United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (Ansar-VDP) has taken a new initiative to enhance women’s empowerment, skill development and access to international job markets through Japanese language training for its female members. As part of the initiative, a 90-day Japanese Language Training Programme (N-5) will be introduced in the 2026–2027 fiscal year to improve language skills and increase overseas employment opportunities for women members. The training will run from July 5 to October 2, across 13 centres in the country, including Ansar-VDP Academy in Gazipur, VTC Nawabganj in Dhaka, and 11 district commandant offices in Faridpur, Mymensingh, Rangpur, Thakurgaon, Kushtia, Chattogram, Feni, Naogaon, Habiganj, Chandpur and Cox’s Bazar. A total of 520 trainees will participate in the programme, with 40 participants selected from each centre. Interested candidates must apply through the AVMIS app after fulfilling the required qualifications. Applicants must be between 18 and 27 years of age and have at least an SSC or equivalent qualification. Officials said the initiative is expected to play a significant role in creating new avenues for overseas employment, improving language proficiency, and ensuring greater self-reliance among female members. They added that the programme will further strengthen the organisation’s role in producing skilled human resources and promoting women’s economic empowerment.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman arrived in Cox’s Bazar on Saturday morning on a daylong visit to attend a series of development and environmental programmes. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said the Prime Minister reached Cox’s Bazar International Airport at around 9:50am on a commercial flight amid rain. After the formal reception at the airport, the Prime Minister left directly by road for Pmkhali Union to attend a programme marking the re-excavation of the Patali Canal. At the airport, he was received by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Minister for Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs and Land Mir Md Helal Uddin, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam, Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan and other officials. He is also scheduled to address a public gathering there following the inauguration of the canal re-excavation work. According to the programme schedule, Tarique will later visit the Dulahazara Safari Park and formally launch the nationwide programme to plant 25 crore trees by planting saplings at the Malumghat Reserved Forest. PM leaves for Cox’s Bazar with his wife

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left for Cox’s Bazar on Saturday morning on a day-long visit to attend a series of development, environmental and public engagement programmes. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said the Prime Minister reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 8:30am after leaving his Gulshan residence. “Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is travelling to Cox’s Bazar by air. His wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, is accompanying him,” he said. The flight left the airport for Cox's Bazar around 9:00am, Rumon said. PM Tarique to visit Cox’s Bazar Saturday He said the Prime Minister will return to Dhaka at night after attending various programmes, including a tree plantation campaign and canal re-excavation activities. After arriving in Cox’s Bazar, the Prime Minister is scheduled to begin his official engagements around 10:30am by inaugurating the re-excavation of the Patali Canal in Pmkhali in Chakaria upazila and addressing a public gathering there. According to the programme schedule, Tarique Rahman will later visit the Dulahazara Safari Park and formally launch the nationwide programme to plant 25 crore trees by planting saplings at the Malumghat Reserved Forest. He is also expected to visit the grave of Md Wasim Akram, one of the martyrs of the July 2024 mass uprising, in Pekua and meet members of his family. The Prime Minister will then lay the foundation stones of the newly created Pekua municipality and Matamuhuri upazila. In the afternoon, he will attend a public rally organised by the district BNP in front of the Chakaria Municipal Bus Terminal. Later, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to inspect the Marine Drive and Cox’s Bazar sea beach before joining an interaction with distinguished citizens at a hotel in the evening. He will return to Dhaka by air after completing the programmes. This is Tarique Rahman’s first visit to Cox’s Bazar since assuming office as Prime Minister following the BNP’s victory in the 13th parliamentary election. After spending more than a decade and a half in London, he returned to Bangladesh on December 25 last year. Tarique Rahman was sworn in as Prime Minister after his party secured a majority in the national election held on February 12.  

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, ranked 12th among the world’s most polluted cities on Saturday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 92. According to the AQI scale, the city’s air quality was classified as ‘Moderate’ at 09:05am. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kinshasa, Uganda’s Kampala and Chile’s Santiago were the three most polluted cities, with AQI scores of 169, 153 and 124, respectively. An AQI between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, while a score between 151 and 200 is classified as ‘unhealthy’. AQI readings between 201 and 300 are termed ‘very unhealthy’, and anything above 301 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks. The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality, showing how clean or polluted the air is and the possible health effects people may experience. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Dhaka has long struggled with severe air pollution. Air quality usually worsens during winter and improves in the monsoon season. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly from stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.  

