United News of Bangladesh

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has imposed a penalty of demotion by two pay grades on Additional Tax Commissioner Sehela Siddika for misconduct, following the conclusion of a departmental inquiry, while simultaneously withdrawing her temporary suspension. According to the order, Siddika was found guilty of violating the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979 and the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018, after she allegedly organised and encouraged a work-stoppage programme through messages circulated on WhatsApp in May 2025. While serving, the order said, with the Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit in Dhaka, Siddika allegedly posted messages on May 21, 2025, calling on field-level income tax, customs and VAT officials in Dhaka to gather at the NBR headquarters and remain there from morning to evening the following day. Read More: NBR extends income tax return deadline again She also urged officials outside Dhaka to observe a similar sit-in at their respective offices. Later messages clarified that the programme would run from 9:00am to 5:00pm, with import, export and international passenger services exempted. The authorities held that these actions compelled on-duty officials to abandon their official responsibilities, thereby disrupting national revenue collection activities. The conduct was deemed a clear violation of Rule 30A of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979, and constituted misconduct under Rule 32 of the same rules. Read More: A turbulent 18 months at NBR, as various reform initiatives rolled out A departmental case was initiated under Rule 3(b) of the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 2018. After Siddika submitted her written explanation and sought a personal hearing, a hearing was held on December 3, 2025. Subsequently, an inquiry officer was appointed, who concluded that the charges of misconduct had been proven beyond doubt. After reviewing the show-cause reply, inquiry report and all relevant documents, the competent authority decided to impose a penalty under Rule 4(2)(gh) of the 2018 rules. As a result, Siddika’s basic salary has been reduced by two grades—from Tk 71,200 to Tk 65,820. The order also stated that her temporary suspension has been withdrawn and that the decision will take effect immediately.

The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday urged officials involved in election-related activities not to respond to phone calls from fraudsters. The EC said it has recently been observed that fraudsters are attempting to collect bKash numbers from election officials by promising election-related honorariums. Fraudulent calls are being made using the phone numbers 01342046232 and 01612677074, according to a PID handout. CEC sits with representatives of law enforcement, intelligence agencies The commission said election-related honorariums will be provided to all officials at their respective centres through presiding officers after the voting in the upcoming referendum and national elections, in line with existing rules. “There is no need to contact any person or organisation for receiving honorariums,” the EC said, urging all officials assigned to the elections to remain vigilant and avoid responding to such calls.

All scheduled banks in Bangladesh will remain closed for four consecutive days from February 11 to 14 due to the national election and the regular weekend. Bangladesh Bank on Sunday issued a notification announcing  holiday on February 11 and 12 (Wednesday and Thursday) to facilitate the election and the referendum. As these two days are followed by the weekly holidays on Friday and Saturday (February 13 and 14)  banking activities will remain suspended throughout the four-day period. Bangladesh Bank to ease rules, give banks more freedom: Governor The decision follows an earlier order issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on January 25 which declared February 11 and 12 as public holidays for the election and the referendum. Besides, the government has announced a special holiday on February 10 for workers and employees in industrial areas to allow them adequate time to travel and cast their votes. Normal banking operations will resume on February 15.

At least 15 people were injured as supporters of Gonadhikar Parishad president Nurul Haque Nur and independent candidate Hasan Mamun clashed in Patuakhali-3 (Galachipa-Dashmina) late Saturday night. The clash took place in front of Chatra Government Primary School in Dakua Union when processions of the two candidates came face-to-face, triggering a confrontation after a verbal dispute. Three of the injured were admitted to Galachipa Upazila Health Complex, while others received first aid. Read More: Nur accuses ‘section of interim govt’ of backing  August attack on him, blames failure for Hadi killing Both sides blamed each other for the violence. Galachipa police officer-in-charge Md. Zillur Rahman said police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. No immediate comments were available from either candidate.

