United News of Bangladesh

The government is committed to taking stringent legal action against those responsible for the recent attacks, vandalism and arson at the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, said Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain. He came up with the warning while visiting the offices of the newspapers at Kawran Bazar of the capital on Sunday. Expressing sorrow over the violent attacks on the media houses, the adviser said, “Differences of opinion are part of democracy, but violence and attacks are absolutely unacceptable. This is a very unfortunate incident.” He emphasised that the media is the eyes of the government. Both the government and media must work together for nation-building. One more arrested over attack on Daily Star office The adviser lauded the courage and professionalism of the newspapers’ staff, noting that publishing the papers within a day of such a major incident reflected remarkable resilience. Expressing solidarity with the affected journalists, he said the media would rise again, and media freedom would be maintained. Prothom Alo, Daily Star attackers to be brought to book: Press Secretary The Daily Star Advisory Editor Kamal Ahmed, Prothom Alo Executive Editor Sajjad Sharif, and other senior officials and journalists, were present there. Angry protesters set fire to the offices of the country’s two leading newspapers on December 19, trapping staff, following the death of activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot in Dhaka on December 12 and later died in a Singapore hospital.  

BNP-nominated candidate and Vice Chairman of the party’s National Executive Committee Air Vice Marshal Altaf Hossain Chowdhury on Sunday submitted  his nomination papers for Patuakhali-1 constituency in the upcoming 13th parliamentary election. The BNP leader, also a former minister, submitted the nomination paper to deputy commissioner of Patuakhali and returning officer Dr Md Shahid Hossain. Several leaders and activists of BNP including president of district unit BNP Snehangshu Sarkar were present there. Altaf Hossain got the BNP ticket for contesting the polls from Patuakhali-1 constituency.  

The government has cancelled the certificates of 71 fake freedom fighters. A gazette notification was issued on December 24 in this regard. Earlier, the Ministry of Liberation War Affairs issued an official notification in this regard. According to the notification, the certificate of the fake FFs was cancelled under Section 6(ga) of the National Freedom Fighters Council Act, 2022 and the powers granted in Schedule-1 (Allocation of Business) of the Rules of Business, 1996, following a decision taken at the 101st meeting of the National Freedom Fighters Council (Jamuka). Those whose certificates were cancelled include those listed under civilian, Indian list, Lal Mukti Barta, Ansar force, Bangladesh Army and martyred police force categories.  

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued a warning after a fraud syndicate was found using the name of the personal assistant to the NBR chairman to intimidate individuals and demand money. According to the cautionary notice, the group has been falsely introducing one Md Kawsar, personal assistant to the NBR chairman, while contacting various individuals and resorting to threats and coercion to extort cash. The NBR has urged all its officials and employees to remain vigilant and not to respond to such fraudulent calls or demands. It also advised them to report any such incidents to the appropriate authorities immediately. The revenue authority emphasised that the chairman or his office has no involvement in such activities and warned that legal action would be taken against those involved in the scam. A general diary has been lodged with Sher-E-Bangla Nagar police station in this connection.

Residents, particularly low-income group, children and elderly ones in the northern district of Naogaon, are struggling to beat the biting cold amid dense fog coupled with winds.    Since the beginning of Poush, temperatures have started dropping, with Sunday recording a minimum of 12.2°C and humidity reaching 100 percent. Thick fog has blanketed the region, forcing most people to stay indoors unless necessary. Over the past few days, temperatures have fluctuated between 11°C and 12°C. A visit revealed that day labourers were gathering at Mukti Mor, Bridge Mor, and Shivpur Bridge (Bypass) in Sadar upazila early morning, hoping to manage work. Equipped with spades and baskets, these labourers rely on daily wages for survival. However, many return home empty-handed. Sharing sufferings, seventy-year-old labourer Abul Kashem said, “We cannot stay indoors, but when we go out, fall ill with cold and cough. We live hand-to-mouth and reduced income has made life very difficult.” Lalmonirhat shivers as temperature drops to 13.5°C Echoing Kashem, another labourer Taslim said they must go out even in this harsh weather to earn bread. Considering the situation, the district administration has initiated distributing warm clothes among vulnerable people. Md. Ashekur Rahman, relief and rehabilitation officer of Naogaon, said each upazila has received Tk 6 lakh through the Upazila Nirbahi Officers to provide warm clothes for helpless day labourers and marginalised people. Moreover, 7,500 blankets have been sent to the district and are being distributed, he added.

