United News of Bangladesh

Towards the end of July, the highly anticipated date for elections to the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union was announced, delivering on a key promise of the interim government to restart the culture of student politics centering students’ union elections at the country’s leading public universities. DU will hold its first students’ union election in six years on September 9. The final voter list containing 39,775 eligible voters- 20,871 male and 18,902 female- was published last week. Through its long yet chequered history DUCSU has authored some glorious chapters in the history of Bangladesh. From fiery speeches and protest rallies on the DU campus to the corridors of parliament, DUCSU’s influence over the life of the nation has been unmistakable — not just as a student body, but as a breeding ground of leadership, courage and conscientious rights-based movements from its birth. As a leadership incubator, it shaped many prominent figures who began their political life through activism on the DU campus. According to political analysts, several factors contribute to DUCSU’s role in grooming national leaders. From the beginning, DUCSU has contributed to many democratic movements. Its political environment and students’ active participation on issues make it a political incubator. Dr. Rushad Faridi, assistant professor of economics at DU, said, “Any organisation is a place for developing leadership qualities. Various posts in DUCSU and the hall's unions are platforms for practicing and nurturing leadership. I wouldn’t say only DUCSU is a place for producing leaders—any organisation, no matter how small, can serve as a ground for leadership development.” Before the 2019 election that was won by Nurul Huq Nur, the last DUCSU election was held six months before the fall of the Ershad regime, in June 1990. Yet strangely, the advent of democracy on the national stage spelled doomsday for DUCSU and its equivalent bodies in the other public universities, as nearly all of them went into limbo around the same time. Why or how this was allowed to happen, is still worthy of deeper study. One theory is that the university administrations failed to organise the elections under pressure from the ruling parties, or their student wings. Yet history tells us that when what would’ve been the first DUCSU election following the fall of Ershad was announced in 1994, it eventually couldn’t be held due to opposition from the Awami League. It was the same again the following year. Whatever the reason may have been, one thing that almost everyone can agree on is that the absence of SU elections has a very negative impact on the overall standard of student politics. “We know why elections are not held. One major reason elections have not taken place since the 1990s is that whichever party comes to power, its affiliated student organisations do not want elections as they already hold leadership positions on campus. They fear that if elections are held, leadership might pass into others hands. As a result, the campus ends up under the control of the ruling party. No work is then done to protect the interests of general students,” Dr. Rushad said. He added that the path for the development of new student leadership or those who want to engage in genuine politics gets blocked. “Consequently, we don’t see any new energetic and mature politicians at the national level either. Thus, a culture of thuggery is practiced on campus, and this trend is reflected in national politics as well.” Years in the Wilderness After the 1990 election, the last DUCSU election was held in 2019. In a case of supreme irony, the advent of democracy following the fall of the autocratic government of H.M. Ershad saw DUCSU pushed to the backburner. There are allegations that due to pressure from the ruling party’s student organisation and various quarters, the university administration could not organise the election. However, experts opine that there are harmful consequences of not holding the DUCSU election. Rushad Faridi said that the absence of elections has a very negative impact. “We know why elections are not held. One major reason elections have not taken place since the 1990s (till 2019) is that whichever party comes to power, its affiliated student organisations do not want elections as they already hold leadership positions on campus. They fear that if elections are held, leadership might pass into others hands. As a result, the campus ends up under the control of the ruling party. No work is then done to protect the interests of general students.” He added that the path for the development of new student leadership or those who want to engage in genuine politics gets blocked. “Consequently, we don’t see any new energetic and mature politicians at the national level either. Thus, a culture of thuggery is practiced on campus, and this trend is reflected in national politics as well.” DUCSU leaders who became MPs: Over the decades, a number of leaders of DUCSU have gone on to become members of the parliament. Ataur Rahman Khan, GS in 1929-30; Farid Ahmad, VP in 1946-47; Professor Ghulam Azam, GS 1947-49 (twice); S. A. Bari, VP, and Julmat Ali Khan, GS in 1953-54; K M Obaydur Rahman, GS in 1962-63; Rashed Khan Menon, VP and Matia Chowdhury, GS in 1963-64; Ashraf Ud-Doullah Pahloan, GS in 1964-65; Tofayel Ahmed, VP and Nazim Kamran Choudhuri, GS in 1968-69; A. S. M. Abdur Rab, VP in 1971, Abdul Kuddus Makhan, GS in 1971, Zia Uddin Ahmed Bablu, GS in 1982, Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed, VP in 1989-90, Amanullah Aman, VP in 1990-91 and Khairul Kabir Khokon, GS in 1990-91.

