United News of Bangladesh

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir on Tuesday warned that no police member will be spared if allegations of involvement in drug trafficking are proven true. Drug abuse poses a major challenge to the country’s youth and future generation and police are working with utmost sincerity and professionalism to combat the menace, he said while addressing an award distribution ceremony at Rajarbagh Police Lines in the capital. Action has already been taken against police personnel found involved in narcotics-related activities, he said. The IGP said late President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia had contributed significantly to the development of Bangladesh Police. “Due to the use of the police as a partisan force over the last 17 years, we became isolated from people. But now we have been able to regain our image and discipline is gradually returning,” he said. Describing Bangladesh Police as a traditional and large force, the IGP said its members continue to work relentlessly to maintain law and order, ensure public safety and prevent crime. He also congratulated all award winners and wished them success in their future endeavors while calling upon all members of Bangladesh Police to work more devotedly for the welfare of the country. The award-winning members have further enriched this tradition through their bravery, dedication and professionalism, he added. Receiving such awards is not only recognition but also a symbol of responsibility, professional excellence and leadership, said the IGP. Expressing hope that the achievements would inspire greater responsibility among police personnel, the IGP urged the award recipients to continue performing their duties with honesty, sincerity and dedication.

The High Court has granted ad-interim bail to former Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque in two murder cases filed with Jatrabari and Adabor police stations in connection with July movement. A High Court bench comprising Justice KM Zahid Sarwar Kajol and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher passed the order on Tuesday. Senior lawyers Monsurul Haque Chowdhury, Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju and Advocate Md Jahangir Hossain appeared for Khairul Haque. “With these he has secured bail in all seven cases. Since there are no other cases against him, there is no more legal barrier to his release,” said his lawyer advocate Monsurul Haque Chowdhury. Earlier on April 28, the Appellate Division upheld High Court bail granted to Khairul Haque in five cases including a murder case involving a Jubo Dal activist during the July movement, allegations of verdict manipulation in the caretaker government case, and cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). A bench headed by Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury rejected a state appeal against the High Court order at that time. On March 8, a High Court bench comprising Justice Md Khairul Alam and Justice Md Sagir Hossain granted bail in four cases after issuing a rule. He also secured bail in an ACC case on March 11. The state later filed an appeal seeking a stay on those bail orders. Subsequently, he was shown arrested in two more cases at the lower court level. Khairul Haque was arrested from his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka on July 24, 2024. Later, he was shown arrested in a murder case filed over the killing of Jubo Dal activist Abdul Qayyum Ahamed in Jatrabari during the July movement. Apart from that case, four others were filed against him, including one in Shahbagh Police Station on August 27 last year over allegations of tampering with the caretaker government verdict, and two more cases filed in Narayanganj’s Fatullah and Bandar police stations on August 25 over similar allegations. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) also filed a case against him on August 4 last year over alleged irregularities in plot allocation. After lower courts rejected his bail pleas, he moved the High Court and obtained bail in five cases following issuance of a rule. Khairul Haque was appointed the 19th Chief Justice of Bangladesh on September 27, 2010, and his appointment took effect on September 30 the same year. He retired on May 17, 2011, and later served as Chairman of the Law Commission on three occasions.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday sought cooperation from university students to help maintain a stable political situation for nation-building and taking the country forward. “If we cannot keep the country’s political situation stable, we will not be able to build anything. Even if we build something, it will collapse,” he said while exchanging views with a group of students at Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium in Faculty of Social Sciences building at the University of Dhaka. The Prime Minister also encouraged students to learn a third language alongside Bengali and English to expand their employment opportunities worldwide. The interaction programme was held after the inauguration of a daylong workshop titled ‘Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: Roadmap to Sustainable Excellence’ organised by the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban. More than 150 students participated in the event and asked the Prime Minister questions on education, employment, corruption, political culture, museums, language and governance and the Prime Minister responded to their queries At the beginning of the programme, Tarique warmly greeted the students and recalled visiting the Dhaka University campus after nearly 35 years. Addressing the students, the Prime Minister said there is a significant age gap between him and the younger generation but stressed the importance of understanding their vision for Bangladesh. He said he wanted to know what kind of Bangladesh the students dream of, what the government can do for the country, and how the students themselves can contribute to nation-building. The Prime Minister then invited