Ferry services between Chandpur and Shariatpur resumed on Sunday morning after nearly nine and a half hours of suspension due to dense fog. Faisal Alam Chowdhury, manager of Harina ferry terminal, said operations were halted from 11pm Saturday until 8:30 am Sunday to prevent accidents and ensure passenger safety, leaving over a hundred vehicles, including trucks and pickups, stranded on both sides of the ferry terminals. The ferry operations returned to normal around 9am after the dense fog removed from the Meghna River. Meanwhile, several passenger launches operating on Dhaka-Chandpur route, including MV Rof Rof, Jhom Jhom, Bogdadia, and Meghna Rani, arrived at Chandpur ghat with delays of five to six hours, ferry owners and supervisors said.

Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury on Sunday (December 28, 2025) took oath as the 26th Chief Justice of Bangladesh. President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath at Bangabhaban at 10:30am on Sunday. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, among others, attended the oath-takig ceremony. Earlier, on December 23, President Shahabuddin appointed him as the new Chief Justice. On Saturday, Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed retired from his post.  Read more: 'No law can safeguard freedom if minds are corrupted': Chief Justice in farewell address Born on May 18, 1961, Justice Zubayer is the son of the late AFM Abdur Rahman Chowdhury, who also served as a judge of the Supreme Court. Obtaining LLB (Honours) and LLM degrees from the University of Dhaka, he did a master’s degree from the United Kingdom on international law. He started his career as a lawyer in the district judges’ court in 1985 and at the High Court (HC) in 1987. On August 27, 2003, he was appointed as an additional judge of the HC Division, with his position made permanent two years later. Read more: Justice Zubayer Rahman made Bangladesh's new Chief Justice President Shahabuddin appointed him as a justice of the Appellate Division on August 12, 2024, and he took oath the following day, on August 13.

The interim government of Bangladesh has extended the deadline for submitting income tax returns for individual taxpayers for the second time for the 2025–26 tax year. According to an order issued by the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the return submission deadline has been extended from December 31, 2025 to January 31, 2026. It says the decision was taken in public interest under the powers conferred by Section 334 of the Income Tax Act, 2023, with prior approval from the government. Read more: NBR cuts customs duty on date imports ahead of Ramadan Earlier, the NBR had extended the original deadline once from November 30 to December 31, citing various difficulties faced by taxpayers. The latest extension aims to provide additional time to facilitate wider compliance and ease pressure on taxpayers. The NBR has urged eligible taxpayers to avail themselves of the extended time and submit their returns within the revised deadline to avoid any inconvenience. Read more: NBR extends VAT exemption on Metro Rail services

Inqilab Moncho has announced an all-out blockade in divisional cities across the country from 2pm on Sunday, demanding the swift arrest and trial of those responsible for the killing of martyr Sharif Osman bin Hadi. In a Facebook post on Saturday night, the platform urged people to observe the blockade. In another post, it called on supporters to gather at Shaheed Hadi Square (Shahbagh), saying, “See you tomorrow at Shaheed Hadi Square (Shahbagh).” Protests demanding justice for Sharif Osman bin Hadi continued for the second consecutive day at Shahbagh in the capital on Saturday. Thousands of protesters, including women and children, joined the demonstration and chanted various slogans. Similar protest rallies were also held in different parts of the country, including the New Market area in Chattogram.

