United News of Bangladesh

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a man along with a looted foreign-made pistol and 290 rounds of ammunition from the North Goran area in the capital early Thursday. The arrestee was identified as Asadul, 25, son of Marfat, a resident of Nilukachar under Kalmakanda Police Station in Netrokona district. The recovered firearm and ammunition were looted from a police station on August 5, 2024, said Sanad Barua, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (Media) of RAB-3. Acting on a tip-off, a RAB-3 team conducted a raid at a house owned by Azgar Ali adjacent to Haji Mosque Lane at 415/2-D, Nabinbagh in North Goran during the early hours. Read More: Man arrested in Savar as suspect in five murders During the arrest, RAB recovered one foreign-made Beretta 21A Bobcat pistol (made in USA), one magazine, 290 rounds of .22 LR ammunition, one empty cartridge, and one mobile phone from his possession. A case was filed under Section 19A of the Arms Act, 1978 with Khilgaon Police Station later in the day.

The High Court on Thursday dismissed the rule issued on a petition challenging the legality of the Chittagong Port Authority’s (CPA) ongoing process of signing an agreement with a foreign company to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port. The bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed delivered the order after hearing arguments from lawyers on the matter. As a result, there remains no legal bar to the CPA proceeding with the agreement to hand over the operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal to a foreign operator. Additional Attorney General Anik R. Haque said the writ petitioners applied to the court of the Chamber Judge seeking a stay of the High Court verdict. The Chamber Judge issued a ‘no order’ in response to their application, thereby upholding the High Court’s verdict. Barrister Zamir Uddin Sircar, Advocate Ahsanul Karim and Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon represented the petitioners in the court. HC grants six-month bail to BCL leader Saddam on humanitarian grounds Earlier, on December 4, the High Court delivered a dissenting verdict on a rule concerning the legality of the Chattogram Port Authority’s ongoing process to sign an agreement with a foreign company to operate the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT). A bench, led by Senior Justice Fatema Najib, declared the ongoing process of the Chattogram Port Authority to sign the contract with the foreign company for operating the NCT as ultra vires, citing violations of the 2015 Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act and the 2017 guidelines of the Governance and Transparency Committee (GTC). However, Justice Fatema Anwar disagreed and discharged the rule, rejecting the writ petition. As per procedure, the dissenting verdict was sent to the then Chief Justice for final disposal. The Chief Justice then referred the matter to a single bench led by Justice Zafar Ahmed, who conducted hearings and delivered the verdict on Thursday. On February 17, 2019, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Chattogram Port Authority and DP World under the PPP framework for the operation of the New Mooring Container Terminal. The writ petition, filed by Mirza Walid Hossain, president of Bangladesh Jubo Arthanitibid Forum, sought a directive for a fair and competitive bidding process, citing reports in national media questioning why the terminal, which already had all infrastructures in place, was being handed over to a foreign company. The petition also raised concerns about the legality of the ongoing process of signing the agreement with the UAE-based company. The High Court initially issued a rule on July 30 last year, seeking clarification on why the ongoing process of signing the contract with the foreign company should not be declared ultra vires under the PPP Act and related guidelines. The court also asked why a fair and competitive public tender should not be ensured before appointing any operator to manage the NCT. Following hearings on the rule, the High Court issued a dissenting verdict on December 4. BNP’s Gafur Bhuiyan cannot contest Cumilla-10 as HC rejects writ The New Mooring Container Terminal, one of the largest at Chittagong Port, was constructed in 2007. The port authority invested a total of Tk 2,712 crore in phases for the construction and equipment of the terminal. The terminal handles the majority of import and export containers passing through the Chattogram Port.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur on Thursday dismissed rumours surrounding the newly formed Sammilito Islami Bank, alleging that vested interests are paying individuals to provoke unrest as part of a planned smear campaign. Speaking at an emergency press briefing at the central bank headquarters in Dhaka, Mansur said organised efforts were under way to incite disorder at bank branches, including the filming of provocative videos, particularly in the Chattogram region. Reaffirming the new bank’s financial stability and continued state support, he said authorities were monitoring the situation closely and warned that law enforcement agencies would be deployed if needed. Read More: Bangladesh Bank to ease rules, give banks more freedom: Governor “We believe in democratic practices and everyone has the right to protest. But certain vested interests are paying