the students to begin an open discussion on the future of Bangladesh. Replying to a question from Kaberi Azad, a Master’s student of the Drawing and Painting Department of Dhaka University, Tarique said political stability is essential for building institutions and ensuring sustainable national development. He said people expect rapid changes and improvements in the country but everything has to be built gradually in a stable environment. “For this, a stable environment is necessary and I think every student can play a big role in this regard. Through social media or any other platform, you have to gradually build public opinion to this end,” the Prime Minister said. He said it is quite natural that political parties will engage in politics but parliament should be the main centre of politics. “We have done many things on the street politics. But now stability must come. Politics has to move to parliament. Just creating noise on the streets will not build anything,” Tarique said. The Prime Minister said discussion, dialogue and thoughtful decision-making are necessary for building the country. “To build anything, stability is needed. Discussion is needed. We have to work thoughtfully,” he said. “We need your cooperation in this regard because the future is yours. You have to be strong on these issues and raise your voice in protest when necessary,” Tarique added.  During the interaction, the Prime Minister also spoke about teacher recruitment, corruption, money laundering and social attitudes. Replying to another question, the Prime Minister said teacher recruitment at Dhaka University had not always been carried out in the proper manner and alleged that political considerations were often given priority over merit. “Unfortunately, Dhaka University is still not in a strong international ranking position. One of the main reasons is that teacher recruitment was perhaps not carried out properly in the past,” he said. Tarique said the situation could improve if teachers are appointed based on merit and academic results. “If we recruit teachers based on merit and academic performance, I believe it is possible to change the situation. He also referred to the lack of research publications among some academics seeking higher administrative positions at universities and urged university authorities to address the issue. Replying to a question from Islamic History and Culture department student Mobasheruzzaman Hasan regarding seat shortages in halls and libraries, unemployment and irregularities in public recruitment, the Prime Minister said development projects are necessary for a country, but alleged corruption and inflated costs have become a major concern. Referring to mega infrastructure projects undertaken after 2008, he questioned the high expenditure in some of them including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project. The Prime Minister also referred to allegations of excessive spending in public projects, mentioning the much-discussed “pillow scam”, where a pillow was reportedly purchased at an abnormally high price.“The burden of this extra expenditure ultimately falls on people,” he said. Citing a white paper published during the interim government period, Tarique said nearly $16 billion had been siphoned out of the country every year.“Had this money remained in the country, many student problems, including seat shortages, could have been solved,” he said. The Prime Minister also commented on the concept of “zero tolerance” against corruption, saying the term appears somewhat unrealistic to him.“No matter how much we say ‘zero tolerance’, it is very difficult to achieve completely in reality. But we are trying to bring it under control as much as possible.” The Prime Minister also said changing long-standing practices and attitudes would take time and could not be achieved within a few months or years. Narrating a personal observation from earlier in the day, the Prime Minister said he noticed water overflowing from an apartment building in Mohakhali because a pump had not been switched off. “In my view, this may be called negligence, but it can also be considered a form of corruption,” he said. Referring to the use of artificial intelligence in identifying traffic rule violations, he said many people react negatively even when fined for minor offences because social attitudes have not changed. “That is why changing people’s mindset is also important.” During the discussion, Tarique stressed the need for trained museum curators and cultural experts in Bangladesh. Referring to the country’s museums, he said many of them appear neglected and poorly maintained. The Prime Minister said the government has already taken initiatives through the Education Ministry and Cultural Affairs Ministry to improve museum management and develop skilled professionals in the field. Tarique also spoke about a government initiative to take schoolchildren to parliament and museums as part of civic and historical education. Replying to a question from student Al Amin regarding the declining use of Bangla among English-medium students, the Prime Minister said language and cultural identity depend largely on family values and mindset. He shared his personal experience of living in Britain after his family left Bangladesh and said his daughter still speaks Bangla fluently despite spending 17 years abroad. “If you speak with my daughter, you would never feel she lived in England for 17 years,” Tarique said. He said many families in Bangladesh constantly speak English with children studying in English-medium schools, which may improve language skills but can weaken attachment to Bangla and local culture.“This is a matter of mindset. It cannot be solved through force or regulations alone. Change has to come from within,” he said. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam and Marketing Department Professor Morshed Hasan Khan were present on the stage during the programme. Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam presented a commemorative crest to the Prime Minister after the event.  

