United News of Bangladesh

Detectives, in a drive, arrested six more people from Kashor in Bhaluka upazila early Thursday in connection with the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh district on December 18. The arrestees are Takbir, 22, of Sunamganj, Ruhul Amin, 42, of Thakurgaon, Nur Alam, 33, of Sadar upazila and Shamim Mia, 28, of Tarakanda upazila in Mymensingh district, Selim Mia, 22, of Noakhali and Masum Khalashi, 23, of Madaripur district. Tipped off, a team of DB police conducted a drive in the area and arrested them, said a media release of district police on Thursday. The six arrested individuals had forced Dipu to resign from his job, it said. With this, law enforcers have arrested 18 people from different parts of the country. Dipu Chandra Das, 28, a local garment worker, was beaten to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district on Thursday (December 18). His body was later set on fire. A case was filed in this connection the following day.  

The Christian community is celebrating Christmas Day in Bangladesh like elsewhere in the world on Thursday in a befitting manner commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas, the biggest religious festival of the Christian community, is the celebration of rebirth, new beginning, forgiveness and peace, and renewing relationship with God and human beings. The celebrations of the Christmas Day feature decoration of Christmas trees with colourful lights, special prayers, and distribution of gifts among children and exchange of pleasantries. Christmas carols and hymns are sung before and after the prayer sessions at the churches. Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and different private TV channels and radio stations are airing programmes highlighting the significance of the day. Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus exchanged greetings with representatives of the Christian community at the State Guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka marking Christmas Day on Wednesday. The Chief Adviser said the interim government aims to build a healthy society, adding that the July Charter has been prepared to uphold the spirit of the mass uprising. “You are the mirror of society. By looking at you, we can understand whether everything is in order,” Prof Yunus said while exchanging Christmas greetings with representatives of the Christian community. Archbishop Bejoy N D’Cruze described Jesus Christ as a universal figure and said that inspired by Christ’s ideals of forgiveness and service to humanity, millions of people around the world, including in Bangladesh, are celebrating Christmas with joy and enthusiasm. Leaders of the Christian Religious Welfare Trust also thanked the interim government for granting Tk 2.5 crore to the trust on the occasion of Christmas. They said the grant is being distributed in three phases among 800 churches across the country.

A man was killed as a crude bomb thrown by miscreants from Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover exploded near the Moghbazar Muktijoddha Shangsad gate in the capital on Wednesday evening. The deceased was identified as Siam, 30, a construction worker. Md Mohiuddin, inspector (Operations) of Hatirjheel Police Station, said the crude bomb was hurled from the flyover onto the road that hit Siam on the head, leaving him dead on the spot.  Police are investigating the incident and collecting CCTV footage from nearby areas, he added.    

The Election Commission (EC) has extended the registration period for voting in the 13th National Parliament Election and Referendum through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app until December 31. The decision was announced on Wednesday, according to an EC handout. As of 4:30pm on December 24, a total of 679,186 people had completed their registration via the app. Previously, the deadline for registration through the Postal Vote BD app was set for December 25.