Two young Bangladeshis are representing the country at the 13th World Bank Group (WBG) Youth Summit 2026 in Washington, D.C., where global leaders, policymakers and innovators are discussing the future of jobs, digital transformation and economic inclusion. Tisha Khandokar and Md Toufiq Elahi joined thousands of participants from around the world at the two-day summit, which opened on June 11 at the World Bank headquarters under the theme "FutureWorks: Designing Jobs for the Digital Age." Two Bangladeshis selected for World Bank Youth Summit 2026 In his opening keynote, Ajay Banga stressed that creating quality jobs remains central to the World Bank Group's mission of reducing poverty and promoting inclusive growth. He was followed by Makhtar Diop, who highlighted the importance of mobilising private investment to generate sustainable employment opportunities, particularly across emerging economies. A key attraction of the summit's opening day was a high-level panel titled "Beyond the Pitch Deck: Both Sides of the Funding Table," which explored how entrepreneurs secure investment and what global investors consider beyond financial performance. Speaking at the session, Nicole Mao described Bangladesh as an emerging destination for innovation-led investment, citing the country's rapid technological adoption and growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. "Bangladesh is no longer just a resilient market; it is an incredible frontier of technological adoption and scalable innovation," she said, encouraging investors to pay closer attention to youth-led ventures in the country. The second day of the summit will feature Innovation Lab presentations, where the two Bangladeshi delegates are set to present AI-powered solutions addressing employment and entrepreneurship challenges. Tisha Khandokar will showcase "AgriCredit," an artificial intelligence-based framework designed to improve access to finance for young entrepreneurs in developing economies. Md Toufiq Elahi will present "From Skills to Jobs: TVET Transitions," an AI-driven initiative aimed at bridging education and skills gaps to help young people move more effectively from training and education into the workforce. Organisers said the proposals align with broader discussions at the summit on addressing global skills shortages, expanding digital inclusion and preparing young people for the future of work. With more than 1.2 billion young people expected to enter labour markets across emerging economies over the next decade, the participation of the two Bangladeshi delegates reflects the growing role of the country's youth in shaping solutions to global development challenges. Established in 2013, the World Bank Group Youth Summit is the institution's flagship platform for engaging young leaders aged 18 to 35 in developing innovative solutions to international development issues. The 2026 edition focuses on employment, artificial intelligence, digital inclusion and green innovation.

Three state ministers, including State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Rashiduzzaman Millat, on Friday paid a surprise visit to various points of Cox's Bazar sea beach and exchanged views with tourists regarding facilities, safety and overall beach management. The visit was also joined by State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam and State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin. They walked from Kalatali through Sugandha Point to Laboni Point, interacting with thousands of tourists along the world's longest natural sea beach. During the visit, they spoke with visitors, including women, children and elderly tourists from different parts of the country, to learn about their feelings and any difficulties they faced during their stay. The state ministers inquired about tourist safety, beach cleanliness, the role of Tourist Police, the activities of sanitation workers and other services available at the beach. Tourists shared their experiences and expressed satisfaction with the overall beach management, security arrangements and cleanliness. They also urged the authorities to maintain the current standards and further enhance modern tourist facilities. Responding to the tourists, Millat said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is committed to transforming Cox's Bazar into a major tourism hub and developing other tourist destinations across the country with modern hotels, motels and tourist-friendly infrastructure. Senior officials, as well as local dignitaries, were present during the inspection.

The Bangladesh Tobacco Control Advocates (BTCA) on Friday expressed concern over the proposed national budget for FY2026-27, alleging that several measures favor the tobacco industry and contradict the government's commitment to building a tobacco-free Bangladesh. In a joint statement signed by BTCA Convener Iqbal Masud and Moderators Sushanta Sinha, Syeda Ananya Rahman, Farhana Jaman Liza, Samiul Hasan Sajeeb, Abu Raihan and Ibrahim Khalil, the organization criticized the decision to bring nicotine pouches, heated tobacco products (HTPs), e-cigarettes and vape products under the tax regime. According to BTCA, public health experts had long called for banning these emerging tobacco and nicotine products. Instead, the proposed budget and the draft amendment to the tobacco control law have paved the way for their legal entry into the market, potentially exposing millions of adolescents and young adults to nicotine addiction. The organization said the move may generate short-term revenue but could lead to higher healthcare costs and economic losses in the long run due to tobacco-related illnesses, reduced productivity and premature deaths. BTCA also described the proposed increase in cigarette prices as insufficient from a public health perspective. It noted that nearly 75 percent of cigarettes sold in Bangladesh belong to the low-tier segment, while the price of such cigarettes has been increased by only Tk 2 per pack, a measure it believes will have little impact on consumption amid inflation. The organization further criticized the government's decision not to introduce a specific excise tax alongside the existing ad valorem tax system, saying the omission could reduce potential revenue collection and allow tobacco companies to exploit tax loopholes. BTCA termed the minimal increase in prices of low-tier cigarettes and the lack of significant tax hikes on bidis, zarda and gul, along with the effective legalization of new nicotine products, as setbacks to tobacco control efforts. However, it welcomed several budget measures, including the introduction of QR codes on cigarette tax stamps, a digital track-and-trace system and stronger monitoring of the tobacco supply chain, saying these initiatives could help reduce tax evasion and boost revenue collection. The organization urged the government and the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to review the proposed budget and incorporate recommendations from public health experts to place public health considerations at the center of fiscal policy.

