United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending Eid-ul-Azha greetings to him and the people of Bangladesh. In a message posted on the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Facebook page in response to Modi’s greetings, Tarique Rahman said, “I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his very kind greetings to me and the people of Bangladesh on the joyous occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.” “May the relations between the peoples of Bangladesh and India continue to be strengthened on the foundations of mutual respect, friendship and goodwill,” he added. Earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended warm Eid greetings to Tarique Rahman and the people of Bangladesh, saying the shared vision of the two countries, reflected in their national development goals, is aimed at the mutual benefit of their peoples. “The Government of India looks forward to working closely with the Government of Bangladesh to strengthen people-centric cooperation in various domains,” Modi said in a letter sent to Tarique Rahman on the occasion.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday said it will be possible to gradually build the “desired Bangladesh” if people at every level carry out their responsibilities properly. “We all have specific duties and if each of us perform our responsibilities properly from our respective positions, then, InshaAllah, we will be able to gradually build the country we aspire to see,” he said. Tarique, also the Chairman of the ruling BNP, made the remarks while addressing a feast hosted for Army officers and soldiers at Dhaka Cantonment on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. The event was organised by the Bangladesh Army’s “Mrittunjoyee Potchis” East Bengal Regiment at the Zia Colony in the Dhaka Cantonment. He said the government is trying to build the country in line with the hopes and expectations of both soldiers and ordinary people. “We are trying to gradually shape the country the way soldiers and common people want and expect to see it,” the Prime Minister said. “I could not stay in Bangladesh for many years. I am not going into why I could not stay away from the country, though many of you know what happened during that period. We want to take the country to a better place,” he said. Tarique Rahman urged everyone to pray to Allah on Eid day so that all could fulfil their responsibilities properly. “We pray that through performing our duties, we can keep our families and the people of the country safe and gradually build the Bangladesh we expect,” he said. Highlighting the sacrifices of Army personnel, the Prime Minister thanked officers and soldiers who could not go on leave during Eid because of their duties. “People naturally want to stay with their families during Eid. I sincerely thank you for the sacrifice you have made. The country and the nation will always remember your sacrifices with gratitude,” he said. You too want your family members to remain safe when they go outside, just like any ordinary citizen. We are trying to ensure that safety for everyone.” Tarique Rahman said the government is aware of the issues related to the welfare and responsibilities of Army personnel. Referring to a video presentation made at the programme, he said it depicted both the achievements of the soldiers and their courageous role during a tragic incident in which the offices of two newspapers – The Daily Star and Prothom Alo – were set on fire in December last year. “We saw how nearly 18 journalists were rescued from the burning buildings by Army personnel. This is undoubtedly worthy of praise,” the Prime Minister said. He said soldiers sacrifice their lives when needed for the country and its people, and it is the responsibility of all to properly honour and value those sacrifices. “The first condition of honouring such sacrifices is that we all want to see our country prosper and move forward,” Tarique Rahman said. He said people from all walks of life dream of a beautiful country where children can receive proper education and family members, including parents, spouses, children and relatives, can access healthcare services. Earlier, the Prime Minister arrived at the venue accompanied by his Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam. He exchanged Eid greetings with officers, soldiers and their children standing in rows at the venue. Tarique Rahman also planted a neem sapling in front of the “Mrittunjoyee Potchis” building and signed the visitors’ book. At the beginning of his speech, the Prime Minister recalled many memories of his childhood spent in Dhaka Cantonment. He said while entering the cantonment through Staff Road, he suddenly felt as if he had gone back around 45 to 46 years in time. Tarique Rahman recalled visiting Combined Military Hospital during the mid-1970s and spoke about old buildings, cement benches and the then staff surgeon Major Anwar. He also remembered cycling around the cantonment with friends in the afternoons during his childhood. “This whole area is very old. At that time, it was almost like a jungle with foxes and monkeys around. There was hardly anything here. Now you see a beautiful place,” the Prime Minister said. He said the cantonment remains deeply connected with his life and memories of happiness, pain, struggle and joy. Calling the cantonment a place where he grew up from childhood, Tarique Rahman said visiting the area always creates “a different feeling.” After offering Zohr prayers at the mosque inside the Army Mess, he exchanged Eid greetings with the Army officers and soldiers present there. The Prime Minister also enquired after the living conditions and well-being of soldiers staying at the mess.