The Christian community will celebrate Christmas in the country as elsewhere across the world on Thursday, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas, the biggest religious festival of the Christian community, is the celebration of rebirth, new beginning, forgiveness and peace, and renewing relationship with God and human beings. The celebrations of the Christmas Day feature decoration of Christmas trees with colourful lights, special prayers, and distribution of gifts among children and exchange of pleasantries. Christmas carols and hymns will be sung before and after the prayer sessions at the churches. Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar and different private TV channels and radio stations are supposed to air special programmes. President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus have issued separate messages on the eve of Christmas. In his message, President Sahabuddin said learning from the ideals and teachings of Jesus Christ, everyone, regardless of religion or caste, must work together for the welfare of the country and its people. Bangladesh is a land of communal harmony where people of all religions have been freely observing their own faiths and rituals, he said. The President urged all to further strengthen the existing communal harmony and join in the march towards building a modern and developed Bangladesh. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said Jesus was always devoted to serving the distressed, neglected, and hungry, and preached the values of forgiveness, love, and devotion until his death. His life and noble character continue to serve as an enduring example for his devotees and followers, he said. He said Bangladesh is a shining example of communal harmony where people have, for generations, maintained peaceful coexistence by respecting different religions, cultures, and rituals. Prof Yunus expressed hope that celebrating Christmas with due dignity and enthusiasm would further strengthen this bond of harmony. “The current government is working to build a non-discriminatory, just, and prosperous Bangladesh for all, regardless of religion, caste, or community,” he added. The Chief Adviser called upon all Christians to come forward inspired by the great ideals of patriotism and humanity to help realise the dream of a new Bangladesh. Prof Yunus also extended his heartfelt greetings to all followers of the Christian faith on the occasion of Christmas. Meanwhile, police have taken special security measures ahead of the celebration of Christmas. Earlier in a meeting on Dec 17 on security and law and order, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bangladesh Baharul Alam said Christmas is a universal festival and emphasized that the police would remain alert throughout the celebrations. He expressed hope that with the capabilities of Bangladesh Police, both Christmas and New Year’s Eve would be celebrated in a peaceful environment. Security will also be heightened in all tourist areas including Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata. Authorities said action would be taken against anyone who honks loudly or drives recklessly on the roads. People are urged to contact the National Emergency Service 999 or their nearest beat police officer in case of any emergency.  