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Tuesday said the country’s financial sector would operate independently, assuring that there would be no political interference in investment and loan allocations.  “The government will not interfere in the financial sector. There will be no political meddling in the investments. This is a clear and firm decision from the government and the Prime Minister,” the Minister said while speaking as the chief guest at the launch of the inaugural fund of the Bangladesh Startup Investment Company (BSIC) at a city hotel. Marking a historic shift in the country's entrepreneurial landscape, 39 commercial banks have jointly launched BSIC, Bangladesh’s first institutionally managed venture capital platform. With an initial capital of Tk 425 crore, the platform aims to reduce the startup ecosystem's heavy reliance on foreign funding. Minister Amir Khosru said Bangladesh is entering a new stage of economic transformation where productivity, technology, and private-sector innovation will be the primary growth drivers. “BSIC reflects our confidence in the potential of young entrepreneurs to build globally competitive institutions,” he added. Bangladesh Bank Governor Md. Mostaqur Rahman emphasised that the next phase of development requires institutions that uphold discipline, transparency, and accountability. From July, all business establishments must implement Bangla QR code for transactions to boost digital inclusion. In addition to the banks' initial Tk 425 crore investment, Bangladesh Bank will provide an additional Tk 500 crore as a refinancing fund for venture capital. The fund was formed by banks contributing 1 percent of their net profits from the last five years. This will be a continuous investment cycle covering Seed, Late Seed, and Series-A rounds. BSIC Chairman and Managing Director of City Bank PLC, Mashrur Arefin, said while Bangladesh’s startup sector has raised over $1 billion since 2010 through 450+ deals, less than 7 percent of that capital came from domestic sources. “BSIC is not just a fund; it is an institutional platform bridging local trust with global venture standards,” Arefin said, adding that the facility will extend beyond tech startups to include small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The event saw participation from high-profile international venture capital firms, including Wavemaker Partners (Singapore), 500 Global, ADB Ventures, and Sturgeon Capital, among others.  To ensure global standards, Sami Ahmed, former General Partner at B Capital, has been appointed as an advisor to the BSIC board. BSIC announced that it aims to complete its first three investments before the end of 2026. The company plans to appoint a Managing Director and a Chief Investment Officer by the third quarter of this year to streamline its investment committee. Experts believe this organised entry of domestic banks into the venture capital space will strengthen corporate governance and make local startups more attractive to foreign partners.

The government will review the trade agreement signed with the United States instead of moving immediately towards cancellation said Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman on Tuesday. The matter will be examined and investigated, he said at a press conference on the progress of various government activities at Press Information Department (PID) conference room at Secretariat. “If we look at the agreement, we will see there is an option to cancel it. It can be cancelled with a 60-day notice. That is one aspect. Another condition in the agreement is that the two countries can modify different provisions through discussions.” “From my position, I think we can at least first review the agreement at the government level,” he added Referring to public discussions on the agreement, he said newspapers columnsanad video commentaries highlighting possible problematic aspects should continue. Zahed said he has discussed the issue with the Prime Minister. “We are reviewing the agreement within the government. It is a very strong agreement and we understand the impact if it is cancelled, as well as the context in which it was signed,” he said. “However, we can consider revisiting certain problematic areas that we think may be harmful to the state. We would like to enter negotiations with them. Cancelling it may again create complications in bilateral relations or reciprocal tariffs,” he added. Responding to another question, he said there are different types of agreements including contracts and memorandums of understanding (MoUs). “Some agreements are legally binding. In many cases, the legal bindings are so strict that leaving them can be more harmful than staying,” he said. He also said that a democratically elected government considers multiple factors in such decisions.

