United News of Bangladesh

Detectives have arrested a man accused of defrauding multiple people by promising overseas investment opportunities and using purported political connections to gain their trust. Police said they arrested Md Shishir Munna, 28, a former administrator of the Facebook pages of former Land Minister Narayan Chandra Chanda and former lawmaker Anupam Shahjahan Joy, in the capital early Wednesday on charges of fraud, forgery and embezzlement. At a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre, Additional Commissioner Mohammad Shafiqul Islam said Munna had left Bangladesh after August 5, 2024, and travelled to Qatar. After returning to the country in April 2025, he resumed fraudulent activities, he said. Munna and his associates persuaded a businessman to invest in purported government projects in Qatar and collected Tk 11.27 lakh in several instalments. They later provided the victim with a fake visa and a forged airline ticket. When the businessman discovered the deception and demanded a refund, the accused allegedly delayed repayment and threatened him, police said. A case was subsequently filed with Jatrabari Police Station on charges of fraud, forgery and misappropriation of funds. The DB chief said that after the victim sought assistance from detectives, a team from the DB's Wari Division launched an investigation and identified 14 to 15 other victims. Police said preliminary findings showed that Munna used to manage the Facebook pages of former minister Narayan Chandra Chanda and former MP Anupam Shahjahan Joy. His responsibilities included producing campaign videos, managing social media publicity and conducting promotional activities. He is wanted in another case and faces an arrest warrant issued by South Keraniganj Police Station, police said. Responding to questions from journalists, Shafiqul Islam said Munna often claimed to have close ties with incumbent ministers and lawmakers. To bolster those claims, he used to invite victims to the South Plaza area of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. He added that four to five more individuals are believed to be involved in the fraud ring, including Munna’s sister, who is currently abroad and allegedly assisted the operation from outside the country. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest the remaining suspects, police said.    

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on Wednesday said three major reform initiatives have been launched in the country’s revenue system, asserting that reducing tax evasion, tax exemptions and tax fraud will automatically boost revenue collection. He made the remarks while addressing a dialogue on the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026-27, jointly organised by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Policy Research Institute (PRI) at the MCCI headquarters in Gulshan. PRI Director Ahmad Ahsan presented the keynote paper titled "Macroeconomic Outlook and Budget Priorities: Stability as the Foundation for Restoring Growth" at the event. MCCI President Kamran T Rahman delivered the welcome address, while PRI Chairman Dr Zaidi Sattar and MCCI Vice President Habibullah N Karim also spoke. Outlining the government's economic strategy, Titumir said Bangladesh is pursuing a three-phase recovery plan: Recovery, Restoration, and Reconstruction for Acceleration, with emphasis on consumption, investment, public expenditure and export diversification. On fiscal reform, he said separate task forces are now operating in the income tax, customs and VAT sectors, each guided by monthly work plans and milestone targets, with progress reviewed every month. The adviser acknowledged that revenue data presented in the past often did not reflect ground realities, and said efforts are underway to bring greater transparency to fiscal reporting. He warned against the growing imbalance between operational and development spending, noting that while recurrent expenditure has been rising rapidly, the ADP or capital expenditure has not kept pace, a trend he described as a long-term challenge. Criticising the slow pace of project implementation, Titumir said the country currently has around 1,300 projects at various stages of execution, some running for 12 to 14 years with multiple revisions. He announced plans to introduce a dashboard-based real-time monitoring system for development projects and also emphasised implementing an open data policy, saying making BBS data and other institutional data publicly accessible will improve transparency in policymaking. In his keynote presentation, Ahmad Ahsan described the FY27 budget as “ambitious, imaginative, and broadly inclusive”, essentially a budget for everybody, but raised significant concerns about the macroeconomic framework underpinning it. He noted that the domestic economy is exhibiting stagflationary signs, with private investment growth turning sharply negative for the first time in decades, and warned that the current slowdown is not a one-year dip but “the latest, sharpest leg of a longer downturn.” Ahmad Ahsan said the budget's revenue projections appear “out of norm,” noting that while the budget introduces several innovative tax policy measures, including mandatory TINs and BINs, turnover taxes for small businesses, quarterly e-VAT submissions and duty reductions on solar, EVs and semiconductors, it lacks high-impact reforms such as a unified VAT rate or a reduction in tax expenditures that could significantly improve compliance. On foreign financing, he said the budget targets a gross external inflow of Tk 1,558 billion, some 89 percent above what FY26 actually delivered, calling the projection overly optimistic given fiscal stress in high-income countries and the FY26 pattern of significant underperformance against targets. The PRI director urged the government to prepare a credible “Plan B”, a mid-term revised budget, with a clearly prioritised core expenditure package to be protected if revenues and foreign financing fall short. The PRI paper flagged major unrecognised contingent liabilities in the energy and banking sectors. Ahmad Ahsan said the off-budget fuel import exposure through BPC and Petrobangla, estimated at around US$ 12 billion annually, remains entirely outside the fiscal framework. On banking, he said the 2026 asset quality reviews put the true contingent liability at Tk 7.40 lakh crore, roughly 13.7 percent of GDP and about 18 times the Tk 40,000 crore allocated for bank recapitalisation this year, with no costed multi-year resolution framework in the budget. Ahmad Ahsan also called for addressing Bangladesh’s persistent anti-export bias, particularly in light engineering, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals and leather goods, noting that the bias is worst exactly where diversification is most needed. He drew comparisons with Vietnam's success in attracting export-oriented FDI as a model Bangladesh should emulate. On public spending, the PRI director stressed the need to strengthen expenditure monitoring institutions, including giving the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) real enforcement powers, modernising BBS data systems, and cutting the roughly eight-month lag in monthly fiscal reporting to enable mid-year course correction. He also proposed a public works programme targeting light infrastructure, upazila and rural roads, canal cleaning and sewage clearance to generate productive employment for several hundred thousand workdays while yielding strong economic returns.  

