United News of Bangladesh

The government has declared BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia a ‘very very important person’ (VVIP). A notification in this regard was issued on Monday. Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, Director General (Administration) at the office of the Chief Adviser, signed the order following instructions from the President. According to the notification, Khaleda Zia has been declared a VVIP under Section 2(a) of the Special Security Force Act, 2021. The decision takes immediate effect. Since her admission to Evercare Hospital on November 23, Khaleda Zia has been under intensive treatment in the hospital’s Coronary Care Unit (CCU) for multiple complications affecting her liver, kidneys and heart.

Political parties on Monday united to sign a Child Rights Manifesto, responding to the powerful voices of children and young people who have demanded a future where their rights are better respected and protected. The Child Rights Manifesto, seen as a historic moment for the nation’s children, was signed by 12 political parties to the upcoming 2026 national election, pledging action to address 10 priority commitments designed to put childhood back on track in Bangladesh. The political parties are Amar Bangladesh Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Socialist Party of Bangladesh Communist Party of Bangladesh, Gano Forum, Ganosamhati Andolon, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiyo Party, Khelafat Majlis, Nagorik Oikya and National Citizen Party. The Manifesto is the result of an inclusive, multi-phase process engaging children, adolescents and young people, including marginalided groups, those with disabilities, and indigenous communities - through digital platforms like U-Report and in-person consultations. Findings were validated with academia, civil society, private sector and development partners, before briefings on the data and evidence and the draft commitments were presented to political party leaders to secure public commitments ahead of the national elections. It outlines practical goals that when implemented, will address the country’s most urgent child rights priorities, addressing the challenge to ensure that every child in Bangladesh survives, learns and is protected. The commitments include strengthening quality education, skills, nutrition, and primary healthcare, creating safer communities free from violence, abusive practices, and hazardous child labour, tackling child poverty, ensuring coordinated leadership and monitoring on critical issues, and addressing climate challenges that threaten their future. By signing the Manifesto, political parties commit to embedding these priorities into their policies and election agendas, and to act decisively once elected, said Unicef. Underpinning each commitment is verified national data that highlights those areas where the rights and well-being of Bangladesh's nearly 35% child population are most at stake. “Children have spoken loudly and clearly: their future cannot wait. Today’s signing of the Child Rights Manifesto is a promise to turn words into action, and action into hope. The Manifesto outlines clear, achievable change for children today that drives human capital development and will result in a stronger Bangladesh tomorrow,” said Rana Flowers, Unicef Representative in Bangladesh. Flowers said the most recent data tells us with urgency and clarity where children are being left behind. “With Unicef support, the leadership of the political parties has studied the data and the evidence on critical challenges facing children in Bangladesh, they have debated the gaps, and where the investments are needed, and today they are not making a hollow commitment, they are signing publicly to express a new era; a revamped agenda for children.” Unlike other manifestos, Flowers said these promises are rooted in evidence and are based on a call from the most vulnerable and often least heard. “Today’s signing represents a lifeline for millions of children whose futures depend on the right decisions and investments the political leaders will make.”  

