United News of Bangladesh

No phone purchased before next December 16 will be blocked, said Mahmud Hossain, Commissioner, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Thursday (November 27). “Measures are being taken to bring all existing handsets in the market under legal channels for the sake of public security and a full solution will come by December,” he said while speaking as chief guest at a seminar organised by Telecom and Technology Reporter's Network, Bangladesh (TRNB). “Network quality depends significantly on the quality of mobile handsets. After the NEIR rollout, the commitment given by traders to keep prices unchanged must be upheld,” he said. Read more: Bangladesh prepares NEIR amid ‘clone phone threats, obstruction’ Stressing the need to eliminate misinformation and confusion, the BTRC chairman also assured users that no phone purchased before December 16 will be blocked. In a bid to restore market discipline and enhance security, the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) service is set to be launched on Victory Day. Business representatives dismissed fears that handset prices might rise after NEIR becomes operational. The price will not go up—not even by one taka, they said. When asked about the security of the NEIR system, BTRC Director-General Aminul Haque said, “It’s not impossible—unless the BTRC DG himself is compromised! Once NEIR is launched, customers will be able to block lost or stolen phones from home.” Giving assurance that handset prices will not rise, the Mobile Phone Industrial Owners of Bangladesh (MIOB) President Zakaria Shahid said, “NEIR is not a private initiative—it is a matter of national security. No one can oppose it unless they have ulterior motives.”He added that the tax structure needs to be more flexible to increase mobile phone penetration in the country. “Businesses do not want to operate outside the law,” he said. Read more: BTRC to deactivate extra SIMs beyond limit from Saturday He also urged authorities to move away from excessive restrictions imposed in the name of protecting local industries. Distributor Association President Abdullah Al Harun Raju said only a very small number—around 500 to 1,000 people—are involved in grey-market phone trading. “Out of 20,000 sales workers, around 18,000 sell legally channelled phones,” he said.  

The Election Commission plans to resume Out-of-Country voter registration on Friday (November 28) for Bangladeshi expatriates in seven countries after suspending it due to incorrect or incomplete mailing addresses provided by many applicants. The seven countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "We are working to reopen it by tomorrow (Friday) morning. So that expatriate voters can take advantage of Friday, which is a holiday, InshaAllah. We are trying to re-launch the app for these seven countries as soon as possible," said Team leader of EC's Out of Country Voting (OCV) development and implementation (SDI) project Brig Gen (retd) Saleem Ahmad Khan at a press briefing in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban on Thursday (November 27). Read more: Over 23,000 Bangladeshi expats registered to vote in 2026 election He said the EC opened its mobile app, 'Postal Vote Bd' for the expatriates living in all the countries including these seven countries on Wednesday (12:00am after Sunday midnight) to register to vote in the upcoming national election. Since the expatriate voters were inputting incorrect (mailing) addresses (to receive the postal ballots) in these countries, the commission decided to halt the process for these countries, he said. “If there are incorrect addresses, the ballots can’t be sent to the proper destinations. So, when we notice the issue, we’ve taken the decision to suspend the process temporarily for the seven countries,” said Saleem Ahmad. He said the commission talked to the Bangladeshi missions stationed in these countries to address the problem by carrying out campaigns to input the proper mailing addresses during the registration. He said once addresses are confirmed, they will start sending the postal ballot packages to different destinations through the Bangladesh Post Office at the end of next week. Speaking at the briefing, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said they still are optimistic over the registration of a good number of expatriate voters during the 13th parliamentary election and referendum on the July National Charter, which are expected to be held simultaneously in a single day in early February 2026. Read more: 'Postal Vote BD’ App launched to include expats in 2026 election "The expectations for the inclusion of expatriate Bangladeshi voters for OCV, which were high, are still high. One thing is that when the new system is rolled out, there will be minor problems. Campaigning is also going on regarding this," he said. As of 8:00 pm on Thursday, a total of 58,563 expatriates-49,777 males and 8,786 females-had registered through the app.

