United News of Bangladesh

A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Sunday seeking its directives to provide Tk 2 crore each to the family members of 352 children died from measles. The petition also sought directives to establish specialized measles treatment units equipped with ICU, PICU and necessary diagnostic facilities at every district hospital and upazila health complex across the country. It also sought directives to form a 10-member investigation committee comprising representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), which would identify the root causes of the measles outbreak, administrative failures and those responsible, and submit a report to the court within 30 days. Besides, the petition also sought an order directing the authorities to submit within seven days an affidavit to the court detailing the current status of the stock, preservation and supply systems of measles and rabies vaccines across the country. Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallob and other filed the petition on behalf of human rights organisation Law and Life Foundation Trust on Sunday. Secretary to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), secretary to the Home Ministry, Director General of DGHS, and director of IEDCR were made respondents to the rule. The writ was submitted with permission from the bench comprising Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury. According to the writ petition, 352 children have died so far in the severe measles outbreak that began in Bangladesh in March 2026. Thousands of children across the country are being infected and the situation has already turned into one of the most serious public health crises in the country’s recent history. The petition said these deaths were neither sudden nor unavoidable. Rather, the disaster resulted from policy changes in vaccine procurement and supply systems, disruption of long-standing effective mechanisms, ignoring warnings from international organizations, and the lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure, it said . It also said that after a long-standing vaccine procurement system managed through UNICEF was changed and the interim government introduced an open tender system, serious disruptions occurred in the supply and vaccination programme for measles in the country. It also said that UNICEF repeatedly warned the then health adviser, Nurjahan Begum, about a possible vaccine shortage, outbreak of the disease and the risk of child deaths, but those warnings were not heeded. The petition also said due to the lack of adequate ICU, PICU and specialised treatment facilities at district and upazila levels across the country, many children did not receive timely medical care. It said many families moved from one hospital to another but failed to secure ICU or PICU beds for their children, resulting in the deaths of several children. On May 5, 2026, a legal notice was sent to the relevant authorities requesting to take urgent measures in this regard. As no effective remedial steps were taken even after the expiry of the notice period, and the measles situation continues to worsen every day, the writ petition was filed in the public interest, it said .

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has formed two investigation committees and outlined an action plan over the wheel detachment from a Dash-8 aircraft during take off from Cox’s Bazar on May 16. The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight made a safe landing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka despite losing one of its wheels shortly after take off from Cox’s Bazar. Following the incident, Biman initiated an internal review and formed two separate three-member committees, said a statement of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. One committee, led by the Chief of Flight Safety, will conduct a safety investigation, while another—under the Engineering and Material Management Directorate—will probe the technical cause, inspect maintenance records, and recommend preventive measures. Both committees have been asked to submit their reports within three working days. Biman flight lands safely in Dhaka after losing wheel mid-air According to Biman authorities, preliminary assessment suggested that the wheel detached due to a bearing failure.  The aircraft’s manufacturer, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, states in its maintenance manual that bearing failure can lead to wheel separation and the exact cause will be confirmed after the investigation, said the statement. Upon arrival in Dhaka, engineers confirmed the left-side wheel (No. 2) was missing and Biman’s engineering department immediately inspected all wheels on Dash-8 aircraft based in Dhaka. Besides, Biman contacted De Havilland Canada, which has agreed to send a specialised technical team by May 19, it added. Biman reschedules Toronto, London, Rome flights as Ind-Pak situation normalises Biman reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and aircraft maintenance, following a strict zero-tolerance policy, it said  