Bangladesh’s Planning Adviser on Monday underscored the huge scale of reforms undertaken by the interim government across multiple sectors, ranging from public broadcasting and civil administration to procurement and judicial operations, cautioning that the next elected government will face the crucial task of reviewing and absorbing these changes. Speaking to reporters after an ECNEC meeting, the Adviser addressed a wide array of questions, including whether state-run media entities such as Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar, and the Press Information Department (PID) could be merged to reduce operational costs. He dismissed the possibility of such restructuring in the short term, citing “complexity, capacity constraints, and inevitable labour unrest” as major obstacles. “There is very little scope to do this now. It would become complicated, and the Secretariat would see demonstrations,” he remarked. Broadcasting Sector: Independence vs Practical Hurdles The Adviser noted that BTV’s institutional culture and staffing structure make it difficult to integrate with other government information agencies. “BTV has always run with its own people; they have never been in any regular service stream. Over time, the pool of qualified people diminished and the institution weakened,” he said. While acknowledging longstanding proposals to grant BTV greater editorial independence—similar to the BBC model—he emphasised political realities. “We could issue an ordinance to make BTV independent, but no one can guarantee that an elected government will approve that ordinance. No political government in Bangladesh has historically been comfortable giving BTV BBC-like autonomy.” Betar, he added, still maintains over 500 surplus officers, making its reform “both essential and difficult”. Integrating Betar with other information services could create “major institutional complications”, though the medium’s declining importance makes restructuring unavoidable. BBS and Data Transparency Highlighting reforms within the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the Adviser said a major overhaul is already underway. “Before I leave, I want to complete this. We have no difficulty issuing an ordinance,” he said. He stressed the need for complete independence in data release, noting that relevant policy commitments have already been published online: “BBS must be able to publish everything independently, without seeking ministerial approval. With digitalisation, full transparency is possible.” While drafting rules is straightforward, he cautioned that ordinances face greater risk. “Any ordinance must be placed before the next Parliament. If the new government does not approve it, the entire ordinance lapses.” Major Legislative Reforms The Adviser said the interim government has moved ahead with many reforms that had been pending for years under various committees. “We have implemented several major reforms through ordinances, often without fully realising their longer-term implications. Even we will need time to fully understand what they mean,” he said. One of the most influential reforms, he said, is the overhaul of the public procurement regime: “The government’s procurement policy has practically become a book—publicly available everywhere. With digital systems now entrenched, reversing or altering many procedures will be difficult. The ordinance converting this into law is likely to be accepted by the next Parliament.” He contrasted this with other ordinances that may face greater scrutiny. Judiciary: A Transformative Step Perhaps the most consequential change, the Adviser noted, is the ordinance granting greater functional independence to the judiciary, including the magistracy. “Magistrates who decide on bail, arrests, and sentencing will no longer operate under the Law Ministry. This is now under a fully independent judiciary,” he said. The Planning and Finance ministries both played roles in determining how judicial project implementation would work, how independent budgeting would function, and how the system would interact with the Planning Commission. “These are enormous reforms. Some may even create discomfort for the next government because they shift long-standing balances of administrative control,” he added. Concerns for the Next Government The Adviser acknowledged that the interim administration may have been “too ambitious” in the volume and scale of reforms introduced. “We may have introduced more and deeper reforms than usual. It might be difficult for a newly elected government to digest all of them.” However, he expressed hope that the core intentions of the reforms—modernisation, transparency, digitalisation, and institutional autonomy—will be preserved. “They may not keep everything, but I hope they will retain at least the essence. Elected governments are ultimately the best judges of public demand.”    

The government has promoted 22 administrative officers (AOs) and personal officers (POs) to the post of non-cadre Assistant Secretary. The Public Administration Ministry issued a notification in this regard on Monday. According to the notification, the promoted officials have been appointed as special duty officers (OSDs) at the Public Administration Ministry in the rank of Assistant Secretary (non-cadre). They will receive salaries and allowances under the national pay scale 2015, (grade-9), said the notification. They will be posted later as per rules. All of them have been promoted to the non-cadre rank of Assistant Secretary.  

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has made the use of the Customs Bond Management System (CBMS) compulsory for all bonded warehouse licence-holding export-oriented industries from January 1, 2026, requiring businesses to obtain Utilisation Permission (UP) exclusively through digital submission. In a press release issued on Monday, NBR said a circular has been issued making CBMS mandatory for all UP-related services.  From the effective date, bonded entities will no longer receive UP services through manual or alternative channels. Introduced on January 1, 2025, the CBMS platform was designed to modernise Bangladesh’s bond management operations by enhancing transparency, accountability and automation across the workflow. The system is currently operational in three Customs Bond Commissionerates and offers 24 digital modules for bonded warehouse licensees. Export-oriented bonded manufacturers import raw materials duty-free using UPs based on co-efficient approvals from the Duty Exemption and Drawback Office. Although the UP module has been active for nearly a year, most companies still rely on manual processes, with only a limited number shifting to the digital system. NBR acknowledged that the non-mandatory nature of CBMS contributed to low adoption over the past 11 months. According to the release, CBMS has recently undergone upgrades based on user feedback to improve navigation, usability and efficiency. Officials believe that mandatory implementation will help achieve the intended automation goals and reduce administrative pressure on both businesses and Customs offices. NBR said full-scale use of CBMS will ensure faster, more transparent and more accountable service delivery. The digital platform is expected to simplify procedures, cut operational time and costs, and eliminate the need for physical submission of documents at Customs Bond Commissionerates. Automated data entry within the system will also improve accuracy in maintaining input-output records and reduce the scope for discrepancies that often lead to disputes between enterprises and Customs authorities.  

Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Monday said that confusion and hesitation within various ministries and implementing agencies have caused a pile-up of development projects ahead of the upcoming national election. Speaking to reporters after an ECNEC meeting on Monday, he noted that many officials assumed that project approvals would slow down once the election schedule was announced. “There was a perception that nothing would move because the election schedule was imminent. But that is entirely incorrect,” he said. Dr Mahmud emphasised that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) will continue operating as usual and that ongoing development projects will not come to a halt.  “Development projects do not stop. ECNEC does not stop. Only the government becomes a caretaker government during the election period. I was in charge of finance and planning during the first caretaker government in 1996. Even then, ECNEC continued to function normally,” he recalled. He added that although routine development activities proceed uninterrupted, the government must remain cautious in approving new constituency-based schemes. “We must scrutinise projects to ensure none are designed to benefit a particular constituency or individual. These types of projects should not be approved during this period,” the adviser said. Dr Mahmud pointed out that the unusually high number of pending proposals this time is partly due to ministries becoming increasingly inactive over recent months. “Many felt that with the election approaching, it was better to hold back. That is why so many projects have accumulated,” he said. He also noted a surge in lobbying for new constituency-focused projects as the election draws near. “Requests have increased significantly—‘Sir, approve this project for this area, that project for that constituency.’ But we will not approve such projects. Our focus is on national priorities, not local political gains,” he asserted. The adviser stressed that ECNEC’s role is to ensure that all development initiatives align with broader economic and social goals.  “We must make sure that projects are justified, transparent, and beneficial for the country as a whole,” he added.

Another 173 Bangladeshi nationals returned home from Libya on Monday. They arrived at Dhaka at 6am on a Burak Air chartered flight, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The repatriation was coordinated by the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The returnees had been staying in Libya illegally. Most of the returnees had entered Libya with the intention of traveling illegally to Europe via human traffickers.Many had experienced abductions and abuse during their stay. Officials from the foreign ministry and the IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport and requested them to share their difficult experiences to raise public awareness. Each returnee received travel allowances, food supplies, basic medical care, and temporary shelter from the IOM. The joint efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the IOM continue to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshis detained in various centers in Libya.    

Rampal power plant in Bagerhat, has set a national record in electricity generation as the plant produced 700 million units of electricity in November this year, marking the highest monthly output by any power plant in Bangladesh. Anwarul Azim, Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPCL) public relation department, said the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) supplied electricity to the national grid throughout the month, contributing around 11.5 percent of the country’s total power demand. This has further strengthened its position as one of the country’s top electricity producers. He also said that the milestone reflects the plant’s high industrial capacity, efficient coal and resource management and effective financial and operational planning. The plant has been regularly supplying about 8 percent of the nation’s electricity needs. Producing 700 million units in November has set a new benchmark for Bangladesh’s power sector, marking the highest single-month generation since the plant began operations, said Anwarul Azim. He also expressed hope that this strong generation performance will continue in the coming months.  