A man and his son were killed and another one was injured after a bus hit a motorcycle on the Dhaka–Chattogram highway at Hafezia in Sadar upazila of Feni district on Tuesday. The deceased were identified as Nur Alam, son of Nurul Huda and an ambulance driver at Feni Diabetic Hospital and his son Nirob, of Rajapur village in Sonagazi upazila. The accident occurred around 9 am when a speedy bus hit the motorcycle carrying them, leaving Nur Alam dead on the spot and two others injured, said Asadul Islam, officer-in-charge of Mohipal Highway Police Station. Among the injured, Nirob died on the way to Feni Sadar Hospital while his cousin, Afzal Mithu, was taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. On information, police seized the bus and the motorcycle, but could not arrest anyone as the driver managed to flee the scene.    

A madrasah student died after being electrocuted in Kamrangirchar area of the capital on Monday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Yasin,10, a first-grade student of a local madrasah. The incident occurred around 3:30 pm in the Jowlahat Chowrasta Hajirghat area of Kamrangirchar. He was later taken in critical condition to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 5 pm. The victim’s father, Sabbir Hossain, said Yasin had gone to play in a nearby field when he accidentally came into contact with a tin-shed rickshaw garage beside the field. He said the child likely became electrocuted after touching the structure, which may have been live due to rainwater. Locals rushed him to safety and attempted first aid before taking him to the hospital. Hospital police camp in-charge Inspector Md Faruk said the body has been kept in the morgue. He added that Kamrangirchar Police Station has been informed for further investigation.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized Indian smuggled goods worth over Tk 1.22 crore in separate raids conducted along the border areas of Brahmanpara and Burichang upazilas. The operations were carried out on Sunday based on intelligence information by patrol teams of Sultanpur Battalion (60 BGB) under its Shashidal and Kharera border outposts. During the drives, BGB personnel seized 648 Indian sarees and 337,400 fireworks, according to officials. The estimated value of the seized items is Tk 1,22,56,000. Officials said the confiscated goods will be handed over to the relevant customs authorities following legal procedures. Commander of the battalion Lt Col SM Shariful Islam said the force remains alert to ensure border security while continuing efforts to prevent smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and push-in attempts. He added that intelligence surveillance and operational activities along the border have been strengthened and such operations will continue in the future.

A boy drowned after falling into a water-filled excavation for an unfinished drainage project in Kumarkhali on Monday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Md Ifat, 6, son of Kamrul Hasan of Elangi area 3 of Kumarkhali Municipality. He was a class one student of Baitul Ulum Islamia Cadet Madrasa. According to police and family members, Ifat went out around 3 pm with his cousin Samad, 11, to graze goats. When he did not return home, relatives began searching for him. Around 4 pm, they found his sandals beside the under-construction drain in front of Manik Sheikh’s house and recovered him from the water. He was taken to Kumarkhali Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Locals said the municipality had undertaken a 500-metre drainage project from Manik Sheikh’s house to the Gorai River about a year ago. Although the excavation was completed before the last monsoon, the construction work had not started, leaving a deep waterlogged ditch. They alleged that negligence by the contractor and the authorities led to the child’s death and demanded punishment for those responsible. The tragedy left the area in mourning. Ifat’s mother, Sharmin Akter, was inconsolable, while his father fell ill and was admitted to the health complex. Contractor Liton Ali said he was overseeing the drainage work but claimed he was unaware of the incident. Upazila Nirbahi Officer and municipal administrator Farzana Akhter said action would be taken if negligence by the contractor is found. Officer-in-Charge of Kumarkhali Police Station Jamal Uddin said legal action would be taken if a written complaint is filed.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Monday said the government will establish an effective and independent media commission to ensure freedom of the press. He said the commission will be formed through consensus based on opinions from all stakeholders so that it is not seen as an imposed structure. The minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of Asia Post at Bengal Shilpalay. Swapon said the world is going through a period of transformation, where the rapid expansion of digital technology, online media and internet use has accelerated the flow of information, but has also increased the spread of misinformation, disinformation and distorted content. Protecting people from false information is now one of the major challenges of the time, he said. He also warned that the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new challenges and said the government has taken initiatives to develop new strategies to address the issue. Swapon sought cooperation from media professionals in tackling these emerging challenges and reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting the freedom, dignity and professional integrity of the media. Journalists, media workers and distinguished guests from different sectors were present at the event.