United News of Bangladesh

Three more children, showing symptoms consistent with measles, died at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) in the past 24 hours till Saturday noon, raising the death toll at the hospital to 38 this year. Hospital Spokesperson Dr Shankar K Biswas said the children, aged between five and seven, died while receiving treatment at the hospital. During the same period, 25 new patients were admitted with measles-like symptoms, while three were discharged after recovery, he said. A total of 149 patients, including four adults, with such symptoms are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. So far, 377 patients have been admitted with measles-like symptoms and 38 of them have died. Meanwhile, Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) Administrator Mahfuzur Rahman Riton and Deputy Commissioner of the district Kazi Shahidul Islam visited the hospital’s paediatric ward and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Saturday to assess the situation and treatment facilities. Speaking on the occasion, Riton said the government is committed to ensuring proper treatment for measles patients and increasing ICU capacity. He added that the city corporation is also extending support in various ways. The RCC administrator said regular vaccination drives are ongoing across all 30 wards of the city corporation, with 8,000 doses of measles vaccine currently in stock. Vaccination will be conducted at 64 centres starting on Sunday.

A 14-year-old student drowned while bathing in a pond at Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital on Saturday afternoon. The deceased was Sakibul Hasan, an eighth-grade student of Rajarbagh Police Lines School and College and son of Abdul Karim of Nai Gari Gari area under Shahjahanpur thana in Bogura district. Sakibul was rescued unconscious around 2 pm  and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) emergency department where the duty doctors declared him dead, said his father Abdul Karim. He drowned in the pond while bathing with friends, he added. Dhaka Medical College Hospital police camp in-charge Inspector Md. Faruk said the body has been kept in the hospital morgue.

An eight-bed ward for patients infected with measles has been opened at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) in the capital as cases are rising across the country. BMU Director (Hospital) Brigadier General Irteka Rahman on Saturday said the ward has been set up on the first floor of C Block to provide treatment for measles patients. A screening centre for measles has also been launched at the hospital. Irteka Rahman along with Deputy Director (Hospital) Dr Mohammad Abu Naser and other officials recently visited the measles ward. Currently, four patients are admitted to the ward. A monitoring cell has also been constituted to oversee the measles situation at the hospital. In addition, another screening centre will be operated at the No. 2 Outpatient Department (OPD) for suspected OPD patients. BMU authorities have also decided to establish an extended isolated ward on the first floor of F Block to manage additional patients if necessary.

Four people were killed as a fire raged though at an unauthorised  gas lighter factory in Kadamtali Gol Chattar area of South Keraniganj on Saturday afternoon. Anwarul Islam, Warehouse Inspector of the Fire Service Headquarters Media Cell, told UNB that so far four bodies have been recovered. The fire started around 1 pm at the tin-shed factory used for manufacturing gas lighters. Seven firefighting units rushed to the scene around 1:16 pm after receiving the information and brought the blaze under control around 2:30 pm, he said.

Bangladesh Bank has announced revised office and transaction hours for scheduled banks across the country in view of the ongoing fuel and electricity situation. According to a circular issued on Saturday, banks will remain open from Sunday to Thursday, with office hours from 10 am to 5 pm while transaction hours for clients will be from 10 am to 3 pm. Banking operations will continue from Sunday under the adjusted schedule until further instructions. Weekly holidays will remain unchanged on Friday and Saturday. The central bank said branches operating in port, customs and important economic zones will continue their activities as per existing special arrangements to ensure uninterrupted trade and business operations. The directive has been issued under the authority of the Bank Company Act, 1991.

The government will launch an emergency measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in 30 high-risk upazilas across the country from Sunday (April 5) to control the outbreak of measles, announced Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain.  “The campaign will be inaugurated simultaneously at various areas across the country at 9 am tomorrow. Ministers concerned will participate in the inauguration events in different districts,” he said at a press briefing at the ministry. There is an increased outbreak of measles in some areas of Bangladesh which is affecting young children the most and the government is addressing the situation with utmost priority, said the minister. The minister said the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) in consultation with national and international experts recommended the urgent vaccination campaign to control transmission quickly and protect children at risk. “All children under five years of age will be included in this campaign, regardless of whether they have received the vaccine before. We want to ensure that no child remains unprotected,” he said. The vaccination program will be implemented in phases. It will begin in the 30 high-risk upazilas and later expand nationwide and the target is to complete the campaign by May 21, before the holy Eid-ul-Azha, said the Health Minister. The minister urged the parents to bring all children under five to the designated vaccination centers. “Children with fever or illness should receive the vaccine after recovery.” He added that children affected or suspected to be affected by measles will also receive vitamin ‘A’ capsules to reduce complications from the disease. “The preparations, including vaccine procurement, storage, cold chain management, and health worker training, have already been completed,” the minister said. The vaccines being used are safe and effective and there is no need for panic, he said. “If vaccinations are administered on time, we can bring the measles outbreak under control.”  

