United News of Bangladesh

The Cabinet Division has directed all officials and employees of government, semi-government and autonomous institutions to strictly follow prescribed office hours in a move to strengthen good governance. In a letter sent to senior secretaries and secretaries of all ministries and divisions, as well as divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners, the division instructed authorities to ensure that staff attend and leave their workplaces in line with existing rules. The directive refers to the Government Employees (Regular Attendance) Rules, 2019 and the Secretariat Instructions, 2024, which require officials and employees to maintain punctual attendance and remain in office for the full duration of working hours. Authorities have also been asked to issue necessary instructions to their subordinate offices to ensure compliance. Field-level officials and employees must obtain prior approval from the appropriate authority before leaving their workplace on weekly or other holidays, the letter said. On Monday, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued a separate office order declaring unauthorised absence, late arrival and early departure to be punishable offences. Under the order, officials and employees are required to be present at their respective offices by 9:00am on working days and may not leave before the end of official hours. Govt warns of disciplinary action over irregular office attendance During Ramadan, staff are prohibited from leaving before 3:30pm. After the fasting month, they will not be allowed to depart before 5:00pm. The directive further states that officials seeking to leave the office for official or urgent reasons must obtain prior permission from the head of the relevant sub-division, such as a Joint Secretary or Solicitor.  

The newly appointed administrators of six city corporations assumed office on Tuesday after meeting Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the Secretariat. The administrators are Abdus Salam for Dhaka South City Corporation, Shafiqul Islam Khan for Dhaka North City Corporation, Nazrul Islam Monju for Khulna City Corporation, Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury for Sylhet City Corporation, Sakhawat Hossain Khan for Narayanganj City Corporation and Shawkat Hossain Sarkar for Gazipur City Corporation. After the meeting, the minister said political leaders were appointed as administrators as the government believes this would help improve public services. “As government officials were previously in charge of these posts, we think that if political persons serve as administrators, people will receive better and more services. That is our belief. For this reason, we have appointed political persons as administrators,” Fakhrul said. “The gap between the authorities and the people will also be reduced, through this move,” he observed. Jamaat accuses govt of appointing BNP-backed individuals as city administrators On Monday, the government issued a gazette notification appointing six BNP leaders as administrators of Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Khulna, Sylhet, Narayanganj and Gazipur city corporations. According to the notification, the six leaders have been appointed under Section 25A(1) of the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024. They will serve as full-time administrators of the respective city corporations until elected representatives assume office or until further orders are issued.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin will pay tribute to martyred BDR (Now BGB) members at Banani military graveyard on Wednesday. The President will place a wreath at 10:00 am, marking the National Martyred Army Day, said a notification issued by the Protocol Wing of the President’s Office on Monday. The programme will be held to honour the sacrifices of the BDR members who lost their lives at the BDR (now BGB) headquarters with due dignity and respect. President Sahabuddin to administer oath to new cabinet members: Cabinet Secretary The Prime Minister’s Office, the Armed Forces Division and the other concerned were requested to take necessary measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the programme. On February 23, 2025, the government decided to observe February 25 as National Martyred Army Day, honouring the sacrifices of army officers who lost their lives in the Pilkhana incident.

The National Board of Revenue has(NBR) introduced a new system allowing Bangladeshi taxpayers living abroad to receive One-Time Passwords (OTPs) through email instead of mobile phones. The initiative is aimed at helping expatriate taxpayers who earlier registered for the e-return system using biometric-verified Bangladeshi mobile numbers but are now unable to access those numbers while staying overseas, said a press release on Tuesday. The NBR said the new arrangement will allow such taxpayers to complete special registration and reset their passwords using OTPs sent to their verified email addresses. This will remove a major obstacle to accessing the online tax platform from abroad. To verify their email addresses, expatriate taxpayers must apply to the NBR by email, attaching copies of their passport, national identity card and visa page. They also need to provide their overseas address, foreign mobile or telephone number, and the date of their last departure from Bangladesh. The NBR said it will review and verify the submitted information upon receiving the application. Once the email address is verified, taxpayers will be able to use OTPs sent to that email to reset passwords, complete registration and carry out other activities related to filing income tax returns through the e-return system. The revenue authority noted that the online filing system has become increasingly popular due to its convenience and efficiency. In the 2025–26 tax year, nearly 3.9 million income tax returns have already been submitted electronically.

