United News of Bangladesh

Auto-rickshaw drivers blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway in Savar for about one and a half hours on Saturday, demanding the withdrawal of fines and removal of restriction on their movement. Members of the Auto-rickshaw Drivers Association started the protest around 11 am by placing their vehicles on the road in  Pakiza area, bringing traffic on the Dhaka-bound lane to a standstill and causing long tailbacks. The association alleged that money was being illegally collected from moving auto-rickshaws and protested against recent fines imposed for violating traffic rules. Locals said slow-moving auto-rickshaws have long been operating on Dhaka-Aricha highway despite restrictions, which has led to a rise in accidents. Following complaints from locals, Savar Highway Police began enforcing rules and fined drivers Tk 26 each for violations. Angered by the action, the drivers staged the road blockade to press their demands. Police from Savar Model Police Station reached the spot around 12:30 pm and called the drivers for talks. Savar ‘serial killer’ confesses to six murders: Police The protesters then withdrew, restoring traffic movement. Arman Ali, Officer-in-Charge of Savar Model Police Station, said the situation was brought under control and traffic on the highway is now normal.

Hackers briefly disrupted Iranian state television satellite broadcasts to air footage backing the country’s exiled crown prince and urging security forces not to turn their weapons on the people, according to online videos seen early Monday. The broadcast interference came as activists said the death toll from a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests had climbed to at least 4,029, with fears the figure could rise further as information continues to emerge from a country still facing internet shutdowns. Footage aired late Sunday on several satellite channels run by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting showed clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi along with images of people in what appeared to be police uniforms. A message urged the army and security forces not to target civilians and to stand with the nation. Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, quoted state television as saying the signal in some areas had been “momentarily disrupted by an unknown source,” without elaborating on the content that was aired. Pahlavi’s office acknowledged the disruption showing the crown prince but did not comment further. The latest hacking incident follows a series of similar disruptions in recent years, including one in 2022 that aired footage of exiled opposition leaders and messages critical of Iran’s top leadership. Meanwhile, tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high over the crackdown. President Donald Trump has warned Iran against killing peaceful protesters or carrying out mass executions following the demonstrations. Ship-tracking data reviewed by the AP showed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several US warships passing through the Strait of Malacca after leaving Singapore, putting them on a route that could take them to the Middle East. US media, citing unnamed officials, reported the carrier was heading toward the region. Diplomatic pressure on Tehran also mounted as the World Economic Forum withdrew an invitation for Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to speak at its annual meeting in Davos, citing the loss of civilian lives in Iran. The Munich Security Conference also cancelled invitations for Iranian officials. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 4,029 people have been killed since protests erupted on Dec 28 over Iran’s struggling economy. The group said most of the dead were demonstrators, along with members of the security forces, children and bystanders. It also reported more than 26,000 arrests. Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said the unrest had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States for the violence.

A mosque and a police station were set on fire in Iran as nationwide protests over economic hardship turned increasingly violent, with state media reporting that more than 100 members of the police and security forces have been killed since the unrest began. Iran’s state television said on Sunday that 30 police and security personnel were killed in Isfahan province and six others in Kermanshah in the latest clashes. The semi official Tasnim news agency reported that a total of 109 security officers have died across the country during the protests. State media also said a mosque was set on fire in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Saturday night, while a police station was torched during clashes in Tehran, according to videos circulating on social media. Burning vehicles and debris were seen blocking roads in several cities as protesters confronted security forces. The Iranian Red Crescent Society said one of its staff members was killed during an attack on a relief building in Gorgan city in northern Iran. The protests, which began in late December after a sharp fall in the value of Iran’s currency, have spread to many cities as people took to the streets over rising prices, inflation and worsening living conditions under Western sanctions. What started as economic protests has increasingly taken on an antigovernment tone. Interior Ministry officials said the riots are now gradually subsiding, while the attorney general warned that those involved in violence could face severe punishment. Speaking in parliament on Sunday, Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned the United States against any military action after US President Donald Trump threatened strikes if Iranian authorities kill protesters. He said any attack on Iran would make Israel and all US bases and ships in the region legitimate targets. Trump said on Saturday that the United States is ready to help Iranian protesters and again warned of possible military action. President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a televised interview, pledged to overhaul Iran’s struggling economy and said his government is ready to listen to the people’s demands. At the same time, he accused the United States and Israel of trying to create chaos in Iran and called on citizens to stay away from violence. Human rights groups have urged restraint, saying dozens of protesters have been killed and many more arrested during the crackdown.   With inputs from agencies

