United News of Bangladesh

A boatman went missing Wednesday after falling into the Padma River from a bulkhead in Charbhadrasan, Faridpur. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. near Tilar Char and Sabulla Sikder’s Dangi areas of Charbhadrasan Sadar Union. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., two divers from the Faridpur Fire Service conducted search operations but could not locate the missing boatman. The rescue mission was suspended for the day and will resume Thursday morning. The missing man has been identified as Arif Sheikh, 46, son of Mojibur Sheikh of Sholomari village in Alfadanga Upazila. Arif is the eldest of four siblings, married, and father of three children. According to his uncle, Abul Kasar, Arif worked as a boatman at the bulkhead. He had arrived at the CNB Ghat in Faridpur Sadar on Tuesday afternoon to unload sand and, while returning, accidentally fell into the river near Tilar Char and Sabulla Sikder’s Dangi. Charbhadrasan Fire Service leader Mortaza Fakir said the diver team conducted multiple search attempts but failed to recover Arif. CNB Ghat police officer-in-charge Nasim Ahmed confirmed the incident and said a police team also joined the search but found no trace of him as of Wednesday evening.

Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant (Home Ministry), Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury has resigned from his post. His resignation was accepted by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, according to an official gazette issued on Wednesday. The gazette was published by Cabinet Secretary Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid by order of the President. It said the resignation would take effect immediately.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday said the interim government aims to build a healthy society, adding that the July Charter has been prepared to uphold the spirit of the mass uprising. “You are the mirror of society. By looking at you, we can understand whether everything is in order,” Prof Yunus said while exchanging Christmas greetings with representatives of the Christian community at the State Guest House Jamuna, that is doubling up as the CA's official residence. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, he said that alongside the upcoming parliamentary election, a referendum will also be held. Through the referendum on the July Charter, the country will move one step forward, he said, adding that the next parliament will adopt reform measures based on the people’s verdict in the referendum. Prof Yunus called upon religious leaders to help raise public awareness about the forthcoming election and referendum. Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain, Archbishop of Catholic Christians in Bangladesh Bejoy N D'Cruze, President of the National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh Bishop Philip P Adhikary, Trustee of the Christian Religious Welfare Trust Dr Benedict Alo D’Rozario, President of the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh Christopher Adhikari, and other prominent Christian leaders were present. Christian leaders highlighted Prof Yunus’s global reputation and his role in improving the country’s economic and overall situation. They expressed hope that the upcoming election would be free and fair under his leadership, according to the Chief Adviser’s press wing. Archbishop Bejoy N D’Cruze described Jesus Christ as a universal figure and said that inspired by Christ’s ideals of forgiveness and service to humanity, millions of people around the world, including in Bangladesh, are celebrating Christmas with joy and enthusiasm. Extending Christmas greetings to the Chief Adviser, he said, “After the July mass uprising, the people have kept their trust in you to rebuild Bangladesh anew. You are carrying out that responsibility with great dedication. We pray that your efforts will succeed through a beautiful and peaceful election.” Leaders of the Christian Religious Welfare Trust also thanked the interim government for granting Tk 2.5 crore to the trust on the occasion of Christmas. They said the grant is being distributed in three phases among 800 churches across the country. Later, Prof Yunus cut a cake with representatives of the Christian community to mark the Christmas celebration.

In the midst of Dhaka’s grey, concrete-heavy landscape, the "4th Urban Agriculture Fair" has brought a breath of fresh air. Since its opening last Sunday at the Rajdhani High School grounds on Manik Mia Avenue, the event has seen a massive influx of nature enthusiasts. Organized by the Urban Agriculture Foundation, the five-day fair features 65 stalls showcasing over a thousand plant species, with the grand finale set for this Thursday.

Three people died unnatural deaths in separate incidents in Chowgacha upazila of Jashore on Wednesday. The deaths occurred due to burn injuries, drowning and suicide in different areas of the upazila. An elderly woman, Fekshi Bala, 80, died after suffering severe burns while warming herself, along with other family members, by a fire at her home in Marua village under Jagadishpur union. She was the widow of Kartik Paramanik Biswas. According to family, her sari caught fire accidentally on Tuesday night. She was taken to Jashore 250-bed General Hospital, where she died during treatment on Wednesday noon. In another incident, a madrasa student drowned in a pond at Niamatpur village under Patibila union. The deceased was Hafiz Abdullah, 16, an eighth-grade student of Tanzimul Ummah Cadet Madrasa in Uttara, Dhaka. He was the son of Abdul Gni of Niamatpur village. According to locals, Abdullah’s lived in Narayanganj due to his father’s job. He came to the village two days ago from Narayanganj. He lost consciousness while bathing in a pond and drowned. He was taken to Chowgacha Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Meanwhile, a woman died by suicide at Ballavpur village under Sukhpukuria union. Man stabbed to death in Jashore The deceased was Monwara Begum, 30, wife of Solaiman Ali. She took her own life by hanging in her room around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, following a domestic dispute with her husband. Rezaul Karim, Officer-in-Charge of Chowgacha Police Station confirmed the incidents and said, “Legal steps were underway.”    

