United News of Bangladesh

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has invited applications from eligible individuals and entities for Customs Clearing and Forwarding (C&F) agent licences under the newly enacted Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agent Licensing Rules, 2026, aiming to enhance service quality and ensure a more competitive environment for importers and exporters. According to an official press release, interested applicants must submit their applications in the prescribed ‘Form-K’, along with required documents and certificates, to the licensing authority of the respective customs station by 4:00pm on March 31, 2026. NBR extends online VAT returns submission deadline  Applications must be accompanied by the original bank draft or pay order and all supporting documents as specified in the rules. The new licensing process has been introduced under Section 243 of the Customs Act, 2023, replacing the previous Customs Agent Licensing Rules, 2020. The NBR said the updated rules were formulated and notified to create a modern, transparent and efficient regulatory framework for C&F agents and to facilitate smoother customs operations. Officials noted that previously there was no separate and dedicated set of regulations exclusively governing C&F agent licensing. Licences were issued under the broader Customs Agent Licensing Rules, 2020. The newly introduced rules establish a distinct and specialised regulatory structure to streamline licensing procedures and strengthen operational standards in line with evolving customs practices. Under the eligibility criteria, applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification from a recognised university. Companies formed under joint ownership between local and foreign partners are also eligible, provided foreign ownership does not exceed 49 percent of total shares. The rules further stipulate that an individual proprietor, partner in a partnership firm or shareholder in a limited company may not obtain more than one licence. Applicants must also specify only one customs station in their application; applications mentioning multiple customs stations will be considered invalid. Two more NBR officials demoted after disciplinary proceedings Applicants are required to submit a range of supporting documents, including attested copies of national identity cards, valid trade licence, income tax return submission proof, academic certificates and recent passport-size photographs. Where applicable, copies of VAT registration certificates, company incorporation documents, partnership deeds and proof of office premises ownership or tenancy must also be provided. In addition, applicants must submit a non-refundable bank draft or pay order of Tk 5,000 in favour of the Director General of the Customs, Excise and VAT Training Academy in Chattogram as the application fee. A declaration on a non-judicial stamp confirming that no previous licence has been issued under the rules in the applicant’s name must also be included. The NBR said candidates whose applications are accepted after preliminary scrutiny by the respective customs stations will be eligible to sit for written and oral examinations conducted by the Customs, Excise and VAT Training Academy in Chattogram. NBR official penalised for violating rules of conduct The list of eligible candidates, examination schedules and results will be published on the academy’s official website. Admit cards for eligible candidates will be sent by post to the address provided in the application form. Following successful completion of the required examination and verification process, licences will be issued by the licensing authority of the relevant customs station in accordance with the rules. The revenue authority cautioned that applications failing to meet the prescribed conditions or submitted after the deadline will be rejected. It also reserved the right to revise or reschedule examination dates and related procedures if necessary. The introduction of the Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agent Licensing Rules, 2026 is expected to improve professional standards in customs brokerage services and facilitate more efficient trade operations, as Bangladesh continues to expand its international trade and logistics sectors.

Youths aged 16 or above will be able to avail the national identity (NID) services and card from now on, according to a decision taken by the Election Commission. The EC on Sunday issued a notification, directing its field-level officials to extend the NID services to the Bangladesh citizens aged 16 and 17 as well. The Bangladeshi citizens aged at least 18 have been entitled to avail of the NID services and cards since its introduction of NID registration in 2008. “The Election Commission has given a decision to conduct the registration activities for the Bangladesh citizens who have completed 16 or 17 years of age on the date of their applications, in line with the Article 5 of the National Identity Registration (Amendment, 2013) Act, 2010,” says the notification. The directive was sent to the Director General of NID Registration Wing, regional election officers, district election officers and upazila/thana election officers. In 2008, the EC introduced the NID card during the preparation of the country’s electoral rolls with photographs ahead of the ninth parliamentary election. Initially the EC issued laminated NID cards to the Bangladeshi citizens aged at least 18 and then started the distribution of smart NID cards in 2016. The NID cards are needed to avail various government and private services like opening bank accounts, obtaining passports and driving licenses, registering SIM cards and getting land-related services.

