United News of Bangladesh

In a heart-wrenching gesture, the authorities of Kashimpur Prison in Gazipur facilitated a son’s final farewell to his deceased mother, fulfilling her last wish. On Sunday night at 8:20 pm, Mamun Hossain, a detainee awaiting trial in an arms case at Hazaribagh Police Station in Dhaka, was allowed to see his mother’s body inside an ambulance at the prison gate.  The meeting, brief and solemn, was organised in accordance with the deceased mother’s final desire. According to prison sources, Sufia Begum, the wife of Nil Mia from Dhaneswar in Itna, Kishoreganj, passed away on Sunday morning due to old age-related complications.  Her last wish was to allow her son, Mamun Hossain, to see her one final time.  Responding to this request, family members arranged for an ambulance to bring her body to Kashimpur Prison for a fleeting meeting. DU student Nafis’s funeral prayer held at Curzon Hall Following the approval of the Inspector General of Prisons, Kashimpur Prison-2 authorities allowed the heart-rending encounter, giving the grieving son a chance to bid farewell to his mother in her final repose. In a moment that combined sorrow and solace, the prison authorities’ rare gesture allowed a son to honour the last wish of a mother, highlighting the fragile human emotions that persist even behind bars.

Inqilab Moncho on Sunday night announced a four-point demand seeking justice for its slain spokesperson Shaheed Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. The demands were announced through a post on the organization’s official Facebook page. The four-point demands are as follows: All those involved in the killing—including the perpetrator, the planner, aides to the murder, those who assisted in the escape, and those who provided shelter—must be brought to justice within the next 24 days. Work permits of all Indian nationals residing in Bangladesh must be cancelled. If India refuses to repatriate the accused murderers who have taken refuge there, a case should be filed against India at the International Court of Justice. Fascist elements allegedly hiding within the Civil Military Intelligence must be identified, arrested, and brought to justice. In a separate Facebook post, Inqilab Moncho also called upon students and public to participate in a blockade scheduled for Monday at 2pm in the capital's Shahbagh, now renamed Hadi Square in memory of the slain spokesperson.

Winter rain lashed the Gaza Strip over the weekend, flooding camps with ankle-deep puddles as Palestinians displaced by two years of war attempted to stay dry in tents frayed by months of use. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled for an expected meeting on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida about the second phase of the ceasefire. The first phase that took effect on Oct. 10 was meant to bring a surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza, including shelter. Netanyahu made no public statement as he departed. Nowhere to escape the rain In the southern city of Khan Younis, blankets were soaked and clay ovens meant for cooking were swamped. Children wearing flip-flops waded through puddles. Some people used shovels or tin cans to remove water from tents. Others clawed at the ground to pry collapsed shelters from the mud. "We drowned last night,” said Majdoleen Tarabein, displaced from Rafah in southern Gaza. “Puddles formed, and there was a bad smell. The tent flew away. We don’t know what to do or where to go.” She and family members tried to wring muddy blankets dry by hand. “When we woke up in the morning, we found that the water had entered the tent,” said Eman Abu Riziq, also displaced in Khan Younis. “These are the mattresses. They are all completely soaked.” She said her family is still reeling from her husband’s death less than two weeks ago. “Where are the mediators? We don’t want food. We don’t want anything. We are exhausted. We just want mattresses and covers,” said Fatima Abu Omar as she tried to prop up a collapsing shelter. At least 12 people, including a 2-week-old infant, have died since Dec. 13 from hypothermia or weather-related collapses of war-damaged homes, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-run government. Emergency workers have warned people not to stay in damaged buildings because they could collapse. But with much of the territory in rubble, there are few places to escape the rain. The United Nations in July estimated that almost 80% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged. Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began, 414 people have been killed and 1,142 wounded in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war is at least 71,266. The ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community. Aid in Gaza falls short Aid deliveries into Gaza are falling far short of the amount called for under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, according to aid organizations and an Associated Press analysis of the Israeli military’s figures. The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid said in the past week that 4,200 trucks with aid entered Gaza, plus eight garbage trucks to assist with sanitation, as well as tents and winter clothing. It refused to elaborate on the number of tents; aid groups have said the need far outstrips the number that have entered. Since the ceasefire began, approximately 72,000 tents and 403,000 tarps have entered, according to the Shelter Cluster, an international coalition of aid providers led by the Norwegian Refugee Council. “Harsh winter weather is compounding more than two years of suffering. People in Gaza are surviving in flimsy, waterlogged tents and among ruins. There is nothing inevitable about this. Aid supplies are not being allowed in at the scale required,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the top U.N. group overseeing aid in Gaza, wrote on social media. Ceasefire's next phase Though the ceasefire agreement has mostly held, its progress has slowed. Israel has said it refuses to move to the next phase while the remains of the final hostage killed in the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked the war are still in Gaza. Hamas has said the destruction in Gaza has hampered efforts to find remains. Challenges in the next phase include the deployment of an international stabilization force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals from the territory. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of truce violations.

