United News of Bangladesh

The number of voters in Bangladesh has now reached 12.83 crore, over six lakh higher than the electorate recorded during the February-12 general election. The total number of voters is 12,83,23,240 in the country, according to the final updated data prepared by the Election Commission on Thursday (May 14). The voters include 6,52,12,731 men, 6,31,09,266 women and 1,243 transgender persons. On November 18, 2025, the Election Commission released the previous updated electoral rolls ahead of the 13th parliamentary election. As per that electoral rolls, the number of voters was 12,76,95,183 during the February-12 general election. Of them, 6,48,14,907 are male voters,  while 6,28,79,042 female voters and 1,234 transgender voters. So, the latest data showed the number of the country’s voters increased by 6,28,057. The EC used to publish the draft electoral rolls on January 02 and the final electoral rolls on March 02 every year in the past. However, the Electoral Rolls Act, 2009 was amended in 2025 to empower the commission to publish the voter lists any time of the year.   

Twenty Bangladeshi children who were trafficked to India and later completed prison terms for illegal entry have returned home through the Benapole checkpost under special travel permits. The children were handed over to Bangladesh immigration authorities by India’s Petrapole immigration police on Wednesday evening. The returnees comprise 13 girls and seven boys. Officials said the children are from Jashore, Narail, Khulna and Bagerhat districts. BGB on high alert at Benapole, C’nawabganj borders over possible push-ins  Benapole Immigration Police Officer-in-Charge Shakhawat Hossain said the children had entered India illegally in early 2024 through brokers along with their parents. Their parents were later engaged in domestic and agricultural work in West Bengal. In late 2025, they were detained by Indian authorities. A court subsequently convicted them for illegal entry and sentenced them to various terms of imprisonment. Following completion of their terms, they were placed in several shelter homes in West Bengal with the intervention of a human rights organisation. The children were repatriated on Wednesday evening through special travel permits with the cooperation of authorities from both countries. After completing immigration procedures, the children were handed over to Benapole Port Police Station. Officer-in-Charge of Benapole Port Police Station Ashraf Hossain said they were subsequently handed over to three human rights organisations – Justice and Care, Women Lawyers’ Association, and Rights Jashore – that will reunite them with their families after completing formalities.

A young woman, who was found abandoned at the bustling Sylhet Railway Station as a frightened four-year-old child, has begun a new chapter in life – 14 years later – after being married in an emotional ceremony arranged by the very institution that once gave her shelter. Swapna Akter, now 18, tied the knot on Wednesday at the Integrated Child Rehabilitation Centre in Shibganj of Sylhet city, operated under the Department of Social Services. For many, attending the ceremony was more than a wedding – it was the culmination of a journey marked by resilience, care and hope. Swapna was rescued from Sylhet Railway Station in 2012 when she was just four years old. Unable even to properly say her own name, the frightened child had no family by her side and no clear future ahead. After being taken to the rehabilitation centre, officials later discovered that both of her parents had died, making family reunification impossible. She was subsequently raised at the centre, enrolled in school and supported throughout her education. She successfully passed her Secondary School Certificate examinations in 2025. Assistant Director of the divisional social services office SM Moktar Hossain said the wedding was arranged with Swapna’s full consent after she turned 18. “We wanted to ensure that her future remains safe, secure and dignified,” he said. Officials said the groom is also a resident of Sylhet and works as an electrical contractor. The wedding drew support from people across different walks of life. Distinguished individuals and several organisations contributed nearly Tk 2 lakh, which will be preserved in Swapna’s name as a fixed deposit. A local resident donated household furniture, while guests were hosted by the rehabilitation centre. A local sweets manufacturer also gifted 100 cups of yogurt. Sylhet City Corporation Administrator Abdul Quiyum Choudhury, along with senior government officials and community leaders, was present at the wedding ceremony. An emotional Quiyum Choudhury said the rehabilitation centre had not only given an orphaned child shelter but had also educated her, empowered her and now helped build the foundation of her future. The Integrated Child Rehabilitation Centre programme currently operates through 17 centres across Bangladesh, providing shelter, education and rehabilitation support to underprivileged, orphaned and at-risk children. Swapna’s story now stands as one of its most heartwarming success stories.

