United News of Bangladesh

The government has promoted 22 administrative officers (AOs) and personal officers (POs) to the post of non-cadre Assistant Secretary. The Public Administration Ministry issued a notification in this regard on Monday. According to the notification, the promoted officials have been appointed as special duty officers (OSDs) at the Public Administration Ministry in the rank of Assistant Secretary (non-cadre). They will receive salaries and allowances under the national pay scale 2015, (grade-9), said the notification. They will be posted later as per rules. All of them have been promoted to the non-cadre rank of Assistant Secretary.  

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has made the use of the Customs Bond Management System (CBMS) compulsory for all bonded warehouse licence-holding export-oriented industries from January 1, 2026, requiring businesses to obtain Utilisation Permission (UP) exclusively through digital submission. In a press release issued on Monday, NBR said a circular has been issued making CBMS mandatory for all UP-related services.  From the effective date, bonded entities will no longer receive UP services through manual or alternative channels. Introduced on January 1, 2025, the CBMS platform was designed to modernise Bangladesh’s bond management operations by enhancing transparency, accountability and automation across the workflow. The system is currently operational in three Customs Bond Commissionerates and offers 24 digital modules for bonded warehouse licensees. Export-oriented bonded manufacturers import raw materials duty-free using UPs based on co-efficient approvals from the Duty Exemption and Drawback Office. Although the UP module has been active for nearly a year, most companies still rely on manual processes, with only a limited number shifting to the digital system. NBR acknowledged that the non-mandatory nature of CBMS contributed to low adoption over the past 11 months. According to the release, CBMS has recently undergone upgrades based on user feedback to improve navigation, usability and efficiency. Officials believe that mandatory implementation will help achieve the intended automation goals and reduce administrative pressure on both businesses and Customs offices. NBR said full-scale use of CBMS will ensure faster, more transparent and more accountable service delivery. The digital platform is expected to simplify procedures, cut operational time and costs, and eliminate the need for physical submission of documents at Customs Bond Commissionerates. Automated data entry within the system will also improve accuracy in maintaining input-output records and reduce the scope for discrepancies that often lead to disputes between enterprises and Customs authorities.  

Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Monday said that confusion and hesitation within various ministries and implementing agencies have caused a pile-up of development projects ahead of the upcoming national election. Speaking to reporters after an ECNEC meeting on Monday, he noted that many officials assumed that project approvals would slow down once the election schedule was announced. “There was a perception that nothing would move because the election schedule was imminent. But that is entirely incorrect,” he said. Dr Mahmud emphasised that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) will continue operating as usual and that ongoing development projects will not come to a halt.  “Development projects do not stop. ECNEC does not stop. Only the government becomes a caretaker government during the election period. I was in charge of finance and planning during the first caretaker government in 1996. Even then, ECNEC continued to function normally,” he recalled. He added that although routine development activities proceed uninterrupted, the government must remain cautious in approving new constituency-based schemes. “We must scrutinise projects to ensure none are designed to benefit a particular constituency or individual. These types of projects should not be approved during this period,” the adviser said. Dr Mahmud pointed out that the unusually high number of pending proposals this time is partly due to ministries becoming increasingly inactive over recent months. “Many felt that with the election approaching, it was better to hold back. That is why so many projects have accumulated,” he said. He also noted a surge in lobbying for new constituency-focused projects as the election draws near. “Requests have increased significantly—‘Sir, approve this project for this area, that project for that constituency.’ But we will not approve such projects. Our focus is on national priorities, not local political gains,” he asserted. The adviser stressed that ECNEC’s role is to ensure that all development initiatives align with broader economic and social goals.  “We must make sure that projects are justified, transparent, and beneficial for the country as a whole,” he added.

Another 173 Bangladeshi nationals returned home from Libya on Monday. They arrived at Dhaka at 6am on a Burak Air chartered flight, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The repatriation was coordinated by the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The returnees had been staying in Libya illegally. Most of the returnees had entered Libya with the intention of traveling illegally to Europe via human traffickers.Many had experienced abductions and abuse during their stay. Officials from the foreign ministry and the IOM welcomed the returnees at the airport and requested them to share their difficult experiences to raise public awareness. Each returnee received travel allowances, food supplies, basic medical care, and temporary shelter from the IOM. The joint efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the IOM continue to ensure the safe return of Bangladeshis detained in various centers in Libya.    

