United News of Bangladesh

After raising the price in three consecutive adjustments, the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) has finally reduced the gold price in the domestic market. In a press release issued on Saturday night, BAJUS announced that the price of 22-carat gold has been cut by Tk 1,890 per bhori (11.664 grams), fixing it at Tk 192,969.  The new rates will come into effect from Sunday. BAJUS said the price of pure gold (tejabi) has fallen in the local market, prompting the latest adjustment. As per the new rates, the price of 21-carat gold has been set at Tk 184,198 per bhori, 18-carat at Tk 157,884, and traditional gold at Tk 131,045 per bhori. In addition to the selling price, buyers will have to pay 5% VAT as per government rules and a minimum 6% making charge set by BAJUS.  Gold starts selling at record high after fresh BAJUS hike The making charge may vary depending on jewelry design and quality. Earlier, on September 23, BAJUS last revised gold prices, raising the 22-carat rate by Tk 3,663 per bhori to Tk 194,859 — the highest ever in the country’s market until now.

Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (retd.) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of warehouse inspector Jannatul Nayeem, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a chemical godown fire in Tongi, Gazipur. In a condolence message on Saturday, the Adviser prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family. Tongi warehouse fire death toll rises to 3 Inspector Jannatul Nayeem, 37, passed away around 10am at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. With his death, three of the four firefighters from the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) who were injured have lost their lives due to burn injuries in the tragic fire incident.

