United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Health Assistants Association staged demonstration for the second consecutive day on Sunday to press home their 6-point demand including implementation of the 10th grade for their positions. The health assistance and others gathered in Central Shaheed Minar in the capital and staged demonstrations. UNB Kushtia correspondent reports, medical technologists and pharmacists in Kushtia observed a two-hour work abstention on Sunday demanding elimination of long-standing pay disparities and implementation of the 10th grade for their positions. The technologists and pharmacists joined the programme at Kushtia Medical College Hospital, the 250-bed Kushtia General Hospital and various health facilities across the district from 9 am to 11 am. Hospital services were disrupted due to the work abstention, causing significant suffering for patients seeking treatment. During the programme, participants also formed a human chain on the hospital premises. Speakers said that although other diploma-holding officials across the country have been upgraded to the second class, medical technologists and pharmacists continue to face discrimination. They expressed frustration that their demands remained unheeded despite movements. Mohammad Rafiqul Rahman, a diploma pharmacist at Kushtia General Hospital, said, “All other diploma-qualified officials receive second-class status, yet we are still treated as employees. This is clear discrimination. We urge the government to meet our demands immediately, or we will announce tougher programmes.” Md Sheikh Tarek, a medical technologist at Kushtia Medical College Hospital, said, “The 10th grade is not a demand but our right. The notification should be issued without delay. Today we observed a two-hour programme but next time, we may go for a full shutdown.” Patients seeking treatment faced difficulties, with many waiting at medicine counters for a long time with prescriptions in hand. Dr Hossain Imam, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of Kushtia General Hospital, said several patients complained in the morning that they could not obtain medicines. “I later saw that the staff had hung a work-stoppage banner. This has increased patient suffering. A large number of people come to our hospital for treatment every day. Technologists and pharmacists are a crucial part of hospital services, and their demands need urgent consideration,” he said. If they enforce a shutdown, ordinary people will be deprived of essential healthcare, and therefore the government should take prompt, effective action, he said.

A 52-year-old journalist was killed when an unidentified vehicle hit his motorbike on Khilgaon Flyover in the capital on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Zahir Bhuiyan, sports reporter of Daily Vorer Pata and son of Shamsuddin Bhuiya of Muradnagar upazila in Cumilla district. Zahir, father of two daughters, used to live with his family at Madhya Bashabo area. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police camp, said the accident occurred around 3:45 pm when an unknown vehicle hit his motorbike, leaving him critically injured. Later, he was taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead.  

A wild monkey wandering through the busy streets of Karwan Bazar on a hectic afternoon left pedestrians surprised on Sunday. The animal was seen moving along the roadside in search of food, offering an unusual yet striking scene in one of the capital’s most crowded commercial hubs.

'Sammilita Islami Bank PLC' (formerly United Islamic Bank PLC), created through the merger of five financially troubled Islamic banks, has officially received final approval from Bangladesh Bank. The approval came on Sunday during a special board meeting chaired by Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Ahsan H Mansur. The new bank is expected to begin full operations in the first week of December. The five banks being merged are First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, EXIM Bank, and Union Bank. Bangladesh Bank has already started preparatory work, including opening designated accounts for the new bank at its Motijheel office. Sammilita Islami Bank’s headquarters have been set up at Sena Kalyan Bhaban in Motijheel, Dhaka. The central bank revealed that the new entity will have a total Paid-Up Capital of Tk 35,000 crore—Tk 20,000 crore contributed by the government and Tk 15,000 crore from depositors’ shares. The initially authorized capital is set at Tk 40,000 crore. Bangladesh Bank expressed confidence that this consolidation will strengthen the Islamic banking sector and help restore stability.  

