United News of Bangladesh

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday urged senior police officers to uphold their highest level of responsibility and sincerity as the country moves toward what he described as a ‘historic, festive and peaceful’ national election, one that will go beyond the ‘traditional’ election. “This is not an ordinary election. It will be a post-uprising election, different from all traditional elections. Through this election, a new Bangladesh will emerge,” he said, underscoring the importance of the next three months. Prof Yunus made the remarks while addressing the Superintendents of Police (SPs) from all 64 districts, along with other senior police officials, at the Chief Adviser’s Office. The national election is scheduled to be held in the first half of February next year.Speaking about the role of SPs in ensuring a festive and peaceful election environment, Prof Yunus stressed the need for carrying out duties with utmost precision and without mistakes. He said the government is committed to building a stronger institutional structure, one that will never falter. Prof Yunus also briefly reflected on previous controversial elections, mentioning that the police have the opportunity to help bring about positive change by acting without bias.“It is a historic responsibility,” the Chief Adviser added. Prof Yunus called on the SPs to play a role in holding an acceptable election, pointing out that the next election is a historic responsibility for everyone and encouraged them to take the responsibility as a challenge. He said through the uprising they dreamt of a new Bangladesh, and through the upcoming election, they aim to carry that dream forward. Prof Yunus said a referendum will also be held simultaneously during the upcoming general election, which will serve as the basis for building the Bangladesh of the future. Prof Yunus said many delegations and election observers from abroad will come in the upcoming elections. The Superintendents of Police should work towards this so that they can present this election as a wonderful example to the whole world, he said. The Chief Adviser said they have all seen the past elections - some call it a farce election, some call it a fraud. "We have to rise above that and create a new standard."Prof Yunus mentioned that bringing about that change is the major responsibility of the police force. Chinese investors can help transform Bangladesh into manufacturing hub: Prof Yunus He emphasised the initiative and creativity of the officers in making the upcoming elections fair, saying, "Not everything can be written on paper. While performing your duties, you should think about how to do the job more efficiently." Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, among others, was present.

World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda on Thursday announced the first two Pacific projects to be delivered under the Full Mutual Reliance Framework, an innovative cofinancing model that will boost development impact. The framework will allow countries to work with a single lead lender, either ADB or the World Bank, guiding all aspects of project design, preparation, supervision, and evaluation. It will streamline processes and reduce duplication between the two institutions. Countries will benefit from faster project implementation, lower transaction costs, and continued adherence to high policy standards. The first two projects under the framework are a major health modernization initiative in Fiji and an integrated transport, urban, and water infrastructure investment in Tonga. “Our goal is to make development finance simpler, faster, and more effective,” said ADB President Masato Kanda. “With this approach, we respond to client needs to solve complex challenges together, from disaster resilience to better connectivity, while supporting their long-term vision for prosperity.” “We pursued this framework for one core reason: our clients asked us to make their lives easier. To work faster. To be better partners,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “This is an important step forward — for our institutions, yes, but far more importantly, for the countries and communities who count on us to deliver real results.” The operationalization of the framework in the Pacific reflects the already close partnership between ADB and the World Bank Group in the region, and responds to the needs of client countries for more rapid, streamlined, and effective development financing. The $236.5 million Pacific Healthy Islands Transformation (PHIT) project, led by the World Bank, aims to tackle noncommunicable diseases, which are among the leading causes of death across Pacific island countries. The project will mark the largest single operation of the World Bank Group in the Pacific. In Fiji, the project will modernize primary health-care networks and support a new, state-of-the-art regional hospital, giving people across the Pacific greater access to treatment for cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other major health conditions. The World Bank Board has approved its financing for this project. ADB’s proposed cofinancing will be presented to its Board for consideration in early 2026. The second, ADB-led project, the Tonga Sustainable Economic Corridors and Urban Resilience (SECURE) project, was approved by its Board of Directors on 20 November 2025. With ADB and the World Bank expected to provide a combined total of $120 million in grant financing, SECURE will be the largest development partner–financed project undertaken in Tonga’s history. The project will make transformational infrastructure upgrades to Greater Nuku’alofa’s transport network and urban drainage systems, including the 720-meter-long Fanga’uta lagoon bridge. These investments will reduce traffic congestion, improving market access for rural residents and enhancing connectivity to essential infrastructure including the airport and the port. They will also provide secure evacuation routes during disaster events, including tsunamis. World Bank cofinancing will be presented to its Board in early 2026.  

