United News of Bangladesh

More than 156,000 expatriate Bangladeshi voters from different countries across the world have so far registered through a mobile app, ‘Postal Vote Bd’, since November 19 last to vote in the upcoming national election and the referendum to be held in a single day in early February 2026. The Election Commission (EC) launched the ‘Postal Vote Bd’ app on November 18 last to bring expatriate voters living in 143 countries under the postal balloting system. As of 12:00 pm on Wednesday, a total of 156,712 expatriates—139,107 males and 17,605 females—had registered through the app. Among the registrants, the highest number came from Saudi Arabia (22,176), followed by the USA (18,713), Singapore (9,878), South Korea (9,421), the UK (8,973), Canada (8,915), Malaysia (8,013), Australia (7,646), Japan (6,855), the UAE (6,599), Italy (5,952), Qatar (5,478), Oman (4,838), South Africa (4,744) and Maldives (3,478). Read more: Expat registration for 7 countries likely to reopen on Friday: EC Among the registered expats, the highest 23,848 will vote in Dhaka district from abroad, while 14,820 in Cumilla, 11,701 in Chattogram, 9,929 in Sylhet, 9,718 in Noakhali,, 5,520 in Feni, 5,186 in Chandpur, 4,499 in Brahmanbaria, 4,030 in Moulvibazar and 3,966 in Lakshmipur district. In terms of constituencies, the highest 3,200 registered expats will vote in Sylhet-1, while 2,817 in Noakhali-1 constituency, 2,486 in Sylhet-6 constituency, 2,303 in Dhaka-18 constituency, 2,277 in Feni-3 constituency, 2,247 in Noakhali-3 constituency, 2,043 in Noakhali-5 constituency, 1,953 in Feni-2 constituency, 1,894 in Dhaka-10 constituency and 1,832 in Cumilla-6. The registration process for expatriates will continue till December 25 next. Besides, the app will remain open for the government officials, polling personnel, and prisoners under lawful custody for a 15-day period after the election schedule is announced. Though the postal balloting system has been in the laws for a long time, it was never practiced in the previous elections. This is the first time theElection Commission is introducing a hybrid postal balloting system, enabling expatriates, government staff, polling personnel and inmates to exercise their franchise through a combination of digital registration and manual voting. The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the next general election and referendum in the second week of December. Read more: Bangladesh election: Voter registration in KSA, 6 other countries resumes

The Election Commission plans to resume Out-of-Country voter registration on Friday (November 28) for Bangladeshi expatriates in seven countries after suspending it due to incorrect or incomplete mailing addresses provided by many applicants. The seven countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "We are working to reopen it by tomorrow (Friday) morning. So that expatriate voters can take advantage of Friday, which is a holiday, InshaAllah. We are trying to re-launch the app for these seven countries as soon as possible," said Team leader of EC's Out of Country Voting (OCV) development and implementation (SDI) project Brig Gen (retd) Saleem Ahmad Khan at a press briefing in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban on Thursday (November 27). Read more: Over 23,000 Bangladeshi expats registered to vote in 2026 election He said the EC opened its mobile app, 'Postal Vote Bd' for the expatriates living in all the countries including these seven countries on Wednesday (12:00am after Sunday midnight) to register to vote in the upcoming national election. Since the expatriate voters were inputting incorrect (mailing) addresses (to receive the postal ballots) in these countries, the commission decided to halt the process for these countries, he said. “If there are incorrect addresses, the ballots can’t be sent to the proper destinations. So, when we notice the issue, we’ve taken the decision to suspend the process temporarily for the seven countries,” said Saleem Ahmad. He said the commission talked to the Bangladeshi missions stationed in these countries to address the problem by carrying out campaigns to input the proper mailing addresses during the registration. He said once addresses are confirmed, they will start sending the postal ballot packages to different destinations through the Bangladesh Post Office at the end of next week. Speaking at the briefing, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said they still are optimistic over the registration of a good number of expatriate voters during the 13th parliamentary election and referendum on the July National Charter, which are expected to be held simultaneously in a single day in early February 2026. Read more: 'Postal Vote BD’ App launched to include expats in 2026 election "The expectations for the inclusion of expatriate Bangladeshi voters for OCV, which were high, are still high. One thing is that when the new system is rolled out, there will be minor problems. Campaigning is also going on regarding this," he said. As of 8:00 pm on Thursday, a total of 58,563 expatriates-49,777 males and 8,786 females-had registered through the app.

