United News of Bangladesh

The government has ordered that 158 Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) be transferred to various government offices ahead of the national election. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gazette notification in this regard on Wednesday night (November 26). The transfers, involving senior assistant secretary-level UNOs, follow the recent appointment of new UNOs in 166 upazilas across eight divisions earlier. Read more: 64 districts get SPs through lottery: Home Adviser   According to the notification, the transferred officers must leave their current posts and join their new assignments by November 30. Failure to comply will be considered an immediate release from their current position. Officers whose new workplaces have already changed must submit joining letters indicating the updated office address. Meanwhile, the government has appointed superintendents of police for 64 districts across the country. Read more: 826 judges get promotion

In a major reshuffle in the judicial administration, the government has promoted 826 judges. Among them, 250 Additional District Judges were promoted to District Judges, 294 Joint District Judges to Additional District Judges and 282 Senior Assistant Judges to Joint District Judges. The Law and Justice Division of the Law Ministry issued separate notifications in this regard on Wednesday (November 26). Read more: 64 districts get SPs through lottery: Home Adviser The promoted district judges have been asked to hand over the responsibilities of their current posts to an officer designated by the head of office by  November 27 and to join their new place of posting by  December 1, said the notification. Judges who are currently on training, maternity leave or on leave have been asked to report to their workplaces upon completion of training or leave, hand over charge and immediately join their new position.

The government has appointed Superintendents of Police (SPs) for 64 districts across the country through a lottery system ahead of the national election slated for the first half of February next year.   According to a gazette notification, signed by Md Mahbubur Rahman, deputy secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, was issued on Wednesday (November 26). Earlier in the day, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the SPs have been appointed through the lottery after categorising the districts into three considering the law-and-order issue.   Talking to reporters after a review meeting of the Annual Development Programme of the Ministry of Agriculture at Secretariat, he claimed that no meritorious officers have been left out during the SP postings. Bangladesh sees crime spike ahead of polls; police stress preparedness Responding to a question on the lottery system, the adviser said, “Yes, the news is correct. The lottery was conducted exactly as planned. We established three categories—A, B, and C—not based on district size but on the law and order situation.” After categorising districts, the adviser said, officers were assigned accordingly. “Out of a total of 64 SPs, 18 were reassigned, while others remained unchanged. The lottery then decided which officer would go to which district, based on luck,” he asserted. Asked if the same system would apply to officer-in-charge postings, he replied saying ‘Insha’Allah,’ emphasizing that primarily the most capable officers were selected. New police commissioner for Gazipur Met Police; new SPs in 6 districts

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday (November 25) expressed deep concern and sympathy after a devastating fire swept through the capital’s Korail slum, destroying a large number of homes and leaving many families displaced. He wished quick recovery for the injured and conveyed heartfelt sympathies to the affected families. “The suffering of the families who lost their homes in the Korail fire is a shared pain for all of us. The government will ensure all necessary support for their rehabilitation,” the Chief Adviser said in a statement. Fire ravages Korail slum, leaving dwellers devastated amid water crisis He said the authorities concerned have been instructed to immediately intensify rescue and relief operations. He also directed the relevant officials to investigate the cause of the fire and take effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday (November 18) said the government is reviewing the proposed procurement of body cameras to ensure transparency, rational planning and appropriate use in sensitive operational areas. The initial proposal sought a very large number of body cameras, prompting the committees to ask the authorities concerned to revisit the plan, pricing and procurement method, he told reports after meetings of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs and the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at the Secretariat. He said the revised plan should adopt a more rational, need-based approach. “The procurement should be rational. We suggested that body cameras be used in particularly sensitive and critical areas, not everywhere,” he said, adding that the Home Ministry shares the same view. The adviser said the purpose of introducing body cameras is to strengthen monitoring, improve accountability and support evidence-based action. Read more: Govt to decide on body camera purchase for police within days: Finance Adviser “The idea is not to deploy body cameras indiscriminately but to ensure they serve their intended purpose where sensitivity and oversight are crucial,” he added. On whether the number of cameras will be reduced, Dr Salehuddin said rationalisation is likely. “The number will be reduced, but I cannot say by how much at this stage. We will be able to comment once the revised proposal is submitted,” he said. He added that the revised proposal will be placed very soon. On September 23, the government approved procurement of around 40,000 body cameras for police personnel ahead of the national election scheduled for February. The cameras are to be procured through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to ensure quality, transparency and neutrality. Dr Salehuddin earlier said buying through UNDP would help avoid controversies over quality and pricing as international tenders would be floated and responsibility placed with the agency. Read more: Govt okays procurement of new firearms for Ansar and VDP