The long wait for residents along the Teesta riverbank is finally coming to an end, as the much-hyped Third Teesta Road Bridge will officially open to traffic on Wednesday. Stretching 1,490 metres, the new bridge fulfills a long-cherished dream for the people of Chilmari in Kurigram and Sundarganj in Gaibandha district. Although the project deadline had been pushed back five times, the bridge is now ready and will be inaugurated on Wednesday. Constructed under the supervision of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the main structure cost Tk 367 crore. An additional Tk 363.85 crore was spent on approach roads, river training, culverts and land acquisition, bringing the total project cost to more than Tk 730 crore. This is the third, and by far the longest, road bridge over the Teesta River. The first Teesta Bridge, 750 metres long, was built in 2012 at Gokunda in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila at a cost of Tk 87 crore. The second one, an 850-metre span, was completed in 2018 at Mahipur in Rangpur’s Gangachara upazila, costing Tk 131 crore. Country's longest railway bridge to open over Jamuna in Sirajganj Now, the third and most modern Teesta Bridge is set to transform the economy and connectivity of northern Bangladesh. According to LGED sources, construction of the 3rd Teesta Bridge began in September 2020 with funding from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and implementation by China State Construction Engineering Corporation. Initially scheduled for completion in June 2023, the project faced several delays. After five extensions, work was finally completed in August 2025. The bridge is supported by 290 piles, 30 piers, 28 spans and 155 girders. For proper drainage and connectivity, 12 small bridges and 58 box culverts have also been built. Passenger terminal building, “Maitri Dwar” at Patrapole land port set to open Sunday

The 200-year-old Dighirpar Bazar in Tongibari upazila is facing an alarming erosion threat, as the Padma River has already swallowed at least six business establishments in recent days. The sudden collapse began last week, shocking local traders and residents who now fear that the remaining market structures could be lost if the erosion continues unchecked. “We are terrified that if this goes on, everything we have will vanish into the river,” one businessman said. Locals have called on the authorities to take urgent action to protect the market, a vital commercial hub for the area and their livelihoods. The crisis comes at a time when the district’s Water Development Board (WDB) is implementing a Tk 525.50 crore project aimed at halting erosion. The 15-km long project, launched in April 2021, stretches from Dhighirpar in Tongibari to Shimulia in Louhajong. So far, the WDB claims to have completed over 60 per cent of the work, which includes placing Geo bags to reinforce riverbanks. Allegations, however, are there that illegal sand extraction by influential groups at night is worsening the erosion. Erosion hits Paturia ferry ghat from strong Padma currents Abdul Aziz, a local businessman, alleged that extensive sand dredging in the past had deepened the riverbed and triggered the current collapse. “The geo bags they are dropping are not enough. They just come, throw a few bags and leave, as there’s no follow-up,” her said. Another local resident, Suman Bepari, claimed that entire villages such as Sarishabari and Haldar Bari have been lost to the river due to illegal sand cutting. “Even though the High Court has a petition to stop this, it continues at night. They just pause in the day and resume under darkness,” he said. Tongibari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Mostafizur Rahman visited the site on Wednesday morning, assuring affected traders of government assistance. He also confirmed that a dredger from neighbouring Shariatpur had been spotted operating at night.  “We will take action after speaking to the police station. Geo bags were placed before, but the strong current has made the erosion severe,” he added. All Daulatdia ferry terminals face erosion threat as Padma swells