Workers of a garment factory staged a demonstration in front of PN Composite Ltd at Ambagh in Konabari, Gazipur on Tuesday (December 09, 2025), protesting the sudden closure of the factory. “The authorities hung a closure notice on the main gate on Monday evening. When workers arrived for duty on Tuesday morning and saw the notice, they immediately began protesting,” said Khandaker Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Konabari Police Station. According to workers, the unrest began after an employee left the factory on December 7 for urgent personal reasons. Upon his return, he engaged in a verbal altercation with several factory officials. Read more: 6 RMG factories in Ashulia declare holiday amid workers unrest On Monday, a group of workers demonstrated demanding the removal of some officials involved in the dispute. Despite repeated efforts by the factory management to calm the situation, tensions persisted throughout the day. After workers dispersed in the evening, the management decided to close the factory and placed the notice on the main gate. Industrial police and local law enforcement rushed to the spot upon receiving information and brought the situation under control. Workers eventually left the area around 9 am following assurances that production would resume next week. When contacted, factory manager Tapas said a misunderstanding had arisen between a worker and officials, prompting workers to stop work. Read more: Bangladesh consolidates global leadership with 268 LEED-certified RMG factories Despite several attempts to resolve the issue, production remained disrupted on Monday, leading the authorities to temporarily shut down the factory.

Mobile phone traders and employees blocked the road in front of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission office in Agargaon on Sunday (December 07, 2025) in protest against the government move to disable unapproved handsets. Police said the demonstration began around 10:30am when the protesters took position on the road in front of the BTRC building, halting traffic on one side of the Shyamoli–Agargaon route. Read more: BTRC to deactivate extra SIMs beyond limit from Saturday Long tailbacks were created at the Shishumela intersection, Shyamoli’s Mirpur Road and parts of Agargaon and Sher-e-Bangla Nagar due to the blockade. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monirul Islam said vehicle movement from Shishumela towards Agargaon remained suspended as the traders occupied the road. Traffic on the opposite lane was moving normally, he said. One side of the road remained blocked till filing of this report at 2:20 pm. Read more: No phone purchased before Dec 16 would be blocked using NEIR: BTRC Commissioner

Local residents blocked several points of Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar highway on Sunday morning (November 30) to press their demand for expanding the highway to six lanes. They put barricades on the highway around 9:30 am, halting traffic for about one and a half hours. People from Kerani Hat in Satkania, and parts of Chandanaish, Lohagara and Chakaria took part in the protest. Read more: Garment factory closure notice sparks protests in Gazipur Police and local administration officials spoke with the protesters and assured them that their demand would be sent to the higher authorities. After the assurance, the protesters withdrew the blockade around 11 am.

