United News of Bangladesh

The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule questioning the legality of the cancellation of Faruque Ahmed’s nomination as the director of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the subsequent appointment of former national cricket team captain Aminul Islam Bulbul in his place. The HC bench of Justice Razik Al Jalil and Justice Sathika Hossain issued the rule and an order after hearing a writ petition filed by Faruque Ahmed on Sunday. The court also ordered that a ‘status quo’ be maintained regarding the functions of the BCB's board of directors, allowing the current board under Aminul Islam’s leadership to continue its operations for the time being. Besides, the rule asked why the cancellation of Faruque Ahmed’s nomination and the appointment of Aminul Islam as director should not be declared beyond legal authority. It also directed five respondents including the secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Bangladesh Cricket Board to respond to the rule. BCB's counsel Mahin M Rahman said that the High Court has ordered the current board to continue its activities under the existing structure. “Those who are currently in charge can carry on their responsibilities. At present, the board is being run by a nine-member panel led by Aminul Islam,” he said. Earlier on May 29, the National Sports Council (NSC) cancelled Faruque Ahmed’s nomination as a BCB director. The following day, on May 30, the NSC nominated Aminul Islam as his replacement. Subsequently, the BCB board members elected Aminul as the president of the board in a meeting.  

A Dhaka court on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on journalist Munni Saha and her family in a graft case. Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the Anti-corruption commission (ACC). Deputy Director of ACC Yeasir Arafat filed a petition seeking ban on the travel of Munni Saha, her mother Rani Saha, husband  Kabir Hossain and her two brothers—Tapan Kumar Saha and Pranab Kumar Saha. According to the petition, Munni Saha along with her family accumulated wealth through illegal way. Investigation is on against them and for the sake of fair investigation travel ban need to be imposed against them, it said.  

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday said it has been compelled to halt some education programmes in Bangladesh due to the ongoing global aid funding crisis. At this time, certain activities, including the contracts of UNICEF implementing partners with 1,179 host community personnel working on kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 education, including lessons on English, Science, Social Science, and drawing, have been terminated, said the UN agency in a statement. The return of the rest of the workers following the Eid break till 29 June, both Rohingya and from the host communities, to develop their work in the learning facilities, depends on new funding being secured. "These decisions are necessary to safeguard the core functions of our ongoing programs, ensure emergency support for children in the most critical need, and uphold our commitment to children’s welfare during these extraordinarily challenging times," it said. The UN agency said they remain hopeful that increased funding will soon allow us to restore and expand the vital services that so many children depend upon. UNICEF said it has been committed to supporting children in Bangladesh since 1952, working tirelessly to ensure that every child has access to quality education, health and protection, regardless of their circumstances. UNICEF welcomes Bangladesh’s decision  to establish separate children’s courts  "We are deeply aware of the urgent needs faced by Rohingya refugee children, many of whom have already endured significant trauma and disruptions to their education, health, nutrition and protection," the statement reads. "Our goal is to ensure they have essential skills, that they have basic qualifications that give them confidence to contribute to their communities when the time is safe for them to return." The UNICEF thanked the international community and their partners for their continued support. "UNICEF remains dedicated to the welfare of every child, and we will continue advocating for the resources needed to give Rohingya refugee children the education they deserve and the chance to rebuild their futures," the statement reads.

Finance Adviser  Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday hinted at some possible changes in his budgetory proposal in whitening black money in 2025-26 fiscal year. “We are not saying that we have done a great job by giving chance to whiten black money, this might happen sometime due to compulsion, we will look into the matter,” he said. The adviser made the statement while responding to a question at the post budget press conference held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. He said that the provision given in the proposed budget is to legalise the legally earned money that was not disclosed due to various reasons. Interim govt decides to stop provision of whitening black money “It has to aspects: one is ethical and the other is practical, we will consider the matter,” the adviser said while responding to a question. He said that bringing back siphoned-off money is a tough job as the people involved in this  are very intelligent and they use layering system for it. He mentioned it needed time. In this connection, he said that it took 18 years for Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos and 20 years in Nigeria. “We have said that it would take time, we have started the process,” he said adding that it would have been better for him to formulate the budget easily if the laudered money could be brought. The adviser said that it would be better for him if he got more internal resources, tax and VAT. “If we make the country corruption free, could bring back the siphoned money, then we do not need budget support from the IMF and World Bank,” he said. He also mentioned that Bangladesh economy is now on the highway crossing the muddy roads.    

Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Chairman Khondoker Rashed Maksud on Tuesday welcomed the proposed budget, saying it reflects the government’s sincere and constructive approach to capital market development by giving due emphasis on crucial sectoral issues. In a written statement in response to the new budget, Rashed Maksud said Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus' five-point directives over the capital market were prominently incorporated in the budget speech delivered by Economic Adviser Dr Saleh Uddin Ahmed. Among these directives were the direct listing of multinational companies in the capital market and the enlistment of strong, fundamentally sound local companies. In addition, the directives called for appointing foreign consultants to implement essential reforms, taking strict actions against irregularities and misconduct by market-related entities and individuals and providing policy support from the government to position the capital market as a central pillar of the future economy. Reflecting these directives, the Ministry of Finance has proposed widening the corporate tax gap between listed and non-listed companies from 5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. As a result, companies listed on the stock market will benefit from a lower corporate tax rate. Dhaka stocks extend losses, Chattogram index edges up The BSEC chairman expressed the hope that this move would encourage both domestic and foreign profit-making companies with strong fundamentals to become listed. To stimulate trading volume in the market, the transaction tax on brokerage houses has been reduced from 0.05 per cent to 0.03 per cent. Maksud noted that the capital market is currently facing liquidity constraints and low trading volumes, and he hoped this tax relief would encourage greater investor participation and enhance trading activity. Merchant banks, considered crucial stakeholders in the market, have also received incentives, he said. Highlighting their role in ensuring a sustainable supply of quality shares, the Chairman noted that the corporate tax rate for merchant banks has been reduced by 10 percentage points—from 37.5 per cent to 27.5 per cent. He believes this will further encourage merchant banks to contribute to capital market development. In a move to protect investors’ interests, the chairman recalled a key decision made shortly after the interim government assumed office on 4 November last year. The National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a directive to reduce the capital gains tax from the sale of shares of listed companies. The maximum tax rate was halved from 30 per cent to 15 per cent. Rashed Maksud considered this a clear sign of the government's commitment to the capital market.