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday visited the graves of army officers killed in the 2009 BDR mutiny at Banani Military Graveyard. The Prime Minister and his wife Zubaida Rahman arrived at the graveyard around 9:15am. They first visited the grave of Zubaida Rahman’s father, former Navy chief Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan and offered fateha and a munajat seeking eternal peace for his soul. Later, they went to the graves of the army officers killed in the BDR mutiny.  Standing in front of the memorial monument, they joined a munajat seeking forgiveness and peace for the departed souls. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Social Welfare Minister AZM Zahid Hossain and State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam, were, among others, present. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister, along with his wife, visited the graves of his father, late President Ziaur Rahman, his mother, late Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko, after offering Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the National Eidgah. On February 25 and 26, 2009, 74 people, including 57 army, were killed during the mutiny at the then Bangladesh Rifles (now Border Guard Bangladesh) headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka. Most of the slain army officers were buried at the Banani Military Graveyard.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will take part in three programmes on the day of Eid-ul-Azha, including joining the main Eid congregation at the National Eidgah, on Thursday. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said Tarique Rahman will offer Eid prayers at the National Eidgah on the Supreme Court premises at 7:30am. “After the prayers, the Prime Minister will visit the graves of his parents – Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia – at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar and offer Fateha there,” he said. He will later return to his residence in Gulshan, the additional press secretary said. In the afternoon, Tarique Rahman will join the traditional “Barkhana” feast to be hosted by the Armed Forces at Dhaka Cantonment.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday extended Eid-ul-Azha greetings to the people of Bangladesh and Muslims across the world. In a video message in the evening, the Prime Minister said holy Eid-ul-Azha has once again arrived at the doorsteps of the Muslim Ummah with the message of sacrifice, piety and self-purification. “I extend my greetings on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Azha to Muslims in Bangladesh and across the world. I also wish all people of the country, regardless of political belief, religion or ethnicity, a happy Eid. Eid Mubarak,” he said. The Prime Minister prayed to Almighty Allah for peace, security and stability for Bangladesh, the Muslim world and humanity as a whole. He also prayed for global peace, harmony and safety. Highlighting the significance of Qurbani, Tarique Rahman said sacrifice is not only about slaughtering animals, but also about overcoming greed, hatred and negativity within oneself. “This festival of surrendering ourselves to Almighty Allah and declaring His greatness should inspire us with the spirit of sacrifice and guide us towards truth and goodness,” he said. The Prime Minister urged those who could afford to offer Qurbani this year to share meat with people who were unable to do so. Referring to the preservation of sacrificial animal hides and waste management, he requested people to preserve hides properly and cooperate with conservancy workers in maintaining cleanliness. Tarique Rahman also urged citizens to take part in cleaning efforts so that sacrificial sites could be cleaned as much as possible on the same day of Eid.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday said Bangladesh is steadily moving towards clean energy, a green economy and a self-reliant energy system. Speaking at the inauguration programme of an on-grid rooftop solar power project at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, he also expressed hope that Bangladesh will become a model state of green and sustainable development in the future through the expansion of renewable solar power generation. “With the inauguration of the one-megawatt rooftop solar power system at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, we are clearly sending a message that Bangladesh is steadily moving towards clean energy, a green economy and an energy self-reliant future,” the Prime Minister said. He said he firmly believes that the initiative taken at the Parliament building will inspire both public and private institutions across the country. “If every rooftop, every institution and every citizen join this journey towards clean energy, Bangladesh can soon become a model state of green and sustainable development, InshaAllah,” Tarique Rahman added.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday night visited the Pallabi residence of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter, who was allegedly raped and brutally killed this week, and assured the grieving family of the government’s support. He arrived at the family’s residence around 9:50pm and stayed there for about 18 minutes. After entering the house, the Prime Minister met Ramisa’s parents and elder sister Raisa Akter, and consoled them. He later spoke with Ramisa’s father Abdul Hannan Molla, who broke down in tears as he described the family’s grief, pain and suffering following the tragic loss of his daughter. The Prime Minister offered his condolences to the bereaved father and listened sincerely to the family’s concerns and hardships. Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said Tarique Rahman assured the family that steps will be taken to help them move to a better living environment. “Ramisa’s father told the Prime Minister that they lost their daughter because they were living in an unhealthy and unsafe environment and that they now want to live in a better place with their elder daughter,” Rumon said. “The Prime Minister replied 'Alright, I will look into arranging a better living environment for you,’” he added. The Additional Press Secretary also said Tarique Rahman handed over financial assistance to the family. Rumon said Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed informed the Prime Minister that the charge sheet in the case will be submitted quickly and the authorities will assist the court to ensure a speedy trial. According to the Prime Minister’s Press Wing, Tarique Rahman has also taken responsibility for the education and future of Ramisa’s elder sister Raisa Akter. Before leaving, he gently placed his hand on the head of Ramisa’s elder sister, offering comfort and words of sympathy. Their mother, sitting beside her daughter, was also overwhelmed with grief and seen crying during the emotional moment. The Home Minister, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque, Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser AKM Shamsul Islam and Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Safiqul Islam Khan, among others, were present. Earlier in the day, Home Minister Salahuddin said exemplary punishment will be ensured in the shortest possible time in the case. Ramisa, a second-grade student of Mirpur Popular Model School, was raped and killed allegedly by a tenant living in a neighbouring flat in Pallabi on Tuesday last. Police said the suspect, Sohel Rana, lured the child into his room after she left her flat in the morning. He then allegedly raped and killed her. Ramisa’s decapitated body was later found under a bed, while her severed head was recovered from a bucket kept in the bathroom. Police arrested the prime suspect Sohel Rana along with his wife. According to police, Sohel later gave a confessional statement before a court under Section 164, admitting to the rape and murder. Ramisa’s classmates and local residents staged protests outside her home demanding the arrest and execution of the killers.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday said the government wants to build a modern, technology-based and citizen-friendly land management system so that people no longer have to suffer harassment or make unnecessary visits to government offices for land services. “There is no alternative to a transparent, accountable and people-friendly land management system for building a just and modern state,” he said while inaugurating the three-day nationwide “Land Service Fair-2026.” The Prime Minister also said providing services for citizens is not an act of charity but a responsibility of the state. "I would like to draw the attention of the minister of the Land Ministry and all officials and employees concerned that providing services is not a favour to the people; rather, ensuring public service is our duty. Our goal is to build a land management system where people will no longer have to go from office to office unnecessarily to receive land services, nor will they have to suffer from corruption or harassment,” he said. Tarique Rahman also said the government aims to establish a corruption-free, harassment-free, technology-driven and citizen-friendly land management system that will further accelerate the country’s sustainable development. He inaugurated the fair by pressing a button at the “Bhumi Bhaban” at Tejgaon. The fair is being held simultaneously in districts and upazilas across the country from May 19 to 21. The Prime Minister described land not merely as a property but as a source of security, economic stability, livelihood and future certainty for people. “From this realisation, the present government is working to deliver state services at people’s doorsteps with a commitment to making land management free from harassment and corruption.” Referring to the growing pressure on land resources, he said the amount of per capita land is decreasing due to population growth, while the economic value of land is increasing rapidly. “As a result, land disputes, lawsuits and complications are also increasing. In many cases, these disputes are destroying peace in individuals and families and are also creating obstacles to national development activities,” Tarique Rahman said. In this context, he stressed the importance of planned land use, accurate record preservation and efficient management. At the beginning of his speech, the Prime Minister highlighted the government’s initiatives to simplify land-related services through digitalisation. Narrating the government’s digitalisation efforts, he said people are now getting opportunities to complete many land-related services online from home, including payment of land development tax and e-mutation applications. Tarique Rahman said people previously had to visit land offices physically for matters related to ownership, khajna, deeds, khatian, mutation, mouza records and surveys, including CS, RS and DS. “With technological advancement, land management has also become modernised. Service recipients can now complete land-related processes online from home,” he said. For those unable to use online systems independently, the Prime Minister said, the government has introduced land service assistance centres. He also mentioned that 893 land service assistance centres have already been launched in 61 districts under private management to help citizens who are unable to access online services on their own. Tarique Rahman said the government plans to gradually establish such centres in every union across the country. He also mentioned the launch of the mobile app “Bhumi” to bring land services directly into the hands of citizens. The Prime Minister said modernising land management and introducing more technology-based services will help reduce land disputes and the suffering of citizens, while also limiting the influence of middlemen in land offices. He also said the ongoing land fair will help