United News of Bangladesh

Four days after a major power disruption, Bangladesh Bank’s server has yet to be fully normal, officials said. They said the online platform for the Interbank Data Processing (ITDP) system, which facilitates mutual exchanges between banks, remains offline due to the server malfunction. A Bangladesh Bank spokesperson said relevant departments are working to resolve the issue. While several critical services have been restored, some essential functions will require more time to resume. The server failure occurred suddenly last Thursday morning following a power outage and voltage fluctuation. The bank’s system failed when the automatic generator did not activate due to a technical error, causing the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) backup to expire and leaving the server room completely without power. The incident disrupted crucial services, including international payment settlements and card-based transactions. Arif Hossain Khan, Executive Director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, said the situation is improving, though the ITDP platform is still offline. “The NPSB (National Payment Switch of Bangladesh), RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement), and batch services have been reactivated. However, the ITDP is yet to be fully restored. Work is underway, and we expect the entire system to normalize very soon,” he said. Bangladesh Bank clears path to liquidate nine troubled NBFIs Hossain said intensified technical monitoring will continue until all services are fully functional. Banks have already informed customers about the temporary suspension of the NPSB service and apologised for the inconvenience. Central Bank officials assured that no money is at risk due to the sudden shutdown, although the unexpected disruption did cause transaction delays. Officials pointed out that abrupt shutdowns causes more delays than planned ones, which usually utilise alternative servers. Since last Thursday was the final day for the settlement of many transactions, the outage may result in penalties in some cases. Bangladesh Bank extends Tk8000 crore Sukuk term for five years Complete power loss shutting down the central bank’s server is a rare occurrence, according to officials. While transaction disruptions are not new—previous incidents include a severed BTCL line in April 2021 and two server failures in 2023—a total shutdown due to power failure is recent, they said.

Bangladesh’s economy continues to face significant stress from persistent inflation, weak investor confidence, limited fiscal space and external uncertainties, even as some indicators point to the prospect of a gradual recovery in the coming months, according to  Bangladesh State of the Economy 2025 report released on Monday. The report says depleted foreign exchange reserves, shifting global buyer preferences and geopolitical disruptions have weighed heavily on overall economic performance. General Economic Division (GED) published the report at National Economic Commission of the Planning Commission in the city. Investor sentiment remains fragile, with foreign direct investment (FDI) stuck at critically low levels and unlikely to improve significantly without stronger structural reforms, it said. With revenue mobilisation remaining chronically low, the government’s capacity to undertake essential public investment has been severely constrained, said the report. A provisional estimate by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) indicates a significant shortfall from the annual revenue target. The situation worsened in June when revenue collection was hampered by NBR officials’ protest activities against a government move to split the NBR into two separate divisions. Although the standoff was eventually resolved and normal operations resumed, the temporary disruption added pressure to an already strained fiscal framework. Inflation—hovering at 8–9% during FY25—continues to erode real incomes, particularly for low-income and rural households. The report attributes this persistent inflation to food price shocks, higher import costs driven by a weakening taka, rising energy prices, and ongoing supply chain disruptions. It warns that controlling inflation is central to rebuilding investor confidence, stabilising the financial sector, and creating conditions for stronger economic growth in FY2025–26. Despite these headwinds, the last six months of FY25 have shown “signs of promise”driven by improvements in domestic demand and stabilisation in key external indicators, it said. However, the repirt said, major multilateral institutions maintain cautious growth projections. The World Bank expects GDP growth between 3.3% and 4.1% in FY2025, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts 3.9%. A modest rebound to 5.1%–5.3% is projected for FY2026, contingent on improved macroeconomic stability and policy reforms. Remittance inflows have remained stable, helping to ease pressure on the balance of payments. Import patterns indicate a gradual revival in domestic economic activity, with capital machinery imports showing encouraging signs of recovery—an indication of renewed investment intent. Export earnings, led by the ready-made garments (RMG) sector, have stayed resilient due to compliance improvements, innovation, and broader market diversification. Foreign exchange reserves stabilised at just above three months of import coverage, marking an improvement from earlier periods of volatility. Even so, the report stresses that Bangladesh stands at a “critical juncture”. The prospects for accelerated economic recovery will hinge on decisive policy actions and the ability to address several looming vulnerabilities including high inflation, financial sector weaknesses, governance gaps, and an investment climate that remains unattractive to local and foreign investors. According to the analysis, the country must prioritise job creation to absorb a rapidly expanding labour force, strengthen manufacturing sectors particularly garments and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) boost remittance flows, and scale up investments in human capital. Without these reforms, Bangladesh risks slower long-term growth, deteriorating living standards, rising poverty rates, and widening inequality. The report emphasised that the coming year or two will be crucial in determining whether Bangladesh can consolidate recent gains or fall behind its development trajectory. It underscores the need for a comprehensive national strategy for sustainable development, supported by structural reforms and economic policy realignment. Such reforms would need to focus on innovation, promoting both domestic and foreign investment, improving regulatory efficiency, and ensuring that the benefits of growth are broadly shared. “With proactive and coherent policy actions, Bangladesh has a real chance to re-accelerate,” the report said. “Clear communication, strong policy credibility, and reforms that directly improve the lives of ordinary people—not just macroeconomic indicators—will be critical for restoring confidence and securing resilient, inclusive growth,” it added  