Prof Emeritus at BRAC University Dr. Ainun Nishat on Thursday said effective climate action requires full implementation of the National Adaptation Plan, alongside stronger capacity building and technology transfer. “Integrating climate considerations across all ministries is essential to addressing this growing threat,” he said at a workshop in Dhaka. The Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convened the high-level workshop to gather perspectives from private sector representatives along with representatives from financial regulators, relevant government agencies, and development partners in relation to private finance for climate action. The initiative comes at a decisive moment for climate-vulnerable nations. At COP30, world leaders warned that adaptation financing remains dangerously insufficient; despite escalating risks from sea-level rise, extreme heat, and climate-related disasters. Bangladesh, though responsible for under 0.56% of global emissions, ranks 9th among the world’s most climate-exposed countries, facing annual financing needs estimated at USD 26 billion. The National Climate Finance Strategy, an output of UNDP’s Inclusive Budgeting and Financing for Climate Resilience (IBFCR II) project, aims to address this gap by aligning public financial management reforms, regulatory incentives, and private sector investment to mobilise climate finance at scale. Attending as the chief guest, Additional Secretary and UN Wing Chief, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance AKM Sohel said despite being highly vulnerable, Bangladesh receives only a fraction of the climate finance it requires. “A clear Climate Finance Strategy will help us navigate this imbalance, develop bankable projects, and position Bangladesh to secure the financing necessary for long-term resilience,” he said. Executive Director, Bangladesh Bank Md. Rafiqul Islam said Bangladesh is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, and as they shift to a low-carbon development path, sustainable and climate finance becomes pivotal. Country Economic Advisor, UNDP Owais Parry said Bangladesh already invests billions in climate action, but the gap remains vast. To safeguard people and drive long-term growth, the country must mobilise far more and do so through both public and private channels. “A national climate finance strategy will help Bangladesh tap new sources of capital, align policies, and unlock the financing needed for a resilient and inclusive future” Specialist, Climate Change and Sustainable Financing, UNDP Bangladesh Dr Maliha Muzammil provided a keynote presentation on the “Need for a National Climate Finance Strategy in Bangladesh” followed by a technical session facilitated by UNDP experts. Participants focused on the challenges of accessing both public and private climate finance, with discussions on blended finance, green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, insurance solutions, and public-private partnerships. This event marks the first of three consultation workshops, with the Finance Division and UNDP next convening key ministries, divisions and agencies before engaging development partners and development finance institutions in a final session, after which the insights will be consolidated into a draft Climate Finance Strategy for further national consultation. The strategy is expected to position Bangladesh to mobilize larger, more predictable, and more diversified climate finance in the years ahead—bridging global commitments made at COP30 with national efforts to protect people, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

A writ petition was filed with the High Court challenging the legality of the provision of party symbols in the alliance’s vote in the 13th national election. Md Aminul Amin, general secretary of National Democratic Movement (NDM), led by its chairman Bobby Hajjaz filed the writ petition with the HC bench concerned on Thursday. The petition also sought cancellation of the Representation of the People Order (RPO). Chief Election Commissioner and other concerned made respondent to the writ petition. Barristar Sahedul Azam, organising secretary of NDM, said the petition will likely move to the bench of Justice Fatema Najib next week. On November 3, the government of Bangladesh issued the “Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025,” with provision that even if registered political parties form an electoral alliance, candidates must contest the polls with their own party symbols. Earlier, on October 23, the Advisory Council approved the draft amendment of the RPO.    

Speakers at a national seminar in the capital on Wednesday urged the government to formally recognise women farmers and ensure their equal access to agricultural services, saying they play the biggest role in the country’s food production but remain the most deprived. The seminar, titled “Inclusion of Women Farmers in Climate-Resilient Crop Production and the Role of Policymakers,” was organised by AVAS, BINDU, COAST Foundation and Street Child UK with support from the Gates Foundation. It was moderated by COAST Foundation Executive Director Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, while Md. Iqbal Uddin presented the keynote. Speakers noted that women constitute 58 percent of Bangladesh’s agricultural workforce, yet only 19 percent have land ownership—and just 4–5 percent can actually exercise those rights. As a result, they remain largely excluded from government facilities, agricultural loans and mechanisation support. In his presentation, Iqbal Uddin said nearly one-third of Bangladesh’s population lives in climate-vulnerable coastal regions, where women continue producing climate-resilient crops despite facing severe challenges. He stressed that recognising coastal women farmers is vital to protecting national food security. DAE officials Dr. Md. Hazrat Ali and Dr. Md. Jamal Uddin said coastal women farmers are underpaid, lack access to credit due to not owning land, and need to be organised in groups to collectively claim their rights. Former DAE deputy director Dr. Radheshyam Sarkar called for eliminating gender discrimination across the sector. Professor Mir Mohammad Ali highlighted the need for easy bank loans, low-interest financing and timely weather forecasts for women farmers. Coastal farmers Mst. Rina Begum, Mst. Asma Begum, Kalpana Rani and Nazma Begum demanded official recognition, Agricultural Cards, women-friendly machinery, interest-free or low-interest loans and saline-water treatment facilities. Speakers from civil society and journalist forums, including AKM Jasim Uddin, Rahima Sultana Kajol, Jannatul Mouwa, Imtiaz Ridoy and others, urged gender-responsive agricultural extension services and warned of rising salinity that threatens coastal livelihoods. They called for stronger subsidies and urgent mitigation measures to support women farmers’ climate adaptation efforts.  

