United News of Bangladesh

With this year’s theme ‘Human Rights, Our Everyday Essentials’, Human Rights Day 2025 will be observed in Bangladesh on Wednesday as elsewhere across the globe. Different organisations have taken elaborate programmes to observe the day. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk described human rights as “our compass in turbulent times — guiding and steadying us through uncertainty,” as he launched the 2025 Human Rights Day campaign. This year has seen the core principles of human rights come under significant strain. “Inequalities are rising, conflicts are raging, the climate emergency is mounting, and some are creating and trying to deepen divisions within societies and between countries. But we must not give up,” Türk said in a video message issued to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force in 1945. “We need more solidarity and more human rights to address the current challenges. It is crucial to keep advocating for our fundamental rights,” he added. The 2025 campaign, titled Our Everyday Essentials, aims to reinforce the lasting relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and its core ideals — equality, justice, freedom, and dignity — underscoring that human rights remain a consistent promise for all. It draws attention to two interlinked dimensions of human rights: their extraordinary origin as one of humanity’s most ambitious global commitments, and their essential, everyday role in shaping ordinary life. In a message marking the occasion Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said,  “On the auspicious occasion of Human Rights Day-2025, I, on behalf of the people and the Government of Bangladesh, reaffirm our steadfast commitment to upholding the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Charter.” Internationally, Bangladesh continues to play an active role in global norm-setting as a member of the Human Rights Council, he said.  “We remain engaged in international efforts to address emerging global challenges that hinder the full enjoyment of human rights, including conflicts, humanitarian crises, climate change and forced displacement.” “We remain steadfast in advocating for the rights of the persecuted Rohingyas, who face oppression rooted in ethnicity-based politics. Even after eight years, not a single Rohingya has been able to return to Myanmar,” said the CA. “We continue to shoulder a significant humanitarian burden by providing temporary shelter, while persistently drawing global attention to their plight, most recently at the UN High-level Conference on 30 September 2025. Likewise, we remain vocal in condemning human rights violations anywhere in the world, including in the Gaza Strip and we continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine in their legitimate struggle for statehood, justice and freedom,” he added “As we observe Human Rights Day-2025, we reiterate our call that human rights ought to be promoted as an article of faith to assert the worth and value of every human life with dignity and without any discrimination. We also renew our pledge to work resolutely with our international partners and the UN system to further strengthen our national human rights regime and to engage meaningfully with the international community in advancing global human rights standards, ”he added.

Political elites in Bangladesh facilitated the escape of corrupt individuals across the country’s borders in exchange for huge amounts of money after August 5, 2024, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen alleged on Tuesday. He made the remarks while addressing a discussion organised by the ACC at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy to mark International Anti-Corruption Day. In his presidential address, Dr Momen said corruption has penetrated “into every vein of society”, but insisted that it is still possible to gradually eradicate it. Highlighting a major challenge, he said Bangladesh has almost no effective communication with the countries where large sums of laundered money have been siphoned off over the past 15 years. “Our hard-earned money now lies abroad as ‘dirty money,’ but we do not even have the manpower needed to recover or manage these funds,” he said. The ACC chief said that financial flows have reversed over the years. Previously, remittances used to flow from the Middle East and the United States to Bangladesh. Now it is the opposite — money goes from Bangladesh to the US and other countries and later returns here through different channels, with various ‘incentives’ built into the transactions. “Such a large structure cannot be changed in a day, a month, or even a year,” he added. Issuing a strong warning against political influence, he claimed that “Those who committed crimes over the past 15 years were helped to flee by the political elite in exchange for huge sums of money. People must now think carefully about whether they will elect such individuals.” Dr Momen said that even if voters overwhelmingly support anti-corruption measures, eliminating corruption remains extremely difficult. “If extortionists, criminals and poor governors are kept in power after the next election, the dream of becoming a developed country will be hard to achieve,” he said, urging the public not to vote for those who helped corrupt individuals escape after the fall of the previous government. ACC files case against ex-minister Obaidul Quader, 13 others over illegal flat allocation He further said the ACC currently has no institutional communication with the countries where illicit funds have been moved. He called on the government to deploy First Secretary–level officers to those nations to support efforts to bring back laundered money. Referring to the scale of corruption during the Awami League’s rule, he noted that many individuals fled the country after 5 August last year — including the Chief Justice and even the Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. “This shows how deep corruption had reached. If strict action had been taken earlier, we would not have suffered for 15–16 years,” he said. The ACC chairman also cited discrepancies in deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 2008 election affidavit, saying that while she declared 5.21 acres of agricultural land, investigations later found 29 acres. He added that two vehicles unaccounted for in her declaration were traced — one in the name of a former MP and the other of a former junior minister — both originally purchased for the ‘5 No. Sudha Sadan’ residence without government subsidy. “If these inconsistencies had been detected at the time, her nomination would have been cancelled, and she could not have become an MP or the Prime Minister. Whether her party would have come to power at all would also have been uncertain,” he added. Calling for voters to reject corrupt and extortionist candidates in the upcoming national election, Dr Momen said corruption cannot be curbed unless the public takes a firm stance. He also urged the country’s youth to actively join the anti-corruption movement. “The corrupt celebrate every day. One day of awareness activities is not enough to rein them in,” he said. Earlier in the morning, the ACC opened its day-long programmes with a flag-raising ceremony and balloon release at its Segunbagicha headquarters. A human chain involving various government and private organisations was later held to promote anti-corruption awareness. ACC files case against 34, including former Janata Bank chairman and MDs, over Tk 1,963cr loan scam  ACC Commissioners Miah Muhammad Ali Akbar Azizi and Brigadier General (Retd) Hafiz Ahsan Farid, ACC Directors General, and senior officials from different government bodies attended the event, along with leaders of the anti-corruption journalists’ group Report Against Corruption (RAC).