The government has taken a move to distribute some 36.61 lakh metric tonnes of food grains in 2025-26 fiscal year among low-income people under various social safety net programmes in the country to contain the inflationary pressure. Inflation in the country rose to 8.55 percent in July 2025, according to the latest data released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The rise was attributed to a modest rise in food and non-food inflation, the BBS report mentions. Under the programmes, 30.57 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 6.04 lakh metric tonnes of wheat will be distributed, according to a Food Ministry document. In the previous fiscal year, 33.05 lakh metric tonnes of food grains, 26.30 lakh metric tonnes of rice and 6.75 lakh metric tonnes of wheat-were distributed. Social security programmes get bigger allocations in national budget for FY26 A total of 2.40 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of rice and 3 lakh MT of wheat will be distributed through Open Market Sale (OMS) allocation in FY2025-26. Although some 1,066 OMS centres are currently operating in city corporations and major municipalities (as of July 2025) the demand is far higher. The annual rice requirement under the OMS programme is around 3,06,240 MT against the current allocation of over 66,000 MT. Besides, the daily wheat allocation requirement is 1,391 MT( or 30,602 MT of flour) per month. The monthly requirement stands at 39,743 MT of wheat which pushes the annual demand to around 4,76,915 MT against 3 lakh MT currently allocated. Officials say the shortfall highlights the need to revisit allocation levels to meet actual consumption patterns and ensure uninterrupted supply for low-income consumers who rely on subsidised rice and wheat through OMS channels. Rice prices in Bangladesh continue to exert significant pressure on food inflation as well as overall inflation, according to the latest economic update by the General Economics Division (GED) of the Planning Commission of the Planning Ministry. The contribution of rice to food inflation rose sharply from 40 percent in May to 51.55 percent in July. Medium and coarse rice accounted for the bulk of the increase, contributing 24 percent and 18.39 percent respectively, the GED report shows. A note from the Directorate says that the matter could be placed for discussion and decision-making regarding potential increases in OMS allocations for both rice and wheat. Rice and flour are sold at subsidised rates under OMS programme across Bangladesh to stabilise prices and support vulnerable groups particularly in urban areas. Bangladesh’s food grains distribution programmes are a key pillar of the government’s efforts to ensure food security for low-income and disaster-affected populations. Managed primarily by the Directorate General of Food under the Ministry of Food these initiatives combine social safety nets, targeted subsidies, and emergency relief to address both chronic poverty and seasonal hardships. Bangladesh targets record $63.5 billion exports for FY26: Commerce Adviser The largest components include the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) and Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) schemes which provide rice and wheat to millions of rural and urban poor households, particularly during lean agricultural seasons and ahead of major religious festivals. Under the Food for Work (FFW) and Test Relief (TR) programmes, food grains are distributed as payment for labour in rural infrastructure projects such as road maintenance, embankment repair, and irrigation canal construction, helping communities build resilience while generating employment. The Open Market Sale (OMS) initiative operates through trucks and dealers nationwide to sell rice and flour at subsidised prices to stabilise markets and support low-income consumers. Besides, during floods or cyclones, the government mobilises rapid-response relief channels to distribute food grains directly to affected families. These programmes are supported by the development partners including the World Food Programme (WFP) which collaborates with the government on capacity building, targeting systems and supply chain management. Officials said such programmes are vital for reducing hunger, protecting livelihoods, and protecting the most vulnerables against price shocks and climate-related disruptions. A top Food Ministry official said some 55 lakh families in the country which was 50 lakh previously will get 30 kilograms of rice per month at the rate of Tk 15 per kilogram. This will be distributed in August, September, October, November, February and March. “We hope that the market price will be lower comparatively as our storage is satisfactory,” said an official wishing anonymity.  

