United News of Bangladesh

One in every three people in Bangladesh suffered from some form of illness in 2025, with women reporting higher morbidity than men, according to a new survey released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The “Health and Morbidity Status Survey (HMSS) 2025” found that 33 percent of the population or 332.19 per 1,000 people experienced an illness in the 90 days before the survey. Women were more affected, reporting a morbidity rate of 354.56 per thousand, compared to 309.06 per thousand among men. Elderly citizens faced the highest burden of illness. Morbidity peaked among people aged 75 to 79, with 744 illnesses per thousand, while infants under one year recorded the lowest rate at 232 per thousand. Hypertension emerged as the most common illness, affecting 78.28 per thousand respondents. Other leading conditions included peptic ulcer (63.79), diabetes (43.15), arthritis (39.75), skin diseases (37.23), heart disease (31.32), asthma (30.94), osteoporosis (22.30), hepatitis (22.30) and diarrhoea (15.89). The survey, one of the most extensive national health assessments in recent years, covered 47,040 households and collected data from 189,986 individuals across the country between November and December last year. Health spending also featured prominently. Average per-capita medical expenditure for the preceding three months stood at Tk 2,487. Women spent more on average, at Tk 2,576 per person, compared to Tk 2,387 for men. The survey reviewed tobacco use among people aged 15 and above and found that 26.7 percent used some form of tobacco. Taskforce recommends reforms, renaming BBS into StatBD Usage was higher in rural areas at 27.7 percent, compared to 24.1 percent in urban areas. Among women aged 15 to 49, 5.2 percent were pregnant during data collection, while 6.9 percent had given birth in the previous 12 months. The nationwide caesarean delivery rate remained notably high at 49.3 percent, rising to 53.3 percent in urban areas and 48.1 percent in rural regions. The average cost per delivery was estimated at Tk 22,677.            

Rice alone contributed about 47 percent of total food inflation in October while vegetables posted a strong negative impact because of seasonal abundance, according to the latest Economic Update and Outlook for November 2025 prepared by the General Economics Division (GED). Protein items including beef, chicken and fish saw steady inflation during the month, driven by feed prices and transport costs, the report said. Overall inflation dropped to 8.17 percent in October 2025, from 10.87 percent a year earlier, driven almost entirely by a sharp fall in food inflation. Food inflation plunged from 12.66 percent in October 2024 to 7.08 percent in October 2025 as rice supply improved due to the Aman harvest, imports and public procurement. Read more: High price of rice in Bangladesh bucks the trend of easing inflation However, non-food inflation inched up to 9.13 percent, reflecting persistent pressure in housing, transport and healthcare—an indication that inflation remains far from under control. Election-related spending and possible disruptions during the transition are expected to add further pressure on inflation and the foreign exchange market, complicating stabilisation efforts, said the report. The report warns that large-scale dollar purchases by the central bank unless sterilized could fuel inflation and distort market-based exchange rate mechanisms. Bangladesh’s economic recovery depend heavily on political stability following the February national election and the next government’s willingness to carry out meaningful reforms, said the GED reprot. The report offers a cautiously optimistic view but warns that deep structural weaknesses along with the political transition period could constrain economic momentum. According to the analysis, the economy could regain pace if the election produces a clear political direction and the next government decisively undertakes long-delayed reforms, particularly in improving the business climate, stabilising the banking system, and ensuring fiscal and energy security. Without such reforms, the recovery may be short-lived, it said. Read more: Bangladesh economy in ‘waiting vortex’; experts urge credible elections The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has forecast around 5 percent GDP growth for FY26 following a sluggish period. Remittances and garment exports continue to provide much-needed resilience but the GED notes that the broader economic environment remains fragile as both investors and entrepreneurs appear to be “waiting” for political stability before committing to new ventures.= While bank deposits grew at nearly double-digit rates through August and September, private-sector credit growth fell to just 6.29 percent—the lowest in at least four years and well below the Bangladesh Bank’s FY26 target of 7.2 percent. High lending rates, cautious bank behaviour and political uncertainty have depressed investment appetite. Meanwhile, government borrowing from commercial banks surged 24.45 percent in September, raising concerns about crowding out private borrowers. Interest rate spreads also exposed deep structural distortions. Foreign commercial banks maintained spreads close to 9 percent—far higher than state-owned and private banks—highlighting issues such as high operational costs, non-performing loans and market concentration. Rising rice prices push food inflation higher in Bangladesh: Report Revenue collection in October 2025 fell short of the target by Tk 8,324 crore, achieving only 77.37 percent of the month’s goal. All major revenue streams—import duties, domestic VAT, and income tax—underperformed. Although collection was slightly higher than in October 2024, the growth of just 2.2 percent was described as “pessimistic” given inflationary pressures and increased public spending needs. ADP utilisation continues to lag despite marginal improvements. Up to October, utilisation stood at 8.33 percent, only a slight increase from 7.90 percent last year. Lower overall allocations and reduced spending under own-financing components indicate financial strain and weak project execution. The report notes that while utilisation rates improved marginally in some categories, the decline in total expenditure—from Tk 8,762 crore last year to Tk 7,720 crore this year—reflects ongoing bottlenecks in planning, fund release and implementation. Foreign exchange reserves improved significantly, rising from USD 24.35 billion in November 2024 to USD 32.34 billion in October 2025. BPM6 reserves also rose sharply, supported by stronger remittances and prudent reserve management. Bangladesh’s June inflation remains high with food inflation at 10.42% Remittances surged in the first four months of FY26, with each month outperforming the previous year and September recording the highest inflows. However, export earnings remained volatile. Exports peaked in July at USD 4.77 billion but suffered sharp declines in April and June. RMG exports mirrored these fluctuations, while non-RMG exports also experienced mid-year downturns. Imports especially capital machinery saw steep contractions year-on-year, signalling depressed investment demand. A slight month-on-month recovery in August and September suggests only tentative stabilisation. The real effective exchange rate (REER) appreciated notably, indicating eroding external competitiveness. Read more: Inflation in Bangladesh edges up to 8.36% in September