Fifteen volumes of historical ethnographic data on 1971 have been handed over to the Liberation War Research Center of North South University (NSU). Professor Afsan Chowdhury, Editor-at-Large of UNB and Dhaka Courier and an adjunct faculty member of BRAC University, handed the documents at an event at the office of NSU’s Liberation War Research Center on Wednesday. Prof Abdur Rob Khan, Pro-VC of NSU, received the documents on behalf of Vice Chancellor Prof Abdul Hannan Chowdhury. Prof Mahbubur Rahman, Director of the center and Chair of the Department of History and Philosophy, moderated the event. The 15-volume collection is based on a census of 2,300 villages in Naogaon district in northern Bangladesh. The survey was completed in 2018. Prof Afsan Chowdhury thanked the NSU authorities for taking the initiative to preserve the documents for researchers and anyone interested in the history of 1971 Liberation War.

The interim government on Thursday (December 04, 2025) called for special prayers across the country seeking the speedy recovery of the former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia. Muslims have been requested to offer dua after Juma prayers on Friday (December 05, 2025) at all mosques while temples, churches and pagodas have been asked to hold prayers following respective religious traditions, according to a Facebook post shared by Chief Adviser's press wing. Read more: Govt declares Khaleda Zia a ‘very very important person’ People of all walks of life have also been urged to pray individually for her recovery. Khaleda Zia has been undergoing treatment at Evercare Hospital since November 23. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday night visited her at the hospital. Severe medical teams from the UK and China have arrived in Bangladesh to join the BNP’s chairperson treatment. Read more: Prof Yunus visits Evercare Hospital to enquire about Khaleda’s health

A mild earthquake jolted Dhaka and nearby areas early Thursday (December 04), according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). BMD reported that the 4.1-magnitude quake struck at around 6:14am, with its epicentre in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi, about 38 kilometres northeast of the BMD Seismic Observatory and Research Centre in Agargaon.  No casualties have been reported so far. Mild earthquake jolts Dhaka, adjacent areas again The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre placed the epicentre 33 kilometres east-northeast of Tongi and three kilometres north of Narsingdi, at a depth of 30 kilometres. A stronger earthquake, measuring 5.7 in magnitude, had earlier shaken Dhaka and several regions on November 21, also originating from Narsingdi.  Since then, several minor tremors have been recorded across the country, most with epicentres in Narsingdi. Read more: Ceiling And Wall Cracks After An Earthquake: When To Worry

A mobile court operation was conducted in Ashulia and Gorat areas of Savar to protect national resources by removing illegal gas connections, the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources said on Wednesday. During the operation, approximately 3 kilometers of unauthorized gas distribution lines were dismantled. Around 700 illegal residential gas burners were disconnected, and 600 meters of unauthorized pipes were removed. The immediate disconnected gas load reached 14,700 cubic feet per hour. Authorities estimate that the crackdown will save 99,902 cubic meters of gas per month, valued at roughly Tk 1,798,236. No fines were imposed during the operation. Officials stated that such drives will continue to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to legitimate customers and prevent wastage.

The body of a three-year-old girl who went missing from Pabhati village in Jhenaidah town on Wednesday morning, was recovered from a neighbour’s house on the same night. Police suspect Saima Akhter Saba, daughter of Saidul Islam of the village, was murdered. Saba went missing around 8am while playing near her home, said SI Manoj Kumar Ghosh of Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station. Her father later filed a general diary (GD) regarding her disappearance. Following the GD, police and locals searched nearby areas, including a pond, but found no trace of the child until evening. Her body was discovered around 9:30pm inside the house of Masud, a local resident. Police believe the child may have been killed in a planned manner. Shantana Khatun, 30, wife of Masud, has been detained for questioning, said SI Manoj.  