The government is reviewing a proposal to reduce passport fees for Bangladeshis living abroad while continuing efforts to simplify passport services for migrant workers and expatriates, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told Parliament on Wednesday. Responding to a tabled starred question from ruling party lawmaker Khairul Kabir Khokon (Narsingdi-1), he said Bangladesh had a total of 25,433,063 active passport holders as of June 4, 2026. Regarding passport services for migrant workers, Salahuddin said a proposal submitted by the Department of Immigration and Passports to lower passport fees for Bangladeshis residing in different countries is currently under review by the Ministry of Home Affairs. He highlighted a number of initiatives already undertaken to make passport services more accessible for Bangladeshi expatriates. The minister said arrangements have been made to process passport applications through Mobile Enrolment Kits (MEK) in remote areas under Bangladesh missions abroad, enabling Bangladeshis abroad to apply for passports conveniently. He also said initiatives have been taken to provide passport services for expatriate workers through outsourcing companies engaged by Bangladesh missions overseas. To ensure faster delivery, passports are being sent to Bangladeshi embassies and high commissions abroad through the international courier service FedEx, Salahuddin added. He further informed the House that steps are underway to introduce home delivery services for passports through outsourcing companies, making passport collection easier for expatriates. The minister also said the government has already introduced the issuance of 10-year passports for all Bangladeshi citizens aged 18 and above.  