The interim government is working to make tourism in Bangladesh safer, more enjoyable and affordable, said Commerce and Tourism Adviser Sk Bashiruddin on Saturday. He was speaking after inaugurating a colourful rally in front of the Tourism Building at Agargaon in the city, marking World Tourism Day 2025. The rally, which began at 9:30am, was organised under the theme ‘Tourism and Sustainable Development’. Officials of the tourism sector and representatives from different organisations across the country joined the event, with slogans highlighting various demands for the industry. Bashiruddin said the government is prioritising the development of new tourism destinations at affordable costs while ensuring safety and enjoyment for travellers. “We are developing new tourist sites at reasonable prices, making the best use of available resources. Codes of conduct are being introduced at tourist spots to ensure visitors’ rights and safety,” he said. The adviser stressed that while tourism carries significant economic value, financial considerations should not overshadow ethical standards. “Economy matters, but it is secondary here. What matters most is that tourists should never be deceived. We will all work together to ensure that,” he added. Later, he joined a discussion session organised as part of the day’s programmes, where speakers placed various demands before him, with particular emphasis on strengthening safety measures for tourists.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is set to announce three government-arranged Hajj packages for the next year’s (2026) pilgrims, with costs expected to be lower than this year due to reduced airfare, officials said. They said the announcement will be made on Sunday (Sept 28) following an executive committee meeting at the Secretariat. According to sources at the ministry, three packages will be offered under government management, compared to this year’s (2025) two. As before, they said, private management will also have a single package set by the government, below which agencies will not be allowed to set their own packages. The Hajj management executive committee, headed by the Religious Affairs Adviser and comprising top officials from various ministries, divisions and agencies, will meet on Sunday afternoon. Officials at the ministry confirmed that the packages will be announced once they are approved. This year, airfare for Hajj was Tk 1,67,820. Despite extensive negotiations, the officials said, the final fare could not be settled. Sources said discussions the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on airfare between have been going on for several days through meetings. Both advisers have been present at the meetings, but those ended inconclusively. The Religious Affairs Ministry insisted on fixing the airfare at USD 1,000 (Tk 1,22,000 excluding tax), while the aviation ministry proposed continuing with last year’s rate of Tk 1,67,820 until a further review could reduce the fare. On Wednesday (Sept 24), Adviser for Civil Aviation and Tourism Sk Bashir Uddin held talks with Adviser for Religious Affairs AFM Khalid Hossain at the Secretariat. Also present at the meeting were Religious Affairs Secretary AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik, Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) President Syed Golam Sarwar and General Secretary Farid Ahmed Mojumdar. The meeting concluded with the Religious Affairs Ministry sticking to USD 1,100 (Tk 1,34,200 excluding tax), while the Aviation Ministry proposed USD 1,200. Aviation officials suggested they would review the matter further and announce whether the fare could be reduced, at which point the adjustment would be made for pilgrims. Officials at the Religious Affairs Ministry have said that, based on current decisions, airfare for the next Hajj will range between Tk 1,55,000 and Tk 1,60,000, meaning a reduction of Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000 compared to this year. Adviser Khalid Hossain told UNB, “There has been a discussion regarding airfare. Talks are going on with the National Board of Revenue on reducing duties and with Civil Aviation on fees. The packages will be announced on Sunday.” Adviser Sk Bashir said, “We are trying to finalise the airfare. A figure has been set, but we do not want to disclose it yet. The Ministry of Religious Affairs has proposed USD 1,100—look, my efforts are endless. We are trying to reduce it as much as possible. But if we announce a figure now and fail to maintain it, that would not be good. We have given them a preliminary calculation, and we are trying to see if it can be improved further.” This year, under government management, Package-1 cost Tk 4,78,242, while Package-2 cost Tk 5,75,680. In the private sector, the minimum cost was set at Tk 4,83,156, upon which agencies based their own packages.   Next year, one package will provide hotels 500 to 700 metres from the Haram Sharif, with upgraded facilities compared to this year’s Package-2, making it the most expensive option. Another package will offer accommodation within two kilometres of the Haram Sharif—this year’s Package-1—which will cost slightly less than before. The third will cover more affordable accommodation in the Aziziyah area, with the cost expected to be around Tk 4.5 lakh. For private management, officials confirmed that costs will also be reduced compared to this year. The ministry is also yet to decide whether food and Qurbani costs will be included in the packages or kept separate. A decision is expected on Saturday. As per Saudi Arabia’s roadmap, arrangements for the 2026 Hajj must be completed earlier than in previous years. Bangladesh’s quota remains 1,27,198 pilgrims, although it was not fully utilised in the past two Hajj seasons. This year’s Hajj took place on 5 June. The government had announced the packages for that season on 30 October last year. For next year, preliminary registration opened on 27 July, requiring a deposit of Tk 4 lakh. Final registration must be completed by 12 October through payment of the full package cost. As of Saturday morning, 954 people had registered under government management and 1,135 under private management. Officials said interest has remained low as packages and costs are yet to be announced. HAAB General Secretary Farid Ahmed Mojumdar told UNB, “Registration is progressing slowly. We want the Hajj packages to be announced quickly. The delay is hampering registration. Once packages are announced, we hope to see the pace increase. We also expect that, in the pilgrims’ interest, airfare will be set at a reasonable level.” The Hajj in Saudi Arabia next year is expected to take place in the last week of May, subject to the sighting of the moon.  

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) President Taskeen Ahmed on Saturday urged taxpayers and businesses to file their income tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) through the e-return system to overcome obstacles in the return submission process. He made the call while inaugurating a workshop titled ‘Personal Income Tax and E-return’ organized by DCCI in the capital. In his welcome remarks, Taskeen said paying income tax is the moral responsibility of every citizen and entrepreneur, as the government implements domestic infrastructure development, education, healthcare and social safety net programmes with tax revenues. “To strengthen the country’s economic foundation, the role of income tax and VAT is crucial,” he said, adding that Bangladesh’s income tax contribution to GDP remains relatively low compared to other countries. The DCCI chief stressed the need for raising the tax-to-GDP ratio and pointed out that the government has introduced the e-return system to eliminate obstacles in the tax payment process, ensuring greater transparency and accountability in revenue administration. The workshop featured three technical sessions on Income Tax, VAT and E-return, conducted by Lutful Hadee, Proprietor & CEO of Hadee Lutful & Co; Md Shafiqul Alam, Director of Bizz Solutions Ltd; and Snehasish Barua, Partner of Snehasish Mahmud & Co, Chartered Accountants. More than 70 participants from DCCI member firms attended the event and received comprehensive insights to help them operate their businesses more efficiently. DCCI Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury and Vice President Md Salem Sulaiman were also present.

Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Fahmida Khatun on Saturday said the continuation of a short-term government for a longer period is not good for the economy. “It hinders investment and employment,” she said while speaking in the shadow parliament on bank mergers at the FDC in the capital. The event was organised by Debate for Democracy and its Chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron presided over it.  “The economy cannot run through a weak governance system. There is no proper economy without proper politics,” said Dr Fahmida, who is also a board member of Bangladesh Bank. She said a political government is needed through quick elections to ensure order in the financial sector. “It is not right to freeze bank accounts of businessmen indiscriminately. If there are no major deviations, the frozen accounts can be opened,” she said. Otherwise, she said, there will be a huge impact on overall business, trade, poverty and employment. The CPD executive director said although the decline in some economic indicators has been prevented in the past year, the crisis has not ended, poverty is not decreasing. “There was no good governance in the banking sector during the previous government. Every indicator was in a very bad condition. Many banks were approved for political reasons than the size of the economy which is not seen anywhere in the world.” In the past, she said, banks were used as a tool to increase their wealth. “The process of the interim government's attempt to merge weak banks is quite complex and risky. There is confusion among people about this,” she added. The debaters of Government Teachers Training College, Dhaka defeated the debaters of Southeast University in the shadow parliament titled “Bank mergers will restore discipline in the banking sector”. At the end of the competition, the participating teams were awarded trophies, crests and certificates.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Saturday said the Election Commission will neither issue any illegal instructions to its officials nor ask them to favour anyone in the next national election scheduled for February 2026. “We will issue instructions, but no illegal instruction will ever be given. We will not give instructions to favour anyone or to work on behalf of anyone. Our instructions will be strictly in line with the rules and laws for doing the right work in the right way,” he said while addressing the Election Officers’ Conference-2025 at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital. The CEC asked the election officers to stay neutral and make sure that they perform properly. “This applies to everyone involved in the election process. You will work properly and impartially....you have already raised your hands and made this pledge. We want to return home fulfilling this commitment,” he said. Nasir Uddin said he does not expect any officer to work in favour of anyone during the election. He said the Chief Adviser who is now visiting the United States, regularly tells global leaders that Bangladesh will hold a fully free and historic election. “We must uphold his trust and belief. Whatever may have happened in the past, now we have to prove that we can do it….there is no scope for any exception,” he added. EC Sanaullah Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah said the July 2024 Uprising took place mainly because of the rotten or farcical elections. “Among the reasons behind the July Uprising, one of the most important is the absence of good elections in the country.... If we try to exclude all other reasons, ultimately the final cause that stands is nothing but the rotten elections or making a farce in the name of elections,” he said. He observed that Bangladesh as a state and as a nation now stands at a crossroad of time. In the history of a nation, such crucial moments and situations come very rarely. “If we want to identify the prime reason for today’s reality, we must admit that it is the collapse of the electoral system. Let us first acknowledge this truth, because unless we admit the disease, we cannot cure it,” he added. Sanaullah said once you exclude all other possible causes one by one, you will see the only reason left behind is the rotten electoral system or making a farce in the name of elections. He stressed that the way forward must begin with a pledge. “From this conference, let us vow never again to hold or take part in such flawed elections. On behalf of the Election Commission, I want to make it clear that this Commission will never issue any instruction for a biased or tainted election.” “If anyone voluntarily becomes a party tool, they will bear the responsibility themselves and the Commission will not provide any protection,” he warned. Sanaullah assured that there will be no pressure, no undue instructions for manipulations from the current election commission. The elections must be conducted in line with the law in a fair and neutral manner, he said. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said they will hold a free, fair and impartial election, taking the election to a bright position in line with the international standard.  “We want to bring the election to a bright position in line with international standard— by holding a free, fair, beautiful, impartial election,” he said. Talking about two major challenges for the next election, the Secretary said, “One is the misuse of artificial intelligence, and the other is our out-of-country voting and postal voting system.” He said the EC is taking measures to gradually utilise the platform for out-of-country voting. “These things will happen step by step, not overnight.” Election commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad and Md Anwarul Islam Sarker also spoke as special guests at the event presided over by Convener of Bangladesh Election Commission Officers’ Association Mohammad Monir Hossain.  