people to create chaos. These efforts will not succeed,” Mansur said. The governor sought to reassure depositors amid controversy over profit distribution following the consolidation of several troubled Islamic banks into Sammilito Islami Bank. He said the government had provided ‘extraordinary support’ using public funds to stabilise the institution, stressing that the state could not shoulder the entire financial burden alone. “Burden sharing is a global practice,” Mansur said, pointing out that while some depositors received a 4% profit for 2024 and 2025 due to past losses, they had benefited from returns of as much as 12% to 13% in earlier years. From this year, depositors will receive market-based profit rates, currently set at 9.5%, he said. “In the coming days, they will receive 9.5%. What more could one ask for?” Mansur added. Read More: Too many banks; Bangladesh needs only 10–15: Governor Regarding criticism over compliance with AAOIFI standards for Islamic finance, the governor said the issue was not about introducing new rules but ensuring the survival of a functioning bank. “If the bank doesn’t exist, who will pay the profit?” he said. Mansur also rejected rumours that he was planning to take leave or resign, calling the claims baseless. “I have not submitted any leave application, no leave has been granted, nor do I have any intention of taking leave.” He said Bangladesh Bank had undertaken more reforms in the past year than in the previous 14 to 15 years combined, scaling back non-essential regulatory controls to focus on core priorities such as foreign exchange management and financial market development. The governor urged the public to verify information directly rather than rely on rumours. “Go to the banks yourselves, listen and understand the situation. In Bangladesh, there is no end to rumours,” he added.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday filed two cases against former Bhandaria Upazila Parishad Chairman Mirajul Islam and his wife Shamima Akhter on charges of acquiring wealth beyond their known sources of income and money laundering. The cases were filed with the ACC Integrated District Office in Pirojpur in the morning. Assistant Director of ACC Mohammad Monirul Islam filed the cases as complainant, while the investigations are being supervised by Deputy Director Md Aminul Islam of the ACC’s Integrated District Office, Pirojpur. Read More: Freedom Fighter quota abuse: ACC to sue 12 PSC officials, 9 others The ACC said Md Mirajul Islam, 48, served as chairman of Bhandaria Upazila Parishad and is also proprietor of Ifti ETCL (Pvt) Ltd, Ifti Enterprise and South Bangla Trade International. The ACC found that Mirajul Islam acquired around TK 87crore immovable properties, including land, houses, flats and shops, worth Tk 36 crore 74 lakh  along with movable assets worth Tk 50 crore 61lakh including bank savings, business capital, company shares and nine vehicles. His total movable and immovable assets stood at Tk 87 crore 34 lakh while his family expenditure was calculated at Tk 29 crore 50 lakh. Thus, including family expenditure, his total assets amounted to Tk 116 croe 83 lakh, whereas his acceptable income was found to be only Tk 17 crore 71lakh. No liabilities were found in his name. The ACC alleged that Mirajul Islam illegally acquired assets worth Tk 99 crore 13 lakh beyond his known sources of income, an offence punishable under Section 27(1) of the ACC Act, 2004. The ACC further alleged that he embezzled government funds and deposited proceeds of crime amounting to 2691 crore in accounts across nine banks. Read More: ACC arrests son of former PSC driver over Tk 3.25cr illegal wealth Of the amount, Tk 26,79 crore was transferred, converted and layered through multiple bank branches to conceal the source of the illicit funds, constituting money laundering under Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012. Allegations against Shamima Akhter The ACC also filed a separate case against Mirajul Islam’s wife, Shamima Akhter, proprietor of Mess’s Shimu Enterprise, on similar charges. According to the case statement, Shamima is a licensed contractor who participated in tenders of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The ACC alleged that she received work orders but embezzled government funds without executing the projects. It found that she acquired immovable assets worth Tk 32 crore, including family expenditure, against an acceptable income of Tk 7 crore 9 lakh. No liabilities were found in her name. Read More: ACC sues 8 over fake certificates, embezzlement at Forest Research Institute The ACC alleged that she acquired assets worth around Tk 24 crore beyond her known sources of income, punishable under Section 27(1) of the ACC Act, 2004. Besides, the ACC said analysis of her Brac Bank account revealed deposits of Tk 122 crore 75 lakh , believed to be proceeds of crime. Of this amount, Tk 122 crore 39 lakh was transferred, converted and layered through banking channels to conceal the illegal source, constituting offences under Sections 4(2) and 4(3) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012. The ACC said eight more cases had earlier been filed against the couple over allegations of embezzlement of nearly Tk 1000 crore  by receiving work orders from LGED under contractor firms and misappropriating funds without executing development projects. Those cases are currently under investigation.