Rampal power plant in Bagerhat, has set a national record in electricity generation as the plant produced 700 million units of electricity in November this year, marking the highest monthly output by any power plant in Bangladesh. Anwarul Azim, Deputy General Manager of Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Limited (BIFPCL) public relation department, said the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) supplied electricity to the national grid throughout the month, contributing around 11.5 percent of the country’s total power demand. This has further strengthened its position as one of the country’s top electricity producers. He also said that the milestone reflects the plant’s high industrial capacity, efficient coal and resource management and effective financial and operational planning. The plant has been regularly supplying about 8 percent of the nation’s electricity needs. Producing 700 million units in November has set a new benchmark for Bangladesh’s power sector, marking the highest single-month generation since the plant began operations, said Anwarul Azim. He also expressed hope that this strong generation performance will continue in the coming months.  

The Election Commission (EC) has extended the deadline by seven days for expatriate Bangladeshis to register through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app to cast their ballots in the upcoming national election and referendum to be held in early February 2026. “The deadline for 'out-of-country voting' (voter registration) has been extended. Earlier, the deadline was till December 18. But it has been extended till midnight of December 25 (BST),” said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed at a press briefing in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban on Monday. The EC secretary said the registration process is currently open 24 hours a day for the expatriates and they can apply online anytime from anywhere in the world. “Those who have already registered are regularly able to see their application and registration status on our progress screen,” he said. Akhtar Ahmed said some technical glitches had been reported in certain regions, but those issues have now been resolved. “As a result, anyone living abroad can complete their registration online from any country,” he added. About In-Country Postal Voting (ICPV), Akhtar Ahmed said the ICPV registration process will begin for a 15-day period after the election schedule is announced. More than 123,000 expatriate voters from different countries across the world have so far registered in the past 12 days to vote through the postal ballots to vote in the 13th parliamentary election and the referendum on the July National Charter (Reform Charter). As of 5:15pm on Monday, a total of 123, 160 expatriate voters had registered through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app. Of them, 106,606 are male voters and 16,174 are female voters. Among the registrants, the highest number came from the USA (18,114), followed by Saudi Arabia (10,854), South Korea (9,389), Singapore (8,780), Canada (8,610), Australia (7,480), the UK (7,018), Japan (6,798), Italy (5,227), South Africa (4,726) and Malaysia (3,851). Among the registered expats, the highest 21,446 will vote in Dhaka district from abroad, while 10,799 in Cumilla, 8,266 in Chattogram, 8,202 in Sylhet, 7,438 in Noakhali, 4,015 in Feni, 3,648 in Chandpur, 3,296 in Brahmanbaria, 3,282 in Munshiganj and 3,094 in Moulvibazar district. In terms of constituencies, the highest 2,800 registered expats will vote in Sylhet-1 constituency, while 2,301 in Noakhali-1 constituency, 2,107 in Dhaka-18 constituency, 2,103 in Sylhet-6 constituency, 1,758 in Dhaka-10 constituency, 1,742 in Noakhali-3 constituency, 1,688 in Dhaka-13 constituency, 1,673 in Feni-3 constituency, 1,670 in Dhaka-8 constituency and 1,537 in Noakhali-5 constituency. The Election Commission on November 18 launched the ‘Postal Vote Bd’ app for expatriate voters living in a total of 143 countries throughout the world. Though the postal balloting system has been in the laws for a long time, it was never practiced in the previous elections. This is the first time the Election Commission is introducing a hybrid postal balloting system, enabling expatriates, government staff, polling personnel and inmates to exercise their franchise through a combination of digital registration and manual voting. The EC has targeted some 5 million expatriate Bangladeshis living in 143 countries to bring them under this IT-supported postal voting mechanism.

