquor and Tk 209,700 in cash. Shafiqul Islam said the suspects used promotional messages offering jobs, discounts or extra income to lure victims into clicking fraudulent links. He said the gang used the SIM gateway system to facilitate the operation, adding that they recovered around 6,000 SIM cards and SIM slots capable of accommodating approximately 10,000 to 12,000 SIMs. A single mobile phone was configured to operate with 12 SIM cards for the fraudulent activities, he said. The DB official said the group changed IMEI numbers of devices through technological means, making them difficult to trace. He said the network laundered between Tk 200 crore and Tk 250 crore every month through online gambling and other illegal means. Shafiqul Islam also said many Chinese nationals were carrying out such activities in Bangladesh under the names of different Chinese companies. He urged people to remain cautious and avoid being lured by fraudulent offers on online platforms, saying such scams were leaving many victims financially devastated. Police have filed a regular case against the arrestees, he added.

A tea shop owner and another person were killed, while two others were injured after a lightning strike in Pirganj upazila of Thakurgaon on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Shanti Rani, 46, a tea shop owner from Kusharigaon village, and Suiram Roy, 65, from Rajor village in neighbouring Ranishankail upazila. The injured are Salon Chandra, 48, and Tepra Roy, 60. Locals said several people were having tea at Shanti Rani's shop in Kusharigaon village under Bhomradah Union when a thunderstorm began around noon. A lightning strike hit the area during heavy rain, leaving four people seriously injured. Locals rescued the victims and took them to Pirganj Upazila Health Complex, where the doctor on duty declared Shanti Rani and Suiram Roy dead. As the condition of the two injured people worsened, they were referred to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Iqbal Hossain Pramanik, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Pirganj Police Station, said an unnatural death (UD) case has been filed in connection with the incident.  

Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee on Sunday said the July mass uprising was the result of a united movement and should not be credited to only two political parties. Speaking at a discussion titled "Martyrs' Sacrifice, Our Responsibility and a New Bangladesh" organised by Jagrata July Forum at the Central Kochi-Kachar Mela auditorium in Segunbagicha, Anee said the foundation of the July uprising had been built through 16 years of anti-authoritarian movements. "The united movement and struggle gave birth to the events of July 36," he said. Referring to the formation of the National Citizen Party (NCP), Anee alleged that those who once did not support Bangladesh's independence are now providing shelter to others who have formed a political party.   The minister said many leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) who actively participated in the July movement were not recognised. "Those who were involved in the movement under the banner of Chhatra Dal, including many from my own district, are absent from the list. Only two or four names are there," he said. Anee said he remained in contact with activists on the ground until he was jailed on July 25. "But after I was released, I could no longer find that leadership. A new leadership emerged, and today they are in the opposition. Those two parties are Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP)," he said. Questioning the exclusion of many participants, he asked, "Where did everyone else go? Did they not participate in the movement? Were they not part of the struggle against fascism? Were they not victims of enforced disappearance, killings or martyrdom?" He also criticised the previous interim government's decision to describe certain individuals as the "masterminds" of the July uprising. "If the interim government had not called them the 'masterminds,' they would not have gained so much influence. Calling them the masterminds was itself a mistake," he said. "The real masterminds were the people of this country and the general students. The movement was led by ordinary students, and all of us who had been involved in previous movements merged with them in that struggle," he added. Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment State Minister Nurul Haque Nur attended the programme as the keynote speaker. State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain spoke as a special discussant.

Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin on Sunday said the government is committed to ensuring safe, orderly and dignified migration, describing it as one of the key pillars of the 21st century. The elected government is working to empower people and establish a systematic migration process under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, he said while addressing the inauguration of the National Action Plan (2026–2030) as a special guest a hotel in the capital. He said Bangladesh has a long-standing legacy in the migration sector. "Employment opportunities abroad for Bangladeshis began under the leadership of Shaheed president Ziaur Rahman. Later, former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia established the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. We want to further strengthen this legacy through modern and time-appropriate policies," he said. Highlighting the government's quick action, Mahdi said the National Action Plan was approved by the Cabinet in the presence of the prime minister within less than three months of the government's assumption of office. "This reflects our commitment in action." Thanking Bangladesh's international partners, he said migration is inevitable for any country and enriches societies through the exchange of culture, language and diversity. "Our migrant workers are contributing not only to the economies of their host countries but also playing a transformative role in Bangladesh's economy by sending remittances," he said. Mahdi said the government is placing special emphasis on developing a skilled workforce. He said prospective migrant workers are being provided with language training, cultural orientation and technical skills before leaving the country. "Our goal is to build an effective ecosystem over the next five years so that more skilled Bangladeshi workers can access overseas employment through an orderly, systematic and fair migration process," he added. Ministers, state ministers, secretaries, senior government officials and diplomats from home and abroad attended the programme.

