United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) expressed grave concern to the government of India over incidents involving extremist elements, including disturbances outside the Bangladesh High Commission and the official residence in New Delhi on December 20, as well as vandalism at the Bangladesh Visa Centre in Siliguri on December 22. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma and expressed deep concern over violent protests staged outside the premises of the different Diplomatic Missions of Bangladesh in India. Read more: Bangladesh suspends all visa, consular services from its Missions in Delhi, Agartala Bangladesh condemned such acts of premeditated violence or intimidation against diplomatic establishments, which not only endanger the safety of diplomatic personnel but also undermine the principles of mutual respect and values of peace and tolerance. The government of Bangladesh called upon the government of India to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents, to take all necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of such acts and to ensure safety and security of Bangladesh’s diplomatic missions and related facilities in India. The government of Bangladesh expects the government of India to immediately take appropriate steps in accordance with its international and diplomatic obligations to safeguard the dignity and security of diplomatic personnel and establishments, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read more: Rights groups warn of shrinking democratic space in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has suspended all visa and consular services from its Missions in New Delhi and Agartala. “Due to unavoidable circumstances, all consular & visa services from the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi are temporarily suspended until further notice,” said the High Commission in its notice, adding, “Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.” Bangladesh Assistant High Commission Agartala also issued a similar notice. “This is to inform all concerned that due to unavoidable circumstances all visa and consular services at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala will remain closed from tomorrow, 23 December 2025, until further notice.” Keeping humanitarian needs in mind and despite the evolving security situation, the High Commission of India continues to operate the visa centers at Dhaka, Khulna, Sylhet and Rajshahi, said officials at the Indian Visa Application Centre.  Read more: Offline Indian visa services remain suspended in Khulna High Commissioner Pranay Verma visited the Indian Visa Application Center (IVAC) at the Jamuna Future Park on Monday to take stock of the functioning of the visa services.  He also interacted with visa applicants, many of whom were applying for medical visas to go to India for treatment. Given the "serious threats" last week at the Indian High Commission and its installations in Bangladesh, HCI had to shut down the operations at IVAC, JFP for a day last week, officials at IVAC said.  It was later opened and all the applicants whose appointment slots fell on that day were given an early alternative slot. Several people who apply for visas are travelling to India for treatment of serious medical conditions.  The IVAC at Chittagong is temporarily shut down following the mob attack at the entrance of AHCI Chittagong in the night of 18-19 December during which stone pelting and threats to break the entrance created serious insecurities for the AHC and other officials who live inside the same premises. Read more: Pranay Verma visits Indian visa centre in Dhaka During the visit of HC to IVAC, IVAC officials flagged the problems of large amounts of fake documents being submitted and also the disruption created by middlemen and touts who try to hack into visa servers and create artificial traffic depriving common visa applicants from genuine slots.  The High Commissioner assured to raise the concerns with relevant authorities in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Friday observed the Genocide Day.  The programme began with a moment of silence in remembrance of the Bengalees who were killed in the fateful night of 25 March 1971 as well as the martyrs of the liberation war of Bangladesh. Read: 1971 Genocide: FM says it’s a shame for Pakistan Messages issued by President Md. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina marking the Genocide Day were read out. Assistant Defence Adviser of the Mission Lt. Colonel Md. Kamrul Hassan read out the message of the President and Counsellor Shahed Bin Aziz read out the message of the Prime Minister respectively. Screening of a documentary on the 1971 Genocide by the Pakistan Army and a discussion on the day were highlights of the programme, said a press release from the mission. Read: AL appeals for global recognition of 1971 genocide High Commissioner Muhammad Imran said the Pakistani aggressors  in the name of 'Operation Searchlight’ wanted to stop the independence-seeking people and committed the most brutal killings in the history throughout the country. He also remembered the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with profound respect under whose leadership Bangladesh achieved independence through a nine-month long blood stained war.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Sunday paid homage to Bangamata Fazilatun Nessa Mujib on the occasion of her birth anniversary. Bangamata Fazilatun Nessa Mujib was assassinated along with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most members of her family on the brutal night of August 15 in 1975. The 91st birth anniversary of Fazilatun Nessa Mujib was observed with due solemnity through holding of discussion and placing wreaths at her portraits at Bangabandhu Corner at the chancery building. High Commissioner Muhammad Imran led the officers and staff of the mission in laying the wreaths.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday paid homage to valiant freedom fighter Captain Sheikh Kamal on the occasion of his birth anniversary. Capt. Sheikh Kamal was assassinated along with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most members of his family on the brutal night of August 15 in 1975. The 72nd birth anniversary of Sheikh Kamal was observed with due solemnity through holding of discussion and placing wreaths at his portraits at Bangabandhu Corner at the chancery building. Read: Sheikh Kamal’s birthday: PM releases postage stamp Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran led the officers and staff of the mission in laying the wreaths.