Under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced that it will host the third edition of the Global Labour Market Conference (GLMC) at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center (KAICC) in Riyadh on January 26-27. Centred around the theme “Future in Progress,” GLMC 2026 will convene policymakers, business leaders, labor market experts, and representatives from international organizations to shape the future of work. The conference will provide a platform for collaboration and dialogue aimed at developing forward-looking solutions to the world’s most pressing workforce and labor challenges, said the organisers on Monday. Eng. Ahmad bin Sulaiman AlRajhi, Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, said they are grateful for the King’s patronage of GLMC, which has become a cornerstone of the global labor landscape and a crucial platform for meaningful dialogue on the future of work. "This conference reflects the Kingdom’s continued commitment to advancing international collaboration and developing innovative solutions that strengthen labor markets and enable workers everywhere. We look forward to welcoming back partners and stakeholders from across the globe to what we know will be a productive, insightful, and impactful gathering," he said. The third edition will bring together more than 45 international ministers, including for a dedicated ministerial roundtable, to advance policy solutions for labor issues globally. The full program features six thematic pillars covering the impact of trade shifts and AI on the workforce, new skills, workers operating in the shadow economy, workforce resilience, and aligning labor markets with human progress. In addition, the conference will introduce several innovative formats this year, including policy ‘hackathons’ to develop innovative policy solutions; spotlights where speakers present their biggest workforce challenge and boldest policy experiment; and opportunities for academics to select pressing topics for debate and challenge. In total, there is expected to be over 200 speakers and more than 7,000 attendees participating in over 50 engagements across the program. Launched in 2023, GLMC has evolved into a year-round global think tank dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and partnerships for the advancement of global labor markets. Through ongoing initiatives such as the Global Labour Market Academy – a partnership between GLMC, the World Bank, and Takamol Holding – GLMC has established itself as a catalyst for action, creating real-world solutions that empower governments, businesses, and workers to shape more sustainable labor systems.  

Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Monday called for a long-term, comprehensive master plan for the Bangladesh Secretariat and urged policymakers and the public to engage in a wider national conversation on whether the country’s administrative hub, or capital, should eventually be shifted out of central Dhaka. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), during which a major proposal to construct a new 21-storey office building at the Secretariat was withheld from approval. Dr Mahmud said the proposed project, estimated at between Tk 600-700 crore, could not be endorsed at this stage because the entire Secretariat zone has grown in an “unplanned, haphazard and aesthetically unpleasant manner,” making piecemeal construction difficult to justify without a broader development plan. Describing the Secretariat area as heavily congested and structurally vulnerable, he said many of the existing office structures were decades old, in poor condition, and in some cases damaged by recent fire incidents caused by ageing electrical connections and outdated infrastructure. According to him, ministers and senior civil servants now work in buildings that often lack proper road access, organised parking or coherent architectural design. He added that only a few of the older structures along the front side of the Secretariat road—such as the cabinet and home ministry buildings—retain architectural appeal, while newer additions have been erected without coordination, resulting in a cluttered skyline and cramped public spaces. The Planning Adviser stressed that constructing another major high-rise in such a setting would lock the government into existing inefficiencies. For any future development, he said, a complete master plan must be prepared, identifying what types of buildings are needed and how the precinct should evolve as a functional administrative zone. Dr Mahmud, however, went further, raising a much larger question: whether the Bangladesh Secretariat should remain in its current location at all. He said the existing complex was built during the Pakistan era, when the wider administrative belt—from the Secretariat to the Planning Commission to Chandrima Udyan and the Parliament area—was designed as the “second capital” of then East Pakistan. The question today, he noted, is whether Dhaka still needs to carry this administrative burden at its congested core. Citing examples from around the world, he recalled how cities like Islamabad, Putrajaya in Malaysia, and newly developed administrative capitals in Indonesia and South Korea were built to reduce pressure on the primary metropolis and to ensure efficient public administration. He said Bangladesh should not consider itself an exception and should be willing to think beyond historical constraints. Dr Mahmud suggested that future governments could explore the idea of shifting the national administrative headquarters to a new site outside Dhaka—possibly in areas near Gazipur, Shreepur, or other suitable locations. While he emphasised that such a move would be a long-term undertaking requiring political consensus, public consultation, and extensive feasibility studies, he argued that the discussion should begin now. He clarified that his suggestion was not tied to any immediate relocation effort but reflected the need for strategic thinking. The Planning Ministry’s own offices, he said, would remain in their current location, but the broader concept of a relocated Secretariat warranted serious public debate. According to him, any decision on the future of the administrative capital must involve opinions from citizens, experts, journalists and civil society, as the implications would be national in scale. The adviser said Bangladesh cannot ignore the reality that central Dhaka is saturated, heavily built-up, and increasingly ill-suited for hosting the nation’s core administrative machinery in the decades ahead. Dr Mahmud concluded that ECNEC had therefore deferred approval of the proposed 21-storey Secretariat building until a coherent master plan is prepared and wider consultations are held on the long-term future of the country’s administrative capital.

