United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka may witness a shift in its crime patterns in the coming weeks ahead of the national election as the intelligence agencies are apprehending a rise in acts of sabotage, arson attacks and politically-driven violence. In recent weeks, parts of the capital have experienced scattered incidents of crude bomb explosions, arson on vehicles and attempts to spread fear which the law enforcers see as early indicators of pre-election unrest. Additional Commissioner of DMP’s Detective Branch (DB) Shafiqul Islam said political groups which have been facing restrictions on activities may try to carry out bomb and arson attacks in Dhaka ahead of the polls to create an environment of fear. Read more: Awami League using looted money for acts of sabotage: Rizvi He said the government’s main mandate is to hold a free, fair and acceptable election and attempts may be made to derail or discredit that process. Intelligence Monitoring Strengthened The DB chief said several people linked to the recent arson and crude bomb blast incidents have been arrested who have given important clues about ongoing sabotage plans. “Interrogations have revealed the names of several instigators. They are being brought under the ambit of law,” he added. To prevent similar attacks, DB has strengthened surveillance through CCTV networks, human intelligence, electronic intelligence and coordinated field operations across the capital. Social Media Under Watch With the election approaching fast, law enforcers expect a spike in disinformation, manipulated videos and fabricated content on social media. Police submits chargesheets in 106 cases linked to July 2024 uprising Shafiqul Islam said a 24/7 monitoring committee made up of representatives from Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), National Security Intelligence (NSI) and other agencies is working to detect and address harmful content in real time. Any adverse material is being handled immediately, he said. Petty Crimes Stable According to DB, petty crimes such as theft and mugging remain generally under control in Dhaka. Shafiqul Islam said a few recent killings were linked to internal disputes among underworld groups. He stressed that these incidents do not reflect the city’s wider homicide trend and intelligence assessments show no major rise in petty crimes. Another senior official at DMP headquarters preferring not to be named said communal incitement and rumor campaigns may increase before the polls. He said political rallies may also carry a higher risk of clashes, prompting agencies to increase intelligence deployment before each event. Why Acts of Sabotage Rise Intelligence officials say targeted violence often rises before elections as political tension increases. Arson attacks on busy routes are often planned to cause maximum public fear. Suspect in Pallabi Jubo Dal leader murder dies after arrest Crude bombs are also used to create pressure and send political signals without large-scale damage, the DMP official said. He said sudden confrontations may escalate tensions and disrupt the electoral environment while propaganda campaigns on social media may attempt to mislead voters. On preparedness, he said law enforcement agencies have already intensified preventive steps. These include increased patrols on major transport routes, deployment of more plainclothes intelligence officers in politically sensitive zones, active automated systems for cyber monitoring and focused surveillance in trouble-prone areas. DB officials said enhanced surveillance, quick arrests and coordinated intelligence actions are expected to keep the overall situation under control. Read more: Saboteurs to be declared ‘Unwanted’ in Dhaka: DMP Commissioner 

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked first on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 296 at 9:50 am this morning (December 4, 2025). Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’ referring to an alarming threat, according to the AQI index. Such air quality persisted over the past few days. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Read more: How Can One Person Reduce Environmental Pollution? India’s Delhi, Kolkata and Pakistan’s Lahore cities respectively occupied the second, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 278, 233, and 199 respectively. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. Read more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh?

A mild earthquake jolted Dhaka and nearby areas early Thursday (December 04), according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). BMD reported that the 4.1-magnitude quake struck at around 6:14am, with its epicentre in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi, about 38 kilometres northeast of the BMD Seismic Observatory and Research Centre in Agargaon.  No casualties have been reported so far. Mild earthquake jolts Dhaka, adjacent areas again The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre placed the epicentre 33 kilometres east-northeast of Tongi and three kilometres north of Narsingdi, at a depth of 30 kilometres. A stronger earthquake, measuring 5.7 in magnitude, had earlier shaken Dhaka and several regions on November 21, also originating from Narsingdi.  Since then, several minor tremors have been recorded across the country, most with epicentres in Narsingdi. Read more: Ceiling And Wall Cracks After An Earthquake: When To Worry