Officers ‘deprived of promotion’ at state-owned Sonali, Agrani, Janata and Rupali banks formed a human chain in front of the Bangladesh Bank on Sunday (November 30), demanding an end to what they described as longstanding discrimination in career advancement. The aggrieved officials alleged that widespread supernumerary promotions were granted after the recent political changeover without adherence to rules, leaving many qualified officers sidelined. Speakers at the demonstration accused the Financial Institutions Division (FID) of unwarranted interference in the promotion process. They called for merit-based promotions under regular vacancies and updated organograms, alongside proper evaluation of those who were denied advancement during the previous Awami League government for political reasons. Read more: Ex-Padma Bank chairman Nafis Sarafat, 3 others sued for embezzling over Tk 1600cr   According to the protesters, the current interim government has already addressed discrimination in the civil service by granting officials — both active and retired — promotions of one to three steps since 2024. The officials alleged that despite thousands of supernumerary promotions in state-owned banks last year, the long-standing grievances of genuinely deprived staff have yet to be addressed. They further claimed that instead of addressing the issue in 2025, the FID introduced a new ‘post assimilation’ directive that has deprived many officers once again, resulting in no progress in the promotion process this year. The officials claimed a vested group within the ministry was pushing discriminatory policies to create instability in the banking sector and portray the previous government as the better alternative. Read more: Bangladesh Bank orders pay cuts for Sammilito Islami Bank’s employees To restore discipline in the sector, the protesters placed a three-point demand, including an end to what they termed illegal interference by the FID in areas such as promotions, incentives, loan approval, organogram updates and post assimilation—matters they said legally fall under the authority of bank boards as per the Vendor’s Agreement and relevant Articles of Association. They also sought cancellation of all related directives issued by the ministry. They urged the authorities to issue circulars inviting applications from officers who faced discrimination between 2009 and 4 August 2024, and to ensure at least one promotion for them by December this year. The protesters also called for a transparent and modern promotion policy modelled on the Bangladesh Bank system. Read more: Merged bank to be launched this week: BB Governor Mansur

Leaders of primary school teachers have called off their work abstention following assurances from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education that their demands will be communicated to the Finance Ministry and resolved as soon as possible. The decision was announced by the ministry on Sunday (Nov 9). Read more: Primary school teachers protest at Shaheed Minar, demand implementation of 10th grade salary scale A meeting was held between senior officials of the ministry and leaders of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council and the Primary Assistant Teachers’ Unity Council, where the teachers’ demands were discussed in detail. Abu Taher Md Masud Rana, Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education chaired the meeting. The key demands of the teachers include: upgrading the pay scale of assistant teachers from grade 13 to grade 10, resolving complications regarding higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100% departmental promotion from assistant teacher to head teacher. Read more: Primary teachers continue protests for pay upgrade, advisers’ resignation

Agitating government primary school teachers continued their protests for the second consecutive day on Sunday (9th November 2025) at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital, reiterating their three-point demand. Teachers under the banner of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council also called for the resignation of the Advisers to the Ministries of Home Affairs, and Primary and Mass Education, in protest against Saturday’s police action on their demonstration, said Abul Kashem, president of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association. A daylong work abstention is being observed at primary schools across the country in protest against the attack by law enforcers, Kashem said. “Yesterday (Saturday) we went to Shahbagh for a peaceful march titled ‘Kolom Shomarpon’ (pen submission),” he said. 3-point demand: Primary school teachers stage sit-in at Shaheed Minar “Police attacked us there, arresting five of our colleagues and injuring more than a hundred. Moreover, the Adviser to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry termed our demands irrational. We therefore demand the resignation of both advisers,” Kashem added. He warned that the teachers would continue their sit-in and work abstention programmes simultaneously until their demands are met. Their demands are upgrading assistant teachers to the 10th grade pay scale, removing complexities in obtaining higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 percent departmental promotion. Read more: Police-teacher clash at Shahbagh leaves 120 injured

At least 120 primary school teachers were injured on Saturday afternoon (8th November 2025) when police swung into action to disperse their protest march at Shahbagh. Witnesses said the clash broke out around 4 pm when police intercepted the teachers’ ‘Pen Surrender March’ that began from the Central Shaheed Minar towards Shahbagh, demanding implementation of their three-point charter of demand, including a 10th-grade pay scale. “Police attacked us without any provocation. In protest, teachers across the country will observe a complete work abstention from tomorrow (Sunday, 9th November 2025),” said Rakib Hossain, an assistant teacher at Mugakathi Government Primary School in Uzirpur, Barishal. Witnesses said police resorted to baton charge and fired water cannons and sound grenades after teachers broke through police barricades near Shahbagh Police Station. DMP defends police action to disperse teachers’ gathering at Shahbagh The marchers were eventually dispersed, leaving the area tense. More than 120 injured teachers were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for treatment, said inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the hospital police camp. “Many have received treatment at the emergency unit, while some have already left after first aid,” he added.