United News of Bangladesh

The government is considering providing subsidies to potato farmers who suffered losses from last year’s cultivation, Agriculture Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Sunday. “This year, potato farmers have suffered a lot. We are thinking about providing subsidy for potato growers,” he said speaking at a press briefing on overall agricultural issues at the Secretariat. The adviser said that the new potato harvest has started arriving in small quantities but is expected to be delayed by about 15 days. “If the old stock is cleared by then, it will be good. We have instructed cold storage operators to keep potatoes until December so that farmers can sell their entire stock,” he added. When asked about the subsidy process, Jahangir Alam said discussions are going on. He also highlighted a drop in potato seed prices compared to last year. “The price of a carton of seeds that cost Tk 40,000–42,000 last year is Tk 12,000 this time—much lower. I have asked officials to record the prices. If anyone manipulates prices anywhere, no exemption will be given,” he said.  

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday stressed the need for stronger trade, energy and economic ties between Bangladesh and Azerbaijan. He discussed the issues when Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva, daughters of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, called on him at the State Guest House Jamuna. This marked the first visit to Bangladesh by the daughters of the Azerbaijani President. During the meeting, they discussed ways to deepen cultural, environmental, and people-to-people exchanges between the two friendly nations, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad. Prof Yunus recalled his many visits to Baku and his meeting with President Aliyev during the COP29 summit late last year.  

Depositors of the five Islamic banks undergoing the merger process are set to get their money back, with the refund process expected to start as early as this week, according to Bangladesh Bank (BB) sources. An assistant director conditioning anonymity told UNB on Sunday that under the management of the Bangladesh Bank's Deposit Insurance Fund, each eligible depositor will initially receive up to Tk2 lakh per bank account. The five troubled-Shariah banks are First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Exim Bank, and Union Bank. These banks are being acquired by the newly formed 'Sammilito Islami Bank PLC,' which has already started operation. Bangladesh Bank is currently finalizing a scheme detailing the process and eligibility criteria for the refunds, which will be published before the disbursement begins. Central Bank sources indicate that customers with account balances up to Tk2.0 lakh can withdraw their entire amount if they wish. For those with balances exceeding Tk2.0 lakh, they will receive a maximum of Tk2.0 lakh now. The fate of the remaining balance will be decided later by the Central Bank, and a new interest rate will be fixed for that remaining deposit amount. The primary aim of this initial step is to address the panic among small customers and meet their urgent financial needs. While all 75 lakh depositors of the five banks will eventually get all their money back, the immediate refund is capped at Tk2.0 lakh per account. To receive the funds, customers must meet several conditions set by Bangladesh Bank. Such as 1. Single Account Limit (Per Bank): A citizen holding multiple accounts in one of the merged banks will only be eligible for a refund against a single account, verified using their National ID (NID). 2. Valid NID: Accounts must have been opened using a valid National ID card. 3.Multiple Banks: A citizen holding one account in each of the five merged banks will be eligible to receive BDT 2 lakh against each of the five accounts. 4. Loan Adjustment: Customers with outstanding loans against their deposit will not receive the refund until the loan is adjusted. 5. Interest Rate: The interest rate on the remaining deposit balance (over BDT 2 lakh) will be newly determined. Bangladesh Bank's preliminary calculations estimate the total cost to pay out the initial customer refunds will be around Tk 12,000 crore. The paid-up capital of the newly established Sammilito Islami Bank has been set at Tk35,000 crore. The Government is contributing Tk20,000 crore (which has already been released). The Deposit Insurance Fund will provide the remaining Tk15,000 crore as capital. The total authorized capital has been fixed at BDT 40,000 crore. To strengthen the foundation of the unified bank, the Central Bank is undertaking several initiatives: Appointing skilled, experienced, and honest officers for top-tier management positions, including the Managing Director. Upgrading the bank's operational policies to meet international standards to build customer confidence.  

A Swechchhasebak Dal leader was killed and another one injured when a truck hit a motorbike on Chattogram-Khagrachhari road in Charia of Hathazari upazila of Chattogram district early Sunday. The deceased was identified as Muhammad Emran Chowdhury, president of Hathazari upazila unit Swechchhasebak Dal and son of Badsha Sarang of No 7 ward of Hathazari upazila. The accident occurred at Buripukur Par around 1:30 am when the wood-laden truck hit a motorbike carrying two people, leaving Emran killed on the spot and another injured, said Shahabuddin, officer-in-charge of Nazirhat Highway Police Station. The injured was taken to a local hospital.  Police are trying to arrest the truck driver, said OC.  