The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has been identified as the most corruption-prone public service office in the country, according to the Citizen Perception Survey (CPS) 2025, released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The survey found that 63.29 percent of citizens who sought services from BRTA experienced corruption. BRTA was followed by law enforcement agencies (57.96 percent) and passport offices (57.45 percent) on the corruption list. The report was unveiled on Wednesday at the BBS auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka. According to the survey, 31.67 percent of respondents admitted to having paid bribes directly while receiving government services in the past 12 months. Read more: BRTA chairman wants to see accident-free roads The rate of bribery was significantly higher among men (38.62 percent) compared to women (22.71 percent). An overwhelming 98.48 percent of respondents reported paying bribes in cash. BBS conducted the nationwide CPS between February 6 and 23, 2025, covering 64 districts. Data were collected through interviews with 84,807 respondents aged 18 and above (39,894 men and 44,913 women) from 45,888 households across 1,920 Primary Sampling Units (PSUs). The findings show that 63.29 percent of respondents who interacted with BRTA officials admitted to paying bribes to receive services, making it the most corruption-prone government office among those surveyed, while the least bribery was recorded in government and autonomous banks and insurance offices (2.98 percent), public educational institutions (2.94 percent), and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) itself, which stood at 1.99 percent. Law enforcement agencies ranked second, where 61.94 percent of service recipients said they had to pay bribes. This was followed by the passport office at 57.45 percent and the land registry (cadastre) office at 54.92 percent, highlighting persistent corruption in citizen-facing and documentation-related services. Read more: Road crashes claim 380 lives in July: BRTA More than half of the respondents also reported bribery in interactions with judges, magistrates, prosecutors and other legal officials (53.77 percent), and the land record, acquisition and settlement offices (51.40 percent). At the mid-range, bribery was reported by 44.68 percent of respondents dealing with accounts offices, while customs, excise, and VAT offices recorded 35.37 percent. Local government offices at the union parishad, pourashava, and upazila levels stood at 32.91 percent, followed by district and upazila election offices at 26.04 percent. Lower levels of bribery were reported in social security and welfare offices (19.20 percent) and public utility services such as electricity, water and gas (18.41 percent). Interactions with elected local government representatives (14.94 percent) and income tax or revenue offices (14.08 percent) showed relatively lower but still notable corruption. Bribery incidence was lowest in the district and upazila administration (11.33 percent), agricultural offices (9.07 percent), and among public healthcare providers, including doctors and nurses (8.05 percent). Only 7.91 percent reported bribery involving elected Members of Parliament. The data underscore deep-rooted governance challenges, particularly in transport, law enforcement and land-related services, where citizens’ dependence on officials continues to fuel informal payments despite ongoing reform efforts. The survey assessed progress on six indicators of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, based on citizens’ perceptions and experiences related to security, good governance, quality of public services, corruption, access to justice, and discrimination. Read more: CNG drivers block road outside BRTA prompting Mohakhali-Uttara tailback Nationally, the average household size was four members, with 81.97 percent male-headed households and 18.03 percent female-headed households. On security, 84.81 percent of citizens reported feeling safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods after sunset while the sense of safety was lower among women (80.67 percent) compared to men (89.53 percent). The feeling of safety inside one’s home after dark was higher at 92.54 percent. In terms of governance, only 27.24 percent of citizens believed they could influence government decisions, while this figure dropped to 21.99 percent regarding political decision-making. Nationally, about 24.62 percent of respondents felt that the country’s political system is inclusive and responsive, with little difference between rural (24.47 percent) and urban (24.91 percent) areas. Regarding public service delivery over the past year, 47.12 percent of respondents accessed government health services, while 40.93 percent reported that at least one of their children attended a government primary or secondary school. Besides, 73.77 percent sought other government services such as identity cards or civil registration. Satisfaction levels varied across services: 72.69 percent for healthcare, 81.56 percent for primary education, 78.18 percent for secondary education, and 66.91 percent for other government services. The survey also found that 16.16 percent of citizens experienced disputes or conflicts in the past two years. Among them, 83.60 percent had access to some form of dispute resolution, either formal (such as courts) or informal (such as community leaders). Of these, 41.34 percent used formal institutions, while 68.96 percent relied on informal mechanisms. On discrimination, 19.31 percent of respondents reported experiencing some form of discrimination. Read more: BRTA provides financial assistance to families of road crash victims in Joypurhat The main bases were socio-economic status (6.82 percent) and gender (4.47 percent). Incidents occurred most frequently within families (49.72 percent), in public transport or open spaces (34.82 percent), and at workplaces (24.85 percent). Only 5.37 percent of victims reported such incidents to the authorities.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday reiterated government’s position, mentioning that Bangladesh Awami League will not be able to participate in the next national election scheduled for February 12. “Regarding Awami League, our position is clear,” he said, adding that AL activities and its registration as a political party are suspended. For this reason, Alam told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy, the AL will not be able to participate in the upcoming election. The Press Secretary made the remarks when his attention was drawn regarding the letter written to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus by five US lawmakers on the importance of “inclusive, free and fair elections” on December 23.  Alam said he did not see the letter and is not aware of it. “At least I did not see the letter. I am not aware of the letter.” Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Bill Huizenga and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Chair and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, sent a letter to Prof Yunus, expressing concern over the ‘total ban of a political party’ ahead of elections in February. Cosigners of the letter include Rep. Julie Johnson and Tom Suozzi. Ultimately, they said, the Bangladeshi people deserve to be able to choose an elected government in a free and fair election in which all political parties can participate so that their voices are represented. They mentioned that Bangladesh is a critical partner for the United States, and they stand ready to work with Prof Yunus and his government to support both their bilateral relationship and Bangladesh’s democratic transition in the months ahead. “We welcome your willingness to step forward at a moment of national crisis in Bangladesh to lead an interim government ahead of elections in February of next year. It is vital that the interim government work with parties across the political spectrum to create the conditions for free and fair elections that allow the voice of the Bangladeshi people to be expressed peacefully through the ballot box, as well as reforms that restore confidence in the integrity and nonpartisanship of state institutions,” the letter reads. Prothom Alo, Daily Star attackers to be brought to book: Press Secretary They said they are concerned that this cannot happen if the government suspends activities of political parties or again restarts the flawed International Crimes Tribunal. “Freedom of association, as well as the principle of individual rather than collective criminal responsibility, are fundamental human rights. We are concerned that the decision to fully suspend the activity of any one political party, rather than focus on persons determined to have committed crimes or gross violations of human rights through the due process of law, is inconsistent with those principles,” the letter reads.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday said all those involved in the recent attacks on Prothom Alo and The Daily Star offices would be brought to book. Thirty-one people have so far been arrested in connection with the attacks, seeing videos and other visuals, he told a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. The Press Secretary said cases have been filed under the Penal Code as well as other relevant laws and action would be taken against everyone involved. Mob attacks on leading media outlets and cultural centres in Bangladesh were widely condemned at home and abroad while a UN expert on Tuesday said these are deeply alarming and must be investigated promptly and effectively by the government and the perpetrators brought to justice without delay. 11 more arrested over attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star offices “I strongly condemn the targeted killing of an inspiring leader as well as the orchestrated mob violence against independent journalists and artists which followed the announcement of his death,” said Irene Khan, the Special Rapporteur on the freedom of expression and opinion. “The weaponisation of public anger against journalists and artists is dangerous at any time, and especially now as the country prepares for elections. It could have a chilling effect on media freedom, minority voices and dissenting views with serious consequences for democracy,” Khan said.    