A specialist physician from the United Kingdom, Dr Richard Beale, arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday (December 03) to assist in the treatment of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. He reached Evercare Hospital around 10:30 am and joined the ongoing medical efforts for the ailing former prime minister. In addition to the UK specialist, another medical team from China is scheduled to arrive today to support her treatment, though their arrival was originally planned for Tuesday (December 02). Read more: Khaleda’s health still fragile, doctors report no improvement Earlier on Monday, a five-member medical team from China had already arrived in Dhaka. According to the medical board overseeing her treatment, the team expected this evening is the main group. On Tuesday, Khaleda Zia’s personal physician, Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, briefed reporters about her health condition, urging patience. Read more: Concern for Khaleda Zia goes far beyond BNP, says Rizvi He said the BNP chief is currently able to receive the treatments prescribed by the medical board, and there is hope for her recovery. Dr Hossain added that the medical board will decide whether she needs advanced treatment abroad, with the UK specialist present to assist in that assessment. Khaleda Zia was admitted to Evercare Hospital on November 23 with multiple health complications. Her condition worsened on November 27, prompting doctors to transfer her to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU), where she remains under intensive treatment. Read more: Army, Navy, Air chiefs visit Khaleda at Evercare

More than a decade after it was first approved with the promise of giving residents a cleaner, greener and more accessible lake environment, the Uttara Lake Development (1st Revised) Project remains mired in delays, extensions and rising costs. What was once envisioned as a model urban regeneration initiative—protecting the Uttara lake system from encroachment, improving water retention, preventing pollution and creating vibrant walkways and recreation spaces—has instead become a striking example of chronic stagnation in public infrastructure development. Recently the government extended the project deadline for the sixth time, pushing completion to June 2026. A Decade of Deadlines Missed The project, undertaken by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works was originally approved in 2014. At the time, it carried a modest two-year timeline from July 2014 to June 2016 and a cost estimate of Tk 37.32 crore. Read more: Banani Society's 55k Adda Park: Community-led initiative transforms decaying lakeside into urban oasis But as years passed with repeated extensions and little visible improvement, the financial footprint expanded dramatically. After revisions, the cost now stands at Tk 90.73 crore, nearly two and a half times the original estimate. RAJUK alone is bearing Tk 78.85 crore of that amount. “We need to protect the lake from pollution and encroachment, but all we see are deadlines being moved,” said Aminul Haque, a long-time resident of Sector 4. Why the Delay? RAJUK Lists a Long Chain of Reasons Officials attributed the most recent delay to multiple complications in the field. Unusually heavy rainfall during the current fiscal year has held back progress, while the land acquisition process has taken longer than expected. Read more: Kaptai Lake must be protected as a national asset: Farida Akhter The project area includes two mosques, forcing RAJUK to proceed cautiously. Daytime restrictions on truck movement have meant that sludge removal could only be carried out at night. Moreover, the project site is situated in a densely populated and congested neighbourhood, requiring slow and careful pallasiding work to avoid disturbing surrounding houses. RAJUK officials also reported resistance while attempting to evict illegal structures in an adjacent slum, further slowing the pace of work. The Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) approved the government’s proposal for a one-year extension, but only under strict conditions. IMED emphasised that all remaining activities must be completed within the newly approved timeframe and no further extensions would be allowed. Read more: Teesta Dam ‘renovation’ in Rangpur turns into a 'sand bonanza' It observed that no audit objections were raised between the 2017–18 and 2022–23 financial years, but that audit work for 2023–24 is still pending. Current Progress: Some Movement, Much Left to Do According to RAJUK’s latest report, cumulative financial progress reached Tk 56.84 crore, or 62.65 per cent, as of May 2025, while physical progress stood at 65 per cent. The Planning Commission acknowledged the challenges of working in such a densely populated area but agreed that the extension was necessary to complete the remaining 35 per cent of work, including the removal of illegal structures around the lake. The project has been allocated Tk 16 crore in the Annual Development Programme for the 2025–26 financial year. Residents Wait—and Hope On paper, Uttara Lake should by now be lined with walkways, lush greenery, open spaces and cleaner water flowing through a restored ecosystem. But for many residents, the lake remains a reminder of promises delayed and opportunities lost. Read more: Tk 2105 cr housing projects for July martyrs’ families, injured get govt nod “It’s not that nothing has changed,” said Mumu Chowdhury, who lives near the lake area. “But the pace is too slow. We deserve better—this is our environment, our community.” With yet another deadline now set for mid-2026, residents are hoping this will finally be the last extension.