Suwaidi Park in Riyadh overflowed with thousands of expatriate Bangladeshis as renowned artist Asif Akbar made his presence felt among the Bangladesh community and their friends from other participating countries, including the host - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The atmosphere was electric—yet deeply emotional—as their beloved singer connected heart-to-heart with the very people who keep Bangladesh’s economy moving from miles away. Speaking with warmth and sincerity, Asif Akbar emphasised that the remittance fighters - the expatriate workers who sacrifice comfort, family time, and their personal dreams - deserve more than just appreciation. They deserve joy, he said. Bangladesh’s colourful heritage takes centre‐stage at Riyadh’s Global Harmony festival “Remittance fighters need entertainment to breathe, to stay human,” Asif said passionately. “Without moments of happiness with entertainment, people become hardened by the struggles they carry every day." Asif who sang a huge number of hit songs like ‘O Priya Tumi Kothai’ shed light on the silent battles these workers face abroad - loneliness, isolation, tireless labor, and the emotional burden of constantly giving while rarely receiving. Yet, despite the weight on their shoulders, they continue to send money home, build futures for their families, and strengthen the foundations of Bangladesh’s economy, he remembered. Asif described expatriate Bangladeshis as “the most patriotic sons and daughters of our nation.” He praised their unwavering dedication, calling them pillars of progress whose sacrifices often go unnoticed. “They work in foreign lands, far from loved ones, just to keep joy alive back home. But in doing so, they often lose their own moments of happiness,” Asif mentioned in between the conversation with the audience from the large stage. In Suwaidi Park, surrounded by the cheers and warmth of his compatriots, Asif reminded everyone that behind every remittance sent home lies a story of resilience, sacrifice and unspoken pain. And through music and togetherness, even for a brief moment, those burdens felt a little lighter, said the singer who sang for nearly two hours. With each song, expatriates Bangladeshis were seen singing together with their favourite singers. The Saudi Ministry of Media launched the second edition of the Global Harmony in cooperation with the General Entertainment Authority highlighting cultures of 14 countries, including Bangladesh. The ‘Bangladeshi Cultural’ segment began on November 11 and ended on Friday night (Riyadh time, November 14). Asif highly appreciated the Saudi government, Saudi Ministry of Media and everyone involved for hosting such a mega event. He also thanked the organisers for honoring the Bangladeshi expatriate community with an opportunity to enjoy a concert free of charge. Read more: Global Harmony: Bangladesh’s rich cultural heritage to shine in Riyadh The event, hosted by popular Bangladeshi actress Prarthana Fardin Dighi and Rabiul Haque Zaman, showcased the rich traditions, music, dance, and cuisine of Bangladesh as part of Saudi Arabia’s Global Harmony initiative. Thousands of expatriate Bangladeshis, along with some of their families, gathered to enjoy live performances and sing together, transforming the park into a sea of sounds and lights. For many, it was an emotional and pride-filled night, a moment to reconnect with their roots and share their culture with the wider Saudi community, celebrating unity, friendship, and the growing cultural ties between Bangladesh and the Kingdom. “This is absolutely amazing. We remain busy, struggling every day here to keep our families smiling back home. This event is refreshing and a chance to share joy with friends,” Rumel, a Bangladeshi expatriate who attended with his friends, told UNB. “I came here to host for the first time — a role I’ve never played before. It feels wonderful to be here, close to the Bangladeshi community. The audience is amazing. We are grateful to the Saudi authorities and the Ministry of Media,” Dighi told UNB. Sarry Shaaban, spokesperson for the Global Harmony committee, expressed his excitement at hosting one of the largest expatriate communities in Saudi Arabia as part of the initiative. “We are thrilled to have the Bangladeshi community join us. This event will help Saudi audiences learn more about Bangladesh and its culture,” he said. Other nations and regions to be featured in the event include Egypt (Nov. 15–17); the Levant (Nov. 18–20); Yemen (Nov. 21–28); Pakistan (Nov. 29–Dec. 1); Indonesia (Dec. 2–4); the Philippines (Dec. 5–8); Uganda (Dec. 9–10); Ethiopia (Dec. 11–13); and Sudan (Dec. 14–20). The Global Harmony initiative was first launched in October 2024 to celebrate the diversity of the Kingdom’s residents. Last year’s event celebrated the cultures of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Yemen, Syria, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and the Philippines. Last year’s event featured legendary Bangladeshi rock icon Nagar Baul James, DJ Sonica, and popular singers Habib Wahid, Porshi, and Beauty Khan — with James’s first-ever performance in Riyadh being a major highlight. The Global Harmony initiative continues to host a series of cultural weeks representing 14 countries over a span of 49 days. The programme is part of the Kingdom’s broader efforts to promote intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, reinforcing Riyadh’s position as a global hub for cultural and civilizational diversity. Read more: Saudi Arabia to allow 78,500 Bangladeshis for 2026 Hajj

