United News of Bangladesh

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday provided emergency food assistance to families affected by the devastating fire that swept through the Korail slum on Tuesday (25 November). According to a WFP media statement, the agency — in collaboration with the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), Dhaka North City Corporation, and partner organisation Eco Social Development Organization (ESDO) — distributed High Energy Biscuits (HEBs) to 1,900 affected families. Each family received a 5-kg carton of HEBs, a ready-to-eat food fortified with essential vitamins, minerals, protein, and carbohydrates. The biscuits require no cooking or water and are lightweight and compact, making them suitable for emergency situations. The assistance is expected to help families meet roughly three days of nutritional needs.

The Secretary of Agriculture, Dr. Mohammad Emdadullah Mian, announced that the agricultural sector managed to save Tk 4,000 crore over the past year by curbing corruption and waste in development projects. He further declared that Bangladesh aims to achieve self-sufficiency in onion and ginger production, halting imports of both commodities within the next three years. He made these statements on Thursday (November 27), at a seminar titled ‘Agricultural Transformation: Locally Adapted Farm Machinery and Agricultural Export Challenges,’ held at the CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka, organized by the Bangladesh Agricultural Journalists Forum (BAJF). Dr. Emdadullah elaborated on the financial discipline enforced by the government, which has led to a remarkable reduction in project corruption and waste: He confirmed that Tk 4,000 crore was saved last year through these measures. Tk 2,500 crore was returned to the treasury by mitigating corruption in various projects. This year alone, Tk 1,000 crore has been saved in fertilizer costs, he said. Citing a specific example, he stated that Tk 600 crore allocated for a mechanization project was returned to the government, and the project was successfully completed with an expenditure of just Tk 20 crore. The Agriculture Secretary stressed the importance of protecting farmers' interests, asserting that a farmer-friendly agricultural economy cannot be built without ensuring fair prices for their produce. Dr. Mian also announced that a 25-year long-term plan is being developed to ensure the overall development and modernization of the country's agricultural sector, with the final draft expected to be ready by December. Addressing public criticism over onion prices, he expressed dismay that while a price of Tk 100 for other vegetables is generally accepted, the same price for onions generates significant controversy. He posed the question: "Shouldn't the farmer get a fair price for onions?" He also expressed anguish over reported incidents of farmers committing suicide due to low potato prices, urging the government to step up for the proper valuation of farmers' efforts. During the seminar, the keynote paper presenter, Dr. K M Saiful Islam, Project Director for Mechanized Rice Cultivation at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), emphasized the realization of ‘Made in Bangladesh’ in agricultural mechanization. He noted that local production of quality farm machinery, supported by technological cooperation from countries like Sri Lanka and Japan, is taking shape. However, Durul Huda, Chief Scientific Officer at BRRI, highlighted the main obstacles to realizing this vision: The major impediment to producing sophisticated farm machinery like combine harvesters and rice transplanters is the inefficiency and infrastructural weakness of the light engineering sector. He lamented that even after 54 years of independence, no state-owned engine manufacturing institution has been established in the country. Kamruzzaman Kamal, Director (Marketing) of PRAN-RFL Group, pointed out the vast potential in the global agro-processing market (valued at $4 trillion), where Bangladesh’s share is currently only $1 billion. He demanded the implementation of a ‘One-Stop Service’ to eliminate the complexity of securing approval from 18 different departments for agricultural exports. He also cited the lack of internationally standardized quality control laboratories as a major constraint. Onion imports withheld to protect farmers: Agriculture Adviser Mohammad Arifur Rahman, Project Director for Exportable Mango Production, noted that mango exports have tripled over the last five years, with imports dropping to zero. He stressed that high air freight costs and the inability to secure guaranteed space on flights are hindering further export growth, advocating for dedicated space allocation for agricultural produce on aircraft. In his presidential address, BAJF President Shahanowar Sayed Shahin stressed that a political commitment is crucial for protecting the interests of farmers and agriculture. He urged all political parties to include clear and long-term strategies on agriculture in their election manifestos. Other speakers underscored the objective of transforming farming into a profitable, educated, and dignified profession. Md. Fazlul Kader, Managing Director of PKSF, highlighted the crucial role of the MFI (Microfinance Institution) sector, which currently accounts for approximately 85 percent of the total agricultural financing in Bangladesh.    

