United News of Bangladesh

Northern Bangladesh has begun to feel the first true grip of winter, with temperatures dipping to 13.5°C in Lalmonirhat on Tuesday, signalling a sharper seasonal shift for residents accustomed to early December’s milder chill. Between 6am and 9am, the Kurigram Weather Observatory recorded the day’s lowest temperature at 13.5°C. Locals described the morning cold as so piercing that it ‘felt as if it were falling like rain’, a poetic expression capturing just how suddenly and intensely winter appeared to descend. A dense blanket of fog settled across the district from dawn, draping Sadar, Aditmari, Kaliganj, Hatibandha and Patgram in milky greyness. Monday morning had already brought unusually heavy fog, but Tuesday’s visibility dropped even further. Motorists were forced to switch on their headlights well into daylight hours, navigating roads where silhouettes of trees and buildings faded into the mist. Chilly winds sweeping in from the early hours compounded the cold, creating an unmistakably wintry atmosphere across the region. For many, it was the first morning of the season that demanded extra layers, steaming cups of tea and slower, more cautious travel. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast that the weather will remain mainly dry across the country, with a partly cloudy sky at times. Light fog may form in parts of the northeast by early morning. Night temperatures could fall by 1–2°C, though daytime temperatures are expected to remain largely unchanged. The lowest temperature recorded in the country on Monday was 11.7°C in Tetulia, Panchagarh—often the earliest and coldest point of winter in Bangladesh. As the season deepens, meteorologists say these early dips in temperature may signal the onset of a colder-than-usual December for the northern districts, where fogs, biting winds and slow-burning sunlight routinely shape the rhythm of winter life.  

Three people were killed and seven others injured when a truck crashed into a bus on Dhaka-Bhanga Expressway over Arial Khan Bridge in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur district on Tuesday. One of the deceased was identified as Munir Sheikh, 35, of Najirpur upazila in Pirojpur district. Md Sabuj, sergeant of Shibchar Highway Police Station, said the accident occurred around 9:30 am when the truck hit the Barishal-bound bus of ‘Welcome Paribahan’ from behind, leaving one killed on the spot and eight others injured. The injured were taken to the local hospital where doctors declared two of them dead.  

A 25-year-old young man was found dead with his throat slit at Belgachi in Chuadanga municipality area on Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Sohel, son of Asabul Haque of Bakcharpara area of the village. Md Shahidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said locals spotted the body at a field of the village in the morning and informed police. On information, police recovered the body and sent it to the local hospital morgue for autopsy. Asabul Haque, father of the deceased, claimed that Sohel had a dispute with one Faruque, son of Taher, over a trifling matter. Faruque might have killed his son over the enmity, said Asabul. However, police are investigating the incident.  

A mild earthquake was felt in parts of Bangladesh including Chattogram early Tuesday (December 02). The tremor measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale was recorded at 12:55am, said meteorologist Shahnaj Sultana of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). Read more: Ceiling And Wall Cracks After An Earthquake: When To Worry The epicentre was in Mingin of Myanmar 431 km southeast of BMD Seismic Centre in Agargaon, she said.

A 28-year-old CNG-run autorickshaw driver was shot dead by local criminals in the capital’s Jurain area on Monday evening. The victim, Pappu Sheikh, was the son of Montu Sheikh of Rajoir Police Station in Shariatpur district. The incident occurred around 6:30pm in the Jurain Gas Pipe area. Pappu was rescued and taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead around 8:15pm. His cousin, Md Samraj, who took him to the hospital, said Pappu lived with his family in the Jurain Sweet Shop area. “Pappu left home in the evening, and 10 minutes later we heard that he had been shot in front of Jurain Gas Pipe Concord School. We first took him to Ad-Din Medical College Hospital, but as his condition worsened, we brought him to Dhaka Medical College,” he said. Samraj added that he heard from locals that several known criminals — including Bappa, son of Kana Jabbar, and a man named Kanchi — shot Pappu before fleeing the scene. However, he said the motive remains unclear. Md Sunny, a friend of the victim, claimed Pappu had a dispute with Bappa’s nephew Himel a few days earlier, which may have led to the attack. Md Faruk, in-charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police camp, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue, and the concerned police station has been informed.