The Election Commission (EC) has extended the deadline by seven days for expatriate Bangladeshis to register through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app to cast their ballots in the upcoming national election and referendum to be held in early February 2026. “The deadline for 'out-of-country voting' (voter registration) has been extended. Earlier, the deadline was till December 18. But it has been extended till midnight of December 25 (BST),” said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed at a press briefing in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban on Monday. The EC secretary said the registration process is currently open 24 hours a day for the expatriates and they can apply online anytime from anywhere in the world. “Those who have already registered are regularly able to see their application and registration status on our progress screen,” he said. Akhtar Ahmed said some technical glitches had been reported in certain regions, but those issues have now been resolved. “As a result, anyone living abroad can complete their registration online from any country,” he added. About In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV), Akhtar Ahmed said the ICPV registration process will begin for a 15-day period after the election schedule is announced. More than 123,000 expatriate voters from different countries across the world have so far registered in the past 12 days to vote through the postal ballots to vote in the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Reform Charter). As of 5:15pm on Monday, a total of 123, 160 expatriate voters had registered through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app. Of them, 106,606 are male voters and 16,174 are female voters. Among the registrants, the highest number came from the USA (18,114), followed by Saudi Arabia (10,854), South Korea (9,389), Singapore (8,780), Canada (8,610), Australia (7,480), the UK (7,018), Japan (6,798), Italy (5,227), South Africa (4,726) and Malaysia (3,851). Among the registered expats, the highest 21,446 will vote in Dhaka district from abroad, while 10,799 in Cumilla, 8,266 in Chattogram, 8,202 in Sylhet, 7,438 in Noakhali, 4,015 in Feni, 3,648 in Chandpur, 3,296 in Brahmanbaria, 3,282 in Munshiganj and 3,094 in Moulvibazar district. In terms of constituencies, the highest 2,800 registered expats will vote in Sylhet-1 constituency, while 2,301 in Noakhali-1 constituency, 2,107 in Dhaka-18 constituency, 2,103 in Sylhet-6 constituency, 1,758 in Dhaka-10 constituency, 1,742 in Noakhali-3 constituency, 1,688 in Dhaka-13 constituency, 1,673 in Feni-3 constituency, 1,670 in Dhaka-8 constituency and 1,537 in Noakhali-5 constituency. The Election Commission on November 18 launched the ‘Postal Vote Bd’ app for expatriate voters living in a total of 143 countries throughout the world. Though the postal balloting system has been in the laws for a long time, it was never practiced in the previous elections. This is the first time the Election Commission is introducing a hybrid postal balloting system, enabling expatriates, government staff, polling personnel and inmates to exercise their franchise through a combination of digital registration and manual voting. The EC has targeted some 5 million expatriate Bangladeshis living in 143 countries to bring them under this IT-supported postal voting mechanism.

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced that it will host the third edition of the Global Labour Market Conference (GLMC) at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center (KAICC) in Riyadh on January 26-27. Centred around the theme “Future in Progress,” GLMC 2026 will convene policymakers, business leaders, labor market experts, and representatives from international organizations to shape the future of work. The conference will provide a platform for collaboration and dialogue aimed at developing forward-looking solutions to the world’s most pressing workforce and labor challenges, said the organisers on Monday. Eng. Ahmad bin Sulaiman AlRajhi, Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, said they are grateful for the King’s patronage of GLMC, which has become a cornerstone of the global labor landscape and a crucial platform for meaningful dialogue on the future of work. "This conference reflects the Kingdom’s continued commitment to advancing international collaboration and developing innovative solutions that strengthen labor markets and enable workers everywhere. We look forward to welcoming back partners and stakeholders from across the globe to what we know will be a productive, insightful, and impactful gathering," he said. The third edition will bring together more than 45 international ministers, including for a dedicated ministerial roundtable, to advance policy solutions for labor issues globally. The full program features six thematic pillars covering the impact of trade shifts and AI on the workforce, new skills, workers operating in the shadow economy, workforce resilience, and aligning labor markets with human progress. In addition, the conference will introduce several innovative formats this year, including policy ‘hackathons’ to develop innovative policy solutions; spotlights where speakers present their biggest workforce challenge and boldest policy experiment; and opportunities for academics to select pressing topics for debate and challenge. In total, there is expected to be over 200 speakers and more than 7,000 attendees participating in over 50 engagements across the program. Launched in 2023, GLMC has evolved into a year-round global think tank dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and partnerships for the advancement of global labor markets. Through ongoing initiatives such as the Global Labour Market Academy – a partnership between GLMC, the World Bank, and Takamol Holding – GLMC has established itself as a catalyst for action, creating real-world solutions that empower governments, businesses, and workers to shape more sustainable labor systems.