United News of Bangladesh

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited ailing Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan at Evercare Hospital in the capital on Friday morning. During the visit, the President enquired about the minister’s health and treatment and wished him a speedy recovery, according to Bangabhaban. Hospital physicians, including cardiologist Prof Dr Shahabuddin Talukder, briefed him on Moyeen Khan’s current medical condition. Minister’s wife Advocate Roksana Khandaker was present at that time. Moyeen Khan was admitted to Evercare Hospital on Wednesday night with respiratory distress and heart-related complications and is currently under close medical observation.

Bangladeshi journalist and human rights advocate Ambassador Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey has been appointed as the Honorary Senior Fellow at the Washington-based South Asia Foresight Network (SAFN), the organisation said on Thursday. Operating under The Millennium Project, SAFN conducts research and convenes dialogues on South Asia’s future challenges, geopolitics and public policy. Announcing the appointment, SAFN highlighted the value of Ansarey’s experience in public service, journalism and diplomacy. It noted that his expertise will enrich the organisation’s discussions and strengthen its engagement with diverse stakeholders in Washington. Researchers and wider audiences in Bangladesh will also benefit from his insights and analysis, it said. In his new role, Ansarey will contribute to policy dialogues and research. He will also help expand SAFN’s outreach and engagement in Washington while supporting the network’s research and other activities in Bangladesh. With more than two decades of experience in public service, international affairs and the media, Ansarey currently serves as an ambassador with the rank of senior secretary, attached to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He previously served as Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Mexico, with concurrent accreditation to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador and Honduras. Before entering diplomatic service, Ansarey served as co-founder and executive director of the Washington-based human rights organisation Right to Freedom and executive editor of South Asia Perspectives. He also worked as a White House and United Nations correspondent, gaining extensive experience covering US policymaking and engaging with policy circles in Washington. Meanwhile, SAFN’s Bangladesh chapter is led by Major General (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies.

A sub-inspector of police and a local BNP leader were killed and two other policemen injured when a covered van hit a police patrol team in Kaliganj upazila of Gazipur early Friday. The deceased were identified as SI Mizanur Rahman of Kaliganj Police Station and Mohammad Rafiqul Islam Molla, organising secretary of the ward No. 2 unit of BNP in Kaliganj municipality. Inspector (Investigation) of Kaliganj Police Station Md Ashraful Islam said a police team, led by Mizanur, was conducting patrols on the Tongi-Ghorashal regional highway and serving arrest warrants. At one stage, the police stopped their vehicle in front of Government Kaliganj Sramik College and intercepted several suspected persons for questioning. Around 3:30am, an unidentified covered van rammed into them, leaving Mizanur, Probationary SI Javed Omar, driver constable Fazle Rabbi and BNP leader Rafiqul seriously injured. According to police, the covered van driver struck Mizanur and dragged him for about half a kilometre before leaving him beside the road and fleeing towards Ghorashal in Narsingdi. Locals rescued the injured and took them to Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex, where the on-duty physician declared Rafiqul dead. Mizanur and Javed, who were critically injured, were later sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment. However, Mizanur succumbed to his injuries there in the morning. Rabbi was shifted to Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur for treatment. Police could not trace the covered van and its driver. It was not immediately clear why BNP leader Rafiqul was at the scene at the time of the incident. Additional Superintendent of Police (Kaliganj Circle) Sk Muttajul Islam and Kaliganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Zakir Hossain visited the scene after the incident.

BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Thursday said this year’s Durga Puja was celebrated across the country in a peaceful and festive atmosphere due to the government’s vigilance, sincerity and dedication. “Durga Puja was celebrated in a peaceful and festive atmosphere across the country this year. The Hindu community was able to celebrate the festival peacefully because of the government’s vigilance, sincerity and dedication,” he said. Rizvi made the remarks while speaking to reporters after distributing leaflets as part of Dhaka South City Corporation’s dengue prevention awareness campaign in Shantinagar in the capital. He said many people from a neighbouring country had also come to Bangladesh to participate in Puja celebrations and praised the safe and peaceful environment. Rizvi said the BNP had contacted every Puja mandap and held discussions with the relevant committees. Party leaders and activists had worked day and night to ensure security, he added. Rizvi alleged that the Awami League and an underground political party were involved in propaganda surrounding this year’s Durga Puja. He said similarities could be seen in their conduct and statements in various incidents. The BNP leader said a people-friendly and responsible government could overcome any conspiracy and work for public welfare. The peaceful and festive celebration of Durga Puja this year was an example of that, he added. Rizvi also said the BNP implemented the promises it made and always worked transparently without deviating from its commitments. He said the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was diligently implementing the pledges made before the election. Citing economists, Rizvi said the distribution of Family Cards and Farmers’ Cards could reduce the country’s poverty rate by a further five percentage points this year. He described this as an achievement of the Tarique Rahman government. Regarding the BNP’s dengue prevention campaign, Rizvi said leaflet distribution had been suspended for the past few days due to Durga Puja but resumed on Thursday. He said the BNP would continue distributing leaflets to help people protect themselves from dengue and reduce the risk of infection.

A total of 288 people were killed and 630 others injured in 265 road accidents in Sylhet division during the first nine months of 2026, according to a report by Nirapad Sarak Chai (Nischa). The report, released by the Nischa Sylhet Divisional Committee on Thursday marking National Road Safety Day, showed that May recorded the highest number of fatalities at 51, followed by August with 47 deaths. According to the monthly breakdown, 25 people were killed in 25 accidents in January, 32 in 32 accidents in February, 32 in 29 accidents in March and 15 in 19 accidents in April. In May, 51 people died in 42 accidents, while June recorded 29 deaths in 29 accidents. In July, 31 people were killed in 28 accidents, followed by 47 in 35 accidents in August and 26 in 26 accidents in September. The report showed that 98 people were killed in road accidents in May and August combined, accounting for about 34 percent of the total fatalities during the nine-month period. It identified speeding, risky overtaking, driver negligence, mechanical defects in vehicles and inadequate road safety measures as possible causes of accidents. The report also stressed the importance of helmet use by motorcyclists and passengers, as well as safe road-crossing practices by pedestrians. To improve road safety, it called for greater public awareness, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, regular monitoring and measures to identify and address the causes of accidents. Ensuring safety on highways across Sylhet division remains a major challenge, the report noted. It particularly highlighted the need for effective speed limits, identification of accident-prone spots and appropriate warning measures on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, where heavy traffic and high speeds increase the risk of accidents. The report stressed that reducing road fatalities requires effective initiatives by the authorities, greater awareness among drivers, passengers and pedestrians, and compliance with traffic laws.  

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has suspended all flights from Dhaka to Dammam on October 23, 24 and 25 and all flights to Riyadh until October 31, amid security concerns following an attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The decisions were taken to ensure passenger safety in view of the attack on the airport on Wednesday night and the ongoing airstrike situation, according to a press release issued by the national flag carrier on Thursday. Biman said flights from Dhaka to Jeddah and Madinah would continue to operate according to their existing schedules. Passengers travelling to Dammam and Riyadh may use Jeddah and Madinah international airports to travel to and return from Saudi Arabia, subject to seat availability. The airline advised passengers to contact their nearest Biman sales centre for ticketing and travel-related information. It said further decisions on the suspended flights and revised schedules would be announced in due course.

Six Bangladeshi youths who were trafficked to India returned home on Thursday after serving three years in prison for illegal entry. The returnees were identified as Jahangir Alam, 21, Abdul Karim, 25, Mohammad Ali, 26, Sabbir Islam, 26, Hafizur, 26, and Abdul Sabur, 40. They are from Gazipur, Bogura, Sunamganj and Cox’s Bazar districts. They were handed over to Benapole Immigration Police by Indian immigration authorities at the Petrapole border through a special travel permit in the afternoon. Benapole Immigration Police Officer-in-Charge Saifur Rahman said the six youths had travelled illegally to Jammu and Kashmir in India about four years ago through the Satkhira and Sylhet borders after falling into the hands of human traffickers in search of better job opportunities. They worked as labourers there before being arrested by Indian police and sent to court. A court later sentenced them to three years in prison for illegal entry.. OC Saifur said the six returnees were handed over to Benapole Port Police after completing immigration formalities. The human rights organisation Justice and Care will take them into its custody and arrange their reunion with their families. Muhit Hossain, deputy manager of Justice and Care in Jashore, said the organisation had received the six youths from Benapole Port Police and placed them at its shelter home. They will be handed over to their respective families on Friday, he added.

