United News of Bangladesh

Walton has launched its nationwide Digital Campaign Season-23, offering customers special winter deals on its electronics products, including refrigerators, TV, air conditioners, washing machines and BLDC fans. Under the 'Walton Next Level Deal' offer of the Season-23, buyers can get thousands of products for free, including Walton's side-by-side refrigerator, by purchasing any model of fridge, TV, air conditioner, washing machine or BLDC fan from any Walton Plaza, distributor showroom and online sales platform e-Plaza in the country. In addition, there are guaranteed gifts for every buyer, said a press release issued on Wednesday. These benefits were announced at the declaration program of 'Digital Campaign Season-23' organized recently at the Walton corporate office in the capital. Customers will get these benefits from November 25 this year to January 25, 2026. Actress Bidya Sinha Mim, brand ambassador of Walton Fridge inaugurated the nationwide digital campaign season-23. Walton Plaza’s Managing Director Mohammad Rayhan, Walton Hi-Tech's Additional Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Md. Ziaul Alam, FCA, ICAEW, and other senior officials were also present at the event. Walton's Head of Strategic Business Development Ariful Ambia said, Walton is not only providing international standard products with latest technology and features; it is also committed to providing the highest after-sales facilities. Therefore, Walton is building a customer database to provide faster and best after-sales service to customers through online automation. That is why the digital campaign is being run across the country. In continuation of this, Walton has started the 'Digital Campaign Season-23' centering the winter. This season of the campaign will also receive a huge response from the customers like the previous ones. Under the Season-23, after purchasing a refrigerator, TV, AC, washing machine and BLDC fan from any Walton Plaza, distributor showroom or online e-Plaza in the country, the product will be digitally registered. After that, the customers will be able to know about the benefits they have received through a return SMS from Walton. In addition, the customers who use the 'Amar Awaaz' mobile app platform, created for Walton customers, will get additional benefits in this campaign. During the campaign, detailed information like buyer’s name, mobile number and product model number is being stored on Walton’s server through digital registration system. As a result, customers can get quick service from any Walton service center in the country even if they lost the warranty card. Besides the representatives of the service center can also know the customers’ feedback.  

Thirty-one police officers have been promoted to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police. The Public Security Division under the Home Affairs Ministry issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday. It will come into effect from the date of their joining, said the notification. Meanwhile, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) police commissioner Md Abu Sufiyan was promoted to Deputy Inspector General in Dhaka Police Headquarters while Zillur Rahman, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) made the police commissioner of RMP.    

Three more deaths were reported from dengue in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, raising the number of fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease in Bangladesh to 370 this year. During the same period, 615 new patients were admitted to hospitals, raising the total number of dengue cases this year to 92,217, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The new fatalities were reported in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Khulna Division. Currently, 2,216 patients are receiving treatment at various hospitals across the country. Last year, dengue claimed 575 lives, with 101,214 cases and 100,040 recoveries recorded during the same period.  

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said it is entirely on the Election Commission whether Indian observers will be allowed if they express willingness to send theirs  to monitor the next national election, scheduled to be held in February next year. “It is entirely an issue of the Election Commission. We have no role to play in this regard,” he said when a reporter wanted to know whether Indian observers will be allowed in the next national election if they are willing to come.    Talking to journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hossain said they will not extend any assistance to the observers until the EC asks for any support. He said Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus clearly mentioned how the election will be held and the rest depends on the Election Commission. Touhid dismisses Indian media reports Responding to a question, Hossain said Bangladesh does not find it necessary to send election observers to Myanmar. “The first question is why we need to send observers there. This is their internal matter.” He also asked the journalists to see the reaction of Thailand. “We want it to be free and credible, but it’s not going to be the case, we know that,” Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said late Tuesday. “My feeling is that we won’t be in a position to recognize the elections.”    