A group of female students of Dhaka University brought out a broom procession on the campus on Sunday condemning the derogatory remarks about women posted from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman. The programme was organised in the afternoon in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture on the university campus. At the rally, speakers demanded a public apology from Shafiqur Rahman for his comments saying such remarks demean women and undermine their role in society. Mukta Baroi, president of the Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, said using women as a political tool against the country’s progress is not new. Jamaat supports women leadership in politics: Shafiqur Rahman “This has been a long-standing practice of some political forces. History and recent events clearly prove this,” she said. She added that working women deserve respect and dignity and an apology must be issued for the insulting comments. “Women will continue to move forward despite such attempts,” she said. Former vice-president of Dhaka University’s Shamsunnahar Hall Students’ Union, Sheikh Tasnim Afroze Emi, alleged that some political parties are seeking power by humiliating women. “Since independence, they have failed to shoulder any meaningful responsibility beyond hypocrisy,” she said. Chhatra Federation leader Shima Akter said women in Bangladesh are increasingly facing online harassment simply for speaking up about women’s rights. She alleged that leaders and activists of a particular political party are targeting women on social media through fake and bot accounts.

Students and teachers of Shairpur Polytechnic Institute formed a human chain in Shariatpur town on Sunday demanding withdrawal of a proposal to reserve a 33 percent quota for  engineers in 10th-grade sub-assistant engineering and equivalent posts. Students and teachers under the banner of Bangladesh Diploma Engineering Chhatra –Sikkhak Peshajibi Songram Parishad formed the human chain in front of the institute at Burir Hat at 11 am and staged demonstration. Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB), Shariatpur district unit General Secretary Engineer Jahangir Alam spoke at the programme. Assistant Engineer of the Directorate of Education Engineering ATM Zahid said no decision against the interests of diploma engineers would be accepted. The protesters also called upon the authorities to immediately withdraw the proposed 33 percent quota and implement the justified demands of the council.  

Norway has renewed its support for Rohingya refugees with a contribution of USD 1 million to fund humanitarian assistance and protection services. The funding, part of Norway’s 2025–2026 support to UNHCR’s global budget, is crucial to ensuring that the organisation can continue delivering life-saving assistance and respond to growing protection and humanitarian needs, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said in a media release on Sunday. “Declining humanitarian funding in 2025 has already forced difficult prioritisation and reductions in essential services, increasing vulnerability in the refugee camps,” it said. The UN Refugee Agency welcomed the generous contribution of USD 1 million from the government of Norway in support of nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh. “Now into the ninth year of the crisis, the Rohingya people need international support more than ever to sustain well-being and keep hope alive,” said Ivo Freijsen, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh. Rohingya crisis not receiving due attention, repatriation only solution: Prof Yunus Freijsen went on to say, “The Norwegian contribution will help strengthen the refugees’ resilience through education, skills development and livelihood opportunities, and support their self-reliance until they can return to Myanmar voluntarily, in dignity and safety.” “Norway and UNHCR share a common vision of refugee protection that is rights-based, principled, multilateral and future-oriented. In the Rohingya response, this means being a predictable partner that emphasises rights, works to preserve dignity and supports long-term solutions,” said Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen. “Norway is proud to support UNHCR in its work to strengthen the resilience and protection of Rohingya women, men, girls and boys, in line with humanitarian principles,” he added. Norway also contributes to joint programmes such as SAFE+2, which provides refugees with sustainable cooking fuel, reducing reliance on firewood, easing pressure on the natural environment surrounding the camps and improving safety and health conditions, particularly for women and children. Globally, 71 per cent of refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. Sustained and predictable support remains indispensable for refugee populations and their host communities to alleviate the burden of displacement, especially amid reduced funding for humanitarian responses. WFP welcomes fresh injection of UK funds for Rohingya Food Assistance   UNHCR and its partners, in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, are preparing to launch the 2026 updated Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis. In recent years, Norway has been a leading partner in flexible funding for UNHCR and refugees, contributing more than USD 55.2 million in core support to the Rohingya response since 2017.

The prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including hypertension, is rising at an alarming rate in Bangladesh due to unhealthy dietary habits and increasing dependence on processed foods. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), foods high in salt, sugar, and fat increase the risk of hypertension and other NCDs. To build consumer awareness on this issue, Front-of-Pack labeling (FOPL) can play an important role. Speakers highlighted these information and recommendations at a webinar titled “Safe Food to Combat Non-Communicable Diseases and Our Role,” organized by the research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), with support from Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), on 1st February 2026, marking National Food Safety Day. The day will be observed under the theme, "Nirapod Khaddo Nishchit Kori, Sustho Sobol Jibon Gori" this year. Read More: Boosting fish output pointless without food safety measures: Adviser Farida At the webinar, they said that, according to WHO data, approximately 570,263 people die each year in Bangladesh from non-communicable diseases. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, around 27,387 deaths annually are linked to unhealthy dietary practices such as excessive sodium intake, trans-fat consumption, and sugar-sweetened beverages. However, the budgetary allocation for controlling non-communicable diseases is extremely inadequate, accounting for only 4.2 percent of the total health budget. Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Head of the Department of Epidemiology & Research, National Heart Foundation Hospital & Research Institute, said, “Promoting healthy dietary habits and reducing dependence on processed foods are crucial to lowering the risk of hypertension and other non-communicable diseases among the population.” Professor Dr. Nazma Shaheen, former Director of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, stated, “Introducing Front-of-Pack labeling is necessary to inform the public about unhealthy food components such as excessive salt, sugar, and trans-fat. This measure can effectively help reduce the burden of hypertension and other NCDs in the country.” Read More: Toxic harvest: Food safety slipping away in Bangladesh Professor Dr. Mohammad Shoeb, Member, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, said, “The government is working to introduce an easy-to-understand Front-of-Pack labeling system to make consumers especially aware of the health risks of processed foods. We hope to implement it soon.” Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Lead, GHAI, stated, “In addition to raising public awareness, it is imperative to ensure sustainable financing to effectively address non-communicable diseases such as hypertension.” Md. Monir Hossain Liton, Head of Online (Bangla), Daily Times of Bangladesh was also present as discussant. The webinar was chaired by ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA and moderated by Samiha Bintay Kamal, Program Officer, PROGGA. Journalists from print, television, and online media, civil society representatives, experts, and relevant multilevel stakeholders from different regions across the country joined the webinar.

Nagad, the digital financial service of the Bangladesh Post Office, has set a record by processing transactions worth Tk 40,301 crore in January, marking the highest monthly volume in its history. Within seven years of its journey, Nagad has established itself as a leading mobile financial service provider in Bangladesh, witnessing significant growth in both customer numbers and transaction frequency. A major portion of the record-breaking transaction volume came from cash-in, cash-out, send-money services, various payments, utility bill settlements, mobile recharges and inward remittances, said a press release issued on Sunday. Md Motasem Billah, Administrator of Nagad, expressed his appreciation to stakeholders, noting that the company’s focus on customer trust and user-friendly services has driven this growth. He said that as the digital financial wing of the Bangladesh Post Office, Nagad is moving forward by ensuring greater security of customer funds and expanding its range of services, which continues to attract new users and increase engagement from existing customers. The previous monthly high was recorded in October 2025, when transactions crossed Tk 34,705 crore. Other notable transaction milestones include Tk 34,000 crore in March 2025 and Tk32,000 crore in June 2024. The mobile financial service provider has continued its strong growth trajectory, recording a total transaction volume of Tk3.80 lakh crore in 2025—up from around Tk3.30 lakh crore in 2024.  

The body of a class XI student was found in the bathroom of their rented house in Jatrabari Pubail area of the capital on Saturday night. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Roni, 13, a student of Dania High School and son and hailed from Chatkhil upazila of Noakhali district. Family members said Roni was found hanging around midnight and was rushed to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Father Nur Alam said the boy had been scolded earlier over his studies. Read More: 219 killed in 409 road accidents in Dhaka in 2025 Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost, said the body was kept at the hospital morgue and the matter was reported to the concerned police station for further action.