Amid speculations about his political ambitions, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam on Thursday clarified that he has no intention of joining politics. Alam, who currently holds the rank of senior secretary, also confirmed that he would not contest the upcoming national election. “For everyone asking: I am not contesting the parliamentary elections and have no plans to enter politics,” said the Press Secretary. The national election is scheduled to be held in February next year.

No phone purchased before next December 16 will be blocked, said Mahmud Hossain, Commissioner, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Thursday (November 27). “Measures are being taken to bring all existing handsets in the market under legal channels for the sake of public security and a full solution will come by December,” he said while speaking as chief guest at a seminar organised by Telecom and Technology Reporter's Network, Bangladesh (TRNB). “Network quality depends significantly on the quality of mobile handsets. After the NEIR rollout, the commitment given by traders to keep prices unchanged must be upheld,” he said. Read more: Bangladesh prepares NEIR amid ‘clone phone threats, obstruction’ Stressing the need to eliminate misinformation and confusion, the BTRC chairman also assured users that no phone purchased before December 16 will be blocked. In a bid to restore market discipline and enhance security, the National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR) service is set to be launched on Victory Day. Business representatives dismissed fears that handset prices might rise after NEIR becomes operational. The price will not go up—not even by one taka, they said. When asked about the security of the NEIR system, BTRC Director-General Aminul Haque said, “It’s not impossible—unless the BTRC DG himself is compromised! Once NEIR is launched, customers will be able to block lost or stolen phones from home.” Giving assurance that handset prices will not rise, the Mobile Phone Industrial Owners of Bangladesh (MIOB) President Zakaria Shahid said, “NEIR is not a private initiative—it is a matter of national security. No one can oppose it unless they have ulterior motives.”He added that the tax structure needs to be more flexible to increase mobile phone penetration in the country. “Businesses do not want to operate outside the law,” he said. Read more: BTRC to deactivate extra SIMs beyond limit from Saturday He also urged authorities to move away from excessive restrictions imposed in the name of protecting local industries. Distributor Association President Abdullah Al Harun Raju said only a very small number—around 500 to 1,000 people—are involved in grey-market phone trading. “Out of 20,000 sales workers, around 18,000 sell legally channelled phones,” he said.  

The Election Commission plans to resume Out-of-Country voter registration on Friday (November 28) for Bangladeshi expatriates in seven countries after suspending it due to incorrect or incomplete mailing addresses provided by many applicants. The seven countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). "We are working to reopen it by tomorrow (Friday) morning. So that expatriate voters can take advantage of Friday, which is a holiday, InshaAllah. We are trying to re-launch the app for these seven countries as soon as possible," said Team leader of EC's Out of Country Voting (OCV) development and implementation (SDI) project Brig Gen (retd) Saleem Ahmad Khan at a press briefing in the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban on Thursday (November 27). Read more: Over 23,000 Bangladeshi expats registered to vote in 2026 election He said the EC opened its mobile app, 'Postal Vote Bd' for the expatriates living in all the countries including these seven countries on Wednesday (12:00am after Sunday midnight) to register to vote in the upcoming national election. Since the expatriate voters were inputting incorrect (mailing) addresses (to receive the postal ballots) in these countries, the commission decided to halt the process for these countries, he said. “If there are incorrect addresses, the ballots can’t be sent to the proper destinations. So, when we notice the issue, we’ve taken the decision to suspend the process temporarily for the seven countries,” said Saleem Ahmad. He said the commission talked to the Bangladeshi missions stationed in these countries to address the problem by carrying out campaigns to input the proper mailing addresses during the registration. He said once addresses are confirmed, they will start sending the postal ballot packages to different destinations through the Bangladesh Post Office at the end of next week. Speaking at the briefing, EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said they still are optimistic over the registration of a good number of expatriate voters during the 13th parliamentary election and referendum on the July National Charter, which are expected to be held simultaneously in a single day in early February 2026. Read more: 'Postal Vote BD’ App launched to include expats in 2026 election "The expectations for the inclusion of expatriate Bangladeshi voters for OCV, which were high, are still high. One thing is that when the new system is rolled out, there will be minor problems. Campaigning is also going on regarding this," he said. As of 8:00 pm on Thursday, a total of 58,563 expatriates-49,777 males and 8,786 females-had registered through the app.