The US-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis in a briefing note released on Monday called Bangladesh government’s target to install 3,000-MW solar capacity in public buildings’ rooftops by the end of this year overly ambitious. The Bangladesh Power Development Board announced the rooftop solar project on July 7. Bangladesh has been battling an acute energy crisis for years. This is the second rooftop solar initiative introduced in the country. The first initiative required new buildings to have rooftop solar to get connected to the national power grid. Many of those rooftop solar installments ended up becoming stranded assets, leaving banks and other financial institutions with a negative impression on rooftop solar, creating a major financing challenge, the note said. The combined power demand in government offices, hospitals, educational and religious institutions is 1,500MW, half the target, said the IEEFA briefing note. “The Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority should assess and document rooftop solar potential in these buildings,” Shafiqul Alam, IEEFA’s lead energy analyst for Bangladesh and the author of the note, was quoted in a media release issued on the occasion of releasing the briefing note. Rooftop solar panels may influence urban temperatures: Study    “Furthermore, fund allocations for various projects, tendering, evaluation of bidding documents, issuing work orders and project implementation will likely require an extension of the December 2025 deadline,” said Shafiq. The note stated that achieving new rooftop solar capacity of 3,000MW in less than six months implies scaling up installations to more than 12 times the capacity of 245MW built so far until June 2025. The note highlighted that only 15-20 high-quality Engineering, Procurement and Construction companies operate in the country, and they may not have enough capacity to install 3,000MW in less than six months. Under Bangladesh’s new rooftop solar programme, government offices will roll out installations via the CAPEX model supported by public funds, while hospitals and educational institutions will operate under the OPEX model with no upfront cost, said the press release. Poor coordination, lack of maintenance, and rushed developer selection stand in the way of implementing the government’s rooftop solar plan under the CAPEX model. On the other hand, the OPEX model ensures quality, but offers lower savings, and could face financing hurdles and risks from load-shedding in rural areas. “If projects are small and scattered in rural areas, they may fail to attract companies to invest in the OPEX model,” said Shafiq. Chinese solar panel giant Longi to invest in Bangladesh: Ambassador Yao The note also underscored that utilities should find a way to address load-shedding in rural areas. The advice is for Bangladesh to draw on the experience of its neighbouring countries like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which boast of a greater share of renewable energy in the power mix, ranging from 47% to 63%. For instance, Pakistan’s rooftop solar sector success is an example that push factors, such as energy supply crunch and unaffordable power tariffs, can spearhead change. In Sri Lanka, the government addressed financing barriers to expand rooftop solar, supported by a multilateral agency, the note said. Later, the government provided funds for rooftop solar on public buildings. Similarly, India’s rooftop solar capacity of more than 18 gigawatts in May 2025 can be attributed to the consistent policy and regulatory support extended by the government. China wants to invest in solar panels manufacturing; deepen ties with Bangladesh Shafiq also called for establishing an independent monitoring mechanism to ensure the implementation of the government’s rooftop solar programme.

The southwestern part of Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila is groaning under the relentless weight of heavy vehicles, leaving thousands of locals caught in the daily misery of crumbling roads. For people in several unions of Moulvibazar and two neighbouring upazilas, what once were vital lifelines have now become stretches of broken asphalt and deep potholes. The worst-hit are the Moulvibazar–Kagabala and Moulvibazar–Shamsherganj–Sreemangal roads. Together they connect markets, schools, industries, and healthcare facilities over a stretch of roughly 16 kilometres. But today, travelling those roads feels less like a journey and more like an ordeal. At points such as Dighirpar, Aloha, Surya Pasha, Athangiri, and Dhandash, the surfaces have given way completely. Potholes and broken patches make each trip unpredictable, whether for students heading to class, workers rushing to jobs, or families trying to reach a hospital. Dilapidated road hampers trade through Sheola land port “I drive for Pran Food, and what should take 30 minutes now takes more than an hour,” said Milon Mia, a weary driver. “Our vehicles are getting damaged, and passengers are frustrated,” he said. The frustrations go beyond delays. For people like Jagadish Chandra Dey, a village doctor in Dighirpar Bazar, the roads have turned into a serious threat to patients’ lives. “The road has been in a terrible state for years. For serious cases, especially for expectant mothers, the suffering is unimaginable,” he said. Students too are among the worst affected. Jibon Dey Palash, who studies at Jashore University of Science and Technology, blamed the endless stream of heavy vehicles from nearby industries. “Covered vans carrying eggs and feed from Kazi Farms, and trucks loaded with bricks, are ruining the road,” he said, urging the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) to act promptly. The LGED, for its part, admits the problem and promises relief. Shahed Hossain, engineer at the LGED office in Moulvibazar Sadar, said they inspected the damaged stretches in July. “A renovation proposal has been submitted under the Road Maintenance and Repair Programme. Work will begin as soon as funding is approved,” he assured. People suffering due to dilapidated road in Munshiganj Until then, the residents of Amoil, Kagabala, and Nazirabad unions in Sadar Upazila, along with those in Mirzapur and Bhunabi of Sreemangal, and Gajnaipur and Paniumda of Habiganj’s Nabiganj Upazila, continue to live in limbo. For them, every commute is a gamble between necessity and endurance. With classrooms, clinics and markets hanging in the balance, locals can only hope the wheels of bureaucracy turn quickly enough to mend the wheels of their daily lives.

