United News of Bangladesh

The century-old Shankhari Bazar in Old Dhaka has taken on a festive look as preparations for Durga Puja gain momentum. Each year the pre-puja rush turns the locality into a colorful and joyous scene where the spirit of festivity blends with heritage.  

The government will reopen St. Martin's Island to tourists for four months starting from 1 November on a limited scale, Tourism Secretary Nasreen Jahan said on Thursday. The reopening is being planned in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to ensure environmental protection of the area, she said at a press conference marking the World Tourism Day at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. “St. Martin is a UN heritage site and we must prioritise its safety and conservation especially its coral reefs,” she added. According to the plan, she said only 2,000 tourists per day will be allowed on the island. In the first two months, only day tours will be permitted and from January tourists will be allowed to stay overnight. A software has been developed to manage the flow of visitors and integration with the shipping industry is currently in progress, she added. Highlighting the positive impacts of the restrictions enforced over the past year, the secretary said St. Martin is the national asset and people will see significant signs of coral regeneration. She mentioned that a strict code of conduct has been introduced for tourists. “If visitors follow the rules, reduce plastic use, and help protect the natural environment, authorities may consider extending access in future seasons,” she added. Tourism Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin clarified that the new code of conduct is not limited to St. Martin alone but will apply to all tourist destinations across Bangladesh. He added that the government’s priority is to make tourism in the country family-friendly, affordable, safe, and enjoyable, with a particular focus on domestic travellers. Regarding visa and security issues of foreign tourists, Bashir Uddin said while visa processes are not a major concern issues such as logistics and infrastructure still pose challenges. When asked about tourist numbers and revenue, secretary Nasreen Jahan said that although exact figures are unavailable, the Immigration Department reported over 600,000 foreign visitors came to Bangladesh in 2024 for a variety of reasons including medical and religious tourism. The government, in collaboration with the Tourism Board and the Statistics Bureau, is working to launch a Tourism Data Satellite System to provide accurate and real-time data in future, she said.

One more death was reported from dengue in 24 hours till Thursday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 188 this year. During the period, 632 more patients were hospitalised with viral fever, raising the total infected-case to 44, 473 this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). According to the DGHS, new cases were reported as follows: 157 in Barishal Division (Out of CC), 78 in Chattogram Division (Out of CC), 101 in Dhaka Division (Out of CC), 123 in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 84 in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), 33 in Khulna Division (Out of CC), and 56 in Rajshahi Division (Out of CC). DSCC records highest dengue fatalities this year Last year, dengue claimed the lives of 575 people. In 2023, 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record. The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries in the same year.

An increased supply of delicious hilsa at Chandpur fish landing centre has contributed to its price fall in local markets, bringing some relief to consumers ahead of the upcoming 22-day hilsa fishing ban starting on October 4. At the Boro Station Fish Market, traders and others said the supply of hilsa mounted over the past two to three days, averaging 1,000–1,200 maunds per day, compared to just 400–500 maunds previously. Wholesalers said that this surge has helped stabilise prices, but apparently still beyond the buying capacity of low-income groups. Shobe Barat Sarkar, secretary of the Fish Traders’ Association, and other traders said around 80–90 percent of the caught hilsa is small in size, with four fish making up one kilogram. Prices for such fish range from Tk 600–700 per kg while mid-sized hilsa sell for Tk 1,850–2,200 per kg. Hilsa slips out of reach as scarcity drives up prices in Khulna Smaller hilsa weighing 800–900 grams per kg are sold at Tk 1,600–1,800. Two women were seen purchasing hilsa at Tk 450 per kg while two private bank officials bought five hilsa each at Tk 1,950 per kg. Local vendors said the price drop, though daily-wage earners still find it difficult to afford even the reduced rates. Fresh local hilsa continues to arrive from the Padma and Meghna rivers, as well as southern regions including Hatiya, Sandwip, Ramgati, Charfesson, Barguna and Bhola, transported via trawlers, pick-ups and trucks. From Chandpur, the fish are distributed to Dhaka, Gazipur, Tongi, Jamalpur, Kishoreganj, Manikganj and Savar. Hilsa gets cheaper as veggies, onions, eggs, chicken cost more in Dhaka Senior traders Sheikh Amir Hossain, Delowar Hossain, Zakir Hossain, Russel Gazi, and Parimal Das of Harina Ghat said they are passing busy times to handle the huge supply of hilsa. Asked about the small size of hila, district fisheries officer Nibas Chandra Chand said he has joined the workplace recently, expressing reluctance to make comments in this regard.