On a quiet December morning in Dhaka, as the winter sun peeps through the fog and children’s laughter is heard under the open sky, tiny hands press soft soil around young saplings. And others sit inside a warm, lively classroom, discovering stories for the first time beyond their school textbooks. In a city so often known for traffic, pollution and concrete walls, can giving children both fresh air and stories to dream with change anything? Can the actions of young people really change how the next generation grows up? A group of determined and passionate Bangladeshi youth from Dhaka believe that the answer is yes. Dhaka is one of the most crowded and polluted cities in the world. Over 90% of us breathe air so toxic it acts as a slow poison, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2024, Dhaka ranked 13th among the most polluted global cities based on AQI-US standards. This year, in January and February, Dhaka consistently ranked first in the list of most polluted global cities for 11 consecutive days. Here, many children grow up surrounded by traffic fumes, dust and limited green space. Dhaka has some of the deadliest air pollution in the world and has repeatedly been listed among the cities with high air pollution levels. The pollution here affects children’s health and can harm their future well-being. At the same time, many schools in the city have little or no access to proper libraries. According to UNICEF, early reading opportunities play a crucial role in developing confidence, imagination and learning ability in children. So, the lack of access to books beyond curriculum-focused textbooks hinders children’s cognitive development, especially those from low-income families. Amidst this dire city life, the group of determined and passionate youth from the Global Shapers Dhaka Hub decided that they won’t simply watch and worry but rather act. With that spirit, members of Global Shapers Dhaka Hub, one of World Economic Forum's global youth networks, went to Rayerbazar Government Primary School this December. The school has around 1200 students and most of them come from low-income families. The goal of the shapers was simple yet powerful: to help children breathe fresher air and open the doors of their imagination through children-friendly books. Speaking of the initiatives, Fairuz Joyeeta, the Curator of Global Shapers Dhaka Hub, said, “Our focus is on children in communities that are often left behind. By teaching stewardship and enabling access to books, we want to create the conditions for long-term change that begins with responsibility and opportunity.” Under the Dhaka Hub’s Treelionaire initiative, the students of Rayerbazar Government Primary School did more than just plant trees. They became guardians of their own saplings. They learnt why trees matter, how they clean the air, how they support life and how caring for the environment is also caring for themselves. This December, commemorating the 54 years of the independence of Bangladesh and the 54th victory anniversary, Treelionaire was relaunched in Dhaka, reconnecting with a deeper global concern of an annual deforestation that estimates around 15 billion trees across the world. Treelionaire was originally pioneered by the shapers of Dhaka Hub in 2016 and later adopted by Global Shapers Hubs across South Asia and beyond, planting over 15 thousand trees to date. For cities like Dhaka, where pollution is rising and green spaces are shrinking, even small actions can make a meaningful difference. During the relaunch activity, students of Rayerbazar Government Primary School gathered with excitement, as many of them had never planted a tree before. They learnt how ecosystems work and how their small actions could protect the earth. Environmental educator Ahsan Rony from Green Savers helped children understand how tree planting links to larger climate action and urban resilience. Just a few steps away from the schoolyard, inside a classroom library, bookshelves were getting filled up with children’s books under the Libraries Inspiring Future Together (LIFT) initiative by the shapers. Over 300 books, donated by Annesha Prokashon, were handed over to the school authority for the children. As the children flipped through the pages with their curious little hands, it seemed as if they were discovering treasures. During the activities, an interactive storytelling session by Nahiyan, the founder of Books with Nahiyan, helped turn reading into joy. They laughed, listened and shared thoughts, proving that a book is not just paper and ink – it is a door. And each child deserves the right to open it. Many schools serving low-income communities do not have functioning libraries or a wide range of reading materials. Through this initiative the shapers wanted to ensure that the children of low-income families are not limited to curriculum-focused textbooks only. The students of Rayerbazar Government Primary School now have a peaceful place to read, think and dream. For many of them, this may be their first meaningful relationship with storybooks. Initiatives, both Treelionaire and LIFT, share a belief that children deserve better. No matter where they are born, they deserve clean air to breathe and shade from trees; they deserve the joy of reading freely; and they deserve the chance to learn about their world and imagine brighter futures. The initiatives of the Global Shapers Dhaka Hub remind us that the Bangladeshi youth are not just talking about change; they are leading it. In Bangladesh, where more than one-third of the population is made up of young people, these kinds of initiatives instil real hope.