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) staged a human chain on Sunday to protest what it called the obstruction of a government market monitoring drive and demanded strict action against those responsible. The demonstration took place in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the capital. Speaking at the event, CAB General Secretary Advocate Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan praised the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection for its work in safeguarding consumer rights. He, however, alleged that Mohammad Ali Bhuiyan, president of the Moulvibazar Traders’ Association in Chawkbazar, had unlawfully obstructed the government initiative. “Public resentment is growing as no effective action has yet been taken against those responsible. We will take our protests to districts and cities across the country and submit a memorandum to the Ministry of Commerce,” he said. Ruhin Hossain Prince, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, urged the government to take firm measures against business syndicates and market intimidation, warning that failure to act could make market regulation difficult. CAB Dhaka Divisional Committee President Brig Gen (retd) Shams E Khan emphasised that all 180 million people in Bangladesh are consumers, including traders, and called for visible government action to stabilise the market. The CAB placed a five-point demand, which includes swift and exemplary punishment for those obstructing the Directorate’s work, support from law enforcement to ensure smooth market inspections, strict enforcement of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, mandatory display of valid cash memos during transactions, and strengthened regular market monitoring and mobile court operations to prevent similar incidents.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus returned to his previous duties on Sunday following an 18-month hiatus, during which he led Bangladesh’s interim government. "A warm welcome to Professor Muhammad Yunus," said the Yunus Centre.  

Bangladesh Bank on Sunday extended the deadline for raw jute exporters to apply for loan rescheduling, aiming to support businesses facing liquidity challenges and help regularise defaulted loans. According to a circular issued by the Banking Regulation and Policy Department (BRPD) of the central bank, exporters now have until June 30, 2026, to submit their applications. Earlier, exporters were required to apply by December 31, 2025, by making a down payment or a one-time deposit of two percent of their existing loan as of December 31, 2024. Bangladesh Bank halts digital bank licensing process following protest Many could not meet the deadline due to complications in both global and domestic export markets. Under the revised directive, customers can apply to the concerned bank by depositing two percent of their defaulted (classified) loan balance. The circular, sent to the Chief Executives of all commercial banks, is effective immediately. Bangladesh Bank said the extension aims to safeguard the interests of exporters and ensure the continued dynamism of the country’s export trade.

Motorbike accidents accounted for more than four out of every 10 road deaths in January, as road crashes across Bangladesh claimed 586 lives, according to a report released by Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity. Motorcycles were involved in 209 crashes, or 37.86 percent of all road accidents, resulting in 223 deaths and 132 injuries. Motorcycle crashes alone accounted for 40.84 percent of total road fatalities during the month, it said. The report signed by the organisation’s Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury was prepared based on monitoring of national, regional and online media outlets. Besides, 1,238 people were injured in 597 road, rail and waterway accidents across the country. Of the total accidents, 552 were road accidents that left 546 people dead and 1,204 injured. Railway-related accidents numbered 37, killing 33 people and injuring 28, while eight waterway accidents claimed seven lives, injured six people and left three missing. Dhaka division recorded the highest number of road accidents, with 132 crashes killing 133 people and injuring 328. Sylhet division had the lowest toll, reporting 29 accidents that left 28 people dead and 63 injured. Among those affected in road accidents were 131 drivers, 89 pedestrians, 53 transport workers, 79 students, nine teachers, 62 women and 67 children. Those killed included two police personnel, two army members, one navy member, four physicians, one freedom fighter, 127 drivers, 89 pedestrians, 54 women, 48 children, 57 students, 21 transport workers, eight teachers and 11 political activists. A total of 829 vehicles were involved in road crashes. Motorcycles made up 28.46 percent, followed by trucks, pickups, covered vans and lorries at 23.64 percent, buses at 14.35 percent, battery-run rickshaws and easy-bikes at 13.63 percent, CNG-run auto-rickshaws at 5.54 percent, locally made vehicles such as Nasimon, Karimon, Mahindra, tractors and legunas at 9.04 percent, and cars, jeeps and microbuses at 5.30 percent. In terms of crash patterns, 48.36 percent were run-over incidents, 28.62 percent head-on collisions, 16.84 percent involved vehicles plunging into ditches after losing control, 5.61 percent occurred for miscellaneous reasons, 0.18 percent were caused by scarves getting entangled in wheels and 0.36 percent were train-vehicle collisions. 503 killed in Bangladesh road accidents in December: RSF report The analysis shows that 42.57 percent of accidents occurred on national highways, 27.89 percent on regional highways and 24.09 percent on feeder roads. Another 4.52 percent took place in the Dhaka metropolitan area, 0.54 percent in the Chattogram metropolitan area and 0.36 percent at rail crossings. The organisation identified several key causes, including policy and strategic weaknesses in the road transport sector, unchecked movement of battery-run auto-rickshaws and other slow-moving vehicles on highways, inadequate road signs and markings, lack of medians and street lighting, construction flaws, unfit vehicles, unskilled drivers, overloading, reckless driving and operating vehicles without adequate rest. The Samity urged urgent and coordinated measures to strengthen road safety management and enforcement to curb the rising number of fatalities.