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Sazzat Ali has emphasised the need to involve traffic police in road accident investigations. "In the event of an accident, the investigation should be conducted using scientific methods, and the police's capabilities in this regard need to be improved. Though police are responsible for the roads, the crime division conducts investigations into road crashes. It is necessary to involve traffic police in such investigations or coordinate with them," he said. Sazzat Ali made the remarks while addressing a training session on Monday, arranged for DMP officers for improving skills to prevent road accidents, at the InterContinental Dhaka. International organisation Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) organised the two-day training covering techniques for accident prevention, with 60 police officers attending. DMP Commissioner orders urgent probe into July movement cases On the concluding day (Monday), the DMP commissioner, who attended the event as the chief guest, highlighted the importance of following traffic rules for maintaining road discipline and preventing road crashes. "However, many commuters do not comply with traffic rules, particularly issues like not adhering to speed limits and suddenly changing lanes, which are often responsible for accidents,” he said. He said most road crashes in Dhaka occur between midnight and morning when the roads are relatively empty, directing police officers to strictly enforce speed limits on the streets and implement existing laws to prevent road crashes. Chaired by Abdul Wadud, initiative coordinator of Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) and former additional secretary, DMP's Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Sarwar, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Superintending Engineer Khandkar Mahbub Alam, and senior DMP officers were also present on the occasion.  Traffic sergeants to get small arms to combat mugging: DMP Commissioner On the first day of the two-day event, "Road Policing Leadership" was discussed and on the second day, "Speed as a Key Risk Factor in Road Crashes" was focused.

India’s Parliament was disrupted for a third day Thursday by opposition parties protesting the government’s silence over allegations against billionaire Gautam Adani, who was recently indicted in the U.S. for alleged fraud and a scheme to pay bribes. As Speaker Om Birla convened the powerful lower house of Parliament, opposition members shot up from their seats and crowded the aisles, shouting anti-government slogans. The Congress and other opposition parties have accused the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of protecting Adani, an Indian coal magnate. "I don’t appreciate the manner of protest,” Birla said, adjourning the session over the opposition disruptions. The session later resumed but was adjourned for the day with the deadlock between the government and the opposition continuing. Proceedings in Parliament's upper house were also adjourned, and the Congress party was unyielding in its stance. The opposition called for a joint committee to investigate Adani’s companies, which include agriculture, renewable energy, coal and infrastructure. Adani, 62, one of Asia’s richest men, was thrust into the spotlight last week when U.S. prosecutors in New York charged him a nd seven of his associates with securities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and wire fraud. The charges allege that Adani duped investors in a massive solar project in India by concealing that it was being facilitated by bribes. The indictment outlines an alleged scheme to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials. ILO to launch new report highlighting wage trends, inequality today The Adani Group, in a statement last week, said the allegations by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless. “The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All possible legal recourse will be sought,” the statement said. In the absence of a statement by the Indian government, Amit Malviya, the governing Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT head, also said in a post on the social media platform X that the U.S. charges are “allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” which critics interpreted as a show of support by the Modi government for the Adani Group. The controversy has already affected Adani’s interests overseas. Kenya’s president canceled multimillion-dollar deals with the Adani Group for airport modernization and energy projects. Adani will also face scrutiny in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. A Sri Lankan government spokesperson said earlier this week that it is reviewing projects to be implemented by the Adani Group in Sri Lanka. The group was set to invest over $440 million under a 20-year agreement to develop 484 megawatts of wind power in the northeastern regions of Sri Lanka and develop a terminal in the Colombo port. Masato Kanda elected ADB President, succeeds Masatsugu Asakawa “We are taking it seriously. The foreign ministry and the finance ministry are inquiring into it. We will take the decision according to the reports of both ministries,” spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said, Bangladesh's interim government is reviewing an agreement under which the Adani Group supplies electricity to Bangladesh from a power project in India.  

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has started an investigation against former vice-chancellor of Khulna Agricultural University (KAU), Dr Shahidur Rahman Khan, for his alleged involvement in irregularities in the recruitment of 426 teachers and staff members for the university. KAU authorities on Monday (January 23, 2023) submitted documents related to last three years’ recruitment to the ACC. The development came after a national daily published a report in September last year stating the irregularities in the recruitment process of Khulna Agricultural University. It said some 426 teachers and staff members were appointed for KAU against 350 students and also 43 departments were opened in just three years. Read more: Corruption in NSU’s land acquisition: Hearing on 4 trustees’ bail plea Thursday Later, the University Grants Commission (UGC) conducted an investigation and found anomalies in the recruitment. Based on the report, the education ministry on August 3 last year ordered cancellation of the appointment of 73 teachers and staff members including the relatives of the vice-chancellor. In November last year, ACC took a decision to investigate the irregularities in the recruitment process of KAU and assigned Ershad Mia, deputy director of the ACC, to lead the investigation. The investigation officer on January 2 sent a letter to the university authorities asking to submit recruitment related documents including recruitment notices, candidates' applications, and written test records by January 10. Read more: Irregularities in recruitment: PUST VC freed after 4 hours of confinement The anti-graft agency also requested university authorities to submit a probe report if any investigation was conducted previously in this connection. Later, the inquiry officer extended the deadline till January 23 following the application of university authorities. KAU Registrar Dr Mazharul Anwar on Monday submitted the documents to the investigating officer. Ershad Mia, investigating officer, said he has received some documents and these will be inspected. Read More: UGC asks 4 private universities to stop enrollment for failing to fulfill conditions