Bangladeshi youth climate leader and environmental communicator Sohanur Rahman has been named the winner of the Green Journalist Award at the 13th Balipara Foundation Awards, scheduled to be held on 11 December at Vivanta in Guwahati, India. Sohanur is the Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, one of the largest grassroots youth-led climate organisations in South Asia, and a co-founder of the Climate Communicator Community in Bangladesh. He was recently featured by DW Bangla as a leading young climate influencer. The award ceremony is part of a two-day gathering that will also include the Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum on 10 December, where leaders and practitioners from across the region will convene to exchange knowledge and solutions for a sustainable future. Due to visa challenges, Sohanur will be joining the ceremony virtually. The Balipara Foundation, an Indian environmental organisation based in Assam known for its renowned work on conservation and ecologically responsible development, announced the award recognising Sohanur’s contributions to environmental protection and climate communication across the region. The Foundation extended its congratulations and praised his efforts to strengthen ecological conservation and community resilience in South Asia. In its announcement letter, the Foundation described Sohanur as “one of Bangladesh’s leading young climate communicators,” noting that his reporting has been instrumental in highlighting the realities of climate vulnerability. Through his documentation of coastal families, indigenous communities, young women, and climate-affected migrants, he has helped bring critical human stories to national and regional attention. The letter further highlighted that Sohanur is the founder of YouthNet for Climate Justice, now YouthNet Global, one of South Asia’s most active youth-led climate networks. Under his leadership, young reporters have been trained to monitor climate impacts, identify policy gaps, and promote community-based solutions. His focus on youth mobilisation and people-centred storytelling has significantly shaped climate justice conversations at both national and international levels. The Foundation also commended his representation of Bangladesh in global climate platforms, including advocacy on safer migration, community resilience, and justice-driven adaptation. His work, it noted, reflects values of empathy, accountability, and meaningful civic engagement. Sohanur, who served as a youth representative in the Bangladesh delegation at COP27, COP29 and the recently concluded COP30, said the award is a motivation to continue amplifying frontline communities. “This honour strengthens my commitment to telling the stories of those who live with climate impacts every day. Their voices must remain at the centre of our climate decisions,” he said.

The government has appointed Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) in 77 more upazilas. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gazette notification in this regard, appointing senior assistant secretaries to the posts. This comes after the first phase of appointments on November 26, when 166 upazilas received new UNOs. With the latest appointments, a total of 243 upazilas now have new UNOs. According to the notification, 18 UNOs have been appointed in Dhaka division, 4 in Barishal, 7 in Chattogram, 12 in Khulna, 11 in Rangpur, 14 in Rajshahi, 8 in Sylhet, and 3 in Mymensingh. The appointees must join their new workplaces by December 4. Those failing to do so will be released from their current posts by the afternoon of the same day, the notification added.

The government has declared BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia a ‘very very important person’ (VVIP). A notification in this regard was issued on Monday. Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, Director General (Administration) at the office of the Chief Adviser, signed the order following instructions from the President. According to the notification, Khaleda Zia has been declared a VVIP under Section 2(a) of the Special Security Force Act, 2021. The decision takes immediate effect. Since her admission to Evercare Hospital on November 23, Khaleda Zia has been under intensive treatment in the hospital’s Coronary Care Unit (CCU) for multiple complications affecting her liver, kidneys and heart.

Political parties on Monday united to sign a Child Rights Manifesto, responding to the powerful voices of children and young people who have demanded a future where their rights are better respected and protected. The Child Rights Manifesto, seen as a historic moment for the nation’s children, was signed by 12 political parties to the upcoming 2026 national election, pledging action to address 10 priority commitments designed to put childhood back on track in Bangladesh. The political parties are Amar Bangladesh Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Socialist Party of Bangladesh Communist Party of Bangladesh, Gano Forum, Ganosamhati Andolon, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jatiyo Party, Khelafat Majlis, Nagorik Oikya and National Citizen Party. The Manifesto is the result of an inclusive, multi-phase process engaging children, adolescents and young people, including marginalided groups, those with disabilities, and indigenous communities - through digital platforms like U-Report and in-person consultations. Findings were validated with academia, civil society, private sector and development partners, before briefings on the data and evidence and the draft commitments were presented to political party leaders to secure public commitments ahead of the national elections. It outlines practical goals that when implemented, will address the country’s most urgent child rights priorities, addressing the challenge to ensure that every child in Bangladesh survives, learns and is protected. The commitments include strengthening quality education, skills, nutrition, and primary healthcare, creating safer communities free from violence, abusive practices, and hazardous child labour, tackling child poverty, ensuring coordinated leadership and monitoring on critical issues, and addressing climate challenges that threaten their future. By signing the Manifesto, political parties commit to embedding these priorities into their policies and election agendas, and to act decisively once elected, said Unicef. Underpinning each commitment is verified national data that highlights those areas where the rights and well-being of Bangladesh's nearly 35% child population are most at stake. “Children have spoken loudly and clearly: their future cannot wait. Today’s signing of the Child Rights Manifesto is a promise to turn words into action, and action into hope. The Manifesto outlines clear, achievable change for children today that drives human capital development and will result in a stronger Bangladesh tomorrow,” said Rana Flowers, Unicef Representative in Bangladesh. Flowers said the most recent data tells us with urgency and clarity where children are being left behind. “With Unicef support, the leadership of the political parties has studied the data and the evidence on critical challenges facing children in Bangladesh, they have debated the gaps, and where the investments are needed, and today they are not making a hollow commitment, they are signing publicly to express a new era; a revamped agenda for children.” Unlike other manifestos, Flowers said these promises are rooted in evidence and are based on a call from the most vulnerable and often least heard. “Today’s signing represents a lifeline for millions of children whose futures depend on the right decisions and investments the political leaders will make.”  