Police recovered the bodies of a woman and her teenage daughter from a flat in the capital’s Mohammadpur area on Monday. The deceased were identified as Malaila Afroz, 48, and her daughter Nafisa Binte Aziz, 15. Assistant Commissioner (Mohammadpur Zone) of Tejgaon Division under Dhaka Metropolitan Police Md Abdullah Al Mamun said the two bodies were found on the seventh floor of a building on Shahjahan Road. He said preliminarily it appears that their domestic help might have killed them and fled. Police were sent to the house in the morning after receiving the information, he added.  

Distinguished Fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Prof Mustafizur Rahman on Monday said Bangladesh must urgently strengthen revenue mobilisation, improve governance and address deep-rooted structural challenges to ensure inclusive growth and avoid the risk of falling into a debt trap. He also warned that the country is gradually moving towards a ‘dangerous and obligatory dependency’, largely due to its persistently low revenue-to-GDP ratio. Mustafizur Rahman said this while speaking at the seminar on the publications ‘Bangladesh State of the Economy 2025’ and ‘Sustainable Development Goals: Bangladesh Progress Report 2025’ at the NEC Conference Room, Bangladesh Planning Commission. He said Bangladesh’s revenue-GDP ratio has fallen to 7.7 percent this year, compared to around 8 percent in the previous year and significantly lower than the 10.9 percent recorded in 2015. “The NBR’s 10-year plan aims to take this ratio to only 10.5 percent by 2035. If we had 10.9 percent in 2015, could we not have been more ambitious after ten more years?” he asked. Referring to former finance minister AMA Muhith’s 2016 budget speech, he said the government pays VAT at four lakh points, while it receives VAT from only 24,000 points. “This means the gap between what people pay and what the government collects is huge. This is not a 7.7 percent issue. It points directly to corruption. How are we addressing it?” Mustafizur Rahman questioned. He said digitisation and technology-based reforms could close many loopholes, but stronger integration between income and expenditure data is essential. “Unless we tag income with expenditure, we cannot shut these leakages. Our NID system is strong. If expenditure is linked to NID, we would immediately know whether someone declaring an income of Tk 10 lakh is buying a Mercedes-Benz worth Tk 10 crore,” he said. CPD calls for scrapping ‘Upper House’ plan, warns of deeper parliamentary chaos Mustafizur Rahman cautioned that without decisive action, Bangladesh could face a serious debt-servicing burden. “We may enter a debt trap, which will not be good for the country. Already in the revenue budget, after paying salaries and pensions, the second-largest expenditure used to be agriculture and education. Now it is interest payment,” he said. The CPD Distinguished Fellow praised the publications for honestly presenting existing challenges rather than masking them, and for providing a forward-looking perspective. Linking the SDG ambition of ‘leave no one behind’ with the economic assessment, he said that while macroeconomic stability has begun to improve, many ‘subterranean challenges’ remain. “If we analyse the economy through two reference points — the state in which the interim government assumed responsibility in July–August, and the aspirations of the student-led movement — we see that stability has come, but at a cost. This is reflected in the banking sector as well,” the CPD Distinguished Fellow said. Mustafizur Rahman said although the Bangladesh Bank governor is undertaking various reforms, high policy and interest rates have increased the cost of capital. “High interest rates raise business costs, but logistics and other costs also account for around 12 percent for entrepreneurs. Without addressing corruption and institutional weaknesses, the cost of doing business will remain high,” he said. This, he added, has created a ‘vicious cycle’—high interest rates raise business costs, discouraging investment, which in turn affects employment and hampers inclusive development. Income inequality indicators reflect this trend. “The bottom 40 percent holds 12 percent of income, while the top 10 percent holds 41 percent. If we had updated the Gini coefficient, it would likely show further deterioration,” The CPD Distinguished Fellow said. Though inflation has eased to 8.2 percent, he said workers whose wages rise by about 5 percent annually continue to experience erosion in purchasing power. The wage share in GDP is also declining, worsening distributional inequality. He stressed that ahead of LDC graduation, Bangladesh must urgently improve governance and competitiveness to offset the withdrawal of preferential market access, including the 12 percent GSP benefit in the EU. Export growth has slowed to 2.2 percent between July and October, compared with robust growth in the previous year. Good election needed for boosting investment: CPD's Mustafizur Rahman One positive sign, he noted, was a strong rise in LC openings for capital machinery—over 25 percent in the first three months of the fiscal year—reflecting early optimism among entrepreneurs about political stability and a new government. However, Bangladesh remains far behind on SDG targets related to education and skills, Prof Mustafizur Rahman said. Mathematics and Bangla performance indicators in the report show a “worrying situation”, while no significant improvement has been made in technical and vocational education, he added. “If we are to shift from a low-skill, cost-based competitiveness model to a skill- and productivity-based one, we must produce skilled workers and mid-level professionals,” he said. He also flagged serious weaknesses in the health sector, where allocation remains below 1 percent of GDP and utilisation is the lowest among major sectors. “Allocative priorities, utilisation and efficiency — in all three, there are embedded problems,” he said. Prof Mustafizur Rahman said the success of ongoing reforms will largely depend on the commitment and capacity of the incoming government, and whether governance issues are addressed decisively.