A visiting election ‘exploratory’ team from the European Union held a meeting with a delegation of the BNP and discussed the country’s electoral situation ahead of the national election. The meeting, which lasted for over an hour, began at 10am at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. He said election observation expert Riccardo Chelleri led the EU election exploratory team at the meeting. Sayrul said BNP Standing Committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Salahuddin Ahmed, Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Ismail Jabiullah and Organising Secretary Shama Obaed attended the meeting. He said the discussions focused on the country’s overall electoral situation, election observation activities and other issues relating to the national election.    

A coalition of Bangladeshi migrant workers on Saturday urged the government to immediately implement their 15-point demand to safeguard the rights and dignity of expatriates. The call came at a press conference where speakers stressed the vital role of Non-Resident Bangladeshis (NRBs) in sustaining Bangladesh’s economic growth. Among the speakers were Abu Sayeed Riaz, a Bangladeshi businessman based in Europe, Fazlul Haq, chairman of Tarun Sanga, Osman Goni Kam from Greece, Faisal Ahmed from Italy and Masbaul Islam from Singapore. They said Bangladesh received a record US$30 billion in remittances in the last fiscal year which covered around 45 percent of the country’s import payments and played a crucial role in building foreign currency reserves. The expatriate brothers and sisters have paved the path to prosperity with their sweat and blood, they said. Yet, the ongoing neglect, harassment, and bureaucratic hurdles they face when they return home is a shameful reality that can no longer be tolerated, the coalition leaders said. The speakers said NRBs contribute not only by supporting their families but also by strengthening investment, social development, education, and health systems. But the expatriates and their families don’t get institutional support especially in areas such as passports, documentation, repatriation of bodies, and protection of property, they alleged. They warned that failure to act could undermine remittance inflows and destabilise the national economy. Their key demands include: establishing 24-hour emergency hotlines and helpdesks at every Bangladeshi embassy abroad, providing at least 10 years of tax-free benefits on expatriate investments, ensuring speedy passport renewals and issuance of certificates overseas, covering full costs for repatriating deceased workers’ bodies, eliminating political influence and middlemen from embassy services, setting up migrant service centers in every district, offering a minimum 5 percent government incentive on remittances, creating a special police unit to protect expatriate property, providing comprehensive health insurance for expatriate families, and ensuring fast-track immigration counters for NRBs at airports. Other demands include introducing skill development programs and easy-term loans for returning expatriates to help them reintegrate into the economy.

Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) Abdul Fazal Md Sanaullah on Saturday said the July 2024 Uprising took place mainly because of the rotten or farcical elections. “Among the reasons behind the July Uprising, one of the most important is the absence of good elections in the country...if we try to exclude all other reasons, ultimately the final cause that stands is nothing but the rotten elections or making a farce in the name of elections,” he said. The Election Commissioner made the remarks while addressing the Election Officers’ Conference-2025 at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital. He said Bangladesh, as a state and as a nation, now stands at a crossroad. In the history of a nation, such crucial moments and situations come very rarely. “If we want to identify the prime reason for today’s reality, we must admit that it is the collapse of the electoral system. Let us first acknowledge this truth, because unless we admit the disease, we cannot cure it,” he added. Sanaullah said once you exclude all other possible causes one by one, you will see the only reason left behind is the rotten electoral system or making a farce in the name of elections. All parties certain election to be held in February: Fakhrul He stressed that the way forward must begin with a pledge. “From this conference, let us vow never again to hold or take part in such flawed elections. On behalf of the Election Commission, I want to make it clear that this Commission will never issue any instruction for a biased or tainted election.” “If anyone voluntarily becomes a party tool, they will bear the responsibility themselves and the Commission will not provide any protection,” he warned. Sanaullah assured that there will be no pressure, no undue instructions for manipulations from the current election commission. The elections must be conducted in line with the law in a fair and neutral manner, he said. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin attended the event as the chief guest, while Election Commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad and Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, along with EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, were present as special guests. Mohammad Monir Hossain, Convener of the Bangladesh Election Commission Officers’ Association, presided over the programme.