Five Bangladeshi American doctors have sent 250 portable intensive care unit (ICU) ventilators at the call of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carried the ventilators from India with the support of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher wrote on his Facebook page. Read: India's Oxygen Express arrives in Bangladesh The ventilators provided by a voluntary organization of Bengali doctors based in the United States come to India under the supervision of an organization based in Bangalore, India, said the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.  The ventilators were stored in a warehouse of the company in Delhi.  At the direction of the government, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi received the ventilators from the Indian company after paying the incidental expenses. After completing the customs and other airport formalities through a clearing and forwarding agency appointed by the High Commission, the ventilators arrived in Dhaka on a special cargo flight of Bangladesh Biman without any fare. At the airport, in the presence of Foreign Secretary Masud bin Momen and Health Services Secretary Lokman Hossain Miah, the Prime Minister's personal physician Prof. Dr. ABM Abdullah received the ventilators. Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, on behalf of the government of Bangladesh, paid 25 lakh rupees for tax and relevant expenses to send the ventilators to Dhaka, Shaban Mahmood, Minister (Press) at the High Commission told UNB.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Sunday observed the 47th anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Joliot Curie Peace Prize given in recognition of his contributions to world peace.  The Father of the Nation was awarded the medal on May 23 in 1973. It was the first international award to the newly-independent Bangladesh. The officers and employees of the mission, led by High Commissioner Muhammad Imran paid homage to Bangabandhu in the mission premises, said a media release.

Farid Hossain, the immediate past Minister (Press) at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and former Dhaka Bureau chief of Associated Press (AP), has joined the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) as its Advisory Editor. “We’re very pleased to have Mr Farid Hossain on board as he brings with him four and a half decades of experience in journalism. His wealth of experience perfectly positions him to help UNB improve its editorial standards,” said Enayetullah Khan, the Editor-in-Chief of UNB. Enayetullah Khan adds: “Farid Hossain’s expertise, also as a new media veteran, will allow UNB to drive forward its digital mission as the sphere of journalism has gone through radical changes.” Read: Afsan Chowdhury joins UNB, Dhaka Courier as Editor-at-Large One of the founding members of UNB and former Vice President of the Jatiya Press Club, Farid Hossain spent much of his career working for international media, including Time magazine and The Telegraph, Kolkata. A freedom fighter, Farid Hossain also served as President of Overseas Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (OCAB) and President of Commonwealth Journalists Association, Bangladesh. UNB and Dhaka Courier have recently welcomed on board veteran journalist Afsan Chowdhury, a Bangla Academy Award winner and a Liberation War historian, as Editor-at-Large. Read UNB redefining its digital content with AP videos Having a nationwide network of over 100 correspondents and international correspondents in New York, New Delhi, Beijing, Cairo, Los Angeles, London, Brussels, Tokyo and Singapore, UNB serves over 20 million viewers, listeners and readers. Currently, UNB has News Exchange Agreements with over 40 countries in the world, including PTI of India, Xinhua of China, Kyodo of Japan, Bernama of Malaysia, AsiaNet, Yonhap of South Korea, ITAR-TASS News Agency of Russia, FAAPA of Africa, CAN of Cyprus, Moroccan News Agency (MAP), Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) and Emirates News Agency (WAM) of the UAE to name a few. Founded in 1988, UNB is the first fully digitalised wire service in South Asia and is the principal partner in news exchange with AP, one of the world's largest wire services. Read Enayetullah Khan represents Bangladesh at 17th OANA General Assembly Also, a member of News Agencies World Congress (NAWC), UNB has remained true to its core values of accuracy and integrity.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday observed the Genocide Day. The programme began with a moment of silence in remembrance of those who were killed on the fateful night of 25 March 1971 as well as the martyrs of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Reading out of the messages from President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the occasion of the Genocide Day, screening of a documentary on the 1971 Genocide by the Pakistan Army and a discussion on the significance of the day were the highlights of the programme. At the discussion, Minister (Consular) of the High Commission Selim Md Jahangir said that in the name of 'Operation Searchlight’, the Pakistani aggressors wanted to stop the resistance of the independence-seeking people and committed the most brutal killings in the history throughout the country. Also read: One-Min blackout to mark Genocide Day He said the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was arrested by the Pakistani army in the early hour of 26 March 1971 but before that he declared the Independence and with the direction of Bangabandhu Bangladesh achieved victory on 16 December 1971. Acting High Commissioner Rokebul Haque said, "Observing this day as the genocide day is a recognition of the great sacrifices made by the Bengalis during the Liberation War of Bangladesh." He remembered with deep reverence all the martyrs who were killed during the Liberation War of Bangladesh. Rokebul Haque also remembered the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with profound respect under whose leadership Bangladesh achieved Independence through a nine-month long blood stained war. Also read: Bangladesh Mission in Delhi observes Genocide Day He claimed that the horrific genocide of 1971 is a black mark not only in the history of Bangladesh but also for the entire humanity. At the end of the programme a special prayer was conducted for the salvation of the departed souls of all the martyrs of the liberation war of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday celebrated the 101st Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the National Children’s Day 2021 with a resolve to work for realising his dream of building “Sonar Bangla”.