increase public awareness regarding modern land management systems and citizens’ responsibilities. Tarique Rahman said the Ministry of Land is working to prepare accurate land records through digital surveys and modern technology. “Efforts are also underway to bring almost all land administration services under digital platforms for faster and easier public access.” He said the BNP had pledged in its 31-point reform plan and election manifesto to modernise land management and organise land service fairs across the country. “Through this fair, the government has fulfilled another commitment made to the people,” he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday paid his last respects to former State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mizanur Rahman Sinha. The Prime Minister placed a wreath at the coffin of the deceased at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban around 11:30am. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, BNP Secretary General, and Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (LGRD) Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat Md Golam Sorwar Bhuiyan also paid tribute to him by placing wreaths at the coffin. Before that, the Speaker, the LGRD Minister and the Chief Whip delivered reminiscence speeches in memory of the late BNP leader.

The government on Wednesday approved a Tk 33,474.45 crore project to build the first phase of the Padma Barrage, aiming to revive drying river systems, reduce salinity intrusion and improve irrigation and water management in vast Padma-dependent regions. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday approved the project titled “Padma Barrage (1st Phase)”following endorsement by the Planning Commission. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presided over the meeting held at Secretariat. The project will be implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board under the Ministry of Water Resources at an estimated cost of Tk 33,474.45 crore entirely from government funding. According to project documents, the implementation period has been set from July 2026 to June 2033. PM chairs ECNEC meeting at secretariat The project area will cover 19 districts across Khulna, Dhaka, Rajshahi and Barishal divisions, targeting restoration of several major river systems including the Hisna-Mathabhanga, Gorai-Madhumati, Chandana-Barashia, Baral and Ichamati rivers. Officials concerned said the proposed barrage is expected to play a critical role in addressing long-standing water management challenges in the country’s southwest and northwest regions, where reduced dry-season flow of the Padma River has severely affected agriculture, fisheries, navigation, forestry and biodiversity. The project is also aimed at reducing salinity intrusion in Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat districts, ensuring freshwater supply for the Sundarbans ecosystem and mitigating waterlogging in areas including Bhobodah in Jashore through dredging and drainage improvement works. According to the proposal, the key objectives of the project include reviving five river systems, restoring ecological balance in the Sundarbans, enhancing groundwater recharge, reducing arsenic contamination, improving irrigation facilities and creating employment opportunities through planned land development activities. The proposed infrastructure package includes construction of a 2.1-kilometre main Padma Barrage along with associated structures such as 78 sluice gates, 18 undersluices, fish passes, navigation locks, guide embankments and approach embankments. The project also includes construction of off-take structures at Gorai, Chandana and Hisna rivers, along with spillways, navigation and fish passage facilities. In addition, two hydropower plants with a combined generation capacity of 113 megawatts are planned under the scheme. Of these, a 76.4MW hydropower plant will be constructed alongside the main barrage, while another 36.6MW plant will be installed at the Gorai off-take point. Major river restoration works under the project include dredging of 135.60 kilometres of the Gorai-Madhumati river system and re-excavation of 246.46 kilometres within the Hisna river system. An additional 180 kilometres of afflux embankments are also proposed to support water regulation and flood management. According to project  documents thePadma-dependent area covers nearly 37 percent of Bangladesh and accommodates roughly one-third of the country’s population. The government linked the region’s deteriorating river flow situation to the diversion of dry-season water upstream through the Farakka Barrage, constructed in India during the 1970s to maintain navigability of the Kolkata port through the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system. Officials said reduced flow in the Padma over the decades has caused many distributary rivers in southwest and northwest Bangladesh to dry up during the lean season, leading to declining agricultural productivity, fisheries depletion, ecological stress and increased salinity in coastal districts. The project proposal stated that freshwater scarcity has also adversely affected the Sundarbans, threatening biodiversity and forest resources in the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem. The Planning Commission observed that implementation of the project would increase dry-season flow in the Padma River by conserving water through the barrage system, thereby helping revive major river networks and improving irrigation, drainage and flood resilience in the affected regions. The proposal was reviewed at a Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting held on Jan 15, 2026 under the Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division of the Planning Commission. Following the review, the commission recommended the project for ECNEC approval with full government financing.