The High Court has asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit an update on the ongoing investigation against Taqsem A Khan, managing director of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) on Tuesday. Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order on Monday after hearing a writ petition challenging the legality of the Taqsem’s appointment as Wasa MD since 2009. Advocate Khurshid Alam, ACC lawyer, said that he will inform the court about the progress of the probe on Tuesday. Read: HC: Writ petition filed challenging Taqsem Khan’s appointment as Wasa MD Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman, a former prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal filed the writ petition challenging the legality of Taqsem’s appointment as MD of Wasa alleging flawed process in hiring him. Seven officials including LGRD secretary, public administration secretary were made respondents to the writ petition. Barrister Suman said Taqsem has been serving as Wasa MD for the last 13 years since 2009. During his tenure he has raised the water price to Tk 15 per unit from Tk 6 per unit. He has remained in his post despite allegations of corruption against him, he said. In 2009 he was appointed after rewriting and rigging his exam result as it was required to have 20 years of experience for that position and he had no such relevant experience, said Suman. Read: HC Chamber Judge asks Wasa MD to submit salary statement “His appointment letter mentions that the authority is requesting to maintain caution while examining and considering contractual appointments in future. Which means there was some sort of rigging that happened yet his tenure was extended later,” he explained. The writ petition was filed as his recruitment process needs to be probed, he said. Taqsem’s tenure as Wasa MD has been extended three times after his 2009  contractual appointment for three years, he said.

Law enforcement agencies that are probing Buet student Fardin Noor murder case have made progress, Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab’s legal and media wing, said today. The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) official said this while briefing the media on Monday at its media office in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar. “Rab along with other law enforcement agencies are working to find out the motive behind the murder, identify the culprits, and bring them to justice,” he said. Read: Fardin murder: Bushra lands in jail after remand Rab personnel have spoken to those who were at the locations where Fardin went before the murder, the Rab commander added. Rab has also collected footage. Fardin was a 3rd year student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology’s civil engineering department and a resident of Qutubpur area in Narayanganj's Fatullah. Police recovered Fardin’s body from the Shitalakhkhya river, behind a cotton mill at Siddhirganj, on November 7, three days after he went missing. Read: Fardin wasn’t murdered in Narayanganj’s Chanpara, police say Sheikh Farhad, a physician at Narayanganj General Hospital where the autopsy was done, said there were several injury marks on Fardin’s head and body. Kazi Nuruddin Rana, Fardin’s father, filed a case in connection with his son’s killing with Rampura Police Station on the same day and the case was later transferred to Detective Branch (DB) Police.