Nationals from five countries were involved in the Bangladesh Bank reserve heist that occurred in February of 2016, according to a senior official at the Criminal Investigation Department, the investigating agency of the cyber heist.       The foreign nationals involved in the crime are from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, China and the USA, said the official with in-depth knowledge of the investigation, seeking anonymity. The investigation that has been going on for almost a decade now also found the involvement of several Bangladesh Bank officials and employees, particularly from the central bank’s Information and Communication Technology Department. Some top officials of the central bank were also involved in the heist, the CID official said, adding that the investigation was at the final stage.         A sophisticated malware was used to hack into the BB system, the CID official said. The malware-linked file was knowingly opened from the ICT department, enabling the illegal transfer of US $101 million from the central bank’s account with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Bangladesh Bank issues master circular to simplify import procedures The ongoing investigation will soon end with the submission of a chargesheet before the court, said the CID official. The chargesheet will include the detailed report from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the heist, which conclusively proves the involvement of foreign nationals, the official said. The investigating agency has requested the FBI to send a copy of this report formally, he added. The central bank’s reserve heist was one of the largest cyber robberies in history. It occurred in the early hours of February 5. Hackers attempted to transfer about US $1 billion from the BB’s account at the New York Fed, of which US $101 million was successfully moved. The majority of the funds were laundered using the Philippines’ casino industry’s secrecy law and limited oversight. Of the stolen foreign currency, US $81 million went to the Philippines and about US $20 million to Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan funds were recovered in time, but retrieving the amount sent to the Philippines proved more complicated. So far, the Bangladesh government has recovered about USD 18 million from the Philippines. The investigation was jointly conducted by the CID, the FBI, the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Bangladesh Bank’s new agro-rural credit policy fails to excite farmers Zubair Bin Huda, the then deputy director of Bangladesh Bank’s accounts and budgeting department, filed a case with Motijheel Police Station under the Money Laundering Prevention Act on March 15 in 2016 against unidentified individuals. The case was later handed over to the CID. In nearly nine years of the investigation, over a hundred witnesses and extensive technical evidence, including IP addresses, network logs, banking transaction trails and Dridex malware code, have been examined. The investigation exposes how such an international financial crime was committed, how Bangladeshis collaborated in the crime, and the vulnerabilities of our cyber system, another senior CID official told UNB. We want the chargesheet to be prepared in a way that ensures the perpetrators face justice at the international level as well, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Over a year after devastating floods, 284 government primary schools in six upazila of Feni district, which were damaged due to flood, still await repair work despite having an approved allocation of over Tk 12.99 crore. With deadlines missed and procedures stalled, a staggering Tk 12.67 crore has been returned to the national coffer, leaving the authorities of 284 schools in disrepair and thousands of students in limbo. The government had earlier allocated Tk 12,99,70,812 crore for the repair and renovation works for 314 government primary schools in six upazilas of the district. But the authorities concerned carried out repair work on only 30 schools, spending Tk 31,73,334. As the authorities failed to carry out