The ‘Bangladesh Culture’ segment of the prestigious ‘Global Harmony 2’ initiative is set to begin on Tuesday afternoon (5:30 pm KSA time), showcasing the vibrant and diverse cultural heritage and lifestyle of Bangladesh. This high-profile event will highlight various aspects of the lives of Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia, offering visitors a colorful glimpse into the nation’s traditions, art, and customs. A diverse lineup of artistes, celebrities and influencers from Bangladesh, including renowned singer Asif Akbar and actress Dighi, will celebrate the country’s rich cultural identity through performances at Al-Suwaidi Park over the four-day event. Filled with lively performances, traditional music and dance and a taste of authentic Bangladeshi cuisine, the celebration promises to be a spectacular showcase of Bangladesh’s heritage. The artistes will present a series of cultural and theatrical performances reflecting the nation’s artistic excellence. Last year, the event featured iconic Bangladeshi rock legend Nagar Baul James, DJ Sonica and popular singers Habib Wahid, Porshi, and Beauty Khan — with James’s first-ever performance in Riyadh being a major highlight. Read more: Saudi Arabia to roll out digital deportation platform The Global Harmony Initiative continues to host a series of cultural weeks representing 14 countries over a span of 49 days. The programme is part of the Kingdom’s broader efforts to promote intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, strengthening Riyadh’s role as a global hub for cultural and civilisational diversity. The Saudi Ministry of Media concluded the Indian Cultural Week, another installment of the ‘Global Harmony 2’ initiative. The event attracted over 200,000 visitors and featured an array of artistic and cultural performances that reflected the deep-rooted ties between Saudi Arabia and India, while celebrating Riyadh’s growing cultural diversity. The Indian Cultural Week, an initiative under the Quality of Life Program supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, brought together more than 100 Indian artists who presented theatrical, artistic and heritage performances that highlighted India’s rich cultural identity. Interactive pavilions showcased traditional arts, crafts, cuisine, and customs from different regions of India, drawing significant attention from diplomats, cultural figures, and large crowds of citizens, residents and members of the Indian community. The week concluded with energetic artistic performances by Indian troupes, met with enthusiastic audience participation and applause, embodying the spirit of cultural exchange that the Kingdom seeks to foster. Read more: Saudi Arabia set to shorten Umrah visa validity

Bangladeshi expatriates, mainly those who had been living in Dubai, staged a sit-in protest in front of the InterContinental Hotel in the capital on Monday, demanding financial support and full rehabilitation for those affected by the July movement. The protest led to a blockade on the road, causing disruption to traffic in the area. Students, guardians stage protests defying police barricades, heavy rains in Chattogram The protesters highlighted that during the student movement, the expatriates in countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had also taken to the streets in solidarity. Many were injured or arrested in the process. Despite their significant contributions to the national economy, expatriates expressed frustration at the government's lack of concern for safeguarding their rights. Nurses stage protest demanding removal of non-nurse admin officials They called for immediate financial support and full rehabilitation for those affected. Main Uddin, the leader of the movement, said, "Since returning from Dubai, I have repeatedly attempted to meet the Chief Adviser, but have been unable to do so. He has assured us on multiple occasions that he would meet us. Many of our colleagues are still imprisoned in Dubai, and more are being arrested."

