United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is preparing for one of the most ambitious restructurings of its healthcare system promising to move specialised medical services closer to people, recruit over 100,000 health workers, modernise medical education and strengthen pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries. The roadmap, outlined in the FY2026-27 budget, seeks to address some of the chronic weaknesses that have plagued the health sector for years: overcrowded hospitals in Dhaka, shortages of doctors and nurses in rural areas, rising out-of-pocket medical expenses and an overdependence on imported medical devices. If implemented effectively, the reforms could significantly reshape healthcare delivery across the country. A shift away from Dhaka-centric healthcare Instead of forcing patients to travel to the capital for advanced treatment, every district hospital will be integrated with surrounding upazila health complexes under a new “Secondary Healthcare Unit.” Under the proposed structure, upazila health complexes will handle most maternal, neonatal, child and reproductive healthcare services while district hospitals will provide specialised treatment and surgeries, according to budget document. The objective is allowing patients to receive quality care near their homes while easing the overwhelming burden on tertiary hospitals in Dhaka. For decades, thousands of patients have travelled long distances to the capital because district-level facilities often lack specialists, equipment and diagnostic services. The resulting congestion has strained both hospitals and patients’ finances. The government believes strengthening district hospitals could reduce unnecessary referrals, lower treatment costs and improve healthcare equity. Expanding access through private hospitals Recognising the limitations of the public health system, the government also plans to increase collaboration with the private sector. Under a Strategic Purchasing model, selected healthcare services will be purchased from accredited private hospitals for poor and low-income patients who face long waiting times in government hospitals. If properly regulated, the approach could shorten waiting lists while making better use of existing private-sector capacity. The budget also proposes converting 192 unused government properties into modern primary healthcare centres under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements. Addressing workforce shortages Bangladesh continues to face shortages of doctors, nurses and community health workers, particularly outside major cities. The government says recruitment has already begun for 5,000 MBBS doctors to fill long-vacant posts. It has also launched recruitment for another 100,000 health workers, around 80 percent of whom are expected to be women to strengthen maternal and community healthcare. Additional nursing positions have already been created, including 941 senior staff nurse posts and 947 midwife positions. The government also plans to train 60,000 frontline workers engaged in health, nutrition and family planning services. Modernising medical education Medical education is also set for a major overhaul. The existing MBBS curriculum will be redesigned using competency-based learning, integrated modular teaching, expanded clinical training and artificial intelligence-assisted medical technologies. An expert committee under the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council has begun preparing the new curriculum, which is scheduled for implementation by 2030. The reforms extend beyond doctors. The government plans to strengthen nursing education through a specialised Nurse Teacher Training Centre, expand master’s programmes in government nursing colleges and introduce additional Bachelor of Science in Nursing courses. Medical and dental students will also receive access to student loans, while talented students pursuing higher education abroad will be eligible for special bank loan facilities. To expose future physicians to rural healthcare realities, five Residential Field Site Training centres will be established using underutilised government facilities. Strengthening preventive healthcare A new national nutrition programme will target child stunting and malnutrition through coordination among the health, agriculture, education, sanitation, food security and social protection sectors. Priority areas include maternal nutrition, adolescent health, breastfeeding promotion, complementary feeding and nutrition awareness. Meanwhile, the government says it has rebuilt momentum in immunisation following the recent measles outbreak, claiming that nearly all eligible children were vaccinated against measles and rubella within its first 100 days in office. Affordable medicines and local production Another major pillar of the reform agenda focuses on reducing healthcare costs through improved access to medicines. Authorities are updating the National Essential Medicines List and preparing a modern drug policy to ensure safe, effective and affordable medicines. The pharmaceutical sector will continue receiving government support, including development of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Industrial Park and expansion of medicine and vaccine supply chains. Beyond pharmaceuticals, the government wants Bangladesh to emerge as a manufacturing base for medical equipment. The budget document identifies products such as syringes, ventilators, pulse oximeters, ECG machines, X-ray equipment, hospital beds and diagnostic kits as items with strong domestic production potential. To encourage investment, authorities plan export incentives, internationally accredited testing laboratories, online licensing systems, a specialised medical technology park and easier access to low-interest financing. Biomedical engineering education and research will also receive increased emphasis as the country seeks to build an export-oriented medical technology industry.