the repair work in time, a total of Tk 12,67,97,478 was returned due to non-implementation of the planned repair work. The upazila  engineer expressed reluctance to carry out the repair work for not receiving any instruction from the Local Government Engineering Department. As a result, the allocated money was returned to the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE). According to the DPE, Feni, after receiving the allocation on April 29, the renovation activities of 284 schools did not start in  time, leading to the fund return. Besides, 30 schools that received allocations of less than Tk 1, 50,000 have completed their repair work. Due to the allocation of more than Tk 1.50 lakh, to 284 schools, the upazila primary education officer sent a letter to the upazila engineer to take necessary measures regarding the repair work. As no instructions were received from the Local Government Engineering Department, the upazila engineer was unwilling to move ahead with the repair work. As a result, the allocated funds for the 284 schools were returned to the Directorate of Primary Education.  The allocated amount could not be spent as the project’s designated period expired for failure to invite a tender in time. There are 559 government primary schools in Feni. Of these, 151 in Sadar upazila which received Tk 5,02, 26,514 while only 5 schools were repaired, at a cost of Tk 5,62,159 and Tk  4,96,64,355 was returned. Struggle for survival begins anew in flood-hit Feni as waters recede In Dagonbhuiyan upazila, out of 102 government primary schools, 16 schools' furniture and infrastructures were damaged during the last year's floods. A fund of  Tk 76, 11, 960 was allocated for the repair work, officials said.  Due to the alleged lack of support from the upazila engineer for the implementation of the repair work, the allocated funds were returned, they said. In Sonagazi upazila, an amount of Tk 2,83,29,941 was allocated for the repair of 102 out of 110 government primary schools. Among those, 25 schools spent Tk 26,11,175 on repair work, while Tk 2,57,18,766 allocated for the repair of 77 schools was returned. In Chhagalnaiya upazila, out of 78 schools, 65 schools have received Tk 3,51,66,987 for repairs, while, in Parshuram upazila, a total of Tk 29, 58, 875 has been allocated for 7 schools and in Fulgazi upazila, Tk 55, 76, 546 was allocated for nine schools that have gone unutilised. The headmasters of the affected schools reported that due to the lack of time, this allocation could not be utilised. As a result, the schools have not become suitable for teaching.  Many teachers have been compelled to spend their own money on urgent repair work, creating uncertainty about the reimbursement. Upazila Executive Officer Sultana Nasrin Kanta said that the funds could not be utilised due to insufficient time for floating  tenders.  “Efforts are underway to request fresh  allocations next fiscal year,” she said. District Primary Education Officer Firoz Ahmed said that if funds arrive early or project durations are extended, future repair works could be implemented effectively. Feni faces flood risk again as embankment work stalls He also clarified that allocations under Tk 1.5 lakh can be spent directly by school authorities, but larger amounts require involvement of the Upazila Engineer. Executive Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Md Mahmud Al Faruque said he was unaware of any returned allocations and had not been contacted regarding them. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Fatima Sultana said “We have contacted the ministry. We hope that if we receive the funds back by August of the current financial year, the repair work on the newly affected schools will begin.” Meanwhile, a teacher from Paschim Chilonia Government Primary School, Kishore Chakrabarty, said that teachers had already spent personal funds to make the  schools functional due to post-allocation delays and now face uncertainty over reimbursement. Last year, a total of 323 primary schools in Feni were partially damaged due to flood, involving an estimated loss of Tk 1,62,87,799.