Private carrier US-Bangla Airlines will add two widebody aircraft Airbus A330 to its fleet to increase its international flights. The aircraft will be added to US-Bangla's fleet in May this year, Md Kamrul Islam, general manager (public relations) of the US-Bangla, said Monday. "Airbus A30 will be able to accommodate 436 passengers." The widebody aircraft will be used to connect Dhaka with Saudi Arabia's Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam to make things easier for Bangladeshi expatriates, Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. "Bangladesh passengers travel to different destinations of Saudi Arabia through third carriers. To help them save money and time, US-Bangla plans to operate flights to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam from next June," Kamrul said. Read more: US-Bangla Airlines wins Best Domestic Airlines award In November last year, the private carrier added one more Boeing 737-800 aircraft to its fleet. With the addition of one Boeing 737-800, the number of US-Bangla Airlines aircraft now stands at 17, Kamrul said. Apart from operating flights on all domestic routes, US-Bangla now runs flights to Kolkata, Chennai, Male, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Guangzhou, Muscat, Doha, Dubai, and Sharjah.      

The remittance inflow moved slightly upward in the first 25 days of this August as Bangladeshi expatriates sent out more than $1.72 billion through the official banking channels, according to data submitted to the Bangladesh Bank by different banks. Bangladesh received $2.92 billion inward remittances in July, thanks to Eid-ul-Azha when Bangladeshis living abroad sent more money to families to celebrate one of the biggest festivals for Muslims. The expatriates sent $1.81 billion in remittances in August of the last fiscal year. Also read: Bangladesh receives $2.09 billion remittance in July; highest in 14 months Amid declining foreign exchange reserves due to rising import bills, many private sector banks are now bringing home more remittances than the public sector ones. Different private banks are buying dollars at a higher rate than state-owned ones, which is helping them attract more remittances. From 1 to 25 August, Islami Bank received $356.23 million, Agrani Bank $110.12 million, and City Bank 109.43 million in remittances. Pubali Bank received $5.48 million, Dutch-Bangla Bank $95.38 million, and Rupali Bank $93.53 million. Also read: Bangladesh receives $1.64 billion remittance in 21 days of July:BB Bangladesh saw its inward remittance drop by 15.12 percent to $21.03 billion year-on-year in FY22 after growing by more than 36 percent to $24.78 in FY21. It is mentionable though, that the drop is made steeper by the fact that the inward remittance figure for FY21 was an all-time record.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the expatriate Bangladeshis all over the world to invest more in Bangladesh as investment opportunities for them have increased in all sectors. “We’ll find out the barriers, if any, in this regard and I assure you all of solving those problems for your convenience to invest, which will be beneficial for all,” she said in a civic reception accorded to her by the expatriate Bangladeshis living in Scotland on Monday. The Prime Minister joined the programme virtually from her place of residence here. Hasina said the present Awami league government is very much a pro-people one as it always thinks about the development of the country and the welfare of its people. She mentioned that the government has already introduced two percent incentives for the expatriate Bangladeshis for sending money back home from abroad through a proper channel. “No one demanded for that, even no one thought about that, I myself introduced this incentive,” Hasina said. She also mentioned that the government has established a bank for the expatriate Bangladeshis. Regarding allegations made by some expatriates that they are facing problems in investing in Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said she doesn't know what kind of problems the expatriates are facing while investing in Bangladesh. Hasina also said the government has already given necessary directives to the Bangladesh Development and Investment Authority (BIDA) to remove all bottlenecks for investments. “There’ll be a roadshow in London where I’ll ask BIDA to look into the matter,” she said. Briefly describing the massive development activities of the government carried out by the present Awami League government in the last 12 years, Hasina said the government is offering special facilities for the expatriates to invest in Bangladesh. But she requested them to follow the laws of the land while investing in Bangladesh as there’re rules and regulations for investment across the globe. “I hope that you’ll do that,” she said. There are investment and premium bonds in Bangladesh and the expatriates can invest availing of that advantage, the Prime Minister said, adding that the government is setting up some 100 economic zones and the expatriates can invest there, too. READ: Bangladesh cancelled 10 coal-based power plants for climate’s sake: Hasina Referring to a government survey where it showed that only 10 upazilas out of 495 have ultra-poor people in the country, Hasina said the government is finding out why they are still in this bad shape. “I’ve already given directives to make a plan for removing this situation. Inshallah, we’ll be able to change this situation within a couple of months. So, there’ll be no ultra-poor in the country,” she said.