Planning Adviser  Wahiduddin Mahmud on Tuesday termed the budget placed by the interim government  "realistic and frugal’. “I will tell this budget realistic and frugal aiming to ensuring a fragile economy into stable one where all financial institutions and all other state organisations were demolished,” he said while addressing a post budget press conference held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. He said that they are having heavy trouble to clean the garbages that were left behind by the previous Awami League government. The adviser said that the new projects that are taking by this government would come to implementation stage not in the coming 2025-26 fiscal, but in 2026-27 fiscal. “These projects will be enlisted now, there will be some more tasks to be done for these projects to improve these, the time to implement these projects will come not in the proposed budget time (2025-26 fiscal), these projects will be implemented in 2026-27 fiscal,” he said. He also said that at that time this interim government would not be in the power. “The government which will be in the power then if they want they can pick projects from those enlisted ones,” he said. The adviser, however, admitted that the poverty in the country has increased. “We are trying to know the reasons to solve those,” he said. Change in budgtory proposal in whitening black money may be considered: Finance Adviser  He said this is the first time such a system has been put in place where a project must be in the forefront of the ongoing permanent irregularities (IMED) survey. He said that many projects have been implemented without any kind of trial analysis, the work of which is being spent twice as much. There are many projects where major corruption has occurred. In future IMED will be involved in the ongoing project survey to prevent corruption.” The adviser said that the permanent procurement policy has been revised and passed. Through this, 100% e-tender will be effective to ensure transparency. Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said that this budget is the budget to reduce the inconsistency. “This is an exceptional budget and the budget to reduce wastage,” he added Wahiduddin said that significant portion of the proposed national budget has been allocated for servicing both foreign and domestic debt obligations, alongside maintaining essential subsidies in the agriculture and energy sectors. He noted that these measures were necessary to ensure social stability and contain inflation, which had been rising even before the current administration assumed office. “We have cleared significant backlogs in energy payments to foreign creditors,” he said adding, “But escaping the vicious cycle of borrowing to repay debt will not be possible in a single budget. What we have done is lay the groundwork for that transition.” The adviser also pointed out that the majority of the development expenditure in the upcoming fiscal year is tied to ongoing projects initiated by the previous government—many of which, he said, lacked proper financial planning and strategic prioritisation. “Out of 1,113 development projects, only 20 to 30 are new—and even those were listed in the ‘green page’ of last year’s budget without any allocation,” he said. All instruments positive, inflation likely to fall ahead of schedule: Governor According to the adviser the interim administration’s role has largely been to rationalise, restructure, and expedite the completion of feasible projects. Abruptly halting large infrastructure schemes mid-construction, he warned, would cause greater economic harm. “Instead, we’ve prioritised rural infrastructure such as roads and bridges, along with urban services like sanitation and water management in district towns and semi-urban areas,” he said. These efforts, he added, aim to improve livability and reduce urban congestion by promoting decentralized development. Regarding mega projects, the government is selectively focusing on economically strategic infrastructure such as the Matarbari Deep Sea Port, Chattogram Bay Terminal, and Khulna-Mongla Port. “These are not merely construction projects—they are gateways to boosting our trade potential,” the adviser said. “Even here, we are making careful budget adjustments to reduce costs wherever possible.” He also highlighted steps to reduce dependence on imported LNG by reviving and expanding domestic gas exploration—moves that he said are long overdue and could significantly cut energy import bills in the future.

The Sovereignty Protection Council on Tuesday demanded an immediate end to illegal ‘push-ins’ by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) and the repatriation of Indian nationals who have entered Bangladesh illegally. The demand came during a citizen’s meeting titled “Halting Illegal Push, Humanitarian Corridor, and Enhancing Border Security” held at the National Press Club in the city. Speaking as the chief guest, BNP chairperson’s adviser Professor Dr. Sukomal Bodhuya said India has continued illegal push-ins in clear violation of the 1975 India-Bangladesh border guidelines, the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) of 2011, and decisions taken at director general-level talks between BGB and BSF. “These actions are unacceptable in the interest of peace and stability along the border,” he said. He urged the government to intensify diplomatic efforts to force India to stop these invasions. Keynote speaker Kader Gani Chowdhury, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) said despite repeated diplomatic communications and flag meetings between BGB and BSF, illegal push-ins have continued unabated, often through unofficial routes or without BGB's knowledge. "It appears India is deliberately provoking tension," he added He also criticised the government's ‘policy-level decision’ to allow a ‘humanitarian corridor,’ arguing that such measures threaten national sovereignty and independence. Council Coordinator MD Mostafa Al Ehzaz said that since the ousting of the autocratic government on August 5, India has shown clear signs of imperialist behavior. He claimed that since the launch of "Operation Sindur" against Pakistan on May 7, BSF has pushed in over 2,000 men, women, and children into Bangladeshi territory across various border points. He alleged that people are being moved from Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya to be pushed into Bangladesh through multiple points—not just one or two—indicating a well-planned agenda. Former Justice Abdus Salam Mamun, who presided over the event, said, "There can be no compromise when it comes to the sovereignty and independence of the country.” Major General (Retd) Amsa Amin, Brig Gen (Retd) ATM Ziaul Hasan, Lt Col (Retd) Khandaker Faridul Akbar, Major (Retd) Harunur Rashid, Brig Gen (Retd) Mofizur Rahman, Photojournalist Association President AKM Mohsin, and BAPA Joint Secretary Faridul Islam, among others, spoke at the event.