With more than 50,000 people living per square kilometre, over 500,000 buildings, a population of nearly two crore, chronic air pollution topping global charts, and waterlogging after light rain, simply surviving in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka is a big challenge, making the vision of turning it into a smart city seem distant to many. According to the latest data from Global Forest Watch, Dhaka’s tree cover is less than 1% of its total land area. Over the past four years, 198 hectares of greeneries in the capital have been destroyed for housing and other projects, releasing nearly 60 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A report by Sustainability Advocates Station states that alongside improvements in other key indicators, urban greeneries must be prioritised for a city to become smart. The report highlights the “3-30-300” model as the best approach. Under this model, every resident should be able to see at least three trees from their home window; 30% of the surrounding area should be allocated for trees; and a park or playground surrounded by greenery should be within 300 metres. A decade ago, Melbourne, Australia was struggling with environmental crises. By adopting this model, it improved liveability, set a target to raise forest cover from 22% to 40%, and began working to lower city temperatures by 4°C by 2040. In contrast, urban planners say that in South Asian countries, especially Bangladesh, no such initiatives in Dhaka amount to a suicidal approach. In Copenhagen’s Frederiksberg, a similar pilot project has been undertaken. According to the Frederiksberg Municipality’s 2024 data, its initial goal is for every resident to be able to see at least one large tree from any window. The project also includes planting trees along footpaths and road dividers. In Asia, Singapore aims to increase greeneries by 30% through similar initiatives, according to the Nature-Based Solutions Institute. Struggling to Survive While smart cities across the world aim for 30% greenery, Dhaka’s forest cover remains at just 1%, a figure that experts say threatens residents’ very survival. President of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) Adil Muhammed Khan said, “From the very beginning, Dhaka’s urbanisation has been unplanned. Buildings have been constructed haphazardly without any plan. Most areas of Dhaka lack playgrounds or parks and there is no arrangement for planting trees around buildings. Altogether, Dhaka has been turned into a suffocating city for housing.” He said there have been calls for years to focus on planning to turn Dhaka into a smart and well-organised city. Environmentalists demand steps against Dhaka’s park, open space encroachers “But decades have passed without change. Buildings keep going up, footpaths are being occupied, and trees are being cut down. Most areas lack the qualities of an ideal residential zone, and commercial areas are also developed without proper guidelines. From a Dhaka window, you see concrete towers, not trees,” he said. Tree Cutting Outpaces Planting Visits to several green areas of Dhaka reveal that hundreds of trees have been felled in the name of various projects, with parks and gardens being cleared. The once tree-covered Panthakunja in Karwan Bazar, Shaheed Anwara Park in Farmgate, and Suhrawardy Udyan in Shahbagh have all lost significant numbers of trees in recent years. In some cases, large trees have been removed altogether, pushing Dhaka further towards environmental peril. Abdus Sobhan, president of "Paribesh O Jalabayu Paribartan Andolon (PARIJA)", a voluntary social organisation working on environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate change adaptation, said, “Dhaka cannot be saved with a single step. The city is a product of severe lack of coordination.” “There is no collaboration between RAJUK and the Ministry of Environment. WASA and the city corporations do not interact. Buildings keep rising, trees are being cut, but the Environment Ministry shows no concern. We had expected Environment Adviser who was once involved in environmental movements, to take steps to save Dhaka’s environment, but she has joined the ranks of her predecessors,” he said in a said voice. Sobhan alleged that many engaged in environmental work are themselves benefiting from its destruction. “The environment is a sensitive issue, and a few influential groups are exploiting it for gain. In their grip, Dhaka has become uninhabitable. Even ignoring air pollution, this city cannot be considered liveable,” he added. Population and Housing Pressure According to RAJUK’s official figures, Dhaka has fewer than 200,000 buildings. House Rent Issues in Dhaka: A Growing Concern Planners and stakeholders, however, claim the actual number exceeds 500,000, as new buildings are being constructed every day. Planners say that the booming housing business faces little oversight in Dhaka, with buildings continuing to rise even as trees are lost. Housing sector representatives say the influx of new residents fuels demand. Senior Vice President-1 of the Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB), MA Awal, said, “Dhaka’s population is growing daily, and housing developers are working to meet their needs.” “Population is also increasing outside Dhaka city and we are expanding housing accordingly. Those who oppose housing projects should be asked how they plan to accommodate this vast population,” he added. Urban planners believe that to save Dhaka, decentralisation must begin immediately. Moving important offices and major factories outside the city would reduce population pressure, improve the environment and create an opportunity to redesign the capital.

