United News of Bangladesh

Md Asaduz Zaman, a staff reporter at The Daily Star, has been selected for the 2026 Reporting Fellowship on Climate Change and the Private Sector in Bangladesh, organised by the Earth Journalism Network (EJN). The fellowship will support Zaman in producing an investigative report examining the intersection of climate change and Bangladesh’s private sector, building on his experience in economic affairs, public policy and climate finance. EJN, an initiative of the international nonprofit organisation Internews, is one of the leading global networks supporting environmental and climate journalism. Through fellowships, grants and other programmes, it helps journalists in developing countries produce in-depth and evidence-based reporting on climate and environmental issues. As part of the fellowship, Zaman will investigate how climate change is affecting Bangladesh’s private sector and explore related economic, policy and financial dimensions. Zaman was previously awarded the National Press Foundation Fellowship 2026 in the United States and completed the CPRD–The Climate Watch Reporting Fellowship. Earlier in his career, he received the Conservation Media Award in 2018 and the Investigative Journalism Award in 2019 for his reporting on financial corruption. He has also participated in professional training programmes organised by the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) and the EMK Center–Bangladesh Journalists in International Media (BJIM). In 2020, Zaman was selected as one of 100 journalists worldwide for the British Council’s Future News Worldwide programme. Zaman holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics from Jahangirnagar University. His academic background has contributed to his reporting on the economy, climate finance, public policy and taxation.

Border residents in Panchagarh detained an Indian national on Saturday in what they said was a retaliatory act following the alleged abduction of a 78-year-old Bangladeshi man by members of India’s Border Security Force (BSF). The Indian national was identified as Dipankar Gop, 35, of the Rajganj area in India's Jalpaiguri district. A flag meeting between company commanders of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF was held over the spike in tensions, but no resolution was reached. According to locals, Gop was detained Saturday morning after he entered a sugarcane field on the Bangladeshi side near Sub-Pillar No. 12 of Main Pillar No. 742 at the Birajot border in Satmara Union of Sadar Upazila.  Locals alleged that Bangladeshi farmer Tamiz Uddin had gone to the Birajot border area on Wednesday morning (Aug. 5) to search for his missing cow. He was later allegedly picked up by members of BSF from the Chaulhati camp. In retaliation, locals detained Gop after he allegedly entered Bangladesh from the Indian side while working at a tea garden near the border. The border residents claimed that Gop was caught after attempting to enter a Bangladeshi village and crossing an embankment. They also said Gop would be handed over to the Indian authorities if reciprocated byTamiz Uddin's return to Bangladesh.

A student of Kushtia Polytechnic Institute died after slipping and coming into contact with an electrified gate while washing his hands at a wedding reception in the district on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Gopi Biswas, 21, younger son of Gautam Biswas of Islampur village under Janipur Union. He was a seventh-semester student of the Mechanical Department of Kushtia Polytechnic Institute. The incident occurred at a wedding reception in Islampur village around 4:30pm. According to family members, Gopi had returned home from his hostel during an exam break to attend the wedding reception of his childhood friend Nishit. After eating at the reception, he went to wash his hands when he slipped and fell against an electric gate, receiving an electric shock. Locals rescued him and took him to the emergency department of the Upazila Health Complex, where the doctor on duty declared him dead. Dr Anwar, the duty doctor, said Gopi was brought to the hospital dead.

Engineers have started repair work on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines aircraft grounded at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in Italy due to a technical problem. Embassy officials are also maintaining close contact with airport authorities in this regard, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said while talking to journalists after the award ceremony of the Executive Cup Golf Tournament at a hotel in the capital on Saturday night. He said 100 passengers of the flight from Toronto to Dhaka have already been shifted to hotels, while the rest are staying at the airport lounge. Special care and medicines have been arranged for sick passengers, elderly people and children, he added. “Round-the-clock communication is being maintained from Dhaka,” the state minister said. Earlier, in his speech as the chief guest at the Golf Award ceremony, Millat said there is a great opportunity to increase tourism and international friendship in the country through golf.

The district administration has formed a five-member committee to investigate Friday’s head-on collision between two buses on the Sylhet-Dhaka highway in Osmaninagar that left nine people dead. Additional District Magistrate Pinki Saha has been made head of the committee, the Sylhet district administration confirmed on Saturday. The committee has been asked to identify the actual cause of the accident and submit a detailed report within five working days. Representatives from the Highway Police, Fire Service and Civil Defence, Roads and Highways Department and the Osmaninagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s (UNO) office are among the committee members. Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Abdullah Al Mamun said the accident occurred between buses of Unique and Bengal Paribahan in the Kashikapur area of Osmaninagar upazila on Friday morning. Seven people died on the spot, while two others, including a child, died while undergoing treatment at hospital. Sixteen people were injured in the accident and are receiving treatment, he said. Soon after the accident, the deputy commissioner and other senior officials visited Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital to see the injured. The district administration provided Tk 10,000 as immediate assistance to each injured person and Tk 20,000 to each family of the deceased for burial expenses. It also provided Tk 15,000 to an ICU patient. The deputy commissioner said the highway was relatively empty when the accident occurred. Although reckless driving or driver fatigue was initially suspected as a possible cause, the actual cause will be known after the investigation report is submitted, he said. Meanwhile, Expatriates’ Welfare and Foreign Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury visited the injured at the hospital on Saturday morning and announced financial assistance for the victims. He announced that Tk 5 lakh would be provided to each family of the deceased, Tk 3 lakh to each person who became disabled and Tk 1 lakh to each injured person. Separately, the registration of the two buses involved in the accident has been cancelled, said Engineer Abdur Rashid, assistant director of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) in Sylhet, on Saturday evening. The concerned drivers and owners of the two buses have also been asked to appear before the BRTA within five days to explain their positions. “For now, the registration of the two buses involved in the accident has been cancelled. An explanation has also been sought from the drivers and owners. Further action will be taken after receiving their explanations,” he said.  

Suspected Boko Haram fighters killed at least eight people and injured one in an overnight attack on Kangaleri village in the Mayo-Sava division of Cameroon's Far North region, local sources said Saturday. The sources said the attack occurred at around 11 p.m. local time Friday, when the gunmen entered the village under cover of darkness, a tactic the group frequently uses, before fleeing the area. Six residents were killed at the scene, while three others were badly wounded and taken for treatment. Two of the injured later died in a hospital, and one remained under medical care as of Saturday. Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact circumstances of the raid. In a separate incident the same night, gunmen believed to be from Boko Haram were reported in Tourou, a town in the Mokolo district near the border with Nigeria. Local sources said the assailants looted shops and livestock and damaged a market on the outskirts of the town. No deaths were reported from that attack. The Boko Haram terror group has been carrying out attacks in Cameroon's Far North region since 2014, inflicting heavy human and material losses across the region.