Bangladesh’s Planning Adviser on Monday underscored the huge scale of reforms undertaken by the interim government across multiple sectors, ranging from public broadcasting and civil administration to procurement and judicial operations, cautioning that the next elected government will face the crucial task of reviewing and absorbing these changes. Speaking to reporters after an ECNEC meeting, the Adviser addressed a wide array of questions, including whether state-run media entities such as Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar, and the Press Information Department (PID) could be merged to reduce operational costs. He dismissed the possibility of such restructuring in the short term, citing “complexity, capacity constraints, and inevitable labour unrest” as major obstacles. “There is very little scope to do this now. It would become complicated, and the Secretariat would see demonstrations,” he remarked. Broadcasting Sector: Independence vs Practical Hurdles The Adviser noted that BTV’s institutional culture and staffing structure make it difficult to integrate with other government information agencies. “BTV has always run with its own people; they have never been in any regular service stream. Over time, the pool of qualified people diminished and the institution weakened,” he said. While acknowledging longstanding proposals to grant BTV greater editorial independence—similar to the BBC model—he emphasised political realities. “We could issue an ordinance to make BTV independent, but no one can guarantee that an elected government will approve that ordinance. No political government in Bangladesh has historically been comfortable giving BTV BBC-like autonomy.” Betar, he added, still maintains over 500 surplus officers, making its reform “both essential and difficult”. Integrating Betar with other information services could create “major institutional complications”, though the medium’s declining importance makes restructuring unavoidable. BBS and Data Transparency Highlighting reforms within the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the Adviser said a major overhaul is already underway. “Before I leave, I want to complete this. We have no difficulty issuing an ordinance,” he said. He stressed the need for complete independence in data release, noting that relevant policy commitments have already been published online: “BBS must be able to publish everything independently, without seeking ministerial approval. With digitalisation, full transparency is possible.” While drafting rules is straightforward, he cautioned that ordinances face greater risk. “Any ordinance must be placed before the next Parliament. If the new government does not approve it, the entire ordinance lapses.” Major Legislative Reforms The Adviser said the interim government has moved ahead with many reforms that had been pending for years under various committees. “We have implemented several major reforms through ordinances, often without fully realising their longer-term implications. Even we will need time to fully understand what they mean,” he said. One of the most influential reforms, he said, is the overhaul of the public procurement regime: “The government’s procurement policy has practically become a book—publicly available everywhere. With digital systems now entrenched, reversing or altering many procedures will be difficult. The ordinance converting this into law is likely to be accepted by the next Parliament.” He contrasted this with other ordinances that may face greater scrutiny. Judiciary: A Transformative Step Perhaps the most consequential change, the Adviser noted, is the ordinance granting greater functional independence to the judiciary, including the magistracy. “Magistrates who decide on bail, arrests, and sentencing will no longer operate under the Law Ministry. This is now under a fully independent judiciary,” he said. The Planning and Finance ministries both played roles in determining how judicial project implementation would work, how independent budgeting would function, and how the system would interact with the Planning Commission. “These are enormous reforms. Some may even create discomfort for the next government because they shift long-standing balances of administrative control,” he added. Concerns for the Next Government The Adviser acknowledged that the interim administration may have been “too ambitious” in the volume and scale of reforms introduced. “We may have introduced more and deeper reforms than usual. It might be difficult for a newly elected government to digest all of them.” However, he expressed hope that the core intentions of the reforms—modernisation, transparency, digitalisation, and institutional autonomy—will be preserved. “They may not keep everything, but I hope they will retain at least the essence. Elected governments are ultimately the best judges of public demand.”