Bangladesh’s external debt rose to USD 104,487 million in 2024, up from USD 101,371 million the previous year, driven by higher interest payments despite a slowdown in fresh disbursements, according to the World Bank’s International Debt Report 2025 published last week. The country recorded net debt inflows of USD 5,769 million in 2024. The long-term disbursements, however, decreased to USD 11,099 million, compared with USD 12,844 million in 2023, reflecting a tightening of external financing conditions. Long-term interest payments showed a marked increase, reaching USD 2,443 million in 2024 from USD 1,721 million a year earlier. Interest payments on public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) long-term debt climbed to USD 1,899 million, up from USD 1,578 million in 2023. The sharp rise underscores a growing repayment burden for Bangladesh as global borrowing costs remain elevated. Bangladesh’s PPG external debt structure in 2024 remained heavily concentrated in official sources. Multilateral creditors accounted for 55% of the total, while bilateral creditors made up 37%, taking official exposure to 90%. The World Bank noted that Bangladesh was among the largest recipients of combined IBRD-IDA lending during the year, reflecting continued dependence on concessional and semi-concessional financing. The South Asia region’s external debt stock increased 8.4% to USD 896 billion in 2024. The World Bank identified South Asia as the region experiencing the fastest growth in PPG interest payments globally, with Bangladesh and Sri Lanka contributing significantly to the trend. Bangladesh also accounted for close to 30% of all IDA-eligible debt stock, placing it among the top seven IDA borrowers worldwide, alongside Nigeria and Pakistan. World Bank urges Bangladesh to prioritize job creation to accelerate poverty reduction, combat inequality Compared with other South Asian countries, Bangladesh’s external debt ratios remain moderate but show emerging signs of stress. The country’s debt-to-GNI ratio stood at 22% in 2024—similar to Nepal’s 23% and slightly higher than India’s 19%. In contrast, Maldives recorded a ratio of 76% and Sri Lanka 59%, indicating far higher levels of debt stress. Bangladesh’s debt service-to-exports ratio reached 16% in 2024, above India’s 10% and Nepal’s 12%, yet remained significantly lower than Sri Lanka’s 24% and Pakistan’s 40%.   The World Bank highlighted that reliance on official creditors is common among IDA-eligible economies, with Nepal at 90% and Bhutan at 98%. India stands in contrast, with 77.3% of its long-term external debt owed to private creditors, illustrating its broader access to international capital markets. Despite comparatively moderate debt metrics, World Bank analysts say the rise in interest obligations and the slowdown in disbursements point to increasing external pressure for Bangladesh. With export earnings facing volatility, the growing cost of debt servicing may pose challenges to the country’s external stability in the coming years. Local Experts Warn of Rising Debt Risk On Monday, Prof Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow at CPD, warned at an event that Bangladesh could fall into a debt trap without swift measures. “The country is currently on a risky path due to revenue shortfalls, repayment pressures, and policy weaknesses. The revenue-to-GDP ratio has fallen to 7.7% from 10.9% in 2015,” he said. He highlighted severe inefficiencies in the tax system, noting that while consumers pay VAT on four lakh points, the government treasury only receives 24 thousand points, pointing directly to corruption. “Without integrating income and expenditure data, tax evasion cannot be stopped,” he added. Mustafiz also cautioned that interest payments have already become the second-largest expenditure in the revenue budget, pushing back sectors like agriculture and education. “If this trend continues, Bangladesh risks falling into a debt trap,” he said. World Bank estimates $216B required to rebuild Syria after civil war Meanwhile, NBR Chairman Md. Abdur Rahman Khan acknowledged that the country is already in a debt trap. “We cannot move forward without recognizing this reality. A few years ago, the tax-to-GDP ratio was above 10%, but it has now fallen to around 7%. A large portion of GDP is not being collected as tax,” he said.