Planning Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud on Monday said the government’s ambitious reforms to the public procurement system are temporarily slowing down the implementation of the Annual Development Programme (ADP), but the overhaul is essential to dismantle long-standing contractor monopolies and ensure greater transparency in project execution. While briefing reporters after the ECNEC meeting on Monday, Dr Mahmud admitted that ADP implementation 'has not become dynamic,' despite what he called continual efforts. “The old problems are still there. The biggest challenge is that people are now reluctant to take up the role of project director, and contractors are no longer showing the same level of enthusiasm as before,” he said. According to him, this hesitation stems mainly from the introduction of the new Public Procurement Policy 2025, which has brought in far stricter transparency standards. “For years, a handful of powerful contractors controlled major national infrastructure works—highways, railways, everything. The evaluation system was shaped in a way that ensured that only those who previously secured the contracts would get them again,” he said. He emphasised that the 2025 policy is a “major reform”, making it impossible for any party to secure contracts anonymously or through proxy arrangements. “One cannot take a contract under someone else’s name. Anyone winning a contract must disclose full information about their businesses, tax status, and any affiliated enterprises. Everything must be open,” he explained. Dr Mahmud stated that this transparency requirement has made the contracting environment stricter and has somewhat discouraged habitual contractors. At the same time, the government has incorporated provisions allowing new and young entrepreneurs—even those without previous contracting experience—to participate as minor partners in large tenders. “We cannot let the same contractors dominate forever. Those who run their businesses honestly and pay taxes should have the opportunity to enter this sector. Particularly the younger generation must be given space,” he noted. He added that the new digital and fully online evaluation system—from the upazila level to the highest purchase committees—is also taking time to adjust to, especially for large purchases. “They will have to learn. That’s why there is some delay,” he said. Commenting on corruption concerns, Dr Mahmud observed that although reports of extortion and irregularities still exist, contractors appear uncertain about whether opportunities for corruption continue within the newly reformed system. “Maybe they have not yet figured out whether such opportunities are still there,” he said. The adviser also pointed to structural challenges at the local level. Upazila and district councils—now run entirely by government officials until elected representatives return under a future political government—are saddled with numerous projects but lack the time to supervise them adequately. To address this, ECNEC has recently attached a set of mandatory conditions to all newly approved locally implemented projects, especially those under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). One key requirement is institutionalised community monitoring, ensuring that beneficiaries and local residents are involved in project oversight. “This is logical. People living in the area know best whether the road, bridge, or construction work is being done with quality materials. They should be able to resist poor-quality work,” he said. He added that although such conditions existed before, they were rarely enforced. ECNEC is now making these obligations binding. In addition, project locations must display publicly accessible information—including total cost, progress, contractor identity, and details of materials used. Dr Mahmud noted that similar disclosure rules had been introduced during the late 1990s when he previously served in government, “but after some time everyone forgets”. The adviser stressed that transparency, local involvement, and strict monitoring are essential as the country faces rising poverty concerns and seeks to boost employment through community-level development works.  

The fire that broke out in a three-storey building in Old Dhaka’s Chawkbazar on Monday afternoon has been brought under control. The blaze started on the top floor of the building around 4:40pm, said Anwarul Islam, warehouse inspector of the Fire Service and Civil Defence.