The government has taken a policy decision to establish four police stations, six investigation centers and two police lines in Purbachal New Town Project area, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Hossain Fakir said on Wednesday. The IGP made the remarks while inaugurating the newly constructed Borkau Police Camp at RAJUK Central Mechanical Stack Yard of Purbachal New Town Project. He said the decision was taken to strengthen law and order in the Purbachal New Town Project area under the Capital Development Authority (RAJUK). Activities are also underway to establish three deputy commissioner (DC) offices, while the process of setting up 41 police boxes in different sectors of the project is in progress, he added. The inauguration of Borkau Police Camp marks the formal beginning of police operations in Purbachal New Town Project area. He said the camp would play an important role in developing Purbachal as a planned, safe and modern township. Highlighting future plans, Ali Hossain said the Home Ministry has granted administrative approval for establishing police stations and investigation centers in the Purbachal residential project area, considering the importance of security and law enforcement there. He said RAJUK subsequently decided to allocate 29.21 acres of land to Bangladesh Police in phases. Of the total, registration of deeds for 18.63 acres has already been completed, while the remaining land is currently under the registration process. The IGP said there are plans to bring the Purbachal New Town Project under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and create a separate division similar to other DMP divisions. Law-and-order activities in the area would then be supervised by an Additional Police Commissioner. He also said a proposal for creating approximately 6,524 police personnel positions for Purbachal New Town Project has been kept under consideration. He further said the establishment of the police camp would accelerate development activities in the project area and help build public confidence through a stronger police presence. He expressed hope that the Pushi Police Camp would be inaugurated within the next two months and said additional police stations and investigation centers would be established gradually. Chaired by DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, the programne was attended among others by senior police officials, local dignitaries and journalists from print and electronic media.

The government has made A-Challan mandatory for depositing all public revenues and other government receipts from July 1, 2026, i.e. the start of the new fiscal, aiming to bring every government receipt into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in real time, eliminate manual challans and strengthen public cash management. According to an official announcement issued on Tuesday, from the beginning of FY2026-27, no ministry, division, department or subordinate office will be allowed to collect or deposit government revenue through any system other than A-Challan. Any separate arrangement currently being used for collecting public receipts must be discontinued, while funds lying in commercial bank accounts must be transferred to the government's Treasury Single Account through A-Challan by June 30. The move comes as the digital payment platform has recorded significant growth in both collections and transaction volumes, emerging as one of the government's key digital public financial management tools. According to the fiscal year-wise A-Challan report, the system collected Tk 4,07,225.94 crore in FY2025-26, compared with Tk 2,65,708 crore in FY2024-25, marking an increase of nearly 50 percent in a single fiscal year. The number of challans processed also rose sharply. A-Challan handled 6.75 crore challans in FY2025-26, up 71.7 percent from 3.93 crore in the previous fiscal year. Since its launch in FY2019-20 with only 17 challans, the platform has expanded rapidly, processing more than 19.03 crore challans and mobilising over Tk 10.63 lakh crore in government receipts over the past seven fiscal years. The latest performance reflects a significant expansion in the use of digital payment channels across government revenue collection and service payments. Online challans increased by 92 percent to 5.36 crore during FY2025-26, while online collections rose 54.5 percent to Tk 11,298.12 crore. Over-the-counter (OTC) collections also increased, reaching Tk 3,86,397.55 crore during the fiscal year. Officials said full implementation of A-Challan will enable the government to monitor its actual cash position more accurately, reduce idle public funds held in scattered commercial bank accounts and improve overall treasury cash management. Under the previous manual system, citizens were often required to deposit challans at designated branches of selected banks, mainly Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank, resulting in additional travel, long waiting times and higher costs. Manual challans also delayed the transfer of funds to the government treasury, created opportunities for fake challans and complicated the reconciliation of daily and monthly revenue figures between banks and government offices. To address these challenges, A-Challan was introduced as a web-based platform that allows government revenues and service fees to be deposited through all branches of Bangladesh Bank and commercial banks, as well as through internet banking, mobile financial services including bKash, Nagad, Rocket, Upay and Tap, and debit or credit cards. For citizens, the system removes the need to visit specific bank branches to deposit government fees. Payments can now be made through nearby bank branches or digital channels, with challan receipts generated instantly and available for use on the same day. For the government, funds deposited through A-Challan are transferred immediately to the Treasury Single Account maintained with Bangladesh Bank, enabling real-time monitoring of receipts, improving transparency and reducing dependence on unnecessary borrowing. The system also supports automatic reconciliation. After a challan is deposited, payment information is automatically matched among Bangladesh Bank, the relevant accounting office and the concerned government institution. Credit scrolls sent by Bangladesh Bank are automatically uploaded to the Integrated Budget and Accounting System (iBAS++), allowing accounts to be updated without the delays and errors associated with manual reconciliation. Officials said the A-Challan dashboard provides ministries, departments and accounting offices with real-time information on receipts, transaction status and deposit trends. It enables users to monitor the amount collected, the relevant economic code, payment channel and public service, while also helping identify delays, unusual transaction patterns and mismatches quickly. Another key feature is the challan verification system, which allows instant verification of payment authenticity, reducing the risk of fake challans and revenue leakage. The Finance Division introduced the automated A-Challan system in FY2019-20 as part of broader public financial management reforms aimed at ensuring real-time deposit of public money, preventing fake challans, strengthening revenue discipline and providing the government with a clearer picture of its daily cash balance. With all government receipts set to flow through a single digital platform from July 1, A-Challan is expected to become a central instrument for faster revenue mobilisation, stronger treasury control and improved public service delivery, officials said.

Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Monday said the government has taken initiatives to revive a number of state-owned textile and jute mills through public-private partnerships (PPP), leasing arrangements and industrial development projects as part of its election manifesto commitments. Responding to a tabled starred question from BNP lawmaker Mst Farida Yeasmin (Reserved Women's Seat-6) in Parliament, the minister said 15 of the 25 state-owned textile mills under the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) have been selected for operation under the PPP model. He said agreements have already been signed with selected private partners for four textile mills, and the handover process has been completed. Production has resumed at two of those mills, while work is underway to operationalise the remaining ones. In addition, two textile mills have been leased out to private operators, with agreements signed and the transfer process completed, he said. The minister said 10 of the 22 industrial plots developed for a Textile Village at Chittaranjan Cotton Mills in Narayanganj have already been allocated. One investor has established a modern knitting and garments factory on an allocated plot and has commenced production. He also said initiatives have been taken to reopen Darowani Textile Mills Ltd in Nilphamari and Magura Textile Mills Ltd in Magura under the PPP model. Referring to the jute sector, Muktadir said production at 25 state-owned jute mills under the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) was suspended in 2020 following a government decision. The current government has since taken steps to reopen the closed mills in line with its election manifesto. So far, 14 jute mills have been leased to private operators, of which nine have resumed production, he said. The leasing process for another five mills is in its final stage, and the government expects them to become operational under private management by December 2026, he added. The remaining six mills are also undergoing the leasing process. Of the five mills excluded from leasing, the minister said Latif Bawany Jute Mills Ltd and Karim Jute Mills Ltd, both located within the Dhaka South City Corporation area, are being processed for declaration as industrial zones through the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA).

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Sunday said the government is committed to ensuring the prompt payment of retirement and welfare benefits to retired teachers and employees of private educational institutions, aiming to clear the existing backlog within six months once the required funds are allocated. Responding to a question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Abdul Wares (Gaibandha-5) in Parliament, the minister said around 67,000 applications for retirement benefits are currently pending with the Non-Government Teacher Employee Retirement Benefits Board. He said each retired teacher or employee receives an average retirement benefit of about Tk 13 lakh. According to Milon, settling all pending applications requires approximately Tk 8,710 crore, while the retirement fund currently holds only around Tk 1,300 crore, leaving a shortfall of nearly Tk 7,410 crore. He also informed the House that about 45,000 applications have remained pending with the Non-Government Teachers and Employee Welfare Trust since August 2023 to June 21, 2026. The minister said clearing those applications will require a one-off allocation of around Tk 3,150 crore. He said the government has already initiated measures to address the financial crisis facing both the retirement benefits board and the welfare trust by arranging the necessary budgetary allocation. Milon said several administrative reforms have also been undertaken to speed up the settlement process, including reactivating the software system, increasing manpower, expanding online services and introducing direct payments to teachers' and employees' bank accounts through the iBAS++ financial management system. "If the necessary funds are allocated, it will be possible to dispose of all currently pending retirement benefit applications within six months," he told Parliament. The minister added that the government's long-term objective is to ensure that retired teachers and employees of private schools, colleges and madrasahs receive their retirement and welfare benefits within three to six months after retirement. In his question, Abdul Wares highlighted the prolonged suffering of retired teachers of private schools, colleges and madrasahs who have been waiting for years to receive their retirement benefits, and asked whether the government will ensure payments within three to six months of retirement.