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has called on political parties to clearly articulate their positions on the use of money, muscle power, and religion in politics and to reflect these commitments in their election manifestos. It also urged them to include firm commitments to preventing corruption, ensuring accountability and good governance in post-election governance, and upholding equality, human dignity, and social justice. Ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election, TIB released a set of 52 recommendations for inclusion in political party manifestos. The recommendations were unveiled at a press conference titled “Commitment to a Well-Governed, Inclusive, and Corruption-Free Bangladesh: TIB’s Recommendations for Political Party Manifestos in the 13th National Parliamentary Election” held at TIB’s Dhanmondi office on Sunday, said a handout. TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Management Advisor Professor Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Director of Outreach and Communication Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, and Director of Research and Policy Muhammad Badiuzzaman, were present. The recommendations were presented by TIB Senior Research Fellow (Qualitative) Md. Julkarnayeen. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that the nation expects political parties to commit to building a discrimination-free Bangladesh, ensuring equal rights, harmony, and coexistence for marginalized communities; all genders including women and men; persons with physical and mental disabilities; and all social, cultural, and ethnic groups. “It is important that political parties clearly mention in their manifestos their commitment to implementing the spirit, objectives, and July Charter of the July Uprising, as well as their position on a national referendum,” he added. “The public expects political parties to pledge in their manifestos that they will continue investigating and prosecuting all killings, crimes, and human rights violations committed during the July Uprising and the authoritarian regime, and take effective measures to prevent such grave violations in the future. The parties must also clarify their position on granting state recognition to the martyrs of the July Uprising, providing adequate support to their families, and ensuring proper treatment and rehabilitation for the injured,” Dr. Zaman added. TIB’s recommendations proposed formulating an integrated and effective National Anti-Corruption Strategy Paper through constitutional amendments. The strategy should clearly outline the anti-corruption responsibilities of both state and non-state institutions and ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency. For political reform, TIB emphasized ensuring the representation of youth, women, Indigenous peoples, Dalits, and other marginalized communities in party committees and candidate nomination processes. In particular, parties must nominate at least one-third women in national elections to ensure meaningful and inclusive political representation. TIB called on parties to avoid “zero-sum politics” to foster mutual understanding and healthy competition. The recommendations also encouraged political parties to adopt transparent, accountable, and corruption-free development strategies, and highlighted the need for legal reforms to ensure “value for money” in all public procurement and development projects. TIB demanded constitutional recognition of Indigenous peoples and Dalits to protect their rights, including land and political rights. To strengthen governance in the banking and financial sector, TIB recommended forming an independent bank commission comprising neutral, reputable, conflict-free, and skilled experts; abolishing the Financial Institutions Division under the Ministry of Finance to end dual control over state-owned banks; and ensuring exemplary punishment for individuals—including officials of Bangladesh Bank and commercial banks—engaged in loan fraud, embezzlement, and other irregularities. TIB also called for the removal of politically connected individuals and vested-interest groups from the boards and management of Bangladesh Bank and all commercial banks, as well as investigating past corruption in the capital market and punishing those responsible to establish an independent, transparent, and accountable regulatory framework.  In the area of climate change and environmental protection, TIB recommended strengthening transparency and effective management of climate funds and urged the government to pursue climate compensation.