Prof Emeritus at BRAC University Dr. Ainun Nishat on Thursday said effective climate action requires full implementation of the National Adaptation Plan, alongside stronger capacity building and technology transfer. “Integrating climate considerations across all ministries is essential to addressing this growing threat,” he said at a workshop in Dhaka. The Finance Division of the Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), convened the high-level workshop to gather perspectives from private sector representatives along with representatives from financial regulators, relevant government agencies, and development partners in relation to private finance for climate action. The initiative comes at a decisive moment for climate-vulnerable nations. At COP30, world leaders warned that adaptation financing remains dangerously insufficient; despite escalating risks from sea-level rise, extreme heat, and climate-related disasters. Bangladesh, though responsible for under 0.56% of global emissions, ranks 9th among the world’s most climate-exposed countries, facing annual financing needs estimated at USD 26 billion. The National Climate Finance Strategy, an output of UNDP’s Inclusive Budgeting and Financing for Climate Resilience (IBFCR II) project, aims to address this gap by aligning public financial management reforms, regulatory incentives, and private sector investment to mobilise climate finance at scale. Attending as the chief guest, Additional Secretary and UN Wing Chief, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance AKM Sohel said despite being highly vulnerable, Bangladesh receives only a fraction of the climate finance it requires. “A clear Climate Finance Strategy will help us navigate this imbalance, develop bankable projects, and position Bangladesh to secure the financing necessary for long-term resilience,” he said. Executive Director, Bangladesh Bank Md. Rafiqul Islam said Bangladesh is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, and as they shift to a low-carbon development path, sustainable and climate finance becomes pivotal. Country Economic Advisor, UNDP Owais Parry said Bangladesh already invests billions in climate action, but the gap remains vast. To safeguard people and drive long-term growth, the country must mobilise far more and do so through both public and private channels. “A national climate finance strategy will help Bangladesh tap new sources of capital, align policies, and unlock the financing needed for a resilient and inclusive future” Specialist, Climate Change and Sustainable Financing, UNDP Bangladesh Dr Maliha Muzammil provided a keynote presentation on the “Need for a National Climate Finance Strategy in Bangladesh” followed by a technical session facilitated by UNDP experts. Participants focused on the challenges of accessing both public and private climate finance, with discussions on blended finance, green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, insurance solutions, and public-private partnerships. This event marks the first of three consultation workshops, with the Finance Division and UNDP next convening key ministries, divisions and agencies before engaging development partners and development finance institutions in a final session, after which the insights will be consolidated into a draft Climate Finance Strategy for further national consultation. The strategy is expected to position Bangladesh to mobilize larger, more predictable, and more diversified climate finance in the years ahead—bridging global commitments made at COP30 with national efforts to protect people, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

A writ petition was filed with the High Court challenging the legality of the provision of party symbols in the alliance’s vote in the 13th national election. Md Aminul Amin, general secretary of National Democratic Movement (NDM), led by its chairman Bobby Hajjaz filed the writ petition with the HC bench concerned on Thursday. The petition also sought cancellation of the Representation of the People Order (RPO). Chief Election Commissioner and other concerned made respondent to the writ petition. Barristar Sahedul Azam, organising secretary of NDM, said the petition will likely move to the bench of Justice Fatema Najib next week. On November 3, the government of Bangladesh issued the “Representation of the People (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025,” with provision that even if registered political parties form an electoral alliance, candidates must contest the polls with their own party symbols. Earlier, on October 23, the Advisory Council approved the draft amendment of the RPO.    

Speakers at a national seminar in the capital on Wednesday urged the government to formally recognise women farmers and ensure their equal access to agricultural services, saying they play the biggest role in the country’s food production but remain the most deprived. The seminar, titled “Inclusion of Women Farmers in Climate-Resilient Crop Production and the Role of Policymakers,” was organised by AVAS, BINDU, COAST Foundation and Street Child UK with support from the Gates Foundation. It was moderated by COAST Foundation Executive Director Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, while Md. Iqbal Uddin presented the keynote. Speakers noted that women constitute 58 percent of Bangladesh’s agricultural workforce, yet only 19 percent have land ownership—and just 4–5 percent can actually exercise those rights. As a result, they remain largely excluded from government facilities, agricultural loans and mechanisation support. In his presentation, Iqbal Uddin said nearly one-third of Bangladesh’s population lives in climate-vulnerable coastal regions, where women continue producing climate-resilient crops despite facing severe challenges. He stressed that recognising coastal women farmers is vital to protecting national food security. DAE officials Dr. Md. Hazrat Ali and Dr. Md. Jamal Uddin said coastal women farmers are underpaid, lack access to credit due to not owning land, and need to be organised in groups to collectively claim their rights. Former DAE deputy director Dr. Radheshyam Sarkar called for eliminating gender discrimination across the sector. Professor Mir Mohammad Ali highlighted the need for easy bank loans, low-interest financing and timely weather forecasts for women farmers. Coastal farmers Mst. Rina Begum, Mst. Asma Begum, Kalpana Rani and Nazma Begum demanded official recognition, Agricultural Cards, women-friendly machinery, interest-free or low-interest loans and saline-water treatment facilities. Speakers from civil society and journalist forums, including AKM Jasim Uddin, Rahima Sultana Kajol, Jannatul Mouwa, Imtiaz Ridoy and others, urged gender-responsive agricultural extension services and warned of rising salinity that threatens coastal livelihoods. They called for stronger subsidies and urgent mitigation measures to support women farmers’ climate adaptation efforts.  