The Election Commission on Sunday held an extensive meeting with senior representatives from more than 30 relevant ministries, divisions and authorities to discuss 22 key issues relating to the upcoming general election and referendum, both to be held on a single day in February 2026. The two-hour meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, took place from 3:00pm-5:00pm at the conference room of Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital. Top officials, including secretaries, directors general and chairmen—from major government bodies attended the meeting. Election schedule to be declared in second week of Dec: CEC Nasir These included the Cabinet Division, Bangladesh Bank, the Home Affairs Ministry, the Public Administration Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, the Finance Division, the Law Ministry, the Information Ministry, the Secondary and Higher Education Division, the Power Division and the Armed Forces Division. Among the 22 issues discussed were the repair and renovation of access roads and physical structures of polling stations and booths; preparation of panels of polling officers; uninterrupted electricity supply for polling activities; removal of existing campaign materials from electoral areas; preparation of action plans for collection and compilation of loan-default information; manpower, transport and logistical support; steps by local administration and local government bodies to ensure law and order; review of academic and public examination schedules; strategies to prevent the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media using AI tools; and ensuring communal harmony and the security of minority communities. Other issues included assistance in appointing election observers; arrangements for transporting electoral materials and polling officials in remote and hilly regions, including providing helicopters for the Commission; measures to carry out election-related publicity, awareness and motivation through media; budget allocation and related financial activities; appointment of executive magistrates to enforce the electoral code of conduct; daily weather updates; formation of medical teams and health service arrangements; immediate fire and disaster management measures; restrictions on vehicular and water transport during the election period; support for postal voting and management of postal ballots; and balloting arrangements for people behind legal bars, including prisoners and detainees. Bangladesh election: Voter registration in KSA, 6 other countries resumes Earlier, on October 30, the Commission held a similar meeting with senior officials from 31 ministries, divisions and agencies. On November 27, the EC held a second-phase meeting with law enforcement agencies, including the armed forces, as part of its efforts to finalise the deployment strategy for security personnel during the upcoming national election and referendum. The first such security meeting took place on October 20 to ensure a free, fair and participatory 13th parliamentary election. Earlier, the Election held dialogues with 47 registered political parties, including BNP, Jamaat and National Citizen Party-NCP on November 13, 16, 17 and 19 last. In late September 2025, the Commission opened a series of electoral dialogues with different stakeholders amid talks with civil society representatives on September 28. Later, the EC held separate dialogues with 47 registered political parties, including BNP, Jamaat and National Citizen Party-NCP, as well as the representatives of teachers, senior journalists from different media outlets, election experts and election observers. The Election Commission will announce the schedule in the second week of December for holding the next general election and referendum on the July National Charter in a single day in early February 2026.  

The country’s two stock exchanges closed in the red on Sunday, with key indices on both the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) ending lower amid broad-based price declines. After gaining past the 5,000-point mark last Thursday, DSEX fell by 49 points to settle at 4,978 at the end of the day’s trading. The two other indices also declined, with the Shariah index (DSES) down 11 points and the blue-chip DS30 shedding 17 points. Most issues lost value on the DSE, where prices fell for 306 companies, rose for 57 and remained unchanged for 28. Block market transactions totaled Tk 10 crore across 26 companies, led by Fine Foods, which posted the highest block trade of Tk 1.69 crore. The turnover at the main bourse, however, improved to Tk 492 crore, up from Tk 439 crore in the previous session. BD Thai Food & Beverage Limited topped the DSE gainers’ list with its share price rising over 9 percent, while Lub-rref (Bangladesh) Limited slid nearly 19 percent to become the worst performer. The downturn extended to the CSE, where the all-share CASPI index dropped by 60 points. A total of 119 issues declined on the port-city bourse against 49 gainers, while 14 remained unchanged. The turnover stood at Tk 15 crore, down from Tk 25 crore recorded in the previous session. Apex Spinning and Knitting Mills Ltd led the CSE gainers with a 9.87 percent rise, whereas Lub-rref (Bangladesh) Limited also ended as the steepest loser, falling almost 16 percent.  