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday described the killing of innocent Bangladeshi citizens by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along the border as deeply unfortunate and a clear violation of human rights. “The killing of innocent Bangladeshi nationals by the BSF is extremely regrettable and constitutes a clear violation of human rights,” he told Parliament. Responding to a written question from ruling party MP Nilufar Chowdhury Moni (Women Seat-10), the Minister said Bangladesh has consistently protested the use of lethal weapons by the BSF along the border and has continued to press for accountability and compensation through diplomatic and bilateral engagements. He said the issue has been raised strongly by Bangladesh during border conferences held between the chiefs of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the BSF. Salahuddin Ahmed said there has been no specific institutional discussion or formal agreement under which the Government of India directly provides financial assistance to the families of Bangladeshis killed in BSF firing incidents along the border. However, he said Bangladesh has repeatedly voiced strong objections during bilateral meetings to the BSF’s practice of using lethal weapons under the pretext of self-defence. Through these engagements, Bangladesh has also indirectly exerted pressure regarding compensation and accountability for such incidents. Highlighting the outcomes of discussions between the two countries on border killings, the Minister said Bangladesh’s sustained diplomatic and strategic efforts have yielded some positive commitments from the Indian side. Under continued pressure from Bangladesh, the BSF has on several occasions pledged to refrain from using lethal weapons and instead employ non-lethal means in managing border situations. He also said that cooperation between the BGB and BSF has been strengthened to reduce border deaths and curb cross-border crimes. As part of these efforts, night-time joint patrols have been increased in vulnerable and sensitive border areas to enhance surveillance and prevent untoward incidents. The Minister further informed Parliament that mechanisms have been put in place to address any unexpected border incidents promptly through flag meetings at the company and battalion commander levels. “Whenever any undesirable incident occurs along the border, local-level flag meetings between the respective commanders are convened swiftly to bring the situation under control and prevent escalation,” he said. Bangladesh has long maintained that the use of deadly force against unarmed civilians along the border is unacceptable and has repeatedly called on India to adopt a policy of zero deaths at the frontier.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government will make all possible efforts to lower or rationalise the Hajj package prices for 2027 as part of its plan to develop an affordable Hajj system. “The government has a plan to reduce the cost of Hajj in the future. In our election manifesto it has been pledged to develop an affordable, accessible, humane and expatriate-friendly Hajj system for religious citizens. State and diplomatic initiatives will be taken to reduce the cost of performing Hajj,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while replying to a starred question from opposition lawmaker Salah Uddin (Gazipur-4) in Parliament. He said Hajj is managed through a bilateral arrangement between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh government with expenses divided into two components. Tarique Rahman said the three-fourths of the total cost is  determined by the Saudi authorities, while the remaining one-fourth of the expenditure is incurred in Bangladesh, mainly covering airfares and other local expenses. He said the minimum Hajj package for 2026 was fixed at Tk 467,167, including the cost of Qurbani. Of the amount, Tk 300,797 was spent on the Saudi Arabia portion while the rest was spent in Bangladesh  including Tk 154,830 for airfare. The PM said the minimum Hajj package in 2025 was Tk 478,242, but it was reduced by Tk 11,075 for 2026, allowing pilgrims to benefit from the decrease. “Considering the global situation and the expenses announced for the Saudi segment, the government will make every effort to reduce or rationalise the Hajj package prices for 2027 for the benefit of common religious Muslims,” he said.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase on Wednesday approved procurement proposals worth more than Tk 704.7 crore including the import of urea fertiliser and sulphur for the country's agricultural and industrial needs. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the committee atSecretariat with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair. Import of 40,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) at a cost of Tk 348.56 crore was among the proposals. The proposal submitted by the Ministry of Industries involves the purchase of urea from UAE-based Delta Star Trading FZ-LLC through its local agent Ibedita Trading, Dhaka. The per-metric-tonne price has been fixed at US$707.01. The committee also recommended approval of another fertiliser import proposal under a government-to-government arrangement. Under the proposal, 25,000 metric tonnes of bulk granular urea will be imported from Saudi Arabia's SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company . The Ministry of Industries estimated the procurement cost at Tk 185.13 crore, with the fertiliser to be supplied at a price of US$600.83 per metric tonne. The committee approved another proposal for importing 15,000 metric tonnes of rock sulphur/bright yellow sulphur for TSP Complex Limited (TSPCL) at a cost of Tk 171.01 crore. The proposal was also submitted by the Ministry of Industries, with Seychelles-based M/s Fabsco Construction Limited selected as the supplier. According to the proposal, the sulphur may be sourced from a range of internationally recognised producers and refiners, including Formosa Petrochemical Corporation of Taiwan, Turkmengas of Turkmenistan, Mongstad Refinery of Norway, ADNOC of the UAE, Duqm Refinery of Oman, SOMO of Iraq and Reliance Industries of India, among others.

A young man, who was accused in six cases, was hacked to death by miscreants at Dhalirgati village in Abhaynagar upazila of Jashore district early Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Riaz Hossain, 29, son of Mansur Ali of the village. He was wanted in six cases, including that of robbery, mugging and drugs, police said. Officer-in-Charge of Abhaynagar Police Station Md Nuruzzaman said a group of miscreants waylaid Riaz at the Dhalirgati Govt Primary School ground around 2:00am. Later, they beat and stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving him injured. On information, police rushed to the spot and took Riaz to Abhaynagar Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead. Medical Officer at the hospital Dr Mohammad Sabuj said he died due to excessive bleeding.  