High Commissioner of Canada to Bangladesh Ajit Singh on Thursday said innovations originating in Bangladesh in the healthcare sector continue to transform lives worldwide. “Public health challenges are transnational. What happens here in Bangladesh matters in Canada and everywhere,” he said at a seminar at International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (Icddr,b)’s auditorium in Dhaka. Internationally renowned nutrition scientist Professor Keith West from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA attended the seminar titled “A Half-Century's Journey of Nutritional Pursuit across Southern Asia” The event was organised to mark the Icddr,b day to celebrate its 65th anniversary. Singh highlighted icddr,b’s long-standing commitment to high-impact, low-cost health solutions, citing its pioneering work on cholera, malnutrition, maternal and infant mortality, gender-based violence, and other pressing public health challenges. Singh also lauded icddr,b’s large-scale provision of free healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of low-income and vulnerable people each year. Referring to the decades-long partnership between Canada and icddr,b, the High Commissioner mentioned collaborations with several Canadian institutions, including SickKids Hospital, the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Calgary. He noted that Canada is currently providing 15 million US dollars in core funding over five years, along with 24 million US dollars for expanding sexual and reproductive health research, particularly aimed at improving health services for women and girls in marginalized communities. He added that icddr,b’s findings continue to shape global health responses, just as its earlier breakthroughs—such as oral rehydration therapy—transformed child survival worldwide. The High Commissioner urged icddr,b scientists to continue driving innovation and strengthening international collaboration so that their research can have an even greater impact both in Bangladesh and globally. Professor Keith P. West said early nutritional support may play a decisive role in improving pregnancy outcomes in settings where micronutrient deficiencies remain widespread. Drawing on a career that began in Bangladesh during the 1974 famine, he reflected on five decades of research across Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia that has shaped global understanding of micronutrient deficiencies, maternal nutrition and child survival.   Professor West shared evidence from landmark trials in Bangladesh, including findings from the JiVitA studies and emphasised that improving women’s nutrition before conception is essential for healthier pregnancies and stronger infant outcomes. Drawing on emerging evidence from the JiVitA trial in Bangladesh, Professor West noted that women who begin multiple micronutrient supplementation before conceiving experience about a 30 percent reduction in early pregnancy loss compared with those who start supplementation only after pregnancy begins. Professor West reflected on five decades of nutritional research across Bangladesh, Nepal, and Indonesia, highlighting key discoveries, challenges, and lessons that may guide researchers at different stages of their careers. Executive Director of Icddr,b Dr Tahmeed Ahmed delivered the welcome address, while Dr. Thaddaeus David May, Senior Director of the Nutrition Research Division, offered the closing remarks.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan on Thursday said he will consult high-level government officials before announcing his decision to resign in order to contest the next election. He made the remarks while talking to reporters at the inauguration of public libraries in 44 upazilas of 11 districts at the Secretariat. The adviser said he had already announced his intention to contest the election but had not yet disclosed from where he would run. He said discussions were underway regarding the participation of not only the two student advisers but also several others holding various government positions. Asif Mahmud mentioned that no law prevents advisers of the interim government from contesting elections. However, he said joining the election from an advisory position would create a conflict of interest. “From a principled standpoint, we believe anyone who wishes to contest must resign before entering the electoral process. We are preparing accordingly,” he said. Asif Mahmud said he would share details on timelines and other matters after holding discussions with senior government officials.