Whip M Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu on Saturday said democracy in the country has been restored through 17 years of struggle and sacrifice, urging all to remain vigilant in protecting it. “Democracy achieved through blood must be safeguarded at any cost,” he said while addressing as the chief guest an Eid reunion and felicitation programme organised by the Natore District Journalists’ Association, Dhaka, at the Jatiya Press Club. Dulu said the current government is committed to reforms in line with the July National Charter, adding that necessary changes can be implemented through parliamentary debate. He also noted that the government remains active in ensuring people's voting rights and freedom of expression. Highlighting development issues, the whip stressed the need for collective efforts to transform Natore into a prosperous district and to work for the welfare of the people. Nature-3 MP Md Anwar - ul - Islam and Natore-4 MP Md Abdul Aziz also spoke at the event moderated by former health secretary Saidur Rahman. At the programme, distinguished individuals and residents from Natore raised demands for the development of educational institutions, roads and overall infrastructure in the district. The organisers presented the chief guest with a crest and a commemorative memento. The event was attended by leaders and members of the journalists' association, eminent personalities from Natore, and media professionals.  

A citizens’ platform has expressed deep concern over the recommendation of a special parliamentary committee to repeal several key reform ordinances, including those related to Supreme Court appointments and administrative independence. In a statement issued on behalf of the Citizen Coalition on Saturday, its representative Fahim Mashrur said the organisation is “deeply concerned” about the report published on April 2 by a special parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing 133 ordinances promulgated during the interim government period. The committee reportedly recommended scrapping four ordinances, notably the Supreme Court Judges Appointment Ordinance-2025 and the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance-2025, both of which were widely seen as key to strengthening judicial independence. The coalition said these reforms had long been awaited and reflected broad expectations across society. "Any move to cancel them raises serious questions about the government's commitment to ensuring the independence of the judiciary, institutional balance, and the principle of separation of powers," the statement said. Referring to the ruling BNP’s previously declared commitments, including its 31-point state reform agenda, 2026 election manifesto and the nationally endorsed July National Charter, the coalition argued that the proposed repeal appears inconsistent with those pledges. It also noted that more than two-thirds of voters supported such reforms in the 2026 referendum, warning that reversing course will undermine the clearly expressed will of the people. The statement further emphasised that demands for judicial independence and separation from the executive have been consistently raised over decades by political parties, human rights groups, civil society, and the legal community –forming a broad national consensus. The Citizen Coalition urged the government to reconsider the decision and uphold its declared commitments by preserving reforms that strengthen the judiciary's institutional autonomy. "Any change to the administrative structure of the judiciary must reinforce, not weaken, its independence," the statement added.

Three children died in Kushtia with symptoms of measles within 24 hours till Saturday morning. The deceased were identified as eight-month-old Ibrahim, son of Chanchal Hossain of Daulatpur upazila,  Afran, son of Al Amin from Bhadalia village and five-month-old Aiza, daughter of Momin of Kushtia district town. Among the deceased, Ibrahim, died around 10:30 pm on Friday at Kushtia 250-bed General Hospital, Aiza died around midnight at Kushtia Medical College Hospital and Afran died around 6 am on Friday at the same hospital with similar symptoms, said Dr Hossain Imam, resident medical officer (RMO) of Kushtia 250-bed General Hospital. Deputy Director of Kushtia Medical College Hospital Dr AHM Anwarul Islam said the number of patients with measles symptoms keeps rising across the district. Besides, dedicated measles corners have been set up in hospitals including Kushtia Medical College Hospital, he added. However, due to the increasing number of cases many children are being treated in general wards, leading to a shortage of beds. According to the Civil Surgeon’s Office, more than 300 children have been admitted to different hospitals in the district with measles symptoms of which at least 75 have recovered. Civil Surgeon Sheikh Mohammad Kamal Hossain said a shortage of vaccines, lack of awareness and movement of people from other districts are contributing to the spread of the disease. Meanwhile, isolation corners have been opened in all hospitals in the district for infected children and vaccination drives will begin as soon as vaccines become available, he added. Authorities have urged parents to remain cautious and seek medical attention promptly if children show symptoms.

A man was killed as a Dhaka North City Corporation garbage truck hit his motorbike in Banasree area of the capital on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Delwar Hossain, son of Abdul Hakim of Omar Ali Lane in the capital. The garbage truck crashed into the motorbike carrying Delwar in front of Singer Showroom around 9:20 am, leaving him dead on the spot, said Shafiqul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Khilgaon Police Station. On information, police recovered the body and arrested the driver.