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase on Wednesday approved a proposal to extend the existing contract for the online collection of motor vehicle (MV) taxes and fees for the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). The recommendation came at a meeting of the committee held at the Secretariat with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair. According to official sources, the proposal was submitted by the Road Transport and Highways Division to facilitate the continuation and expansion of services related to the collection of MV taxes and fees through the online banking platform. The original contract value stood at Tk 218.71 crore. A variation amounting to Tk 21.43 crore has been proposed, raising the revised contract value to Tk 240.14 crore, which is 9.8 percent higher than the original contract amount. The recommended contractor is Computer Network Systems (CNS) Limited.

Four more children have died from measles-like symptoms in 24 hours until 8:00 am on Wednesday, raising Bangladesh’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 661. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the latest four deaths have been classified as suspected measles fatalities. With the latest update, the number of suspected measles deaths has risen to 568, while the number of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths remained unchanged at 93. A total of 966 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 88,895. Meanwhile, 111 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 10,634. Since March 15, a total of 73,277 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 69,688 have recovered, according to DGHS data.

The tax and price structure imposed on tobacco and tobacco products in the proposed national budget for FY 2026–27 is insufficient to achieve the objectives of public health protection and revenue generation, said speakers. They warned that the marginal increase in the price of low-tier cigarettes and the unchanged prices and tax rates on bidis, zarda, and gul will effectively reduce the real prices of these products, making tobacco products more affordable and potentially increasing tobacco use among young people and low-income populations. These observations were made at a post-budget press conference on the national budget for FY 2026–27, organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday. The speakers noted that approximately 75 percent of the country's cigarette market is occupied by low-tier cigarettes, whose primary consumers are poor and young people. The proposed budget increases the price of a pack of 10 low-tier cigarettes by only BDT 2, setting the price at BDT 62—an increase of just 3.33 percent. Both per capita income growth and inflation rates are significantly higher than this increase and  the real price of low-tier cigarettes will decline, leading to increased consumption, they said. On the other hand, if the low and medium cigarette tiers were merged and the price of 10 sticks was set at BDT 100, a specific supplementary duty of BDT 4 per pack was imposed, and the prices of all tobacco products were increased, it would be possible to generate approximately BDT 44 billion in additional revenue compared to the current fiscal year. At the same time, nearly 400,000 premature deaths could be prevented in the long term. The speakers further stated that although the prices of medium, high, and premium-tier cigarettes have been increased to some extent, no fundamental reform has been introduced in the tax structure. Consequently, a significant portion of the price increase will translate into additional profits for tobacco companies, enabling them to further expand their tobacco businesses, posing a serious threat to public health. The proposed budget also leaves the prices and tax rates on bidis, zarda, and gul unchanged, making these inexpensive products even more affordable and accessible, thereby increasing health risks, particularly for women and low-income populations. Furthermore, by imposing taxes on nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products without considering the Ministry of Health's recommendation to prohibit these products, the government has effectively legitimized these emerging products, creating the risk of expanding new forms of nicotine addiction. The speakers also highlighted that more than 35 percent of adults in Bangladesh use tobacco and that tobacco-related diseases cause nearly 200,000 deaths annually. The economic cost of tobacco-related health and environmental damage is estimated at approximately BDT 87 billion per year. The speakers at the event included Masudul Haque, President of the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF); M.M. Badshah, General Secretary of the Crime Reporters Association (CRA); and Iqbal Masud, Director of the Health Sector at Dhaka Ahsania Mission. The keynote paper was presented by Shariful Islam, Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Project. The speakers demanded that the final budget for FY 2026–27 include reforms to the tobacco tax and price structure, the merger of low and medium cigarette tiers with increased prices, the introduction of a specific tax system, higher taxes and prices on bidis, zarda, and gul, and a permanent ban on all emerging nicotine products, including nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products. They emphasised that these measures are essential to protect public health, safeguard the younger generation from nicotine addiction, and capitalize on the opportunity for increased government revenue.