United News of Bangladesh

The Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka has said its ‘MyVISA’ website will be ‘temporarily unavailable’ until further notice due to ongoing system maintenance and stabilisation works. “Any visa application and approval processes will resume once the system maintenance is completed, and an official announcement will be made accordingly,” said the High Commission in a notification on Tuesday. “Please be informed that the MyVISA website will be temporarily unavailable starting today until further notice due to ongoing system maintenance and stabilisation works,” the notification reads. During this period, the High Commission said, access to the website, including visa application and approval processes, will not be available.

Clearing massive outstanding dues owed to foreign energy suppliers has been the biggest achievement of the interim government in the energy sector, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said on Tuesday, marking his last working day in office. Speaking at a press conference at Bidyut Bhaban reviewing the interim government’s performance in the power and energy sector, the adviser said the sector had been burdened with huge liabilities when the government took office. “The biggest challenge was settling the dues. Within days of taking charge, I was told that LNG imports would not be possible unless payments were cleared. Late payment fees were also crippling the energy sector. Considering everything, we decided that settling the dues would be our top priority,” he said. According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Petrobangla’s outstanding dues to various international oil and gas companies had stood at Tk 9,106 crore following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Between then and April 2025, Petrobangla paid energy bills worth Tk 35,700 crore, bringing its outstanding liabilities down to zero. The adviser said cost optimisation was another major focus of the interim government alongside debt repayment. Through lower premiums in both spot and long-term LNG purchases, around Tk 1,500 crore was saved in the first six months, he said. Petrobangla has signed new Master Sales and Purchase Agreements (MSPAs) with 24 companies, enabling LNG imports at reduced premiums. While the average premium stood at USD 1.28 per unit between July 2023 and August 2024, it has now dropped to 38 cents. Govt recommends procuring 53.87m units of Anti-TB drugs “Although we have little control over international gas index prices, significant savings were achieved through lower purchase premiums,” Fouzul said, adding that unnecessary expenditure in gas exploration drilling was also curtailed. He said the government repealed the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Act, 2010, and conducted drilling under the Public Procurement Act and Rules (PPR), ensuring transparency and competitive pricing. According to official estimates, significant cost savings were made in drilling five gas exploration wells in Bhola under BAPEX. Earlier projected costs of Tk 1,555 crore were reduced to Tk 907 crore. However, Fouzul acknowledged that gas discovery from the drilled wells fell short of expectations. “The amount of gas discovered is insufficient compared to the depletion rate. Exploration is a time-consuming process. Even feasibility tests take more than six months, and the interim government did not have enough time to complete many initiatives.” The adviser also said no major investment could be secured in the energy sector due to uncertainty over the government’s tenure. “Potential investors repeatedly asked about the government’s term. As we could not provide a clear answer, it was not possible to finalise major investment deals.” No decisions were taken on coal-based energy projects, leaving those to the elected government, he added. Fouzul also said document-related complexities of offshore bidding processes initiated during the previous government had been resolved. Outlining recommendations for the next government, he stressed the importance of offshore bidding for oil and gas exploration in maritime areas, along with plans to establish land-based LNG terminals and a fourth Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU). To address the country’s gas crisis, the energy division has recommended drilling 100 wells by 2028, which could add an additional 900 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas to the national grid. On his final working day, the adviser said he would leave behind a written guideline for the next minister in charge. “I did not receive any roadmap when I took office. But the next person should know where to start and which direction to move in.” Senior officials of power and energy-related agencies, ministry officials, and public and private sector stakeholders were present at the press conference.

All banks and stock markets in Bangladesh will remain closed for four consecutive days starting Wednesday ( February 11) due to the national  election and the referendum. To facilitate voter participation and ensure smooth security arrangements, the government has declared a two-day public holiday on Wednesday and Thursday. Since these government holidays are immediately followed by the regular weekend holidays of Friday and Saturday, the financial sector will remain inactive for a total of four days. Normal banking operations and stock trading will resume on Sunday (February 15). CA Prof Yunus reviews law & order, election preparations

Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Professor Niaz Ahmad Khan has decided to resign from his position. He announced this decision at a press briefing held at the Abdul Matin Chowdhury Virtual Classroom at the university on Tuesday. Speaking at the briefing, the Vice-Chancellor said, “I would like to step down from my position. However, if a vacancy at this moment could create any disruption at the university, I am willing to continue for a few more days if the elected government wishes.” He said a smooth transition was essential for the university and that if the government or other stakeholders felt he should continue for some more time, he was ready to consider it. Dr Niaz Ahmad Khan was a Professor in the Department of Development Studies at Dhaka University. He also served as the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, then Vice-Chancellor Professor Maksud Kamal resigned on August 10.

The results of the 50th Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) preliminary test were published on Tuesday. Some 12,385 candidates have qualified to participate in the written examination, according to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC). According to PSC sources, a total of 290,951 candidates applied for the 50th BCS examination. Through the recruitment process, 2,150 candidates will be appointed to cadre and non-cadre posts. Of the 1,755 cadre posts, up to 650 are allocated for the health cadre, 200 for the administration cadre and 117 for the police cadre. Govt appoints 673 candidates from 27th BCS

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus will address the nation this (Tuesday) evening. He will address the nation at 7 pm marking  the national election and the referendum, said Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar will broadcast his speech.