Padakhep School & College has observed Amar Ekushey and International Mother Language Day with a series of programmes. The institution organised different events on its campus highlighting innovation and humane education on Saturday, said a press release. As part of the observance, students read excerpts from a popular book on the historic February events written by Faridur Reza Sagar. Teachers, guardians and students placed floral wreaths at a makeshift Shaheed Minar built by children on the school premises to pay homage to the language martyrs. Education Adviser of the school Dr Md Rafiqul Islam said they would continue to uphold the spirit of the day and work for the nation’s progress in the future. The programmes also included an exhibition of wall paintings created by students using colourful brush strokes.

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion(RAB) have arrested the prime accused in a case over the killing of a Laguna driver in the capital’s Jatrabari area. The arrestee was Sohan Munshi, 29, son of Shahjahan Munshi, a resident of Baherchar village under Madaripur Sadar upazila in Madaripur district. According to Rab-10 sources, Sohan Munshi, along with several associates, attacked Laguna driver Md Nur-e-Alam Islam, also known as Khairul, 35, at a Laguna stand on the Jatrabari–Chattogram Road following a dispute over vehicle serial at 2:45pm on Friday. The injured driver was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors on duty declared him dead. Following the incident, a murder case was filed with Jatrabari Police Station on Saturday. A team of Rab-10, CPC-1, Jatrabari Camp conducted a special operation using modern information technology and arrested the accused from the Kutubkhali Fish Wholesale Market area under Jatrabari Police Station at around 7:30pm on Saturday, said Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Tapash Kormokar, media officer of Rab-10. The arrestee was later handed over to the concerned police station for further legal proceedings.

A meeting on the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport was held on Sunday at the Secretariat. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presided over the session, which took place at 12pm in the Prime Minister’s special conference room at the Cabinet Division, his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon told UNB. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam (Rita), State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat and Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar attended the meeting.

Three complaints have been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC), seeking an investigation into alleged irregularities and corruption in leasing key terminals of the Chattogram Port to foreign companies under concession agreements. Md Al Amin Hossain, spokesperson of civil society organisation Deshpremik Nagorik Samaj and its co-spokesperson Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil Chowdhury submitted the complaints on Sunday. According to the complaints, several profitable terminals of the port were leased or planned to be leased to foreign companies through opaque processes involving non-disclosure agreements, raising concerns over transparency, abuse of power and possible commission-based dealings. They alleged that Chattogram Port Chairman SM Moniruzzaman, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, former chief adviser’s special envoy for international affairs Lutfe Siddiqi and former shipping adviser Sakhawat Hossain made hurried attempts to lease the New Mooring Container Terminal to UAE-based DP World under a concession deal. They also claimed that lobbying efforts to revive the move have recently resumed. The complaint said that on November 17, 2025, a 48-year concession agreement was signed with Denmark-based APM Terminals for Laldia Terminal. On the same day, a 22-year concession deal was signed with Switzerland-based Medlog SA for Pangaon Terminal in Keraniganj. The complainants alleged that the agreements were finalised with unusual speed and kept under non-disclosure agreements, raising questions about accountability and public disclosure. HC clears way for deal with foreign operator for New Mooring terminal They claimed that the absence of open international tenders and the handover of strategically important state assets to selected foreign firms have created strong suspicions of corruption and commission trading. If implemented, the New Mooring Terminal lease could involve transactions worth huge sums, potentially leading to large-scale commission payments, the complainants said Chattogram Port is the lifeline of the national economy and any secret deal or irregularity is unacceptable when national interest, economic security and sovereignty are at stake, they said. They urged the ACC to conduct an impartial and transparent investigation. They demanded a probe into alleged abuse of power, bribery and commission trading against the individuals concerned, scrutiny of domestic and overseas bank accounts and financial transactions if needed, and the imposition of travel bans during the investigation to prevent evidence tampering or attempts to flee. Deshpremik Nagorik Samaj expressed the hope that the Anti-Corruption Commission would take prompt and effective action to safeguard state assets.