United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh's economy is projected to grow by 4.14 percent in the 2025-26 fiscal year, according to the provisional estimate released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), marking an improvement from the 3.49 percent growth recorded in FY25. The provisional estimate shows that the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices has increased to Tk 61,20,209 crore (US$501 billion) in FY26 from Tk 55,15,026 crore (US$456 billion) in FY25. BBS said the estimates were prepared based on available data and information, following the publication of the final GDP estimates for FY25. According to the provisional figures, the agriculture sector is expected to grow by 2.78 percent in FY26, up from 2.42 percent in the previous fiscal year, reflecting an increase of 0.36 percentage points. The services sector is also projected to register stronger growth, rising to 4.59 percent from 4.35 percent a year earlier, an increase of 0.24 percentage points. However, growth in the industrial sector is estimated to slow to 2.86 percent in FY26 from 3.71 percent in FY25, representing a decline of 0.85 percentage points. The BBS data also indicate a decline in key macroeconomic ratios. The investment-to-GDP ratio is estimated at 27.93 percent in FY26, down from 28.54 percent in FY25. Similarly, the domestic savings-to-GDP ratio has fallen to 21.38 percent from 21.98 percent, while the national savings-to-GDP ratio has declined to 26.93 percent from 27.67 percent. Compared with the previous fiscal year, investment decreased by 0.61 percentage points, domestic savings by 0.60 percentage points and national savings by 0.74 percentage points. Meanwhile, per capita income is estimated to have risen to Tk 368,873 (US$3,020) in FY26 from Tk 334,511 (US$2,769) in FY25. The increase represents a gain of Tk 34,362, or US$251, in per capita income over the previous fiscal year. The BBS regularly compiles and publishes statistics on population, agriculture, industry, demographics, the economy, socio-economic conditions, natural resources and the environment, with GDP estimates serving as one of the country's key macroeconomic indicators.

Two people died from electrocution at Babu Bazar in Sadar upazila of Nilphamari district on Wednesday. The deceased were identified as Mojibur Rahman, son of Abdur Rauf of Kuthipara and Jalal Uddin, 45, son of Majibur Rahman of Hazipara village in the upazila. A pump machine was installed at a pond to drain water for fish harvesting around 9 am, said Zillur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station. At one stage, a cable of the pump fell into the water, electrifying the pond. Mojibur and Jalal died on the spot, while Mithu Islam, son of Mojibur Rahman, was injured after coming into contact with the electrified water while catching fish. The injured was taken to a local hospital.    

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said women MPs elected to reserved seats have the same right to take part in development activities as directly elected lawmakers, explaining why ruling party women MPs have been assigned responsibilities in constituencies represented by opposition members. He made the remarks while replying to a supplementary question from Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem (Dhaka-14) during the Prime Minister’s question-answer session in Parliament. The lawmaker questioned the decision to assign ruling party women MPs elected from reserved seats to constituencies represented by opposition MPs. In response, the Prime Minister said women MPs elected to reserved seats do not have their own specific constituencies under the Constitution or the law, unlike directly elected lawmakers. “A few days ago, the women MPs were elected. They do not have any specific constituencies under the Constitution or the law. Naturally, based on our political and organisational structure, we have assigned certain areas to them so that they have places where they can carry out their responsibilities,” he said. Tarique said every elected MP has the right to contribute to the development of the people they represent. “As a public representative, you have every right to decide how you want to work for the development of your constituency. In the same way, since Parliament has elected these women leaders as MPs, they also have the right to work for the people and development of the areas assigned to them,” he said. The Prime Minister said the government is following the existing rules and practices regarding the allocation of responsibilities to women lawmakers elected from reserved seats. Addressing the MP who raised the issue, Tarique told the lawmaker that he could inform him if there is any development-related matter in his constituency where his cooperation is needed.“Let me know -- I will try to help directly,” he said.  

Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Wednesday told Parliament that the operation of Patenga Container Terminal has significantly improved efficiency at Chittagong Port, bringing the average waiting time for vessels down to near zero. “The average waiting time for ships at the port has come down to nearly zero since the Patenga Container Terminal began operations,” he said while responding to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury elected from Chattogram-15 constituency. The terminal has been operational since June 2024, he said. The minister informed the House that the average turnaround time for container-handling vessels at Chittagong Port during the 2024–25 fiscal year was 2.58 days. Explaining the difference between Chittagong Port and major regional ports, he said Colombo and Singapore mainly function as transshipment hubs where containers are unloaded from large vessels and later loaded onto smaller ships. “At transshipment ports, customs examination and clearance activities are generally not required,” he said. In contrast, Chittagong Port primarily operates as a feeder port where customs examination, clearance, and other formalities must be completed, resulting in comparatively longer vessel turnaround times. The volume of transshipment containers handled at the port remains negligible, with nearly 100 per cent of incoming and outgoing containers intended for Bangladesh’s domestic market or exports from the country, he said. The minister said the port authority has taken various initiatives to modernise operations, including the addition of advanced equipment and measures to improve port management. “As a result, vessel turnaround time for container handling has already decreased and is expected to decline further in the future,” he added. The minister also expressed hope that the Bay Terminal project would become operational by 2030. Once operational, the Bay Terminal is expected to enhance container-handling capacity at Chittagong Port and allow mother vessels to enter without being constrained by tidal conditions and navigability limitations, he said. “This will help eliminate overall congestion at the port and significantly improve operational efficiency,” he said. While responding to a supplementary question from Shahjahan Chowdhury, the minister expressed optimism that all planned container terminals at Chittagong Port would be fully operational by 2029, significantly enhancing the country’s maritime trade capacity and reducing cargo handling times. Noting that the Laldia Container Terminal is being developed by Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller–Maersk under an agreement with the government, the minister said once developed, the facility will begin container terminal operations and strengthen the port’s capacity. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Singapore-based PSA International regarding the Bay Terminal project, he said. Discussions are also underway with Dubai-based DP World over Bay Terminal 2, while Bay Terminal 3 is planned to be developed by the Bangladesh government and the Chittagong Port Authority, he said. “With all these terminals becoming operational, we expect Chittagong Port to function at a level comparable to major international ports such as Singapore and Colombo,” he said. “At present, no ships are waiting at the deep-sea anchorage. They are berthing directly, although container handling still takes around 2.1 days. Once the new terminals become operational, I believe this can be reduced to nearly half a day,” he said. Responding to a separate supplementary question from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Nazrul Islam of Satkhira, the shipping minister said Mongla Port is already functioning effectively but has significant scope for expansion. A Chinese company is constructing three additional jetties at the port, which will substantially increase its handling capacity once completed, he said. The expanded facilities will particularly benefit businesses and importers in the southwestern region, including areas served by the Noapara river port and districts across Khulna and Faridpur divisions, enabling them to import and export goods more conveniently through Mongla Port, he added. Besides, cold storage facilities are being developed at the port and supporting infrastructure has already been strengthened, including the rail link connecting Mongla with Khulna, Jashore and Dhaka, he said. The government has already earned around Tk 110 crore in revenue from Mongla Port so far this year. He also expressed confidence that once the ongoing infrastructure projects are completed, Mongla Port will play a much greater role in facilitating the country’s import and export activities.  

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain informed Parliament on Wednesday that the government planned to provide e-health cards to all citizens by 2028 as part of its efforts to ensure a universal healthcare system and expand digital health services across the country. “There is a target of providing e-health cards to all citizens by 2028 through a technical assistance project,” he said, while replying to a scripted question from opposition lawmaker Nurunnesa Siddiqua (Women Seat-37). The health minister said the government is committed to ensuring healthcare as a fundamental right in line with its election manifesto. “So, the government is committed to gradually increase health sector allocations to 5 percent of the country's GDP,” he said. He also said the current government has a target to ensure universal health safety and provide health services to every citizen in line with its electoral manifesto. Citing different time-befitting and effective steps taken to expand digital health services system, he said the government will provide e-health card, enhance the capacity district hospitals, the upazila health complexes, the union-level health service institutions and the health services programmes in the hilly and remote areas. Besides, it will set up new hospitals, improve the existing infrastructures and management, ensure free quality primary health services, raise awareness about health and prevention of diseases, provide complete health service for mother and child, establish the drug and vaccine supply network, implement coordinated and modern nutrition programmes, control tobacco use related non-communicable diseases, he added. The Health Minister said the government plans to introduce a digital health ID and provide every citizen with an e-health card, enabling the creation of a nationwide digital health database. The initiative would help prevent duplication of medications, improve clinical decision-making, reduce unnecessary healthcare costs and ensure a more efficient, secure and patient-friendly health service system, he hoped. Besides, the current government has also taken more steps, including the establishment of modern secondary healthcare units in every district, recruitment of 100,000 health workers to address manpower shortages and expansion of public-private partnerships for the treatment of life-threatening diseases. Other planned measures include promoting healthy lifestyles, sanitation and nutrition awareness, ensuring safe drinking water supply, establishing a national ambulance pool and emergency service network, introducing AI-based national e-prescriptions and prescription audits, forming a national accreditation council for the health sector, and strengthening medical education.  