Voicing concern over widespread food contamination, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday called for collective and urgent action to address the crisis, stressing the need for coordinated efforts in everyone’s best interests. "We are aware of the various types of contamination found in food. We must take measures to tackle this. Our children, parents and relatives are all victims of food contamination. We have to work together to address this crisis for our own wellbeing,” he said. Prof Yunus made the call at a meeting held at the state guest house Jamuna, where participants discussed the presence of harmful chemicals in food, the context behind rising contamination and strategies to curb food adulteration. After reviewing implementation aspects, he said they would prioritise which measures need to begin immediately. “We will take urgent initiatives in this regard without delay,” he added. Agriculture and Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Sayedur Rahman, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser Siraz Uddin Miah, secretaries of concerned ministries, BSTI Director General SM Ferdous Alam, and Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection Director General Farooq Ahmed, among others, attended the meeting. The discussion focused extensively on foodborne diseases, contamination-related risks and necessary actions to confront the crisis. The Chief Adviser instructed all relevant authorities to submit written proposals within one week outlining the activities needed to combat food contamination. The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority presented several data points at the meeting. Citing World Health Organization research, they noted that one in ten children falls ill at least once a year due to foodborne diseases, and one-third of infected children die. Prof Yunus urges police to ensure ‘festive, peaceful historic election’ Foodborne diseases affect 600 million children globally and 30 million children in Bangladesh each year. According to the Food Safety Authority, food may contain four types of contaminants: heavy metals, pesticide and disinfectant residues, radioactive substances and biological contaminants. In the last fiscal year, 1,713 samples were tested, while 814 samples have been tested so far this year. Yunus calls for joint effort to make national election festive Excessive levels of lead/lead chromate were detected—lead was found in 22 out of 180 samples. A joint study by Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Bangladesh Agricultural University, and Umeå University in Sweden identified 300 types of medicines, 200 types of pesticides, and 16 types of PFAS in water and fish samples collected from different regions of the country (87 water samples and 23 fish samples). The Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser noted that all public universities in Bangladesh have laboratories and students equipped to conduct such tests. He said quick action could be taken through a comprehensive study on the extent of lead contamination in food.  

The government has exempted Bangladesh Railway from the requirement to submit proof of income tax return filing, citing its status as a state-owned and non-taxable entity. According to an official order, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) granted the exemption under the authority of Section 264(4) of the Income Tax Act 2023. The order states that Bangladesh Railway, being a government institution and not a taxable entity, will no longer be required to present proof of submission of return (PSR). Officials said the decision aims to ease administrative procedures for the state-run organisation, which falls outside the scope of taxable bodies under current law.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, along with other Election Commissioners, went to the State Guest House Jamuna on Sunday afternoon to meet Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. An election commissioner confirmed the development, saying the meeting is part of the EC’s ongoing engagements ahead of the national election. They left Nirbachan Bhaban around 4pm to meet the Chief Adviser ahead of the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming general election and referendum. The CEC is accompanied by four election commissioners Abdur Rahmanel Masud, Tahmida Ahmad, Anwarul Islam Saker and Brig Gen (retd) Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah as well as EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed. Earlier, the election commission sat in a marathon meeting at Nirbachan Bhaban to discuss the election and referendum. Jamaat holds meeting with CA at Jamuna as tensions cool down After the meeting, Sanaullah said the schedule for the election and the referendum will be announced any day this week. The 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Reform Charter) will be held simultaneously in a single day in February next.  

A Dhaka court on Sunday asked the authorities concerned to provide the investigation report on January 13 in the case filed over the death of actor Salman Shah in 1996. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel passed the order. Mohammad Alamgir Kumkum, maternal uncle of actor Salman filed a case against 11 people with Ramna Police Station on October 20. Later, Judge of Additional Metropolitan Session Judge court-6 Jannatul Ibne Haque accepted the revision petition and asked to file a murder case. The accused were identified as Salman’s wife Samira Haque, her mother Latifa Haque Lucy, business person Aziz Mohammad Bhai, Don, Devid, Zaved, Faruk, Rubi, Abdus Sattar, Saju and Rizvi Ahmed alias Farhad. The court also asked the immigration to take steps as the accused of the case could not flee from the country. According to the case statement, Salman Shah was found dead at his flat in Easkaton of the capital on September 6, 1996. Later, Father of Salman Shah Kamaruddin Chowdhury, filed an unnatural death case. On July 24, 1997, a petition was filed stating that Salman Shah was murdered. The court later asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the issue. On November 3, 1997, CID gave its final report saying Salman Shah committed suicide. Later, rejecting the CID’s claim, Kamaruddin Chowdhury filed a revision case in this regard. Following that, the court sent the case to the Judicial Department for further investigation. On May 19, 2003, the court sent the case to the judicial department for investigation. On August 3, 2014, Metropolitan Magistrate Emdadul Haque submitted the judicial statement in the case terming it a suicidal case. On February 10, 2015, Nila Chowdhury, mother of Salman filed a naraji petition in this regard. Finally, the case was shifted to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). On February 25, 2020, PBI Inspector Sirajul Islam submitted the investigation report before the court. On October 31, 2021, the court disposed of the case after accepting the case. On June 12, 2022, a revision case was filed with the Dhaka Metropolitan Session Judge saying Salman Shah was murdered.