A group of 536 sub-inspector (SI) and 221 sergeant candidates, who were allegedly deprived of recruitment in 2007, on Wednesday urged the Chief Adviser to approve their appointments without further delay. At a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club, the candidates demanded immediate approval of a summary sent to the Chief Adviser’s Office regarding their reinstatement. Mohammad Jahangir Alam read out a written statement on behalf of the candidates. SM Sujon Chowdhury, Shahedul Alam Dipu, Abdul Malek, Omar Faruk and more than a hundred other candidates attended the briefing. Jahangir Alam said a high-level committee of the Home Ministry has already forwarded a summary to the Chief Adviser’s Office, recommending reinstatement with seniority, age relaxation and exemption from the training period. The summary was prepared based on recommendations from the Home Ministry, Finance Ministry, Public Administration Ministry, Police Headquarters and Law Ministry, he said. “Even after 6 months and 14 days since the summary was sent, no clear decision has been made,” he said.  

Agriculture  Adviser Lieutenant General (retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Wednesday said the government has not allowed onion imports in order to protect local farmers. “There is no onion crisis. Prices rose to Tk 120–130 earlier, but they have now come down to around Tk 95–100. Some traders have pressured us to allow imports and even moved different courts seeking permission,” he told reporters after a review meeting on the Ministry of Agriculture’s Annual Development Programme at the Secretariat. The adviser said summer onions have already started reaching markets and newly harvested onions are also arriving. “So, there is no chance of onion prices rising again,” he added. On potato production, he said farmers incurred losses this year as they failed to get fair prices. “Although prices have increased somewhat now, I believe they need to rise a bit more in the interest of farmers.” “We were also concerned about possible spoilage. Cold storages usually empty by November 15, but this time we have allowed potatoes to remain stored until December 5,” he added. On fertiliser supplies, the adviser said the country has sufficient stock. “Yet some dishonest individuals are increasing fertiliser prices. I have already instructed officials to maintain strict surveillance. Any officer failing to act will face consequences. Farmers must get fertiliser at the fixed price. No one is allowed to charge even a paisa more.” He also clarified that recent gas price revisions have no link to fertiliser prices. “Fertiliser prices will remain unchanged and will continue to remain so at least during our tenure. There is no possibility of a price hike.” On appointing fertilizer dealers, the adviser said a policy has been introduced. “We will fill vacancies where they exist. Current dealers will continue as long as they are not involved in corruption or illegal activities. We are not cancelling anyone’s dealership; we are only filling vacant posts.”  

FIFA has overhauled the 2026 World Cup draw format to ensure the four highest-ranked teams  like Spain, Argentina, France and England avoid each other until the semifinals, provided they top their groups. The draw, set for December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will use a tennis-style bracket system for the first time. FIFA confirmed Tuesday that the new format rewards top-ranked sides by placing them in separate pathways for the 48-team tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. The change means defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, and European champions Spain, inspired by Lamine Yamal, can only meet in the final at MetLife Stadium near New York, if both win their respective groups. “To ensure competitive balance, two separate pathways to the semifinals have been established,” FIFA said in a statement, aiming to reward teams whose consistent good results have raised their world ranking. Unlike previous World Cups where knockout paths were tied to group allocation, the new approach fixes the bracket in advance. This year’s draw will place 48 teams into four pots before assigning them to 12 groups of four. A full, updated match schedule, with stadiums and kickoff times, will be released on December 6. The ceremony will last about 90 minutes, with the draw itself taking an estimated 45 minutes. As hosts, Canada, Mexico and the United States enter Pot 1, joined by the nine highest-ranked teams: Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Forty-two teams have already qualified, including Iran and Haiti, which FIFA expects to play as drawn despite political sensitivities with the U.S. The tournament will span 16 venues across the three host nations, including 11 NFL stadiums in the U.S. The remaining six entrants will be decided in March through European and intercontinental playoffs. Those teams will enter Pot 4, the lowest-ranked tier, meaning four-time champions Italy could prove a dangerous wildcard next week when the final placing draw is made. Host nations will be marked with different colored balls: Mexico as A1 (green ball), Canada as B1 (red ball), and USA as D1 (blue ball). The other nine Pot 1 teams will automatically be assigned to position 1 in their respective groups. Pot 2 features the next 12 teams: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria and Australia. Pot 3 includes Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Pot 4 contains Jordan, Cape Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand and the six playoff winners. Teams from the same confederation cannot be drawn together, except for Europe, which will have 16 representatives, forcing four groups to include two UEFA nations. To maintain bracket balance, Spain (rank 1) and Argentina (rank 2) will be placed in opposite pathways. The same applies to France (rank 3) and England (rank 4), ensuring the top sides stay separated until late. For the host schedules, the USA, placed in Group D, will open on June 12 in Inglewood against a Pot 3 team, then face a Pot 2 opponent in Seattle on June 19, and finish against a Pot 4 side back in Inglewood. Mexico, in Group A, will kick off the tournament on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca against a Pot 3 team, then play a Pot 2 team on June 18 in Guadalajara, before returning to Mexico City for their final group match against a Pot 4 opponent. Canada starts on June 12 in Toronto against a Pot 4 team, then moves to Vancouver for matches against Pot 3 and Pot 2 sides. World Cup draw pots: Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d'Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Playoff A, B, C, D, FIFA Playoff Tournament 1 and 2 Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.  