The government on Tuesday approved a proposal to procure 17,050 shotguns for Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) in order to replace their old and outdated firearms. The decision was taken at the meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, who chaired the meeting, told reporters that the existing firearms used by Ansar and VDP have become very old, making replacement essential to ensure operational effectiveness. “We will procure around 17,000 12-bore shotguns for Ansar and VDP as the existing ones have become very old. The price we are getting is cost-effective and we found the purchase to be economically viable, so it has been approved,” he said. He noted that the procurement proposal was evaluated on the basis of competitive pricing. Responding to a query on whether the purchase has any connection to the upcoming national election, Dr Salehuddin said the procurement is  not election-related. “This has nothing to do with the election. It is not an election issue. Ansar has long been in need of updated shotguns and this procurement was overdue,” he stated. The proposal will now move through detailed scrutiny and procedures under the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP). According to official sources, the estimated cost of each shotgun has been set at USD 146. The total expenditure for the procurement is estimated at Tk 35.62 crore. At a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs held on November 9, the proposal to procure 17,050 units of 12-bore shotguns for the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party through the direct purchase method received policy approval. After inviting proposals under the direct purchase method, four companies submitted bids for supplying the shotguns. Upon completion of all evaluation procedures and price negotiations, Turkey-based Bay Galatal was recommended as the lowest responsive bidder. Subsequently, a decision was taken to procure 17,050 units of 12-bore shotguns from the company.  Read more: IMF satisfied with Bangladesh’s reform progress but flags key challenges: Salehuddin

With the national election drawing near, the government of Bangladesh has appointed new deputy commissioners (DCs) in 15 districts, including Dhaka, Khulna, and Bogura, transferring seven incumbents and assigning eight new officials to the posts. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification late Saturday night (8th November 2025) announcing the reshuffle. According to the order, Bagerhat DC Ahmed Kamrul Hasan has been transferred to Noakhali, Kushtia DC Abu Hasnat Mohammad Arefin to Habiganj, Bhola DC Md Azad Zahan to Gazipur, Barguna DC Mohammad Shafiul Alam to Dhaka, and Sirajganj DC Muhammad Nazrul Islam to Gaibandha. Chief Executive Officer of Sylhet Zilla Parishad Sandeep Kumar Singh has been made DC of Barguna, while Khulna DC Md Tawfiqur Rahman has been transferred to Bogura. Ctg, Narsingdi, Naogaon get new DCs ahead of election Meanwhile, BADC Secretary Md Aminul Islam has been appointed DC of Sirajganj, Commerce Adviser’s Personal Secretary Md Abdullah Al Mahmud as DC of Magura, Home Ministry Deputy Secretary Abu Sayeed as DC of Pirojpur, and Zonal Settlement Officer Afroza Akhter as DC of Satkhira. Feni’s Local Government Deputy Director Golam Md Baten has been appointed DC of Bagerhat, while Personal Secretary to the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Affairs ASM Jamshed Khondaker, RAJUK Deputy Director Md Iqbal Hossain, and Cabinet Division Deputy Secretary Dr Shamim Rahman have been made DCs of Khulna, Kushtia, and Bhola respectively. Read more: New DCs appointed in C’nawabganj, Feni, and Madaripur

Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has protested a news article with false information, titled “Indian students flee Dhaka amid violent clashes, PM Sheikh Hasina airlifted,” published online as well as a related post on the X handle of India Today NE on July 21, 2024. "We request all the news outlets, including the India Today NE, to remain vigil and ensure objective and balanced reporting taking account of the sensitivity of the issue," reads a rejoinder sent by the Bangladesh High Commission.  Shaban Mahmood, Minister (Press) sent the rejoinder to the media outlet on behalf of the High Commission on July 22.  While the article was premised on misleading information in more detail, the X post reads: “Amidst this chaos, reports confirmed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was airlifted from her residence in Dhaka. Her current whereabouts remain unknown.” Read more: It's your internal affair but we are with you: Diplomats to govt Although both the article and the post were subsequently taken down within a few hours, the misinformation on the status of the Government of Bangladesh went viral within a short span of time, and triggered huge confusion and anxiety among people at home and abroad, the rejoinder reads. "On behalf of the High Commission of Bangladesh, I express my sheer disappointment at the aforesaid erroneous article and post. As you are well aware, our country is going through a challenging time due to the ongoing student protests," reads the rejoinder.  “This kind of misinformation and reporting based on rumour at the time of such critical moment of any country may misguide the people and even add fuel to the crisis and turn the situation into more chaotic,” said the High Commission.  Moreover, such kind of reporting, without gauging the sensitivity, does not only negatively affect the people and the society at large, but also puts the credibility of any news outlet in question.  On July 21, 2024, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh delivered a historic verdict on reforming the quota system in the public service employment.  Read more: Diplomats witnessing destruction in Dhaka were stunned: Foreign Minister The court ordered 93% of the government jobs to be allocated on a merit-based system, which has been the demand of the students.  While welcoming the order of the apex court of the country, the Government of Bangladesh has also taken a slew of measures to ensure safety and security of the people and property, said the High Commission.  With this, the situation has significantly improved, and it is expected that normalcy will return soon, it said.

The Government of Bangladesh has launched the ‘Transfer of Development Right (TDR)’ initiative, similar to those in developed countries, to safeguard agricultural lands, three-crop fields, and reservoirs outlined in the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) (2022-2035). Under the TDR system, landowners of agricultural areas will receive shares or permissions to construct buildings in other developable parts of the city. This mechanism aims to preserve agricultural land while allowing for urban development, according to an official document. TDR program balances the asset value for landowners by transferring the right to build from environmentally protected areas to development-encouraged zones, the document states. The overall number of homes remains unchanged, thus ensuring compensation for landowners in restricted areas without affecting profits elsewhere. At the recent Deputy Commissioners’ conference, directives were issued to ensure the conservation of three-crop lands during land acquisitions for development projects. “Strict legal action will follow if complaints arise,” the document warned. Read more: FM for healthier food habits, consumption of locally produced agricultural products Districts under divisions including Rajshahi, Chattogram, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh have been instructed to avoid selecting three-crop lands for housing or other development purposes. These lands are rigorously monitored by district and upazila administrations to prevent misuse. The document highlighted measures taken, such as denying permission for pond digging in three-crop lands and raising public awareness through mass campaigns. Regular mobile court operations are conducted to prevent illegal activities, with offenders being arrested and fined. The proposed Land Zoning and Protection Act of 2024 will further ensure that three-crop lands are used solely for agriculture. Meanwhile, development authorities under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works are preparing master plans to preserve these lands. A draft position paper by the Department of Urban Development underscores the ecological damage caused by unplanned industrial establishments and the loss of valuable agricultural lands. A comprehensive land use plan for Bangladesh is being developed based on this paper. With this framework, unauthorized housing and pond digging in designated three-crop lands can be stopped, the document says. Read more: UCB organises day-long skill development training for agricultural entrepreneurs in Kushtia

The government of Bangladesh is closely monitoring the ongoing movements of the university teachers and the students against a new pension scheme and quota in government jobs respectively, said Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader. Quader, also Road, Transports and Bridges Minister, made the remark while talking to reporters at the conference room of the secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday (July 7, 2024).   AL won’t spare anyone involved in corruption: Quader He said, "We are observing closely. I believe the issues will be resolved. The issue for which the students are in movement is not a decision of the government; it is a court ruling. This is under court's jurisdiction." Quader said he has been in touch with the teachers but couldn’t specify when a meeting would be held. In response to a question over the wealth statements of government employees, he said there should be no objection to submit wealth statements. “Why objection? If I work honestly, what is the issue with disclosing assets?" Read more: Pension scheme a ploy to plunder public money: BNP