Police have arrested two youths in connection with a premeditated brick attack on a motorcyclist in the capital’s Kafrul area, allegedly triggered by a dispute over drug dealing. The arrestees were identified as Md Parvez, 30, and Anwar Hossain Babu, 32. Police said efforts are underway to arrest the two other suspects – Md Faisal alias Kalu and Amin – involved in the attack. The incident, which recently went viral on social media, was unraveled through CCTV footage analysis and investigation by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).  Speaking at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Mirpur Division) Mostak Sarkar said the attack took place around 1:20am on June 10 on Ibrahimpur Road, about 100 yards east of the Purba Shewrapara bus stand. According to police, Rafi was returning home on a motorcycle when the attackers, following prior enmity, hit him on the right side of his head with a brick, causing him to lose control and fall onto the road with his motorcycle. A case was later filed at Kafrul Police Station in this regard. Investigators identified the four suspects through video footage analysis and information technology-based investigation. On June 11, police arrested Parvez from an area near the Indian border under Dhobaura Police Station in Mymensingh district, while Babu was arrested from the capital’s Ibrahimpur area.  Police also recovered the victim’s motorcycle from a nearby location where it had been abandoned. Police said Parvez had previously lived as a tenant in Rafi’s house, which led to their acquaintance. Later, Parvez and his associates became involved in drug dealing in the area, resulting in disputes with Rafi. The day before the attack, an argument reportedly took place between Rafi and suspects Parvez and Kalu.  Police said the suspects subsequently threatened Rafi and later waited for him in Purba Shewrapara. When Rafi arrived on his motorcycle on the fateful day, Amin allegedly attempted to block his path. As he continued riding, Parvez threw a brick, striking him in the head. The suspects later attempted to mislead local residents by claiming that a brick had fallen from above and injured Rafi. They then transported the injured man in an auto-rickshaw and left him in the Ibrahimpur area before fleeing. According to police, both Parvez and absconding suspect Kalu have multiple drug-related cases filed against them at different police stations in Dhaka.

The government has appointed new chairmen to eight development authorities across the country on a contractual basis for a one-year term. The Ministry of Public Administration issued separate notifications in this regard on Thursday. The appointments were made to the development authorities of Khulna, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Narayanganj and Cumilla. According to the notifications, SM Shafiqul Alam has been appointed chairman of Khulna Development Authority, Engineer Belayet Hossain chairman of Chattogram Development Authority, Md Abul Kalam Azad chairman of Rajshahi Development Authority, Rezaul Hasan Lodi chairman of Sylhet Development Authority, Md Shamsuzzaman Samu chairman of Rangpur Development Authority, Motahar Hossain Talukder chairman of Mymensingh Development Authority, Udbatul Bari Abu chairman of Cumilla Development Authority, and Mashukul Islam Rajib chairman of Narayanganj Development Authority. The notifications stipulated that the newly appointed chairmen must relinquish any other profession, business or employment relationship with government, semi-government, private institutions or organisations. Besides, the government cancelled the contractual appointment of the current Chairman of Cox’s Bazar Development Authority (CDA) Mohammad Salauddin.

Two policemen were seriously injured as they were stabbed by suspected muggers during a chase in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of the capital early Friday. The injured are Sub-Inspector (SI) Shamsuzzoha, 34, of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, and Constable Mohammad Hridoy Hossain, 20, of the Public Order and Management Division. According to police, a patrol team chased three muggers who were fleeing in an auto-rickshaw after committing a mugging in the area. During the pursuit, the suspects attacked the police personnel with sharp weapons near the Glass Bridge of the Zia Udyan in the early hours, seriously injuring Shamsuzzoha and Hridoy. The injured were first taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for advanced treatment. Police arrested two suspects, identified as Rocky and Raju, from the spot. Rocky allegedly stabbed the police personnel during the attack. A case was filed against the arrestees, and legal proceedings are underway, said SI Hasanuzzaman of the police station.