High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Ajit Singh on Thursday said innovations originating in Bangladesh in the healthcare sector continue to transform lives worldwide. “Public health challenges are transnational. What happens here in Bangladesh matters in Canada and everywhere,” he said at a seminar at International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (Icddr,b)’s auditorium in Dhaka. Internationally renowned nutrition scientist Professor Keith West from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA attended the seminar titled “A Half-Century's Journey of Nutritional Pursuit across Southern Asia” The event was organised to mark the Icddr,b day to celebrate its 65th anniversary. Singh highlighted icddr,b’s long-standing commitment to high-impact, low-cost health solutions, citing its pioneering work on cholera, malnutrition, maternal and infant mortality, gender-based violence, and other pressing public health challenges. Singh also lauded icddr,b’s large-scale provision of free healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of low-income and vulnerable people each year. Referring to the decades-long partnership between Canada and icddr,b, the High Commissioner mentioned collaborations with several Canadian institutions, including SickKids Hospital, the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Calgary. He noted that Canada is currently providing 15 million US dollars in core funding over five years, along with 24 million US dollars for expanding sexual and reproductive health research, particularly aimed at improving health services for women and girls in marginalized communities. He added that icddr,b’s findings continue to shape global health responses, just as its earlier breakthroughs—such as oral rehydration therapy—transformed child survival worldwide. The High Commissioner urged icddr,b scientists to continue driving innovation and strengthening international collaboration so that their research can have an even greater impact both in Bangladesh and globally. Professor Keith P. West said early nutritional support may play a decisive role in improving pregnancy outcomes in settings where micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread. Drawing on a career that began in Bangladesh during the 1974 famine, he reflected on five decades of research across Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia that has shaped global understanding of micronutrient deficiencies, maternal nutrition and child survival.   Professor West shared evidence from landmark trials in Bangladesh, including findings from the JiVitA studies and emphasised that improving women’s nutrition before conception is essential for healthier pregnancies and stronger infant outcomes. Drawing on emerging evidence from the JiVitA trial in Bangladesh, Professor West noted that women who begin multiple micronutrient supplementation before conceiving experience about a 30 percent reduction in early pregnancy loss compared with those who start supplementation only after pregnancy begins. Professor West reflected on five decades of nutritional research across Bangladesh, Nepal, and Indonesia, highlighting key discoveries, challenges, and lessons that may guide researchers at different stages of their careers. Executive Director of Icddr,b Dr Tahmeed Ahmed delivered the welcome address, while Dr. Thaddaeus David May, Senior Director of the Nutrition Research Division, offered the closing remarks.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan on Thursday said he will consult high-level government officials before announcing his decision to resign in order to contest the next election. He made the remarks while talking to reporters at the inauguration of public libraries in 44 upazilas of 11 districts at the Secretariat. The adviser said he had already announced his intention to contest the election but had not yet disclosed from where he would run. He said discussions were underway regarding the participation of not only the two student advisers but also several others holding various government positions. Asif Mahmud mentioned that no law prevents advisers of the interim government from contesting elections. However, he said joining the election from an advisory position would create a conflict of interest. “From a principled standpoint, we believe anyone who wishes to contest must resign before entering the electoral process. We are preparing accordingly,” he said. Asif Mahmud said he would share details on timelines and other matters after holding discussions with senior government officials.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Thursday said that bringing the Rohingya crisis back onto the international agenda is one of the success stories of the interim government, claiming that the issue had become a “forgotten” matter during the previous regime. “This crisis had turned into a forgotten matter. The interim government has brought it back and made it a talking point in international discussions,” he told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy. Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad was also present at the briefing. Responding to a question, Alam said the government has made strong efforts to draw global attention to the issue again. “Our efforts were there, and we have been successful,” he added. Pointing finger at former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Press Secretary said the “fallen autocrat” tried to sell her “Mother of Humanity” image instead of doing the real work on the ground. On the other hand, Alam said, the interim government appointed Dr Khalilur Rahman as the High Representative of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus to directly handle and address the Rohingya issue. Advisers approve four draft ordinances in principle “Due to our sincere efforts, the entire world knows the Rohingya crisis very well now,” he said, adding that they expect positive results in the coming days, even if such outcomes are not yet visible. Despite the passage of eight years, not a single Rohingya was repatriated while the plight of the Rohingyas remains largely unchanged and in many cases, conditions have worsened on both sides of the Bangladesh–Myanmar border. The prolonged crisis has deepened despair within the camps, increased pressure on host communities, and continued to suffer from declining global attention and shrinking humanitarian funding. The Press Secretary also talked about the high-level conference on the ‘Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities’ in Myanmar, held on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York which once again brought their voices to the forefront. The conference, attended by delegates from more than 70 countries and international organisations, underscored both the urgency of the humanitarian crisis and the need for a sustainable political solution. At the event, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, presented a comprehensive seven-point proposal urging the international community to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action. AL trying to foil election, spread arson attacks: Shafiqul Alam He stressed that the Rohingya crisis originated in Myanmar and must be resolved there, through the creation of safe, secure, and dignified conditions that would allow the Rohingya to return home voluntarily. Prof Yunus argued that a durable solution cannot rely solely on humanitarian aid; it requires a political roadmap, regional cooperation, and a clear timeline for repatriation. Emphasising that a lasting solution must come from within Myanmar, Prof Yunus urged the international community to develop a practical roadmap for safe and dignified repatriation and the stabilisation of Rakhine State. The Chief Adviser said the world cannot keep the Rohingya waiting any longer to return home. He called for effective pressure on Myanmar and the Arakan Army to end violence against the Rohingya and to begin sustainable repatriation, starting with those who recently arrived in Bangladesh and those who remain internally displaced.  