Preliminary findings from an icddr,b investigation have found no genetic evidence that the measles virus circulating in Bangladesh has escaped the protection provided by the existing vaccine. The Preliminary findings also show infants too young for routine vaccination (less than 9 months) are the largest affected group, said a iccdr,b press release on Sunday. The scale of the outbreak has led some people to question whether the measles virus has genetically changed enough to reduce vaccine effectiveness, but the findings do not support the belief that the vaccine has become ineffective. Children who had received both recommended doses were less likely to test positive among the suspected cases investigated. Genetic analysis also found that the circulating virus belongs to the B3 genotype, which has been reported in outbreaks elsewhere in the world. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 122,763 suspected cases and 15,272 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported between 15 March and 25 July 2026. During the same period, 721 suspected and 95 confirmed measles-related deaths were recorded. Researchers from icddr,b and Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute (BSH&I) investigated 341 children aged up to 14 years who were admitted to Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute (BSH&I) with suspected measles between 20 April and 21 May 2026. Laboratory testing confirmed measles in 324 children. Children aged between three and eight months constituted the largest affected group, with 137 confirmed cases. The researchers divided the 341 children into four groups according to their age and vaccination status. Among 146 infants who were below nine months and therefore too young for routine vaccination, 142 tested positive, representing 97 percent. Among 126 children who were old enough to be vaccinated but had received no dose, 122 tested positive, or 97 percent.  Of the 48 children who had received one dose, 44 tested positive, or 92 percent. Among 21 children who had received both recommended doses, 16 tested positive, or 76 percent. This does not mean that 76 percent of all fully vaccinated children are contracting measles. All the children in the investigation had already been admitted to hospital with suspected measles. The percentage refers only to the 21 fully vaccinated suspected patients included in this hospital investigation. The progressively lower positivity, from approximately 97 percent among children with no vaccine protection to 76 percent among those who had received both doses, is consistent with vaccination providing protection. However, a wider study with unaffected children for comparison is needed to measure how effectively the vaccine is working during the outbreak. “The size of this outbreak has understandably raised concerns about whether the vaccine is still working. Our findings provide no evidence that the virus has escaped vaccine protection. We observed lower positivity among children who had received both doses, although this hospital-based investigation cannot provide a population-level estimate of vaccine effectiveness,” said Dr Noorjahan Maliha, Associate Scientist in the Virology Laboratory of the Infectious Diseases Division at icddr,b. The finding that 16 fully vaccinated children were confirmed with measles requires further investigation. Possible explanations include some children not developing a sufficiently strong immune response after vaccination, antibody protection declining over time, malnutrition or other health and individual factors. The present investigation was not designed to determine which of these factors contributed to infection. icddr,b conducted phylogenetic analysis, which compares the genetic sequences of viruses to understand how closely related they are and how they may have spread. The analysis covered 55 whole-genome sequences, including 18 samples sequenced by icddr,b and 37 by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). Phylogenetic analysis showed that all viruses belonged to the B3 subclade and were similar to B3 viruses reported in other countries. Researchers also identified four changes, or mutations, in regions of the virus’s H protein epitopes that are recognised by antibodies. The H protein helps the virus enter human cells and is one of the principal targets of vaccine-induced antibodies. Some of these mutations have previously been reported in measles viruses circulating elsewhere. Their presence does not mean that the virus has become resistant to the vaccine. The findings also highlight a period of vulnerability among young infants. In Bangladesh, the first routine measles-rubella vaccine is provided at nine months and the second at 15 months.  “Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles and reduce the risk of severe illness. At the same time, we need to understand why this outbreak became so large despite comparatively high reported national vaccination coverage,” said Dr Mustafizur Rahman, Senior Director of the Infectious Diseases Division at icddr,b.  “We need to determine why children miss vaccination and whether reported national coverage conceals communities with substantial immunity gaps. Evidence from these studies will help Bangladesh refine its vaccination strategy and better protect children during future outbreaks,” Dr Kamrun Nahar, Assistant Scientist of the Virology Laboratory, added. “These preliminary findings answer some important questions, but they also show how much more we need to understand. icddr,b is developing a wider research response to examine why some vaccinated children became infected, what factors are contributing to severe disease and death, how malnutrition may affect protection and when infants lose antibodies received from their mothers,” said Dr Tahmeed Ahmed, Executive Director of icddr,b.

The price of green chillies would come down to a tolerable level within the next two to five days, as the government allowed the import of green chillies from tomorrow, said Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid on Sunday. The government has allowed the import of green chillies and decided to reduce the existing import tax in a bid to stabilise prices, he said to reporters while visiting Shantinagar Kitchen Market in the capital. Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and State Minister for Food Md Abdul Bari were present there to review the supply, prices and overall market situation of essential commodities. Administrator of Dhaka South City Corporation Md Abdus Salam was also present during the visit. The ministers interacted with traders and consumers and inquired about the supply and prices of daily essentials. Speaking to reporters after the inspection, the agriculture minister said the government had taken prompt measures to stabilise the market by allowing green chilli imports and reducing the applicable import tax.  "Import activities will begin from tomorrow, and we expect prices to come down to a reasonable level within two to five days," he said. Commerce Minister Muktadir said the government would take all necessary measures to keep the market affordable for consumers. He also urged journalists to present objective reports based on their field observations, saying accurate reporting would help create public awareness, reduce misinformation and discourage artificial shortages and price manipulation. Earlier in the day, the commerce and agriculture ministers and the state minister for food attended a meeting at the Commerce Ministry to review the overall market situation of essential food and agricultural commodities and determine the necessary course of action.