Agriculture Adviser Lt Gen (retired) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday said fertiliser prices will not be increased as long as he remains in office. “Already a new policy on fertiliser has already been formulated and it will soon be placed before the national committee for final approval,” the adviser said at a press briefing at the Secretariat over the overall progress  of the ministry over the past year. He said they have a plan to hold a meeting next week and finalise the approval. “We’re introducing significant changes in the policy for the fertiliser dealer,” said the adviser. Referring to the fertiliser smuggling, the adviser said the law enforcement agencies have been directed to take measures to prevent such illegal activities. Asked about Petrobangla's move to raise gas prices for fertiliser production, the adviser said if Petrobangla increases gas prices there will be no increase in fertiliser prices under any circumstances.

The low over the Northwest Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Odisha is likely to intensify, according to Bangladesh Metrological Department (BMD) Now it lies over Northwest Bay and adjoining West central Bay off Odisha-Andhra coast, it said.  “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions and at one or two places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over the country,” a regular Met office bulletin on Thursady. Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country. The axis of monsoon troughs runs through East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and center of the low to Assam across southern part of Bangladesh. Monsoon is less active over Bangladesh and moderate over North Bay.    

AsiaNet’s annual board meeting and forum is taking place in Singapore, bringing together delegates from across the region to discuss the evolving role of press releases in the AI era. The two-day event, running 25–26 September, carries the theme ‘Press releases, the new AI superpower’. Delegates arrived on 24 September ahead of a packed agenda featuring board discussions, knowledge-sharing sessions and networking. UNB Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan and Executive Editor Nahar Khan also joined the event. “This gathering will empower Asia’s media and PR sectors through innovation, strategic growth and collaboration as it has brought together key stakeholders, including leaders from national news agencies and technology experts,” Enayetullah Khan said. Enayetullah Khan to represent Bangladesh at Global South Media and Think Tank Forum in China Thursday’s board meeting reviewed FY25 financial results, PR volumes, platform updates, and new Notified circuits, along with international partner updates from Accesswire, Agility PR and Notified. The forum opened with a keynote by Amrita Sidhu on press releases’ influence on AI models, followed by Karen Yu of Notified GlobeNewswire presenting platform developments. Agencies, including Xinhua, VNA, Dataxet, Kyodo, Medianet, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) and Antara, showcased how they use AI in PR. Nahar Khan, UNB Executive Editor made a presentation on AI in media, and how to ensure content is optimized for AI discoverability and referencing. Though cautious and aware of AI’s hallucinations and bias amplification, she focused on UNB’s aspirations to explore agentic, predictive, and decision-support AI tools and systems to stay ahead of the curve in newsroom innovation and to better serve evolving audience needs. Friday’s programme includes a fireside chat with Jin Ooi, an AI showcase of the Media Release Optimiser by Katrina Sammut, and a panel moderated by Amrita Sidhu with representatives from Dataxet, Antara, Notified GlobeNewswire and UNB. The forum will close with scheduling discussions for 2026 board meetings. AsiaNet continues to prioritise collaboration and innovation, exploring AI’s potential to enhance the global impact of press releases.  

Import-export between Bangladesh and India through Benapole and Sonamasjid land ports will remain suspended for five and eight days respectively on the occasion of Hindu community’s largest religious festival Durga Puja. Shamim Hossain, director of Benapole Port, said the suspension will continue till October 2 beginning on September 28. The export and import activities will resume from October 4, he said, adding that internal operations at the Benapole Customs House and port will continue, allowing goods to be cleared and Indian trucks to return. Trade through Burimari land port to remain shut for 8 days during Durga Puja Ruhul Amin, general secretary of Sonamasjid Land Port C&F Agents Association, said that due to Durga Puja, another government holiday and weekly holiday, the import-export between the countries will be closed till October 3. Immigrants with valid documents will, however, be able to cross the border during the vacation.  

A fire broke out at the Ghorashal Thermal Power Plant in Polash upazila of Narsingdi early Thursday, damaging a transformer and disrupting power supply for several hours. Abdul Shahid, senior station officer of Polash Fire Service, said the fire originated in the 132/33 KV transformer around 4:30 am. Two fire service units reached the spot at about 5 am and doused the flames after nearly an hour of efforts. “The transformer was completely burnt,” Shahid said, adding that the fire might have been caused by a short circuit. The exact cause will be ascertained after an investigation. Ghorashal Thermal Power Plant shut for 2.5 months Following the fire, electricity supply remained suspended in Polash upazila and neighbouring Kaliganj until around 9 am. Power was gradually restored in different areas by 9:30 am. Efforts to reach chief engineer Enamul Haque for comment were unsuccessful, as he disconnected the call requesting to be contacted later.

A cat stranded in a tree for two days was finally rescued on Wednesday in a joint effort by the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and the Fire Service. The feline was stuck atop a coconut tree near Hope School in the capital’s Mirpur-10 area. The rescue mission, which drew attention from concerned locals, ended with relief as the cat was safely brought down. “Our dream is to build a city where every animal is safe,” the DNCC said on its official Facebook page, following the successful operation.