Bangladesh saw 27,059 fire incidents in 2025, averaging 75 fires per day,according to a report from the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD). FSCD headquarters issued a stateemtn over the report on Tuesday. The fire incidents left 85 people dead and 267 injured, it said. Electrical short circuits, burning cigarette or bidi stubs, stoves, and gas cylinder leaks were the main causes. Fire in Natore kills mother, daughter Out of the total, 9,392 (34.7%) were due to electrical short circuits, 4,269 (15.8%) from cigarette or bidi stubs, 2,909 (10.8%) from stoves, 920 (3.4%) from gas cylinder leaks, and 562 (2.1%) from gas supply line leaks. Other causes included children playing with fire, hot ashes, fireworks, chemical accidents, and coils.   Residential buildings were the hardest hit by fires with 8,705 incidents (32.2% of the total). Other major locations were straw stacks (3,922), shops (1,800), markets (1,067), shopping malls (617), garment factories (665), non-garment factories (615), and gas cylinder shops (483), said the report. Fires also occurred in hospitals, offices, high-rise buildings, religious places, and educational institutions. Fires were reported in 153 buses, 216 other vehicles, 10 trains, four launches, two ships, and one training aircraft. The highest fire incidents were recorded in March (3,522), April (3,035), February (2,885), and December (2,724). November and May saw 2,237 and 2,209 incidents respectively. Of the 85 deaths, 46 were men and 39 women.  Most injuries and deaths occurred in residential buildings, chemical accidents, and aircraft fire incidents, said the FSCD report. FSCD conducted 1,071 diving operations, rescuing 70 injured and 585 deceased. Animals, birds, and other creatures were also rescued. FSCD responded to 10,140 incidents nationwide, saving 10,333 injured and 1,756 deceased, including road accident victims. FSCD inspected 10,533 buildings and of those , 3,316 were risky, 622 highly risky, and 6,595 satisfactory. Mobile courts fined 179 institutions Tk 1.94 crore and filed cases against eight. FSCD held 15,865 awareness campaigns, 2,078 surveys, 14,987 public engagements, and 3,722 fire drills. Fire gutted 36 dwelling houses in Gazipur

The Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase on Tuesday approved separate proposals for procurement of 55,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser . The approval came at a meeting of the committee at the Cabinet Division conference room at the Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. The meeting approved a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture to import 25,000 metric tonnes of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) fertiliser through a state-level agreement between Groupe Chimique Tunisien (GCT) of Tunisia and the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC). The total cost of the import has been estimated at Tk 162.57 crore. In another decision, the committee approved a proposal from the Ministry of Industries to import 30,000 metric tonnes of bagged granular urea fertiliser from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) during the 2025–26 fiscal year. The procurement will cost Tk 158.65 crore, with per tonne price fixed at US$431, including bagging charges. The day’s meeting also recommended approval of two proposals for the construction of fertiliser buffer godowns in Meherpur and Thakurgaon districts to strengthen storage and distribution facilities nationwide. Under the project titled “Construction of 34 Buffer Godowns across the Country for Fertiliser Storage and Distribution (1st Revised)”, a godown with a storage capacity of 10,000 metric tonnes will be built in Meherpur at a cost of Tk 40.76 crore. The work will be carried out by M/S SS Rahman International Ltd. Another godown with a capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes will be constructed in Thakurgaon at a cost of Tk 59.19 crore, with M/S Mazid Sons Construction Ltd selected as the contractor.  

The government on Tuesday recommended approving a proposal to procure about 53.87 million units of Anti-TB drugs (4FDC) under the revenue budget, aiming to strengthen tuberculosis control efforts across the country. The approval came at the sixth meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase this year, held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed presiding. The Health Services Division proposed the purchase of the drugs under Package No GR-2557 at a total cost of Tk 77.57 crore, with M/S Reneta PLC selected as the supplier. Health officials said the procurement will ensure uninterrupted availability of life-saving medicines across government health facilities and support the national TB elimination programme. The day’s meeting also recommended approval of a proposal to procure 14.82 lakh GeneXpert cartridges through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM) at a cost of Tk 237.12 crore. 82 lakh users of recreational drugs in Bangladesh: Survey The cartridges will be supplied by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to ensure uninterrupted diagnostic services, particularly for tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. The committee further allowed the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education to renew 11 contracts with Grameenphone Limited for providing internet connectivity to 40,586 government primary schools under the Fourth Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-4). Officials said the decisions reflect the government’s commitment to strengthening health services, education infrastructure and service delivery through transparent procurement processes.

Bangladesh has slipped in the global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2025, scoring 24 out of 100 and ranking 13th from the bottom worldwide, showing a decline from last year. Although the country’s score increased by one point its position weakened in both global and regional rankings. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), shared these findings at a press conference held on Tuesday morning to announce the index. In 2024, Bangladesh ranked 151st scoring 23. The CPI scores countries on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating the highest level of corruption and 100 representing the highest level of governance. According to the latest index, Bangladesh has the second-lowest score in South Asia, ahead of only Afghanistan which scored 16. From 2012 to 2022, Bangladesh’s CPI score ranged between 25 and 28. However, it dropped to 24 in 2023 and further declined to 23 in 2024, falling three points below the 13-year average. Money, religion, muscle power still dominate elections: TIB  Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said that the one point increase in Bangladesh’s score this year appears to reflect positive perceptions regarding the immediate prospects for democratic transition and accountable governance following the July uprising. "The subsequent realities of the state reform process were not reflected in the index as the relevant data sources covered earlier periods. As a result, the lack of tangible progress in state reforms meant that Bangladesh’s score and ranking did not witness any significant positive change in real terms," he also said.