Three more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Tuesday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 401 this year. During the period, 421 more patients were hospitalised with viral fever, raising the total infected-case to 98, 705 this year, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). According to the DGHS, new cases were reported as follows: 64 in Barishal Division (Out of CC), 63 in Chattogram Division (Out of CC), 73 in Dhaka Division (Out of CC), 75 in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), 72 in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), 30 in Khulna Division (Out of CC), 31 in Myemnsingh Division (Out of CC), 12 in Rajshahi (out of CC), and one in Rangpur Division (Out of CC). 2 more die of dengue, 455 hospitalised in 24 hours Last year, dengue claimed the lives of 575 people. In 2023, 1,705 people lost their lives due to dengue, making it the deadliest year on record. The DGHS recorded 321,179 dengue cases and 3, 18,749 recoveries in the same year.

Bangladesh Bank purchased $202 million from 13 commercial banks on Tuesday to stabilise the foreign exchange market and bolster remittance and export inflows, according to the central bank. The move brings total dollar purchases through multiple auctions in the current fiscal year to $2.51 billion. The transaction was conducted via a Multiple Price Auction, with the exchange rate ranging between Tk122.27 and Tk122.29 per dollar. The cut-off rate was set at Tk122.29. Bangladesh Bank initiated dollar purchases through the auction process on July 13 as part of efforts to manage liquidity in the forex market. Executive Director and spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan confirmed the transaction.

Experts on Tuesday stressed the need for amending the Birth and Death Registration Act, 2004 to shift the responsibility of registering births and deaths from families to healthcare institutions, enabling automatic registration for nearly 67 percent of births that take place in health facilities. In a statement marking the International Human Rights Day to be observed on Wednesday, ABM Zubair, executive director of PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) said violations of human rights often begin with the absence of legal identity. “The registration process must be made more citizen-friendly through legal reform so that no one remains without identity and everyone can enjoy fundamental rights, including education, healthcare, legal protection and access to social safety nets,” he said. Legal identity is one of the most essential foundations of human rights protection and can only be ensured through universal birth and death registration, he added. Individuals without registration remain invisible to the state and face greater barriers in accessing basic services, he said . Zubair said such reforms would help Bangladesh meet the CRVS Decade target of universal registration and achieve SDG 16.9, which aims to ensure legal identity for all. The country’s average birth registration rate currently stands at only 50 percent, meaning nearly half of the population struggles to access fundamental services such as healthcare and education due to the lack of legal identity. Experts warn that the absence of registration exacerbates various human rights violations, including child marriage, child labour and human trafficking. Similarly, the lack of death registration causes major complications in establishing inheritance rights and increases the risk of property disputes, they said.

The electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system operated by the Bangladesh Public Procurement Authority (BPPA) has recorded a year of exceptional expansion, posting all-time highs in tender invitations, registrations and estimated procurement value. Introduced in 2011, the e-GP platform was designed to modernise and streamline public procurement. Officials saied its user-friendly interface, faster processing and strong security features have made it increasingly popular among procuring agencies and tenderers. According to BPPA data, the cumulative number of tenders invited through the system crossed 10 lakh as of November 30, 2025, involving an estimated value of Tk 10 lakh 29 thousand 993 crore. A year earlier, the cumulative total stood at 8 lakh 77 thousand tenders worth Tk 9 lakh 22 thousand 663 crore. November 2025 alone marked a historic peak, with 20,000 tenders invited in a single month, the highest since the platform’s launch. BPPA officials attributed the surge to the implementation of the Public Procurement Rules (PPR), 2025, which came into force on September 28, making e-GP mandatory for all public procurement activities. Now 200 to 300 applications for registration are pouring in every day, whereas earlier the daily average was only 60 to 70, said a BPPA source. The number of registered tenderers reached 1,43,374 by November this year, up from 1,20,777 a year earlier — the sharpest annual rise since the system was introduced. The number of Procuring Agencies (PAs) using the platform increased from 1,474 in November 2024 to 1,499 in November 2025, while Procuring Entities (PEs) rose from 12,602 to 14,175 over the same period. BPPA Chief Executive Officer (Secretary) S M Moin Uddin Ahmed said the introduction of the PPR, 2025 — aligned with the amended Public Procurement Act, 2006 — represents a major milestone in Bangladesh’s procurement reform efforts. “We hope the PPR, 2025, will streamline public procurement, which accounts for expenditures equivalent to 30 billion US dollars each year. Transparency, accountability and efficiency are expected to be significantly enhanced,” he said.