Chattogram Customs House has successfully completed the largest auction in its history, selling around 2,800 tonnes of unclaimed and auctionable goods through an electronic auction process, officials said. The auction was conducted as part of a broader initiative to ease the persistent container congestion at Chattogram Port, mitigate associated security risks, ensure physical and financial safety, prevent wastage of state assets and enhance the overall operational efficiency of the country’s principal seaport. Under this initiative, Chattogram Customs House has been regularly auctioning off unclaimed and auctionable consignments stored at its auction sheds. As part of the ongoing drive, a long-stored consignment comprising ‘used dredger steel pipes, rubber hoses, fittings and accessories’ — weighing approximately 2,800 tonnes — was put up for sale through an e-auction. NBR targets faster cargo clearance, simpler customs rules, says its chairman With a no-objection clearance from the Ministry of Commerce, the auction was conducted through the National Board of Revenue’s (NBR) official e-auction website. The competitive bidding process took place on December 15, 2025, with a total of 13 bidders participating. The consignment was finally sold at the highest bid of Tk 92.75 million. Following payment of the bid value along with applicable VAT and income tax, the total realised amount stood at Tk 115.94 million. On completion of all payments, the goods were released in favour of the successful bidder, customs officials said. In terms of volume, officials said, the consignment marks the largest single auctioned cargo in the history of Chattogram Customs House. The successful auction has significantly freed up space at the customs auction shed, contributing to improved yard management and smoother cargo handling at the port. At the same time, the government has secured a substantial amount of revenue through the process, according to the officials. Customs duty on mobile phone imports, local sets reduced Customs authorities said regular disposal of unclaimed and auctionable goods through e-auction has been playing a vital role in maintaining normal port operations and reducing pressure on storage facilities. Chattogram Customs House will continue its e-auction activities to ensure timely clearance of auctionable goods and sustain the efficiency of port operations, the officials added.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Thursday extended the deadline again for submitting income tax returns for individual taxpayers for the 2025–2026 tax year until February 28, 2026. The decision was taken in the public interest under the powers conferred by Section 334 of the Income Tax Act, 2023, with prior approval from the government, according to an official notification, according to an NBR order. Previously, the deadline for filing income tax returns for the concerned taxpayers was set for January 31, 2026. Meanwhile, the NBR has made online submission of income tax returns mandatory for all individual taxpayers this time. As per the order, individual taxpayers are required to submit their returns online through the NBR’s e-return portal at www.etaxnbr.gov.bd. However, considering difficulties related to registration in the e-return system, the NBR has provided a conditional relaxation. Any person who is unable to submit an income tax return online may apply for permission to submit a paper return. A turbulent 18 months at NBR, as various reform initiatives rolled out In such cases, the taxpayer must submit a written application with specific and reasonable justification to the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Taxes by February 15, 2026. Upon approval from the respective Additional or Joint Commissioner of Taxes, the taxpayer will be allowed to submit a paper-based income tax return. The move aims to promote digitalisation of the tax administration system while allowing limited flexibility for taxpayers facing genuine technical difficulties.

Bangladesh on Thursday repatriated 128 fishermen who had been detained in India under a mutual repatriation arrangement between the two neighbouring countries. At the same time, 23 Indian fishermen who had been held in Bangladesh were sent back to India under the same arrangement, said a press release. Bangladesh Coast Guard received 128 Bangladeshi fishermen along with five Bangladeshi fishing boats from the Indian Coast Guard at a handover ceremony at the international maritime boundary line in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh handed over 23 Indian fishermen and two Indian fishing boats to the Indian Coast Guard. Rohingya crisis not receiving due attention, repatriation only solution: Prof Yunus A number of government agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the Ministry of Shipping, Border Guard Bangladesh, Bangladesh Police and  local administration worked jointly to facilitate the repatriation process.