Former senior secretary Dr Mohammad Ayub Mia has been appointed chairman of Sammilito Islami Bank. Bangladesh Bank gave the approval of his appointment on Sunday. The appointment follows the central bank’s final approval of the newly formed ‘Sammilito Islami Bank PLC,’ which was created by merging five financially weak banks in the country. Bangladesh Bank said the new bank, now officially licensed, will begin full-fledged operations this week. The five merged banks are First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Exim Bank, and Union Bank. According to bank officials, the financial condition of these banks failed to improve despite repeated liquidity support. Bangladesh Bank orders pay cuts for Sammilito Islami Bank’s employees Their share prices dropped sharply in the stock market and the Net Asset Value (NAV) of almost all five banks turned negative. The consolidation aims to stabilise the banks’ precarious financial situation. Bangladesh Bank had earlier granted preliminary approval for Sammilito Islami Bank on November 9, following an application from the Ministry of Finance.        

December, the month of Victory when Bangladesh was born as an independent country in 1971 after the surrender of Pakistani occupation forces following a nine-month war, began on Monday. Different sociocultural, political, and professional bodies and institutions will celebrate the month through different programmes. On 14 December, the nation will observe the Martyred Intellectuals Day to commemorate those intellectuals who were killed systematically by the Pakistan occupation forces and their local collaborators at the fag-end of the country's Liberation War in 1971. On this day in 1971, the country's renowned academicians, doctors, engineers, journalists, artists, teachers, and other eminent personalities were dragged out of their homes, blindfolded taken to unknown places, and then brutally tortured and slaughtered. Their bodies were later dumped at Rayerbazar, Mirpur, and some other killing fields in the capital. Council of Advisers approves Freedom Fighters Council amendment draft On 16 December, the nation  will celebrate Victory Day  marking the birth of the country at the cost of the supreme sacrifice of martyrs and the honour of mothers and sisters with a series of programmes. Various programmes will be held to pay deep homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the country during the Liberation War in 1971.  