Nearly 3.5 million children in Bangladesh remain engaged in labour, with over one lakh of them involved in hazardous work, and an overwhelming 99 per cent still fall outside legal protection despite recent labour law reforms. The reason, experts say, is that the vast majority of these children work in the informal sector, where legal safeguards are weakest. These observations were made by Prof Dr Md Nazmuzzaman Bhuiyan, of University of Dhaka, while presenting the keynote paper at a policy-sharing event on strengthening child labour–related laws and policies in Bangladesh. The function was held on Sunday at a hotel in Dhaka, organised by Educo Bangladesh and the Child Labour Elimination Platform (CLAP). Educo Bangladesh Manager Afzal Kabir Khan presided over the session, which was moderated by Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF) Executive Director AKM Ashraf Uddin. Senior officials and rights advocates, including Labour Ministry Joint Secretary Mohammad Mozammel Haque, Child Labour Monitoring Council Co-chair Advocate Salma Ali, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) President Advocate Seema Zahir, and Educo Bangladesh Programme Director Abdur Rahim, also spoke at the event. In his presentation, Dr Bhuiyan highlighted the current state of child labour, gaps in existing laws and policies, and crucial interventions needed to eliminate the practice. He noted that the amended Labour Act does not set any minimum wage for workers in the informal sector, where 99 per cent of child labourers are employed. He recommended introducing a national minimum wage for children and adolescents working in both formal and informal sectors. Dr Bhuiyan further pointed out that the National Plan of Action (NPA) for eliminating child labour expired in 2016 without achieving its targets. The latest National Education Policy extends compulsory education from Class 5 (age 10) to Class 8 (age 14), but the law must be amended to activate this policy. Until then, he warned, children aged 11 to 14 remain the most vulnerable to the worst forms of child labour, often in activities harmful to their health and safety. He stressed the need for greater public awareness and behavioural change to eradicate child labour. Labour Ministry Joint Secretary Mohammad Mozammel Haque described child labour as one of the country’s major social challenges. Despite efforts from both government and non-government organisations, many children are still compelled to work for survival. He said the government is strongly committed to ending child labour and has been working to implement the NPA. He expressed hope that necessary amendments to relevant laws and policies will be undertaken to strengthen ongoing efforts.