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman on Sunday night paid a late-night visit to Evercare Hospital to see his ailing mother and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, completing his first full day of official party work. Tarique left the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office after spending around nine hours there and went straight to Evercare Hospital. He reached the hospital at about 11:35pm, said BNP media cell member Sayrul Kabir Khan. Tarique left the hospital at around 12:08am for his Gulshan Avenue residence. This was the third time Tarique has visited the hospital since returning to the country after nearly 17 years abroad. Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Evercare Hospital in the Bashundhara residential area since November 23. According to party sources, her condition remains very critical. Meanwhile, Tarique  visited Evercare Hospital on Thursday night after briefly addressing party leaders and supporters at the 300 Feet venue in the capital. He also went to the hospital again on Saturday night to enquire about his mother’s health. Earlier in the day, Tarique Rahman arrived at the BNP Chairperson’s Gulshan office at around 1:40pm for the first time since the office was established following the political changeover after 1/11. Senior party leaders, including Standing Committee members Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, welcomed him with a bouquet. After exchanging greetings, Tarique went to his chamber on the second floor, where he held discussions with senior leaders on organisational issues, democracy and the upcoming parliamentary election. Speaking to reporters later, Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said this was the Acting Chairman’s first official working day at the party office. “We discussed election-related issues and decided to cooperate with the Election Commission,” he said, adding that it was not a formal Standing Committee meeting. In the evening, Tarique signed his nomination papers to contest the 13th national parliamentary election from Dhaka-17 and Bogura-6 constituencies with BNP’s electoral symbol, the Sheaf of Paddy. The nomination papers were signed at the Gulshan office in the presence of party coordinators from both constituencies. For the Dhaka-17 constituency, BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Abdus Salam has been appointed chief coordinator, while Advisory Council member Prof Dr Farhad Halim Donar will also play a key coordinating role. Party sources said Tarique’s nomination papers for both seats will be submitted on Monday. The 13th parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on February 12 next year. Meanwhile, Tarique also exchanged views with BNP leaders and activists, including those from associate bodies of the Dhaka-17 constituency, on organisational and election-related matters. Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh on Thursday, ending nearly 17 years abroad. His return has drawn widespread public attention and strong emotions among BNP leaders, activists and supporters across the country.

Due to dense fog, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has cancelled the voyages of five luxury launches from Barishal to Dhaka, disembarking passengers as a precaution. On Sunday night at 8pm, BIWTA instructed the authorities to halt the journeys of four direct launches and one via-route launch from Barisal port. The cancelled launches are: Parabat-11, Parabat-12, M Khan-7, Suravi-7, and Via Sundarban-12, confirmed Zulfiqar Ali, BIWTA Traffic Inspector in Barisal. According to the Barisal Meteorological Office, thick fog persisted throughout the day, blocking sunlight. The minimum temperature in Barisal was recorded at 13°C on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, the minimum temperatures were 12.40°C at 9 a.m. Previously, Thursday saw 12.50°C and Wednesday 13.4°C. The continuous cold and fog have disrupted daily life in the region. Rahima Begum, a passenger who had boarded a launch for Dhaka, said, “After sitting on the launch for two hours in freezing weather, we were informed that the journey was canceled. Now I have to return home with my two bags, enduring the hardship.” Zulfiqar Ali added that the launches on the Barisal-Dhaka route will remain suspended until weather conditions improve.  

The number of monthly births in the Gaza Strip has fallen by 40 percent as health officials warn of a surge in miscarriages linked to malnutrition and the breakdown of medical services. Munir al-Bursh, director general of the Gaza-based health authorities, said in a statement on Sunday that the number of newborns has dropped to approximately 17,000 per month, down from a monthly average of 26,000 in 2024. Al-Bursh attributed the sharp decline to widespread maternal malnutrition, which he said has led to a spike in low birth weights and fetal loss. He accused Israel of exacerbating the crisis by restricting the entry of essential prenatal supplements and medical aid. The director general further alleged that Israeli military operations had directly impacted reproductive health infrastructure, citing the destruction of fertility clinics and the loss of roughly 4,000 fertilized embryos following the damage of nitrogen storage units. Separately, the Hamas-run government media office reported Sunday that Israel had committed 969 violations of the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10. The office stated that 418 people have been killed and 1,141 injured in related incidents since the truce began. Aid delivery also remains a point of contention. The media office said only 19,764 truckloads of humanitarian relief have entered Gaza since the ceasefire, far below the 48,000 truckloads it says were stipulated in the agreement.