A large number of Bangladeshi expatriates living in Houston, Austin, and surrounding cities have received various consular services from mobile consular camps.  They received services like re-issuance of Machine-Readable Passports, NVR, and Attestation. Read:Australia to provide AUD 85mn to Brac under SPA Approximately 800 people received services from these consular camps.  The Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, DC organised the mobile consular camps from 18 -23 June in Houston and Austin of Texas.   Bangladesh Ambassador to USA M Shahidul Islam visited the consular camps and interacted with the service seekers.  Read: First batch of purchased Chinese vaccines to arrive soon: Envoy The Bangladesh diaspora in Texas expressed their gratitude to the Ambassador for arranging mobile consular camps.  The Embassy, as part of its public diplomacy and welfare programmes, will continue hosting mobile consular camps in different cities to facilitate consular services to the Bangladesh community.

Around 77% of the returnee migrants in Bangladesh were struggling to find jobs between April and November last year because of Covid-19 pandemic, says a study. Among the migrant households with returnees, 61% had at least one member who lost a job or earning opportunity during the pandemic. More than three-fourth (77%) of the marriages that took place in households during surveyed period had brides who were under the age of 18, which is 26% higher than the national rate of child marriage (51%) in 2018. Child marriages were found to be more prevalent in rural areas (81%) than in urban locations (70%). Read Bahrain urged to take back Bangladeshi expats These are the outcomes of a research jointly conducted by BRAC, UN WOMEN Bangladesh and the Center on International Cooperation at New York University. The research looks into the changes in demographic, economic, and social environments in secondary towns, peri-urban (upazila), and rural areas brought on by the reverse migrations during the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings of the research titled “Demographic and socio-economic changes induced by the Covid-19 pandemic: Challenges of new circumstances” was unveiled at a virtual policy dialogue on Saturday. A panel of distinguished experts, academics, policymakers, and development professionals shared their valuable insights at the dialogue. Also read: 70pc Bangladeshi returnee migrants struggling to find jobs: IOM They also discussed the policy priority areas identified by the study findings and way forward. Dr. Shamsul Alam, Member (Senior Secretary), General Economics Division, Planning Commission, attended the dialogue as the chief guest. Representatives from the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, South Asian Network on Economic Modelling (SANEM), Dhaka University, the Center on International Cooperation at New York University, UN Women Bangladesh Office, UNDP Bangladesh, and BRAC joined as discussants. A survey was conducted with 6,370 households during 10-25 December 2020 as part of the study that applied both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Read Also: IOM supports Bangladesh's efforts at entry points to fight COVID-19 The survey considered April-November 2020 as a reference period. The study calls attention specifically to the impact of the Covid-19 on internal and international migration, including returnee migrants who were forced to return to their places of origin due to various circumstances during the pandemic. One-fourth (25%) of returnee migrant households are concerned over repaying their outstanding migration loans, which amount to an average of BDT 76,000 (around USD 900), and a maximum of BDT 700,000 (around USD 8300), the study found. Around 44% reported that they could not find any income-generating work and some of them are managing expenses by withdrawing from savings or using rent from assets. Read Govt to expats: Don't come during lockdown, except for emergencies