Farmers on Sunday blocked a road in Naldanga upazila of Natore district demanding fertilizer ahead of boro season. A number of farmers went to the shop of Shyam Sundar Agarwal, a fertilizer dealer at Naldanga intersection around 10 am to collect fertilizer. As they did not get fertilizer there, they staged a demonstration in front of upazila Agriculture Office. They also blocked roads at upazila headquarters point, demanding fertilizer. The farmers also demanded removal of the Upazila Agriculture Officer Kishoar Hossain. On information, Naldanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) AL Emran Khan rushed to the spot and assured them of taking steps in this regard. Later, the farmers withdrew their road blockade programme around 11:30 am. The UNO said that although fertilizer has reached the dealer points, an investigation is underway to determine why farmers are still unable to obtain it. Shyam Sundar Agarwal’s manager, Bokul Das, said they have not been able to collect the full allotment of fertilizer. However, due to high demand from farmers—and because many are trying to collect fertilizer for both the ongoing Rabi season and the upcoming Boro season at the same time—additional pressure has been created. All fertilizer will be sold to farmers as per the allotted supply, he said.    

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has opened an inquiry into allegations that former President Abdul Hamid abused his authority to facilitate a Tk 24 crore beautification project around his private residence in the capital’s Nikunja-1. ACC Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtar Hossain confirmed the development to the media on Sunday. “ACC never considers a person’s status when conducting an inquiry or investigation,” he said.  Hamid would become only the second former President in Bangladesh’s history to face an ACC investigation over corruption charges—the first being Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who was convicted and jailed for graft. According to ACC officials, the allegations involve the misuse of office to carry out high-cost development, decoration and landscaping work surrounding Hamid’s three-storey duplex on Lake Drive Road, Plot-6, Nikunja-1. The facilities reportedly include a specially designed walkway, a decorative deck and suspension-style bridge, modern lamp posts, and renovations to the adjoining canal—amenities investigators believe were executed primarily for Hamid’s personal convenience. While these beautification features were not part of any approved project, the canal renovation was carried out under a broader RAJUK development plan linked to the Purbachal New Town initiative. More than Tk 24 crore of public funds was ultimately spent, according to ACC sources. Emphasising procedural neutrality, DG Akhtar Hossain said the ACC evaluates complaints based on evidence, not on the identity or position of the accused. “We look at the objectivity and relevance of the allegations. If the complaint has merit, the Commission can open an inquiry against anyone.” Hamid shifted to the Nikunja residence in April 2023 after completing over a decade as President. The area remained heavily secured during his stay, with restrictions on public movement. Following political changes on August 5, 2024, he reportedly vacated the property, which now stands abandoned. Background of the propertyAccording to RAJUK documents, Hamid applied for the plot in Nikunja-1 under the MP quota after being elected to Parliament in 1996. He was allocated a three-katha plot on October 5, 1997, which he registered for Tk 4.5 lakh. RAJUK approved the building design in 2011. Sources say several influential figures from the former ruling Awami League—including ministers, MPs, bureaucrats and business associates—own upscale homes in the Nikunja neighbourhood. Many of them are currently reported to be absconding. Notable names tied to properties in the area include former whip Nur-e-Alam Chowdhury Liton, Sheikh Hasina’s relative Mohammad Hossain Serniabat, ex-press secretary Naeemul Islam Khan, journalist and former adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, former Chhatra League president Bahadur Bepari, and Sweden Awami League leader Kazi Shah Alam, among others. Historical precedentThe only other instance of a former President facing similar action occurred on April 14, 1991, when Hussain Muhammad Ershad was charged with abuse of power under the Prevention of Corruption Act. His conviction in 2000 resulted in a seven-year sentence, later reduced to five years by the High Court, along with a Tk 55 crore fine. The judgment set an important legal precedent and disqualified him from contesting the 2001 national election. As the ACC inquiry gets underway, the allegations against Abdul Hamid mark a rare case of a former head of state coming under scrutiny for suspected misuse of public funds. Further steps will depend on the findings of the investigation team.team