National Citizen Party (NCP) has issued a show-cause notice and temporarily relieved its South Region organiser Ariful Islam Talukder from all responsibilities over alleged breach of party discipline, though Ariful had already resigned before the notice was served. According to the notice sent to the media on Sunday, a letter signed by Sadia Farzana Dina of the party’s office cell on Saturday stated that Ariful was removed from all organisational duties for violating party discipline. The decision came under directives from NCP convener Nahid Islam and member secretary Akhter Hossen. The party also asked Ariful to explain within two days why he should not be permanently expelled, instructing him to submit his reply to the head of the disciplinary committee. Ariful, however, posted a photo of his resignation letter on Facebook, saying he had submitted it to the convener and member secretary on Friday. Party sources said the move followed allegations that Ariful had obstructed Friday’s ‘Ganer Artonad’ programme at Shahbagh, which demanded unconditional release of Baul singer Abul Sarkar and justice for an attack on Baul artists in Manikganj. The programme, called ‘Sampriti Jatra’—a platform of left-leaning writers, artists, activists and politicians—faced opposition when members of another group, ‘July Manch’, marched to the venue and protested the event. A brief scuffle broke out between the two sides. Investigations found Ariful to be directly linked with July Manch and leading its activities as convener. In a Facebook post explaining his resignation, Ariful made several allegations against the NCP, claiming he was indirectly asked to choose between politics and his religious beliefs, prompting him to choose his faith. He also accused the party of selling nomination forms to 1,500 aspirants at Tk 10,000 each while simultaneously negotiating a seat-sharing deal for around 20 constituencies with BNP. Ariful further alleged that several NCP leaders became millionaires within a year since August 5 last year, and questioned why advisers Asif Mahmud and Mahfuj Alam were being kept away from the party. He also said he would disclose details on NCP’s failed alliance talks, the real mastermind behind the July movement, and who is being portrayed as the “so-called mastermind” at a press conference on Monday.  

Five 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 382 this year. During the same period, 636 new patients were admitted to hospitals, raising the total number of dengue cases this year to 94,402, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The new fatalities were reported in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Chattogram and Khulna Division. Currently, 1,995 patients are receiving treatment at various hospitals across the country. Last year, dengue claimed 575 lives, with 101,214 cases and 100,040 recoveries recorded during the same period.    

Bhutan’s first trial transshipment consignment from Thailand has remained stuck at Burimari land port after Indian authorities refused permission for road transit, officials said on Sunday. India has not allowed the consignment to move through its Changrabandha land port. Officials said a container carrying six types of goods — fruits, juice, jelly, dry fruits, lychee-flavoured candy and shampoo — left Thailand’s Laem Chabang port on September 8 for Bhutan’s importer Abith Trading. The shipment reached Chattogram Port on September 22 and was brought to Burimari land port at 4pm on November 28 by C&F agent NM Trading Corporation. Burimari land port officials said India’s approval is essential for the consignment to move from Bangladesh to Bhutan via Indian territories. The Changrabandha land port authorities did not issue that permission, leaving the container parked at the Burimari yard. Faruk Hossain, a member of the Burimari C&F Agents Association and proprietor of Benco Limited, said the trial consignment is still at Burimari. “India has not given approval. So it could not be sent. Once we get permission, the consignment will be forwarded to Bhutan,” he said. Delwar Hossain, assistant commissioner of Burimari Customs Station, said customs procedures for Bhutan’s consignment have been completed.  “Once Indian Customs gives clearance, the goods can be sent onward to Bhutan,” he said. Bangladesh and Bhutan signed a protocol agreement on March 22, 2023. Later, at a secretary-level meeting held in Bhutan in April last year, both sides decided to send two trial transshipment consignments to Bhutan using Bangladesh’s seaport and road network along with India’s road corridor. To implement that decision, NM Trading Corporation brought the first container to Burimari on November 28. However, on November 28 and 29, Benco Limited, the assigned C&F agent, tried several times to secure entry permission through Changrabandha but India did not approve the request.  

The fire that broke out on the 9th floor of the Secretariat has been doused, said firefighters.Shahjahan Sikder, duty assistant director (media cell) at Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters, said an exhaust fan on the 9th floor of the 20-storey building caught fire due to electric short circuit around 2 pm.On information, three firefighting units rushed to the spot but the fire was extinguished with a fire extinguisher before they arrived around 2:15 pm.