Moves taken over the past year since the incumbent government assumed power to launch new fossil fuel projects or revive scrapped ones threaten to worsen Bangladesh’s economic woes, said energy experts.   Two of the moves involved liquefied natural gas import, though energy experts warned about it increasing expenses in the energy sector, which is highly subsidised.   The latest move regarding LNG supply took place during the recent visit of chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to Malaysia where a memorandum of understanding was signed over the supply of LNG and petroleum products and building their infrastructures.   In January, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) signed a non-binding deal with the US-based Argent LNG to purchase five million tonnes of LNG annually.   In a bid to facilitate LNG use, the government waived 15 per cent VAT on LNG imports in the budget for the financial year of 2025-26, potentially reducing its revenue income by more than Tk 5,000 crore, considering last year’s VAT income from LNG imports.   “Can Bangladesh afford more LNG imports? No, it cannot,” said Hasan Mehedi, member secretary of Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development.   Bangladesh slipped into its worst economic crisis in decades in 2021, three years after it started importing LNG to make up for depleting local gas production. LNG imported through long-term deals and spot market purchases is meeting roughly a fourth of all gas demand. Blended with locally produced gas, LNG is supplied through the national grid at a subsidised price. Arbitrary deals and policy shifts build mountains of unsold stones at MGMCL The import of LNG put so much financial burden on Petrobangla that it proposed early this year that the gas price should be increased by 152 per cent in one go for industries, drawing scathing criticism from business communities.  The price was increased by 33 per cent in April.    Some industries suffered up to a 179 per cent gas price increase in January 2023 as energy bills frequently went up to reduce the mounting deficit, which Petrobangla forecasts to exceed Tk 22,000 crore in the ongoing financial year. In the last financial year, the BWGED said, the cost of a unit of LNG was Tk 75.72. The average production cost of the same amount of locally extracted natural gas was a little over Tk 5.    But the selling price of a unit of gas to power producers, who consume half of all gas used annually, is Tk 14. Domestic consumers pay even less.   About half of Bangladesh’s gas-based power generation capacity remains idle due to fuel shortages. The fuel shortage reflects Bangladesh’s poor import capacity following a rapid decline in the dollar reserve since LNG import started.   Shafiqul Alam, lead energy analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said that Bangladesh imported around 1,511Bcf of LNG between August 2018 and July 2025, spending more than US$17.6 billion.   Bangladesh’s average LNG import cost has been US$12 per MMBtu, he said. Bangladesh currently has 1,100mmcfd of LNG import capacity through two floating storage and regasification units. But the capacity was substantially unused largely due to the failure to have enough money to purchase gas.    Until November of last year, the average LNG import was 579mmcfd. In 2023-24, the highest annual LNG import of 676mmcfd was recorded.   “Bangladesh should scrap some of its existing fossil fuel-based power plants and increase industrial power consumption to recover its economy,” said Shafiq.    But instead Bangladesh is resuscitating or planning to resuscitate scrapped fossil fuel projects.   Power Development Board chairman Rezaul Karim said that they decided to build the second phase of the 1,200MW coal-based power plant.   In June, 2022, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) cancelled its plan to finance the second phase of the Matarbari power plant following criticism over potential harms of implementing such projects.   In February, the Hydrocarbon Unit of the power and energy ministry hosted a discussion attended by energy experts, geologists and consumer rights activists with a proposition that categorically promoted open-pit coal mining, particularly in Phulbari.   Malaysia’s labour market reopening at risk over unresolved legal disputes The move threatens to revive a controversy settled through the loss of three lives two decades ago, potentially adding to the current political instability, a reason for economic activities slowing down.  All these fossil fuel-friendly developments came on the heels of the incumbent government cancelling 31 renewable energy projects.    The projects were cancelled for they were passed without tender, a condition that was an integral part of implementing all fossil fuel projects as well during the past Awami League rule. But almost all fossil fuel-based projects built during the past AL regime were retained. New renewable project is unlikely to be taken up by this year.    In the newly published renewable energy policy, there is no plan of phasing out fossil fuels anytime soon, despite global fossil fuel market volatility, recently manifested in a series of events—war, disaster, geopolitical tension and pandemic.    The recently adopted Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan ensures Bangladesh continues to rely on fossil fuels for decades to come.   Over 95 percent of Bangladesh’s current installed power generation capacity of more than 28,000MW is based on fossil fuel, mostly based on imports.    Bangladesh spent about $2 billion annually on energy imports. But an acute energy crisis persisted.  Energy experts already warned that the LNG import deal with the American company, Argent LNG, will be beneficial for the company. Importing LNG from the US implied a surge in transportation cost, they said. “Thinking about further LNG expansion is a dangerous move. Increasing fossil fuel use even more would be suicidal,” said Hasan Mehedi. Bangladesh is believed to be sitting on substantial gas reserves because of its geological standing as a delta. But successive governments ignored calls for exploration for decades.