Bangladesh has achieved a remarkable milestone in its exporting goods, recording US$44.94 billion during the first 11 months (July-May) of the current fiscal year. This figure already surpassed the total export earnings of $44.46 billion for the entire 2023-24 fiscal year, signalling the impressive performance of industries. Overall, export income has seen a significant 10 percent growth compared to the same period last year, when earnings stood at $40.85 billion, according to export data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) on Tuesday. As per the EPB data, export earnings in May alone reached $4.73 billion, an increase of 11.45 percent compared to $4.25 billion in May of the previous year. The ready-made garment (RMG) sector, which is the largest contributor to Bangladesh's exports, demonstrated a strong growth of 10.25 percent. Earnings from this sector amounted to $36.55 billion, up from $33.17 billion in the preceding year. Within RMG, woven garment exports increased by 9.30 percent to $16.94 billion, while knitwear exports surged by 10.98 percent to $19.62 billion. Strong Performance Across Other Sectors: Several other sectors also contributed significantly to the record export figures: Agricultural Products: Earnings grew by 3.17 percent to $928 million. Frozen and Live Fish: Saw a substantial increase of 17.53 percent, reaching $410 million. Leather and Leather Products: Registered a 12.55% growth, generating $1 billion in income. Leather Footwear: Experienced a remarkable 28.96% rise, with earnings of $620 million. Non-Leather Footwear: Grew by 30.25% to $494 million. Plastic Products: Increased by 18.62 percent to $270 million. Pharmaceuticals: Saw a 5.25 percent growth, with earnings of $197 million. Home Textiles: Increased by 4.78 percent to $825 million. Areas of Decline: Despite the overall positive trend, some sectors experienced a decline: Jute and Jute Products: Saw a 4.77 percent decrease in income, falling to $769 million. Other Leather Products: Declined by 3.39 percent, with earnings of $317 million. The record export performance in the first 11 months positions Bangladesh strongly to exceed its export targets for the current fiscal year, reinforcing its position in the global trade arena.  

Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur on Tuesday said inflation is expected to come down to a reasonable level earlier than the target set in the FY2025-26 budget, thanks to a stabilised exchange rate. “A fluctuating exchange rate is one of the challenges for increasing inflation. On the other hand, bumper food production brings a blessing to decreased food inflation from 14 percent to around 8 percent now. The non-food inflation has declined to below 9 percent from over 12 percent,” the governor said while speaking at a post-budget press conference in the capital's Osmani Memorial Auditorium. Budget 2025–26 market-friendly, say CPD, DSE and DBA   He said the budget aims to keep average inflation at 6.5 percent and expressed his belief that inflation would decrease even further. The governor highlighted the exchange rate as one of the major challenges in curbing inflation, adding that the situation has already improved significantly. New budget inconsistent with principles of an equitable society: CPD Dr Mansur also pointed out that prices of oil and gas in the international market are not expected to rise further, while Bangladesh's export capacity has significantly improved. Besides, the central bank has maintained a tight monetary policy to bring down the inflation rate. These combined efforts will help bring inflation below the target set in the budget, he said, adding , the interest rate will be decreased after the inflation rate reaches a reasonable level.  

Home Affairs and Agriculture Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday said the government will construct 100 small cold storage facilities across the country to store seasonal vegetables. He said this at a post-budget press conference in the capital's Osmani Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday. He said farmers could use these storage facilities to store tomatoes, carrots, and other seasonal vegetables. This cold storage will help farmers to get a fair price for their products along with reducing the wastage due to a lack of storage in time. No scope for revolutionary budget overnight: Finance Adviser Besides, the government will build 500 special houses within 2025-25 fiscal year to store onions for 5/6 months. These types of facilities will be increased gradually for other crops so that a smart supply chain of agricultural products is built, he said. The Adviser said the agriculture ministry is working to produce summer onion in the country like other vegetables to keep onion supply smooth in the domestic market.