Renowned Bangladeshi publishing house Seba Prokashani has announced the temporary suspension of all its operations following allegations of internal irregularities and financial inconsistencies. The announcement was made in a notice published on Wednesday, signed by Kazi Shahnoor Hossain, a partner of the publishing house. According to the notice, various allegations involving internal mismanagement and financial discrepancies have recently surfaced within the organisation. To ensure an impartial investigation and comprehensive audit of the allegations, the authorities have decided to suspend all operational activities until further notice. Established in 1963 in Dhaka by legendary writer Kazi Anwar Hossain, Seba Prokashani has long been one of Bangladesh’s most popular and influential publishing houses. Over the decades, the publisher gained widespread popularity among young readers through iconic series such as Tin Goenda, Masud Rana, and Kuasha. Through its publication of adventure stories, detective fiction, thrillers and translated literature, Seba Prokashani has played a significant role in shaping popular Bengali literature for generations of readers.

The Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) organised a two-day specialised training programme titled “School of TFGBV: Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence — Prevention, Mitigation, Response and Digital Development Campaign:, held on 12–13 May at a training centre in the capital. The programme brought together 90 participants from Dhaka and different districts across the country. BNNRC empowers community radio to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence BNNRC is implementing the project titled “Strengthening Resilience Against Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence and Promoting Digital Development.” The initiative is being carried out under the Nagorikata: Civic Engagement Fund (CEF) programme, funded by Switzerland, Global Affairs Canada, and the European Union, with technical support from GFA Consulting Group.

Additional Inspector General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mosleh Uddin Ahmed and Superintendent of Police of Dhaka district Shamima Parveen have been elected unopposed as president and general secretary, respectively, of the Bangladesh Police Service Association for the next one year. The election was held on Wednesday afternoon at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh Police Lines on the fourth and final day of Police Week 2026. It was a request, not an order: BPSA President on its recent statement The newly elected president and general secretary will form a full committee of the association within the next 15 days and submit it to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and chief patron of the association, Md Ali Hossain Fakir. Additional IGP (Administration) AKM Awlad Hossain conducted the election as the Chief Election Commissioner. Members of the association were present during the election.

Speakers at a round-table discussion here on Wednesday said the country’s current Parliament has created renewed public expectations for democratic governance, though its long-term success will depend on performance, inclusiveness and institutional reforms. The discussion titled “The Current National Parliament: A New Milestone in Democratic Politics” was arranged by the Citizen's Forum, Bangladesh (CFB) at a city hotel where BNP Standing Committee Member Abdul Moyeen Khan spoke as the chief guest. Moyeen Khan calls for strong institutions to make parliament democratic milestone In his speech, Moyeen Khan said the current Parliament could become a milestone in Bangladesh’s democratic history if democratic institutions are established on strong foundations. “If we can strengthen our democratic institutions on solid foundations for the future of democracy in Bangladesh, this Parliament will certainly remain a milestone in the country’s democratic history,” he said.