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday (November 30) said the government will ensure justice for all members of the Army, Navy and Air Force who faced discrimination, deprivation and oppression during the previous regime. He made the remarks after receiving a report from the committee formed to review applications of retired and dismissed officers who suffered injustice between 2009 and August 4, 2024, and to submit recommendations at the State Guest House Jamuna. “When I assigned you to do this work, I thought there might have been some minor irregularities. But the complete picture you have presented is truly horrific. It is beyond imagination,” the Chief Adviser said. He thanked the committee members for revealing the truth with professionalism and sincerity. Committee Chairman and Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser on Defense and National Integration Development, Lt Gen (Retd) Abdul Hafiz, and members Maj Gen (Retd) Mohammad Shamsul Huda, Maj Gen (Retd) Sheikh Pasha Habib Uddin, Rear Adm (Retd) Muhammad Shafiul Azam and Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Muhammad Shafqat Ali attended the meeting. Read more: BDR Mutiny: Probe body says Hasina had 'green signal' for entire incident The committee received 733 applications, scrutinised them, and selected 145 for recommendations. Committee Chairman Abdul Hafiz said the committee held its first meeting on August 19, 2025, and invited applications through the Central Officers’ Record Office, ISPR, RAWA, and various media platforms until September 21, 2025. He said that in almost all cases, the dossiers of the affected officers contained no record of moral turpitude or serious allegations, despite the punishments imposed by boards formed under the previous regime. Recommendations were made after reviewing board findings, application details and interviews with officers, including phone consultations with former commanders. The investigation revealed several grave incidents. Six officers were allegedly kept in illegal confinement for periods ranging from one to eight years because of their relatives’ political affiliations or suspected militancy links—something described as unprecedented in Bangladesh’s history. One retired officer was reportedly murdered in a staged militancy incident, and his wife was jailed for two six-year terms without trial along with their one-year-old child. Some officers were allegedly targeted for speaking out about the government’s inaction during the BDR massacre on February 25, 2009. Five were reportedly tortured after being implicated in a fabricated assassination attempt on then MP Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh. Five others were dismissed from DGFI on false or baseless charges during the 1/11 caretaker government. The committee also found that officers assigned by the army chief to question the then prime minister in court after the BDR massacre were wrongly blamed amid chaos in the courtroom and dismissed without an opportunity to defend themselves. Four junior officers were also dismissed for allegedly belonging to a particular group or being labelled militants simply for practicing religious rituals. In its final report, the committee recommended action for 114 Army officers, 19 Navy officers, and 12 Air Force officers who were deprived or discriminated against. The recommendations include granting normal retirement, promotion, pre-retirement promotion, arrears of pay and allowances, and other applicable benefits. Read more: BDR mutiny a planned conspiracy to destabilise Bangladesh: Inquiry Commission chief Four Army officers were recommended for reinstatement into service. Md. Ashraf Uddin and Military Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Major General Abul Hasnat Mohammad Tariq, were also present at the meeting.

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday (November 30) said the next national election will be held excluding Bangladesh Awami League which is now "a kind of socially acceptable fact." "It's kind of a socially acceptable fact that Awami League will not be part of the next national election," he said, while responding to a question at "DCAB Talk". Adviser Hossain said he does not think that Bangladesh society has taken this (election without AL) very negatively. He mentioned that the activities of the AL have already been suspended but the party is not banned. Read more: Awami League using looted money for acts of sabotage: Rizvi The next national election is scheduled to be held in the first half of February and the government thinks it will be held in a festive and peaceful manner. Responding to a question, Adviser Hossain said he does not think the election will be questionable if BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman does not return to Bangladesh. He said the party's leadership was in fact in his hands though he is not at home. It depends on many factors, including the law and order situation whether the election will be held in a fair manner. Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) hosted the ‘DCAB Talk’ titled ‘Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy: Charting a Relevant Role in a Changing World’. DCAB President AKM Moinuddin and General Md Arifuzzaman Manun also spoke at the event. Read more: Record number of first-time voters to vote, AL can’t participate: Prof Yunus

Dhaka University Film Society (DUFS), one of the oldest and pioneering voluntary organisations in the country’s film society movement, announced its new executive committee on Sunday. Rehnuma Shahreen and Sumantta Sarker Arpon have been elected president and general secretary respectively. Rehnuma is a student of the Printing and Publication Studies department, while Sumantta is from the Political Science department of the 2019-20 academic session. Mohammad Israt Abu Toimur has been elected vice president, Nuzhat Jahan Nuha assistant general secretary, and Abdullah Al Amin Khan Siam treasurer of the committee. DUFS is widely known for organising “Amar Bhashar Chalachitra,” the largest film festival dedicated to Bangla-language cinema, and the International Inter University Short Film Festival, which showcases works by student filmmakers from around the world.