Two more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Sunday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 396 this year. During the same period, 516 new patients were admitted to hospitals, raising the total number of dengue cases this year to 97,829, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The new fatalities were reported in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). Last year, dengue claimed 575 lives, with 101,214 cases and 100,040 recoveries recorded during the same period.  

Since assuming his role as Religious Affairs Adviser, Dr AFM Khalid Hossain has overseen a series of development and reform initiatives at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. “These efforts — ranging from improved infrastructure to enhanced safety and facility upgrades — are already transforming the national mosque into a more conducive place of worship and service,” he said at a press conference at the mosque on Sunday. The Ministry of Religious Affairs organised the press conference to inform the countrymen about the overall ‘development and renovation of Baitul Mukarram Mosque.’ “We can’t change everything overnight as per our wishes… But we have already completed several development works, some works are ongoing, and some more will be started within the shortest possible time,” he mentioned. Dr Khalid said a new sub-station has been constructed and a high-power generator installed at a cost of Tk 11 crore to solve the electricity problem. “Besides, fire extinguishing systems have also been newly added and fire hydrants have been installed at 80 sensitive spots. In addition, a submersible pump has been installed to ensure an uninterrupted water supply for the mosque. A modern and advanced sound system has also been added,” the adviser said. Dr Khalid said a new drainage system has been installed, while all 40 ACs inside the mosque and the women’s prayer rooms have been serviced and activated. He said 12,000 square feet of high-quality carpets have been added, and the prayer mats and carpets of the minar have been replaced at a cost of Tk 49.17 lakh. The adviser said that in the last one year, 120 new ceiling fans and 10 pedestal (stand) fans have been added to the 3rd and 4th floors of the mosque. Besides, an agreement has been signed with a private security company for round-the-clock cleaning, and 12 people have been appointed in this regard, he said. In addition, 30 toilets and ablution basins have been newly constructed on the east side with a modern and sustainable design, he added. As part of the development work, the adviser said four damaged gates on the south and east sides have been newly constructed, and overhead shoe boxes have been provided to the mosque. The adviser said Tk 2 crore in arrears has been collected from the Baitul Mukarram Mosque Market, and two shops have been recovered from illegal occupants. “The two car parking spaces in this market have generated revenue of Tk 70.50 lakh… In the last one year, the capital of the mosque and the market has increased from Tk 90 crore to Tk 110 crore,” he informed. Religious Affairs Secretary Md Kamal Uddin, Additional Secretary Imtiaz Ahmed, Islamic Foundation Director General A Salam Khan, WAQF Administrator Nur Alam, and other senior officials of the ministry were present.

A case has been filed against six people including Beximco Group Vice Chairman Salman F Rahman for embezzling Tk 1.20 crore. Three pilots of Beximco Aviation including Captain Md Mahbub Alam, Captain Mohammad Rashedul Amin and Captain Zahidur Rahman—filed the case with Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Sunday. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nazneen Akter took the case into cognizance and asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit a probe report after investigation. The other accused were—Abdullah Khan Majlish of Beximco Aviation, his brother Emran Khan, Gulzar Hossain and Syed Samiul Wadud alias Shami Wadud. According to the case statement, the three pilots joined the Beximco Aviation Company in 2021 and during their tenure of service they received their salary and allowance. The three pilots have been terminated from the company without paying any dues or salary and through this the company embezzled Tk 1,20,55,000. Salman F Rahman, was arrested from Dhaka's Sadarghat area on August 13, 2024 and since then he has been in jail.    

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Sunday reaffirmed that the interim government is moving forward to give the nation the best election in history in the first half of February next. "You (Election Commission) are in the driver's seat in this election that is awaited by the nation. We must reach the desired goal,” he said when Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin briefed the Chief Adviser about the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections and referendum. The Election Commissioners, led by the Chief Election Commissioner, met Prof Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna and informed him about the progress of the election arrangements. National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman and Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser M Siraz Uddin Miah were present in the meeting. CEC Nasir Uddin said all preparations for organising the elections are progressing properly and smoothly.