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on Wednesday approved a proposal to procure 212 double-cabin pickup vehicles for operational use by Bangladesh Police. The proposal was placed by the Ministry of Home Affairs at a meeting of CCGP held at cabinet division meeting room with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair. Under the proposal, the vehicles will be purchased through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) at a total cost of Tk 182.32 crore. State-owned company Progoti Industries Limited has been selected as the supplier for the procurement. The procurement is aimed at strengthening the operational capacity and mobility of Bangladesh Police in carrying out law enforcement and public security activities across the country.

Eight more children have died from measles-like symptoms in  24 hours until 8:00am on Wednesday, raising Bangladesh’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 639. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the latest eight deaths have been classified as suspected measles fatalities. With the latest update, the number of suspected measles deaths has risen to 547, while the number of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths remains unchanged at 92. A total of 945 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 82,029. Meanwhile, 94 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 9,927. Since March 15, a total of 66,999 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 63,145 have recovered, according to DGHS data.

Two people, including a bank official, were killed and three others injured when a truck hit a three-wheeled passenger vehicle, locally known as a Mahindra, on Rajshahi-Naogaon highway in Mohonpur upazila of Rajshahi district on Wednesday. One of the deceased was identified as Md Maruf Hossain, 37, an official of the Kesharhat branch of Islami Bank and son of Mohammad Ali of Naogaon district while the identity of the other victim could not be known immediately. The accident occurred around 9:45 am at Kharoil Milghar when the truck rammed into the three-wheeled vehicle, leaving one person dead on the spot and four others injured, said Yeamin Ali, sub-inspector of Mohonpur Police Station. The injured were taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where another victim later succumbed to his injuries.    

The government on Wednesday approved two proposals for the import of 60,000 metric tonnes of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertiliser from Morocco involving Tk 522.94 crore. The approval at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) held at cabinet division meeting room with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair. It approved the import of 30,000 metric tonnes (±10 per cent) of TSP fertiliser under the agreement signed between Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and OCP NUTRICROPS of Morocco. The procurement will cost Tk 254.39 crore, with the fertiliser priced at US$688 per metric tonne. In a separate proposal, the committee approved import of another 30,000 metric tonnes (±10 per cent) of TSP fertiliser. The second consignment will cost Tk 268.56 crore, with the fertiliser priced at US$726.33 per metric tonne. In both cases, Morocco-based OCP NUTRICROPS was the recommended supplier. The two imports are aimed at ensuring an uninterrupted supply of fertiliser for the country’s agricultural sector and meeting domestic demand during the upcoming cultivation seasons. The  committee also approved a proposal to procure 10,000 tonnes of lentils through an open tender process aimed at strengthening the country’s food stocks. Under the proposal placed by the Ministry of Commerce, 10,000 metric tonnes of lentils, packed in 50-kilogram bags, will be procured at a total cost of Tk 82.54 crore. The purchase price has been fixed at Tk 82.54 per kilogram. The procurement is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to maintain adequate food reserves and ensure market stability through timely imports and purchases of essential commodities.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Wednesday launched a comprehensive nationwide promotional campaign to expand unified digital payments through 'Bangla QR' ahead of its formal operations set for July 1, 2026. As part of the digital cash push, Governor of Bangladesh Bank Md. Mostaqur Rahman inaugurated the campaign on the central bank premises. The core objective of this digital payment initiative is to elevate awareness among customers, micro-merchants, and financial institutions regarding the seamless transaction benefits and multi-layered security features of the unified 'Bangla QR' network. According to a central bank statement, Bangladesh Bank intends to deploy an aggressive publicity campaign in close coordination with commercial banks and digital finance stakeholders. The drive aims to make the inter-bank digital payment infrastructure significantly more user-friendly, faster, safe, and financially inclusive. The event was attended by deputy governors of the central bank, chief executives from various scheduled banks, Mobile Financial Services (MFS) providers, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), and Payment Systems Operators (PSOs), followed by an official photo session.