The government currently has a stock of 20.72 lakh metric tonnes of food grains in the government godowns in the country, said State Minister for Food Abdul Bari in Parliament. “As of 21st  June, 2026, there is a stock of 20,72,754 metric tons of food grains (rice-wheat) in the country’s food godowns,” he said on Tuesday, while replying to a starred question from treasury bench member Lutfur Rahman (Cox’s Bazar-3) in the House. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad tabled the question-and-answer session in the outset of the day’s business started around 3pm. The state minister said the government has undertaken extensive procurement steps to further strengthen the country's food reserves. To increase food stocks, the government has launched an internal procurement drive during the 2026 Boro season, targeting the purchase of 5 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, 12 lakh million metric tonnes of boiled rice, 1 lakh metric tonnes of Atap rice (non-boiled rice) and 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat. As of June 21 last, the government had procured 201,295 metric tonnes of paddy and 602,487 metric tonnes of boiled rice. Abdul Bari said 36,879 metric tonnes of Atap rice have been collected, while 500 metric tonnes of wheat  have been procured. The state minister expressed optimism that the procurement targets for paddy and rice would be achieved within the stipulated procurement period ending on August 31, 2026.  

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md. Aminul Haque on Tuesday told Parliament that the government has undertaken a range of awareness and skills development initiatives to protect young people from mobile phone addiction, drug abuse and other social challenges. Replying to a question from ruling party MP Sk. Md. Rejaul Islam elected from Naogaon-6, the state minister said the Department of Youth Development regularly organises public awareness workshops in every district to educate young people about the harmful effects of excessive mobile phone use, drug addiction and other social issues. He said awareness campaigns are also conducted through youth organisations registered with the department to promote responsible behaviour among young men and women. To keep youths engaged in productive activities and away from addiction, the Department of Youth Development provides one-to six-month vocational training courses through its district offices across the country. The courses include garment manufacturing, block and batik, fish farming, modern office management and computer applications, electrical and house wiring, electronics, refrigeration and air conditioning, and mobile phone servicing. Besides, residential youth training centres offer courses on livestock rearing, poultry farming, fish cultivation, primary veterinary care and agriculture. Freelancing training programmes are also being implemented in all districts, he said. The state minister said unemployed youths and young women at the upazila level are receiving regular training in various non-formal trades through local youth development offices based on local market demand to enhance their employability and self-employment opportunities. He further said the government has planned several new programmes to be developed within 180 days to create employment opportunities while discouraging mobile addiction and drug abuse among young people. The planned initiatives include freelancing training for unemployed youths in all metropolitan cities, mobile phone servicing and language training programmes to facilitate employment at home and abroad, and caregiver and foreign language training to support overseas job placement. He also said the National Youth Development Institute is currently offering training courses in ICT, freelancing, agriculture, tourism, ready-made garments, food and beverage services, and foreign languages for unemployed youths aged between 18 and 35 from all districts. The institute is also planning to introduce Japanese and Korean language courses as well as postgraduate diploma programmes in ICT and Fashion Designing.

Post and Telecommunication and ICT Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam on Sunday told Parliament that the government has continued expanding financial and institutional support for young scientists, researchers and innovation-driven activities across the country. Responding to a question of Selina Sultana (Women Seat-35), the minister said during the 2025-26 fiscal year, a total of 4,282 researchers received grants amounting to Tk 25.45 crore under the National Science and Technology (NST) Fellowship programme. The Ministry of Science and Technology has been providing NST fellowships to students and researchers pursuing MS, MPhil, PhD and postdoctoral studies in science and technology-related disciplines at universities, he said. The minister said the ministry is also encouraging science-based higher education and research through grants for Research and Development (R&D) projects aimed at developing new technologies and improving the quality of scientific research. In the current fiscal year, 358 scientists and researchers received Tk 3.97 crore in grants under the R&D programme, he added. The ministry has also provided Tk 30 lakh in grants to 30 science-based organisations and institutions during FY2025-26 to support scientific activities, development programmes, journal publications and the organisation of seminars, symposiums, workshops and exhibitions. Special research grants are being provided to teachers, researchers and young scientists from public and private universities, as well as researchers from various public and private organisations, to promote scientific research and technological innovation, he said. He said the government has undertaken a range of initiatives to encourage research and innovation among young scientists and facilitate the development and commercialisation of their projects. These include financial and technical support for innovative research through universities, research institutions and science-based organisations, as well as the organisation of science fairs, innovation exhibitions, seminars, workshops and training programmes. The minister said the National Institute of Biotechnology, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is providing training, research facilities and access to laboratories for students, researchers and young scientists. He added that the institute regularly offers research training, internships, thesis support and access to modern biotechnology laboratories for undergraduate and postgraduate students, contributing significantly to the development of skilled researchers in the country. Highlighting support for research institutions, the minister said the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research approved 143 projects with allocations of Tk 6.62 crore in FY2024-25, while 94 projects received allocations amounting to Tk 6.19 crore in FY2025-26. He also informed the House that the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission awarded 15 special research grant projects to its scientists during FY2025-26 with a total budget allocation of Tk 80.75 lakh. Once implemented, these projects are expected to make significant contributions to agriculture, food production, healthcare, nuclear medicine, public health, and science and technology sectors, he said.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj on Sunday said the government has introduced a new decentralised system for teacher transfers to make the process transparent, accountable and free from corruption. The teacher transfer process had long been known as a major area of syndicate control and corruption, which stood as a significant obstacle to improving the quality of education, he said while addressing the Validation Workshop on the Bangladesh Education Sector Analysis (ESA) 2026, organised by GPE and UNICEF at a hotel in the capital. Bobby Hajjaj said that under the directive of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and the initiative of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the teacher transfer process has been decentralised and brought to the local level. Under the new policy, separate committees are being formed at the upazila, district, divisional and city corporation levels to review transfer applications at regular intervals, he said. At the upazila level, a four-member committee headed by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) will scrutinise applications, while the Upazila Primary Education Officer will issue transfer orders based on the committee’s recommendations, he added. Besides, similar five- or six-member committees will operate at the district, divisional and city corporation levels to examine transfer applications and issue transfer orders, he said. Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon attended the programme as the chief guest. Officials from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, relevant departments and UNICEF were also present at the event.