The ‘Anti-discrimination Students’ Movement’, the student organization that led the July Uprising last year, staged a demonstration protesting the killing of two young men by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) allegedly at Shibganj border in Chapai Nawabganj. The protest was held on Wednesday at around 4:30 pm in front of the Raju Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus. Speakers at the rally urged the government to take strong measures against killings along the border. They also called for the adoption of a preventive policy between the two countries to stop border-related killings. Sinthiya Zaheen Ayesha, spokesperson of ‘Anti-discrimination Students’ Movement’, said, “The lives of Bangladeshi citizens are not cheap. We demand a preventive policy between the two countries. We want an impartial international investigation into this killing.” She added, “We reject the interim government’s submissive foreign policy. We will not tolerate anyone’s dominance.” Meanwhile, the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) has urged the government to take urgent steps to file a case with the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing India of violating international law through repeated killings of Bangladeshi citizens along the border. Condemning the killing of two youths by BSF at the Shibganj border, DUCSU stated that due to the failure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government’s weak diplomatic stance, border killings have become a regular occurrence. In a statement issued Wednesday, DUCSU said that border killings not only violate human rights but also a serious breach of international human rights conventions and border laws. It emphasized that Bangladesh must now intensify diplomatic and legal efforts on global platforms, including the International Criminal Court, to ensure justice for such incidents. Bangladeshi man shot dead by BSF near border in Chuadanga The statement added, “Since independence, BSF has repeatedly violated international law through continuous killings of Bangladeshi citizens. Although the brutal killings of Felani or Swarna Das shook the entire world, it brought no change in the behavior of the Indian border guards.” It further said that the submissive diplomacy and repeated failures of the Bangladesh government have emboldened the BSF even more. Although India has repeatedly promised to bring border killings down to zero, the reality reflects the opposite. The statement concluded that, in addition to bilateral discussions, taking the issue to the International Criminal Court and other global forums is the only effective alternative to stopping the ongoing killings.    

The Credit Rating Agency of Bangladesh Ltd. (CRAB) held its 21st Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, chaired by CRAB Chairperson Noor A. Alam Chowdhury. Board members present included Tapan Chowdhury (Managing Director, SQUARE Pharmaceuticals), Asif Ibrahim (Vice Chairman, New Age Group), Raihan Rahman (Director, Groundstone Corporation, Canada), Tania Nusrat Zaman (former UNDP and World Bank policy expert), Asif Saad Bin Shams (IDLC Finance), Md. Nurul Huda (ICB), Sahil Humayun (Unicorn Equities), and Shahed Shams Azad (Managing Director & CEO of CRAB). Chairperson Noor A. Alam Chowdhury said that despite economic and political challenges, CRAB’s achievements in 2024–25 were possible thanks to the efforts of shareholders, board members, management, and clients. He highlighted that improving service quality, developing human resources, and expanding technology adoption will remain CRAB’s top priorities. Managing Director Shahed Shams Azad presented CRAB’s activities and progress for 2024–25, emphasizing the agency’s continued focus on technology-driven innovations in its rating services.    

A writ petition was filed on Wednesday with the High Court seeking its directives to issue a stay order on the activities related to the upcoming national election. General Secretary of the Bangladesh Congress Md. Earul Islam filed the writ petition with the HC bench concerned. The petition also sought directives to recruit district and upazila election officers instead of appointing Deputy Commissioner and UNO as returning and assistant returning officers. If the High Court issues a rule after the primary hearing, the petition sought suspension of all activities for the 13th national election until the rule is settled.The petition said running the Election Commission Secretariat and conducting elections with officials of the executive branch is inconsistent with the Constitution. It said the Election Commission, like the judiciary, must have its own independent manpower. For this reason, the petitioner sought a directive to form an ‘Electoral Service Commission’. Writ petition filed challenging provision of party symbols in the alliance's vote It said Constitution assigns election management to the Election Commission while the executive branch is meant to provide assistance. But in practice, responsibility for conducting elections has repeatedly been given to the executive branch, the petition said. As a result, elections have become controversial, it added.