Bangladesh has increased the prices of all categories of fuel by Tk 2 per litre effective from December, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on Sunday. As per the revised rates, diesel will now cost Tk 104 instead of Tk 102, octane Tk 124 instead of Tk 122, petrol Tk 120 instead of Tk 118, and kerosene Tk 116 instead of Tk 114 per litre. The new prices will come into effect from Monday, December 1. The ministry said the adjustment was made under the updated automatic pricing formula, which aligns local fuel prices with fluctuations in the global market. The December rates were set to ensure comparatively affordable supply to consumers. The government introduced the automated monthly fuel pricing mechanism in March 2024, announcing new rates every month in line with global price movements.

Md. Firoz Sarkar, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Food. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in this regard on Sunday confirming his promotion to the post of Secretary. The ministry has also issued an order for the retirement of Md. Masudul Hasan, who had been serving as Secretary of the Ministry of Food, effective November 30.

The 2009 BDR mutiny at Pilkhana headquarters, which took place on February 25–26, was a premeditated conspiracy aimed at destabilising Bangladesh, prolonging political power, and weakening the country’s security forces, said Major General (retd) Fazlur Rahman, head of the National Independent Inquiry Commission. Fazlur Rahman made the remarks on Sunday evening (November 30) while briefing reporters at the commission’s office in Dhaka’s Science Lab area after submitting the investigation report to the Chief Adviser. The commission found involvement of several influential political figures in the mutiny, with names of senior Awami League leaders surfacing during the probe.  Read more: Govt to ensure justice for deprived armed forces members: Chief Adviser Those mentioned include former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Barrister Fazle Noor Taposh, Sheikh Selim, Mirza Azam, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Sahara Khatun, then Security Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, former Army Chief Gen (retd) Moeen U Ahmed, and former DGFI Chief Maj Gen (retd) Akbar. Discussing the causes of the mutiny, Fazlur Rahman cited multiple factors, including dissatisfaction with the Dal-Bhat programme and the creation of the BDR Shop, which significantly increased BDR personnel workloads.  He also noted opposition among some personnel to the presence of army officers within the force, along with internal crises within BDR. “Fundamentally, the mutiny aimed to weaken the army and destabilise Bangladesh. The main reasons were to undermine the army, with neighbouring India seeking to destabilise the country. Extending the political tenure of the ruling Awami League was also among the motives. India was a beneficiary from the incident,” he said. On reports of missing army officers, the commission found evidence supporting claims that five army officers disappeared after the mutiny. BDR Mutiny: Probe body says Hasina had 'green signal' for entire incident Fazlur Rahman said that RAB personnel were deployed at Pilkhana’s Gate 5 at the time but did not intervene, reportedly due to instructions from then RAB Additional Director General Col Reza Nur.  He stressed that RAB and police do not require special orders to act during such incidents. On foreign involvement, he stated that the commission identified a “neighbouring country” linked to the incident, noting that Sheikh Hasina and her associates had taken refuge there.  He added that grievances tied to Operation Dal Bhat were reportedly used to mask the underlying objective of destabilising the country and weakening BDR. Dhaka-Delhi ties won’t get stuck over Hasina issue: Foreign Adviser The inquiry also highlighted that political decisions blocked army action during the mutiny, terming the absence of a military response a “major conspiracy.”  Witness accounts suggested participation from outsiders alongside BDR personnel, some affiliated with Awami League, Jubo League, and Chhatra League.  The commission said a group of 20–25 people entered the compound and later emerged with a procession of around 200. Referring to intelligence lapses, Fazlur Rahman described them as “mountain-sized.”  Regarding former Army Chief Gen (retd) Moeen U Ahmed’s statement on not conducting an army operation during the mutiny, he said the former chief informed the commission online that intervention might provoke Indian involvement, warning, “they might not return to India like 1971.” The investigation also found that 721 Indian nationals entered Bangladesh during the period, with 67 unaccounted for.  The commission recommended that the government trace them and seek explanations from India. Some perpetrators inside Pilkhana reportedly spoke in Hindi. “If we fail to properly evaluate this incident, the country may face another BDR-like mutiny in the future. For national security, truth and corrective measures are essential,” Fazlur Rahman told journalists. Read more: Sacked BDR men dispersed near Kakrail while marching to Jamuna