The elevated expressway in the airport area will remain toll-free for the general people for four hours on Thursday. Vehicles entering Dhaka city through the airport area elevated expressway will not have to pay any toll from 11 am to 3 pm, according to the Chief Adviser’s press wing.    

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Wednesday said the government welcomes BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s scheduled homecoming on Thursday morning, affirming that all cooperation sought by his party is being extended with necessary security measures in place. "We welcome his return," he told reporters while responding to a question at a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital. In terms of security, Alam said, things are being looked after in consultation with BNP keeping in mind what the party wants.   "From our part, we have the highest effort," said the Press Secretary, stressing that required security measures have been taken from the government side. Homebound Finally: Tarique set to arrive in Dhaka on Thursday morning Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahmmad was also present. Regarding youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi's killers, Press Secretary Alam said the government is working with the highest priority in this regard.   "We are getting some vital clues. We have the highest efforts to investigate the matter," he said, referring to some arrests. After 17 years in exile, Acting Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tarique Rahman is poised to return home on Thursday morning (December 25, 2025), a moment the party describes as both politically significant and emotionally charged. BNP strikes election deal with 7 more partners, reserves 8 seats BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed disclosed a detailed timeline at a press conference held at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office on Wednesday (December 24, 2025). According to the plan, Tarique Rahman will depart London’s Heathrow Airport on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight, accompanied by his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and daughter Zaima Rahman. Senior journalist Saleh Shibly and three personal aides will also travel with him. The aircraft is scheduled to land in Dhaka at 11:55am. From the airport, Tarique will proceed directly to a public reception arranged on the service lane of the 300 Feet Road, where he will deliver a brief address to supporters. To minimise public inconvenience and traffic congestion in Dhaka, Tarique Rahman alone will speak at the reception, said Salahuddin. After the programme, he will visit BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is currently undergoing treatment in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Evercare Hospital, Bashundhara, to enquire about her health. He will then return to his designated residence in Gulshan. On Friday, following the Jumma prayers, Tarique Rahman will visit the grave of BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman. He is also scheduled to pay tribute to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Memorial. On Saturday, Tarique Rahman will be formally registered as a voter. After completing the process, he will visit the grave of Osman Hadi near the Dhaka University Central Mosque. He will later go to the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR), popularly known as Pangu Hospital, to meet those injured in the July 2024 uprising. Tarique Rahman was arrested during the caretaker government in 2007 and spent around 18 months in prison. After his release in 2008, he left for the United Kingdom for advanced medical treatment. Although he has been leading the party from abroad, his return now comes as he prepares to take a more direct role in party affairs after a long 17-year absence.