The Council of Advisers on Thursday approved drafts of four ordinances in principle at its weekly meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus. The ordinances that received final approval are the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Ordinance (Amendment) 2025, the Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants Ordinance 2025, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Ordinance 2025, and the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2025. Later, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed reporters at the Foreign Service Academy about the outcomes of the meeting. Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad was also present at the briefing. Press Secretary Alam said the amendments aim to strengthen the institutions and enable them to operate independently in the truest sense. “We believe we will reach a stage where we can say we are a corruption-free society,” he said, adding that the ACC will be further strengthened.  

Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan has stressed the need for taking joint initiatives based on trust, cooperation and continuous dialogue among South Asian countries to tackle environmental challenges. She highlighted the importance of strong regional platforms like the South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) in addressing shared issues such as transboundary air pollution, river basin management, cross-border plastic waste movement, and the protection of critical ecosystems, including the Sundarbans. The Adviser made the remarks when SACEP Director General Norbu Wangchuk met the adviser at the Secretariat. Their meeting focused on strengthening regional cooperation on climate action, environmental protection, and transboundary ecological challenges across South Asia. Wangchuk briefed the Adviser on SACEP’s ongoing initiatives in member countries—covering climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, air quality improvement, and marine pollution control. He praised Bangladesh’s leadership in environmental governance and reaffirmed SACEP’s readiness to support the country through collaborative projects, capacity-building initiatives, and multi-donor funding platforms. Adviser Rizwana called for deeper joint programming between Bangladesh and SACEP, particularly in climate adaptation, air quality management, and biodiversity protection. She emphasized the importance of keeping environmental priorities at the forefront of regional and national policymaking, even amid political or economic transitions. Wangchuk also shared updates on SACEP’s governance structure, its upcoming Governing Council engagements, and expanded plans for technical and programmatic collaboration. He invited Bangladesh to take an active leadership role in SACEP’s future initiatives, including regional air-quality efforts supported by international development partners. The Adviser appreciated SACEP’s continued cooperation and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to advancing collective environmental solutions in South Asia. She expressed hope that enhanced regional collaboration would bring tangible benefits to the people of the region, especially those most vulnerable to climate impacts. Dr. Farhana Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with senior ministry officials, was also present.