Public health experts on Wednesday called for a major overhaul of Bangladesh’s tobacco taxation and pricing system in the national budget for fiscal year 2026-27, saying a revised structure could prevent more than 372,000 youths from taking up smoking and save over 185,000 young lives in the long run. The demand came at a national seminar titled “The Necessity of Effectively Increasing Taxes and Prices on All Tobacco Products in the Upcoming FY 2026-27 Budget for Protecting Public Health,” organised by the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka. Raising taxes on tobacco products essential to protect future generations: speakers at nari maitree discussion meeting Presenting the keynote paper, Dr Shafiun Nahin Shimul, Director of the Institute of Health Economics at Dhaka University, pointed out that Bangladesh currently has a four-tier cigarette pricing system – low, medium, high, and premium – with nearly 90 percent of cigarettes sold belonging to the low and medium tiers. “Due to their affordability and accessibility, these cigarettes are rapidly addicting young people and low-income groups,” he said.  Shimul proposed merging the low and medium tiers in the upcoming fiscal year and setting the minimum retail price at Tk 100 per 10-stick pack, Tk 150 for the high tier, and Tk 200 for the premium tier, while maintaining a 67 percent supplementary duty across all tiers and imposing a specific tax of Tk 4 per pack. He stated that implementing this tax and pricing proposal could discourage more than 372,000 youths from initiating smoking and prevent the premature deaths of over 185,000 young people in the long term. Speaking at the seminar as the chief guest, Religious Affairs Secretary Munshi Alauddin Al Azad said tobacco products in Bangladesh remain significantly cheaper than essential commodities.   Referring to data from the Department of Agricultural Marketing, he noted that between 2021 and 2023, the prices of essential goods such as sugar, potatoes, flour, eggs, and soybean oil increased by 27 percent to 89 percent, whereas cigarette prices rose by only 6 percent to 15 percent. “As a result, tobacco products have become more accessible, particularly to youth and low-income populations, leading to an alarming increase in smoking rates that poses a major threat to public health,” the secretary said, emphasising the need to increase the prices of cigarettes at a rate higher than inflation and income growth to reduce these health risks. Special guest Nahid Nowshad Mukul, First Secretary (VAT Monitoring and IT) of the National Board of Revenue, said due to the current tobacco tax structure, the government is losing the opportunity to generate an additional Tk 44,000 crore in annual revenue.  Md Akhteruzzaman, Director General of the National Tobacco Control Cell, said Bangladesh has the highest tobacco use rate in South Asia at 35.3 percent, and nearly 200,000 people die prematurely every year from tobacco-related diseases. In 2024, the economic and environmental damages caused by tobacco amounted to nearly Tk 87,000 crore – more than double the revenue generated from the sector, he said. The welcome speech at the seminar was delivered by AHM Noman, founder and CEO of DORP, while the concluding remarks were delivered by Mohammad Nurul Amin.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md Abdus Salam on Wednesday said  a long-term plan has been undertaken to improve the living standards of sanitation workers, including the construction of 18 modern multi-storey residential buildings by replacing old and risky structures. At the same time, DSCC is working to ensure alternative accommodation during the construction period, resolve gas and water supply problems, and provide playgrounds and places of worship for children and residents, he said. The DSCC administrator made the remarks while addressing sanitation workers and local residents after visiting the sanitation workers’ housing colony at Dayaganj in the capital on Wednesday afternoon. Referring to the dilapidated condition of the existing buildings, Abdus Salam said the current structures are highly risky and residents would be relocated to safer places before demolition and reconstruction work begins. “The faster you cooperate, the sooner we will be able to complete the construction of modern housing facilities,” he added. He said plans for constructing 18 multi-storey buildings in different colonies, including Mironzilla, Dhalpur, Ganaktuli, Dayaganj, Wari and Postogola, have already been sent to the ministry for approval. Work will begin soon after approval is obtained, he said. Regarding utility bills, he said sanitation workers would be allowed to pay outstanding electricity bills in instalments while DSCC would take initiatives to pay gas bills on their behalf. Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, he directed sanitation workers to remove sacrificial waste within eight hours and announced special rewards for good performance. Calling for greater public awareness, Abdus Salam said maintaining a clean city would not be possible through sanitation workers alone unless citizens acted responsibly. “Waterlogging occurs mainly because people dump waste into drains and canals. City dwellers must become more responsible in this regard,” he said. MP for Dhaka-7 Hamidur Rahman Hamid, local public representatives and senior DSCC officials were present during the visit.

The government has fixed the prices of salt-applied rawhides of sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, raising cowhide rates by Tk 2 per square foot compared to last year. Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir announced the prices at a press briefing at the ministry in Dhaka on Wednesday. Under the new rates, salt-applied cowhide in Dhaka has been fixed at Tk62–Tk67 per square foot, up from Tk 60–Tk 65 last year. Outside Dhaka, the price has been set at Tk57–Tk62 per square foot, compared to Tk55–Tk60 last year. Goat hides will sell for Tk25–Tk30 per square foot across the country, while she-goat hides have been fixed at Tk22–Tk25 per square foot. The minister said the government will again provide salt worth Tk17.6 crore free of cost for preserving rawhides. Traders as well as mosques and madrasas in different areas will be involved in preservation. He said the government is working to ensure that no rawhide is wasted during Eid-ul-Azha. In future, district and upazila administrations will train people from mosques and madrasas to properly preserve hides after sacrifice, he added.