The Bangladesh Army on Monday conducted a successful operation against an armed group of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS, or JSS) in Bandarban’s Roangchhari upazila, seizing a cache of weapons and ammunition, according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The operation was carried out around 5:00pm at Murang Bazar area based on specific intelligence, the ISPR said. Army patrols identified members of the armed group while they were allegedly collecting illegal extortion money. Sensing the army presence, the JSS members attempted to flee and opened fire on the patrol team. The troops returned fire and chased them. During the pursuit, the assailants tried to take shelter in a school building before escaping the area. During a subsequent search, army personnel recovered a uniformed armed JSS member, identified as Hlamangnu Marma, with gunshot injuries along with weapons and ammunition. With police assistance, he was rushed to Bandarban Sadar Hospital for treatment. The army recovered one submachine gun (SMG), 143 rounds of SMG ammunition, 14 rounds of pistol ammunition, five rounds of blank ammunition, two weapon magazines and other equipment from the scene. The ISPR said the Bangladesh Army remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of people of all ethnic communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and will continue strict operations against armed groups in the future.

The president has accepted the resignations of two judges of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, according to separate notifications issued by the Ministry of Law on Monday. The notifications said that Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Naima Haider submitted their signed resignation letters to the president under Article 96(8) of the Constitution of Bangladesh, and the president has approved them. Justice Mamnoon Rahman, who had been on leave for about a year, tendered his resignation on February 2 citing personal reasons. He sent his resignation from Canada via email to the Supreme Court registrar general and the Ministry of Law. Justice Naima Haider submitted her resignation on February 5, which was also accepted by the president.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) recorded a 12.90 percent growth in overall tax collection during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (FY2025–26), driven by strong performances in VAT and income tax, according to provisional data. The National Board of Revenue collected Tk 2,23,638 crore in revenue during the July–January period of FY26, up from Tk 1,98,090.13 crore collected during the same period in the previous fiscal year. The target was Tk 2,83,750 crore for the first seven months of the running fiscal. NBR invites applications for C&F agent licences Among the major sources, Value Added Tax (VAT) posted the highest growth rate. VAT collection rose by 16.45 percent to Tk 85,769.45 crore crore during the period, compared to Tk 73,653.66 crore in the corresponding period of FY25 while the target for the running fiscal was Tk 1,01,274.57 crore. Income tax collection also registered a significant increase, rising 13.29 percent to Tk 75,055.06 crore from Tk 66,252.42 crore a year earlier. The target was Tk 1,03,980.09 crore. Customs revenue, another major component of government income, grew by 7.86 percent to Tk 62,813.52 crore during the July–January period, up from Tk 58,184.85 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal year. The target was Tk 78,496.27 crore. Despite the overall positive trend, customs revenue showed a slight decline in January alone. Customs collection in January 2026 stood at Tk 8,581 crore, marking a 1.31 percent decrease from Tk 8,694.87 crore collected in January 2025. But the target was Tk 13,495.43 crore. NBR extends online VAT returns submission deadline  However, VAT and income tax continued to perform strongly during the month. VAT collection in January rose by 2.57 percent to Tk 15,277 crore, compared to Tk 14,894.31 crore in the same month last year. The target was Tk 20,475.57 crore. Income tax collection recorded even stronger growth in January, increasing by 7.18 percent to Tk 13,175 crore, up from Tk 12,292.63 crore in January 2025. The target was Tk 18,574.57 crore. Overall, total revenue collection in January 2026 stood at Tk 37,033 crore, registering a 3.21 percent increase from Tk 35,881.81 crore collected in January last year while the target for the running fiscal was Tk 52,545.57 crore. However, the total revenue collection during the July–January period remained below the target set for the fiscal year. The revenue target for the period was Tk 2,83,750.94 crore, indicating a shortfall despite the positive growth. Officials said the steady growth in VAT and income tax reflects improved compliance and administrative measures, although customs revenue remains vulnerable to import trends, exchange rate fluctuations and overall economic activity. The government relies heavily on NBR revenue to finance its budget, making sustained growth in tax collection crucial for maintaining fiscal stability and supporting development expenditure.

Inqilab Moncho has announced that it will organise mass iftar programmes at key locations associated with the July Uprising starting from Tuesday (February 24). The platform shared the information in a Facebook post on Monday evening. However, it did not disclose detailed schedules or specific venues for the iftar programmes. Describing itself as a consciousness-driven progressive organisation that speaks out against injustice, oppression and discrimination, Inqilab Moncho has also been demanding justice for its spokesperson Sharif Osman Bin Hadi.

Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Monday said the present government is determined to accelerate infrastructural development while preventing wastage in construction works for the sake of the greater interest of the country. “The overall interest must be prioritized by avoiding unethical practices. Everyone must be sincere in preventing waste in construction works. The current government is committed to make infrastructural development and prevent wastage,” he said. The minister made this remark while addressing the closing ceremony of a seven-day induction training course organised for 32 newly recruited officers of the 44th BCS (Roads and Highways) cadre at the conference room of the Road Transport and Highways Division in the city. 'Not all collections in the road transport sector is extortion': Roads, Railways and Shipping Minister Congratulating the newly appointed officials, Shaikh Rabiul Alam asked them to fully engage themselves in their professional responsibilities soon after completing the training. “The state has developed you as engineers to serve its needs—this realisation must always remain in your minds,” he said. State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Habibur Rashid emphasised ensuring road safety to keep Bangladesh secure. “The closure of a single road causes immense suffering to tens of thousands of people. So, it needs to ensure uninterrupted traffic movement, maintain reasonable construction costs and guarantee safe infrastructure,” he said. Habibur Rashid expressed optimism that through the combined efforts of both new and senior officials, a safe and humane Bangladesh would be built under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Local people stage demo over alleged irregularities in road construction in Faridpur Another State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, and Shipping Md. Razib Ahsan also congratulated the new officers, expressing optimism that they would serve the country with their talent and professional competence. Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Dr Mohammed Ziaul Haque presided over the closing ceremony attended, among others, by Chief Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department Syed Moinul Hasan and Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited Faruk Ahmed, said a PID handout.

The Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 has been postponed by a day and will now commence on February 26 instead of the earlier scheduled February 25. The date is rescheduled for the second time as it was scheduled on February 20 earlier. The inauguration ceremony will be held at Rabindra Chattar, Bangla Academy premises at 2:00 pm, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman set to officially open the fair for the first time. Commenting on the delay, Dr. Selim Reza, Secretary of Bangla Academy and Member Secretary of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 Organizing Committee, said the postponement was due to special circumstances. He confirmed that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the fair at 2 pm following the distribution of 21 awards earlier in the day. Amar Ekushey Book Fair 2026 to begin on Feb 20 Earlier, a meeting on February 18 at Shaheed Munir Chowdhury Auditorium, Bangla Academy brought together the Minister and State Minister of Cultural Affairs, Director General and Secretary of Bangla Academy, and representatives of publishers. The decision at that time was to start the fair on February 25, and preparations had begun accordingly. However, on February 21, the Cultural Minister announced that the Prime Minister would inaugurate the fair on February 26 after the award ceremony in the morning. Concerns had emerged over whether more than 300 publishing houses associated with Prakashak Oikya (Publishers’ Unity) would participate. The organization had earlier announced they would boycott the fair due to **lack of transparency in stall and pavilion allocation and the limited preparation time. Leaders of the group, including Mazharul Islam, CEO of Onnoprakash, and Monirul Haque of Onnona, told UNB that the absence of a fair lottery and unclear pavilion assignments prevented their participation. Amar Ekushey Book Fair to be held on time: Press Secretary Disputes arose on Saturday night regarding stall allocation, prompting Prakashak Oikya to withhold participation. The matter was also discussed in a Ministry of Cultural Affairs meeting on Sunday, but no resolution was reached. Publishers argued that unequal pavilion allocations forced mainstream publishers into smaller stalls, undermining their participation. However, publishers have decided to participate as the government has now accepted the publishers’ conditions. Mahrukh Mohiuddin, Managing Director of UPL, announced this at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka at yesterday noon that Prakashak Oikya will participate in the fair. Mahrukh said, “Initially, Publishers’ Unity demanded that no pavilion be assigned to anyone, including themselves, to ensure equality. When that demand was not met, they announced non-participation. But last night, a sincere agreement was reached between the Ministry of Culture, Bangla Academy, and the Bangladesh Book Publishers and Sellers Association (BAPS). With government approval of their conditions, the publishers are now participating.” She added that more than 200 publishers submitted applications on February 19 following the agreement. Among those present at the press briefing were Mesbahuddin of Ahmed Publishing House, Syed Zakir Hossain of Adorn Publication, Dipankar Das of Batighar Publishing, and Mahbub Rahman of Adarsh Publishing.