Gold prices in Bangladesh soared to a new all-time high on Thursday as the rate of 22-carat gold crossed Tk 286,000 per bhori following a sharp hike by the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS). In a notice issued in the morning, BAJUS said the price of 22-carat gold has been raised by Tk 16,213 per bhori to Tk 286,001, with immediate effect. The latest adjustment has pushed gold prices to a record high within just 24 hours and marks the largest single-day increase announced by BAJUS in recent years. The jewellers’ body cited a rise in the local price of pure gold (tejaabi gold) as the main reason behind the latest hike, saying the new rates were fixed after reviewing the overall market situation. Under the revised rates, 21-carat gold will sell at Tk 272,996 per bhori, while 18-carat gold has been set at Tk 233,980 per bhori. Gold made under the traditional method will cost Tk 193,039 per bhori. In addition to the declared prices, buyers will have to pay a mandatory 5 percent VAT fixed by the government and a minimum 6 percent wage set by BAJUS. The wage may vary depending on the design and quality of the jewellery. Earlier on January 28, BAJUS had increased the price of 22-carat gold by Tk 7,348 per bhori, fixing it at Tk 269,788—then the highest gold price in the country’s history. With the latest revision, gold prices have been adjusted 16 times in the domestic market so far this year, including 13 increases and three cuts. Gold shock for buyers in Bangladesh; prices jump by Tk1,050 per bhori Silver prices have also been raised alongside gold. The price of 22-carat silver has been increased by Tk 816 per bhori to Tk 8,573, marking the highest silver price ever recorded in Bangladesh. Under the new rates, 21-carat silver will sell at Tk 8,165 per bhori, 18-carat silver at Tk 6,998, and traditional silver at Tk 5,249 per bhori. So far in 2026, silver prices have been adjusted 12 times, with nine increases and three reductions. Meanwhile, gold prices in the global market continue to surge. In the spot market, gold prices have crossed $5,500 per ounce—an unprecedented level. Analysts say spot gold prices have jumped by around 25 percent in January alone. Market analysts attribute the rally to a weaker US dollar, interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve, growing geopolitical tensions, and increased reliance on gold by central banks worldwide.  

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen on Thursday reiterated that they will be working with all Bangladeshi political parties to advance shared peace and prosperity. "The United States looks forward to working with all Bangladeshi political parties to advance shared peace and prosperity," said the Ambassador. He made the remarks after his meeting with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman at his officer in the capital. Tarique set for three-day electioneering in northern districts "In our meeting today, I heard Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman’s perspectives on the upcoming elections," said the US envoy.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman has demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the killing of a party leader during a clash in Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur district on Wednesday. In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Dr Shafiqur Rahman alleged that BNP supporters arrived late at a manifesto-unveiling programme organised by the Assistant Returning Officer of the Sherpur-3 constituency and occupied chairs, triggering an argument and subsequent scuffle. He claimed that BNP activists later attacked Jamaat supporters with homemade weapons. More than 50 Jamaat-e-Islami supporters were injured in the incident, he said, adding that three of them were in critical condition. Rezaul Karim, general secretary of the Sreebardi Upazila unit of Jamaat-e-Islami, succumbed to his injuries around 9:20 pm while being taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Dr Shafiqur Rahman prayed for the deceased and sought speedy recovery of those who were seriously injured in the incident. He said people were now looking to law enforcement agencies to see how they would act, questioning what kind of “election gift” the nation would receive. Those involved in the killing must be arrested quickly and given exemplary punishment, he added, warning that the nation would not tolerate any delay. According to witnesses, the clash broke out around 3 pm over seating arrangements during the programme, leaving many injured. During the violence, six motorcycles and over 100 chairs were vandalised and set on fire. The programme was organised by the upazila administration for rival candidates of the Sherpur-3 (Sreebardi-Jhenaigati) constituency at the Mini Stadium ground in Jhenaigati. Leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and the BNP blamed each other for the incident.