Police have arrested one Himon Rahman Shikdar, an Adabar Thana Jubo League activist and an associate of Alamgir, the motorcyclist allegedly involved in the killing of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson and Dhaka-8 prospective candidate Sharif Osman Hadi. The arrest was made on Wednesday around 2:00pm during a raid at a residential hotel in the Adabar area, based on secret information received by the Intelligence and Analysis Division (IAD), said Officer-in-charge of Adabar Thana Ziaur Rahman. Following information provided by the arrestee, police recovered a foreign-made pistol, three rounds of live ammunition, fireworks, crackers, gunpowder and various materials used for making cocktails from the house of his associate Mehdi in the Baitul Aman Housing area under Adabar Thana. Police said preliminary interrogation revealed that Himon Rahman Shikdar and his associate were planning subversive activities. Efforts are underway to arrest others involved in the incident.          

A man was killed as a crude bomb thrown by miscreants from Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover exploded near the Moghbazar Muktijoddha Shangsad gate in the capital on Wednesday evening. The deceased was identified as Siam, 30, a construction worker. Md Mohiuddin, inspector (Operations) of Hatirjheel Police Station, said the crude bomb was hurled from the flyover onto the road that hit Siam on the head, leaving him dead on the spot.  Police are investigating the incident and collecting CCTV footage from nearby areas, he added.    

The Election Commission (EC) has extended the registration period for voting in the 13th National Parliament Election and Referendum through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app until December 31. The decision was announced on Wednesday, according to an EC handout. As of 4:30pm on December 24, a total of 679,186 people had completed their registration via the app. Previously, the deadline for registration through the Postal Vote BD app was set for December 25.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested three more people in connection with the attack on the offices of  The Daily Star and Prothom Alo  in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area. With the latest arrests, the total number of arrestees has risen to 31. The arrestees are Mohammad Jakir Hossain Shanto (29), Mohammad Swapan Mondol (30) and Niaz Mahmud Farhan (21). Quoting the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit DMP’s DC (Media) Talebur  Rahman on Wednesday evening said Jakir Hossain Shanto was arrested on Tuesday  from Bailey Road area, while Swapan Mondol from Abdullahpur Mor area under Tongi Police Station in Gazipur district. 11 more arrested over attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star offices Meanwhile, a team of the DB Cyber North Division under the DMP  arrested Niaz Mahmud Farhan early Tuesday  during a drive in Bhola district.  The arrestees have been produced before a court, police said.      

The Council of Advisers on Wednesday approved the draft of Bangladesh Telecommunication ((Amendment) Ordinance aimed at improving service quality, strengthening regulatory oversight and preventing the misuse of surveillance powers. The approval came at a meeting of the Council of Advisers chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at his office, according to an official release. One of the most significant changes under the amendment is a provision stating that internet or telecommunication services cannot be shut down under any circumstances (Section 97). The amendment also restores the independence and accountability of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) by moving away from the controversial 2010 amendment framework and redefining the balance of authority between the Ministry and the regulator. Under the revised law, only select national-level licenses will require ministerial approval based on independent studies, while all other licensing powers will revert to the BTRC. To enhance oversight, an Accountability Committee chaired by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Posts and Telecommunications has been formed. The amendment also reduces the time required for license approvals and lowers previously high fines and recurring penalties to encourage investment in the telecom sector. Transparency measures have been strengthened, requiring the BTRC to hold public hearings every four months and publish follow-up actions online. Safeguards against conflicts of interest have also been introduced (Section 87). Strong protections against the misuse of personal data have been included. Surveillance or harassment using SIM and device registration information has been made a punishable offense (Section 71). Meanwhile, the controversial “speech offence” provision has been revised to criminalize only incitement to violence, aligning it with the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 (Section 66A). The amendment introduces new provisions for appeal and arbitration in telecom-related disputes (Section 82B). A major institutional reform is the establishment of the Centre for Information Support (CIS) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Section 97A), replacing the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), which has been abolished. The CIS will only provide technical assistance for lawful interception and will not conduct surveillance itself. Lawful interception will be strictly limited to clearly defined circumstances such as national security, maintenance of law and order, urgent life-saving needs, and judicial or investigative purposes, following specific procedures and international best practices. To ensure accountability, the amendment establishes a quasi-judicial council and parliamentary oversight mechanisms. Complaints regarding unlawful interception may be filed with the council, while the Parliamentary Standing Committee will publish an annual public report on interception activities and review related budgets and institutional capacity. The ordinance also includes provisions for image and voice protection, SIM and device data protection, and alignment with international standards set by the United Nations and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).