The government has appointed 31 senior assistant secretary-level officers as Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs). The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gazette notification in this regard on Monday night. They have been empowered with the authority of Additional District Magistrates under Section 10(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, to perform executive magistrate duties in their respective jurisdictions, the notification reads. The officers have been asked to join their new postings by December 11. If failed, they will face immediate stand release from their current duties. Besides, officers whose offices have already been changed must submit joining letters with updated office details, according to the notification.   

National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan on Tuesday (December 09, 2025) underscored the urgent need to expand the country’s VAT and income tax base to reduce reliance on import-based revenue, strengthen fiscal stability, and support Bangladesh’s development ambitions. “Development goals and essential public services cannot be delivered unless adequate revenue is mobilised,” he said at a “Meet the Press” event ahead of VAT Day and VAT Week held at the Revenue Building in the capital. He said Bangladesh’s progress and day-to-day administrative functions depend heavily on revenue collected by the state. Bangladesh relied overwhelmingly on import duties in the early years of independence, with nearly 90 percent of revenue collected at the import stage, he said. Read more: NBR to develop automated system linking return submission with banks: Chairman He said such a structure places the same tax burden on the rich and poor alike and is neither sustainable nor equitable. “Over time, VAT and income tax have emerged as the principal pillars of domestic resource mobilisation, with VAT alone contributing 38 percent of total revenue in the last fiscal year.” VAT collections grew by 22 percent in the July–November period, demonstrating significant potential for further expansion, said the NBR cheif. He expressed concern that only about 644,000 entities are registered for VAT, a figure far below the actual number of businesses operating across the country. “The authority aims to bring at least 100,000 new businesses under the VAT system during December.” He reiterated the need to establish a single VAT rate across the board and to enforce a fully functional input credit system at every stage of production and distribution. Read more: NBR uncovers Tk 9 crore revenue evasion by United Tobacco A unified rate, he said, would make automation easier and eliminate distortions that undermine fair competition. Khan highlighted a common misconception that businesses “pay” VAT. He said businesses merely collect VAT on behalf of the government, while the final burden ultimately falls on consumers. Distortions in compliance, he added, create an uneven playing field in the market. To ease compliance for small and cottage businesses, NBR is planning sector-specific VAT systems that will allow users to record receipts and payments and automatically generate VAT returns. Read more: How to Submit Zero Income Tax Return Online in Bangladesh He said NBR will bear all system development and maintenance costs, including hosting and cloud services, to support smaller businesses that cannot afford specialised software or consultants. Khan also emphasised ongoing efforts to modernise VAT and income tax audits. He said various intelligence units including VAT, customs, central, and tax intelligence agencies have strengthened their operations, allowing NBR to recover significant amounts of evaded revenue. Updated figures will be shared soon, he added. Khan acknowledged several challenges affecting revenue collection this year, including weak corporate tax receipts from the banking sector, reduced capital expenditure due to a contractionary budget, and slower implementation of development projects. Major business groups have also faced financial stress, he said. Read more: Railway exempted from submitting proof of income tax return filing Khan said Bangladesh’s tax-GDP ratio remains low, and more research is needed to identify why certain segments of the economy remain untaxed. As the country prepares for LDC graduation, import duties will inevitably decline due to global trade obligations, making a stronger domestic tax base essential, he added. He said the long-delayed, World Bank-funded automation project for NBR will soon begin, and the authority intends to automate all of its internal processes under the initiative. He highlighted the need to better utilise existing automated systems such as ASYCUDA World, which is used globally but has not been fully leveraged in Bangladesh. The NBR chairman also sought for cooperation from businesses and the media to help simplify tax laws, expand the tax base, strengthen compliance, and build a fairer and more efficient revenue system. Read more: LPG operators oppose govt’s VAT hike proposal

Students of Dhaka College and Ideal College clashed in the capital’s Science Lab area on Monday morning again, barely a month after the two sides reached a verbal ‘peace agreement’ to end recurrent violence. Police said a chase and counter-chase took place between 8am and 11am following an altercation and a college bus was vandalised during the clash, triggering panic in the surrounding areas. Witnesses said brick-throwing and sudden attacks spread fear among pedestrians and commuters, causing severe traffic congestion on adjacent roads. Additional police personnel were deployed to bring the situation under control. New Market Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Ayub said the unrest began after students of Ideal College allegedly hurled bricks at a Dhaka College bus in front of Labaid Hospital. “We have convinced the Dhaka College students to return to their campus. Law enforcement agencies are working to stabilise the situation,” he said. Clashes among students of Dhaka College, Ideal College and Dhaka City College are frequent in the Science Lab area, often resulting in traffic disruption and public suffering. On November 9, students of Dhaka College and Ideal College reached a verbal ‘peace agreement’ through mediation by New Market Police Station, pledging to halt violence and restore ‘brotherhood’.