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked second on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 235 at 9:50 am this morning (December 3, 2025). Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘very unhealthy’ referring to an alarming threat, according to the AQI index. Such air quality persisted over the past few days. When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. Read more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh? India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and again India’s Kolkata cities respectively occupied the first, third and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 283, 230, and 203 respectively. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. Read more: Dhaka’s air ‘very unhealthy’ this morning

Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 251 at 9:00 am on Tuesday morning (December 02). Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking. India's Delhi and Kolkata and Pakistan’s Lahore occupied the first, second and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 396, 269 and 200, respectively. Read more: Dhaka’s air quality 7th worst this morning An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy' and 301-400 is considered 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Read more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh?

Air pollution remains one of the biggest challenges for Bangladesh, with its capital ranked as the 4th most polluted city in the world on Monday morning (December 01, 2025). At 10:10 am, Dhaka’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 215. Pakistan’s Lahore  and India’s Delhi occupied the first and second  spots, with AQI scores of 338 and 288 respectively. Besides, India’s Kolkata is in 3rd position with AQI score 233, according to IQAir. An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy, particularly for sensitive groups. Similarly, an AQI between 201 and 300 is classified as very unhealthy, while a reading between 301 and 400 is deemed hazardous, posing serious health risks to residents. Read more: Dhaka's air quality turns `unhealthy for sensitive groups’ AQI — an index for reporting daily air quality — is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air in a particular city is, and what associated health effects may be of concern. In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants: Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO₂, CO, SO₂ and Ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution. Its air quality usually becomes unhealthy during winter and improves during the monsoon. A report by the Department of Environment (DoE) and the World Bank pointed out that the three main sources of air pollution in Dhaka “are brick kilns, fumes from vehicles, and dust from construction sites”. With the advent of winter, the city’s air quality deteriorates sharply due to the massive discharge of pollutant particles from construction work, rundown roads, brick kilns and other sources. Read more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh? Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality, with an AQI score of 264 at 9:01 am on Saturday morning (November 29). Dhaka’s air was classified as 'very unhealthy', according to the air quality and pollution city ranking. Egypt’s Cairo, India's Delhi and Uzbekistan’s Tashkent occupied the first, second and fourth spots in the list, with AQI scores of 286, 271 and 252, respectively. Dhaka’s air ranks world’s 2nd most polluted on Friday morning An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy' while 201-300 is 'very unhealthy' and 301-400 is considered 'hazardous', posing severe health risks to residents. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. Read more: How to Reduce Air Pollution in Bangladesh?

Dhaka, the overcrowded capital city of Bangladesh, has ranked 16th on the list of cities with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 144 at 9:50 am this morning (November 27, 2025). Today Dhaka’s air was classified as ‘unhealthy’ referring to an alarming threat, according to the AQI index. However the air quality was marked as ‘very unhealthy’ with an AQI score of 205 yesterday.  When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 50 and 100, air quality is considered ‘moderate’, usually sensitive individuals should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion, between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and again India’s Kolkata cities respectively occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 493, 226, and 215 respectively. Read more: Adviser Rizwana calls for effective regional action to combat trans-boundary air pollution The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. Read more: Dhaka breaths in ‘very unhealthy’ air this morning