Members of Coast Guard in a drive arrested a deer poacher along with two deer heads, 32 kgs of venison, eight deer legs and 2000 metres of deer-hunting traps from a house at Kanainagar in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat district early Wednesday. The arrestee was identified as Akter Biswas, 40, a member of deer hunting syndicate and son of Ibrahim Biswas of the village. Tipped off, a team of Coast Guard from Harbaria Station along with police raided the house of Akter early Wednesday and seized the deer venison, deer heads, deer legs and 2000 metres of deer-hunting traps from his possession, said Media officer of Coast Guard, Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque. The seized items were kept at his house for selling, said Lt. Commander Siam. Later, he was handed over to Mongla Police Station.  

Another student who suffered serious injuries in the Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara has been released from hospital after four months of treatment. The victim is identified as Sheikh Saiyeba Mehzabin, 11, a class IV student of the school. Resident Medical officer of National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Dr Shaon Bin Rahman said Mehzabin received 22 percent injuries and was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. So far, 35 people including students and teachers have been discharged from the hospital. The fatal crash occurred on July 21, shortly after an FT-7 BGI fighter jet took off from the Kurmitola Airbase, sparking a massive blaze that claimed 36 lives and left many injured.  

A new United Nations report shows that Indonesia’s capital Jakarta has become the world’s largest city with 41.9 million people while Bangladesh’s Dhaka ranks second with a population of 36.6 million.  According to the UN’s World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report, Japan’s Tokyo’s population has held fairly steady at 33.4 million, pushing it down to third place while Dhaka, one of the world’s most crowded capitals, climbed from ninth to second and is projected to become the world’s largest city by 2050. The report highlights Asia’s dominance in global urban growth, with nine of the world’s top 10 megacities located on the continent. No haat in densely populated areas: DNCC Mayor Cities joining Jakarta, Dhaka and Tokyo in the top 10 include New Delhi (30.2m), Shanghai (29.6m), Guangzhou (27.6m), Manila (24.7m), Kolkata (22.5m) and Seoul (22.5m). Egypt’s Cairo with 32 million people is the lone non-Asian city on the list. Dhaka’s rise has been driven largely by an influx of people fleeing rural areas due to flooding, erosion and other climate-change impacts, as well as those seeking better opportunities, said the report. Jakarta faces similar pressures, with rising sea levels putting up to one-fourth of the city at risk of submersion by 2050, reports AL Jazeera. How untrammelled expansion combined with poor civic sense turns Dhaka into a nightmare for traffic police The UN says the number of megacities — those with populations exceeding 10 million — has surged to 33, up from just eight in 1975. Although Indonesia is constructing a new capital, Nusantara, the UN estimates that Jakarta’s population will continue to grow, adding another 10 million people by mid-century. The swelling population has fuelled concern over inequality and affordability, issues that have already sparked public protests. The report also notes that Iran’s capital Tehran, now at nine million people, is struggling with severe water shortages, prompting rationing measures. In preparing its latest assessment, the UN adopted a new global definition of cities to reduce inconsistencies across countries. It now classifies a city as a contiguous area of grid cells with at least 1,500 people per square kilometre and a minimum total population of 50,000. Frequent Earthquakes: Can Dhaka prepare itself for the big one?