Expressing deep concern over the death of a man in police custody in Narsingdi, Manabadhiker Songskriti Foundation (Foundation for Human Rights & Culture), a human rights organisation, demanded a fair and neutral probe over the incident.     It is the duty of police to ensure security to people under their custody. MSF, a vehicle founded by rights icon Sultana Kamal after she left the Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), is demanding legal steps against those involved in the killing after the fair probe,” said a press release of MSF issued on Friday. Read: HC grants 6 months bail to accused Sylhet cop in custodial death case Earlier on Wednesday morning, police recovered the hanging body of the accused, Sujan Mia, from the washroom of Raipura police station on Wednesday. The body was found hanging from the ventilator of the washroom, with the shirt he wore.             Sujan Mia, son of Majibur Rahman of Raipura municipal area, allegedly stabbed and killed his wife, Lovely Akhter, on November 5. He was later arrested from the Atroshi area in Faridpur sadar upazila and remanded for two days.   The MSF release said the statements about the death of the accused cannot be credible in any way. It is being said his body was recovered from the washroom. Many people are kept detained there. So, it is quite impossible that nobody will notice such a serious incident. Read: Cop withdrawn over youth’s alleged custodial death in Lalmonirhat Though the district police formed the three-member probe body, the concerned authorities will have to be cautious to ensure the fair investigation. As per the constitution, the state is responsible for protecting the detained accused in custody. Therefore, legal action will have to be taken promptly against the persons responsible after the fair investigation is carried out, the MSF demanded.

Some SSC examinees formed a human chain in Kurigram demanding investigation in question paper leak and timely completion of their exams. The students formed the human chain in front of Kurigram Press Club on Thursday morning.  “Despite repeated assurances from the Education Minister, questions got leaked at the Bhurungamari Nehal Uddin Girls High School center. We urge the authorities concerned to find out those responsible for the leak and take action against them,” said Zakiul Islam, a SSC examinee from Kurigram Government High School. The students also said that the question leak occurred due to utter failure of the administration and the law enforcement agencies. Read: SSC question paper leak: Three more held in Kurigram They demanded for holding the postponed exam within October 1. Copies of English 1st paper and 2nd paper of the ongoing SSC examinations went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp on Monday and Tuesday.   Lutfur Rahman, the headmaster and secretary of Bhurungamari Nehal Uddin Pilot High School, and two assistant teachers of the school- Zubaiyer Hossain and Aminur Rahman, Hamidul Islam, an assistant teacher of agricultural science, and Sohel Chowdhury, assistant teacher of Bangla and a peon of the school, Sujon have so far been arrested in this connection

BNP lawmaker Md Harunur Rashid on Thursday demanded an investigation to determine whether there is actually a conspiracy to kill prime minister Sheikh Hasina. He came up with the demand while taking part in an unscheduled discussion in the parliament. Abul Kalam Azad, a member of parliament of the ruling Awami League and former information minister, on Wednesday claimed that there is a conspiracy to kill the prime minister and some AL people are also involved in this plot in exchange for money. Referring to Azad’s allegation, Harun it deserves a clear explanation since a ruling party lawmaker made the claim in the House. “There is no way to brush it aside. A deep investigation is needed to find out whether such a conspiracy is really happening or not and who is involved in it,” he added. Slamming the government on the issue of enforced disappearance Harun said the victims are unable to get protection of the law. "People being shot dead in the moveent is one thing and missing is a completely different matter. Human rights and freedom of expression need to be discussed. The ruling party says that the country is on the highway of development," he said. He questioned whether corruption, money laundering, rising commodity prices, or road accidents have decreased or not. He also questioned what has been the development of the electoral process. The BNP MP said that India is using the ports of the country. But transit is not being given to Bangladesh. He criticised Bangladesh’s very soft attitude towards India. Protesting the attack on BNP’s procession, another BNP MP Rumeen Farhana, said that the prime minister had given clear instructions that the programmes of the opposition would not be obstructed. “But the behaviour of police administration is different. The prime minister is giving some sort of assurance. And the activists of Juba League, Chhatra League are behaving differently with the opposition party,” she said. Rumeen dismissed Awami League’s claim that they are in the field to prevent sabotage. “Why are police being used if Awami League leaders and activists are in the field to prevent vandalism?” Rumeen said that the government claims that there is democracy in the country, but it does not exist in practice. About the death of two members of the BNP in Bhola, Rumeen said that there was no investigation into the murders. She claimed that more than 70 places were attacked in the programmes of BNP which started on August 22. Responding to Rumeen, AL lawmaker Tofail Ahmed said that before the start of the procession that day, BNP leaders and activists attacked the police with sticks and bricks. Awami League leaders and activists did not take to the streets that day, Tofail said adding in the 2001 election, they could not even stay at home, he said. Also read: Plot to assassinate PM Hasina on, warns AL lawmaker