Two Bangladeshi nationals were injured in Wednesday’s attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, according to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. The injured were identified as Sajal Chandra Das, son of Anukul Chandra Das of Ramchandrapur village in Cumilla’s Muradnagar upazila, and Mohammad Abdur Rahim, son of Sirajul Haque of Gobigalloppur village in Noakhali Sadar upazila. They are currently receiving treatment at Saudi German Hospital in Dammam, the ministry said in a press release on Thursday. A representative of the Bangladesh Embassy visited the Bangladeshi nationals at the hospital and enquired after their treatment and condition. They reportedly lost consciousness due to heat and smoke during the attack but sustained no physical injuries. They are now in stable condition and were able to speak to the embassy representative, according to the press release. The attack, which killed two people and injured eight others, was the latest in a series of assaults on Saudi infrastructure as conflict intensifies between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed internationally recognised Yemeni government.

Youth representatives from various organizations have urged the government to launch a unified national database to ensure accurate reporting of road crash fatalities and injuries and strengthen preventive measures.  They stressed that discrepancies in data reported by government and non-government organizations make it difficult to determine the actual toll of road crashes and formulate effective, evidence-based policies. The demand was made through a press release issued on Thursday  to mark National Road Safety Day.  The press release stated that, according to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), 5,490 people were killed in road crashes in 2025 while Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association reported 9,111 deaths and 14,812 injuries in 6,729 crashes. Another set of figures for the same year recorded 7,584 crashes, resulting in 7,359 deaths and 16,476 injuries. Significant discrepancies were also observed in road crash fatality figures for 2024. According to BRTA, 5,380 people were killed in road crashes that year, while the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association reported 8,543 deaths and the Road Safety Foundation recorded 7,294 fatalities. Moreover, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, an estimated 31,578 people died in road crashes in Bangladesh in 2021. The significant disparity between this estimate and domestic official figures highlights the need to address existing gaps in road crash data collection, verification and coordination. According to the youth organizations, a centralised database containing information on the location, time and type of road crashes, vehicles involved, road conditions, and the number of people killed or injured would help identify high-risk roads and the causes of crashes, enabling more effective preventive measures. It would also facilitate the assessment of road safety initiatives and strengthen accountability. To achieve this, they called for BRTA, police, hospitals and other relevant agencies to share and coordinate road crash data. They also urged the government to introduce a common system for recording road crashes, keep updated records of those killed and injured, and publish regular national road safety reports while protecting personal information. The youth organisations are Marjana Muntaha, Coordinator of the Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing; Md. Estiak Emon, member of the Bangladesh Debate Federation; Md. Ifrat Hossain, member of Mission Green Bangladesh; Md. Arman Hossain Rayed, Volunteer Coordinator of Mission Green Bangladesh; and Noshin Nawar Achol, member of the Bangladesh Medical Student Society. The demand was also endorsed by the Bangladesh Medical Student Society, Lal Sabuj Society, Mission Green Bangladesh, Amrai Agami, Climate Connects and the Bangladesh Debate Federation.

A team of  Special Response Battalion (SRB) has detained a man over an offensive comment on social media in connection with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Rajshahi. The detainee, Abu Bakar Siddique,  is now being interrogated by the detective Branch (DB) of DMP in Dhaka.  Lieutenant Colonel Faisal Ishtiaq, commanding officer of SRB-5 Rajshahi Battalion, said tipped off, a drive was conducted and he was detained on Wednesday evening from Ramchandrapur area of Parila Union under Paba upazila in Rajshahi. Siddique commented in the comment section of a Facebook post concerning a bus used by the Prime Pinister: “What a great opportunity it was, if only there had been a sniper,” he wrote.