The government has placed the restoration of macroeconomic stability at the centre of its economic recovery, restoration and reconstruction agenda, pledging a series of fiscal, monetary and institutional reforms aimed at curbing inflation, strengthening public finances and reducing debt dependence. As per the budget document, the government acknowledged that persistently high inflation over the past several years has significantly eroded household purchasing power and weakened the country’s overall economic foundations. Inflationary pressures have been driven not only by global factors but also by domestic challenges, including supply chain inefficiencies, market distortions, inadequate competition and various structural bottlenecks, it said. To shield citizens from the impact of rising prices, the government said, it will focus on strengthening foreign exchange reserves, enhancing external sector resilience and ensuring greater stability in the foreign exchange market. The document noted that Bangladesh’s import-dependent economy remains vulnerable to exchange rate fluctuations, with the depreciation of the Taka against major foreign currencies contributing significantly to domestic inflation. The government also pledged to maintain close coordination between monetary and fiscal policies while ensuring adequate credit flows to productive sectors. Efforts will be made to improve external balances through export growth, facilitation of remittance inflows and prudent management of non-essential imports. Finance Ministry officials believe these measures, combined with improved expenditure efficiency and sound fiscal management, will help keep the budget deficit within sustainable limits, restore market confidence and create a more favourable environment for investment and production. A major component of the government’s fiscal strategy is strengthening domestic resource mobilisation. As part of an institutional reform initiative, the government has begun separating revenue policy formulation from revenue administration. Under the new framework, tax policy will be developed through a dedicated system supported by professional expertise, evidence-based analysis and broad stakeholder consultations. The government has also adopted a medium-term revenue strategy focused on broadening the tax base, improving compliance and enhancing transparency and efficiency in revenue administration. Planned reforms include expanding the taxpayer base, digitising tax registration and return filing, strengthening monitoring systems, modernising VAT administration, improving withholding tax compliance and introducing risk-based audit mechanisms. At the same time, taxpayer services will be expanded and procedures simplified to encourage voluntary compliance. The budget also announced a comprehensive review of tax expenditures and exemptions to improve transparency, efficiency and accountability. Future tax incentives will be subject to stronger oversight and clearer justification. According to the budget document, Bangladesh’s revenue-to-GDP ratio currently stands at around 8 percent, while the tax-to-GDP ratio is approximately 6.8 percent. The government aims to raise these ratios to 11 percent and 9.6 percent, respectively, by fiscal year 2030-31 through a combination of policy and administrative reforms. The budget document also highlighted growing concerns over public debt sustainability, attributing current pressures to large-scale borrowing undertaken for what it described as corruption-ridden and poorly planned “vanity projects” implemented during the previous regime. The government said the resulting debt burden has placed considerable strain on the country’s fiscal position. To address these challenges, the administration has set a target of improving Bangladesh’s debt risk rating from the current “moderate” category to a “low” risk category. It plans to achieve this by enforcing stricter fiscal discipline, increasing revenue collection, maintaining sustainable budget deficits and modernising debt management practices. The government further signalled a strategic shift away from what it termed a debt-driven growth model, emphasising the need to build a self-sustaining economy driven by production, employment generation and private sector investment. “Policies will be pursued to systematically reduce debt dependence and promote investment-led growth as the foundation of sustainable economic progress,” the budget document stated.