United News of Bangladesh

The western district of Chuadanga recorded the season’s lowest 13.8 degrees Celsius temperature on Wednesday morning, disrupting daily life. Tahmina Nasrin, an observer at the Chuadanga first-class weather observatory, said that night and early-morning temperatures may fall further in the coming days. At 9am, she said, the temperature along with 86 percent humidity in the air was recorded. As the temperature is falling, low-income people are suffering from the cold for lack of sufficient warm clothes. Although bright sunshine appeared after 9am, the chilly weather condition persisted as cold winds continued to sweep across the region. Due to the intensified cold, the presence of general people in Chuadanga town in the morning was thin compared to earlier, as most people refrained from coming out of homes, if not necessary. Low-income earners, particularly day-labourers, van- and rickshaw-pullers, were said to be the worst victims.

The low-pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka coast intensified into a well-marked low over the same area at 06 am on Wednesday, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). It is likely to move north-northwesterly direction and intensify further, said the Met office. Besides, a deep depression over Strait of Malacca and adjoining area intensified into a deep depression first then into a cyclonic storm "Senyar’ over the same area and lay centered at near lat. 5.0°N & long. 98.0°E at 6 am on Wednesday. It is likely to move westwards direction. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised not to venture into the deep sea till further notice.      

The government has appointed Superintendents of Police (SPs) for 64 districts across the country through a lottery system ahead of the national election slated for the first half of February next year.   According to a gazette notification, signed by Md Mahbubur Rahman, deputy secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, was issued on Wednesday (November 26). Earlier in the day, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the SPs have been appointed through the lottery after categorising the districts into three considering the law-and-order issue.   Talking to reporters after a review meeting of the Annual Development Programme of the Ministry of Agriculture at Secretariat, he claimed that no meritorious officers have been left out during the SP postings. Bangladesh sees crime spike ahead of polls; police stress preparedness Responding to a question on the lottery system, the adviser said, “Yes, the news is correct. The lottery was conducted exactly as planned. We established three categories—A, B, and C—not based on district size but on the law and order situation.” After categorising districts, the adviser said, officers were assigned accordingly. “Out of a total of 64 SPs, 18 were reassigned, while others remained unchanged. The lottery then decided which officer would go to which district, based on luck,” he asserted. Asked if the same system would apply to officer-in-charge postings, he replied saying ‘Insha’Allah,’ emphasizing that primarily the most capable officers were selected. New police commissioner for Gazipur Met Police; new SPs in 6 districts

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin on Wednesday said the law and order situation will continue to improve and everything will be in order before the voting day. “It will improve gradually. As the polling day approaches, you will see everything will fall in line. Everything will be fine,” he said, replying to a question if the election is possible amid the current law and order situation. He made the remarks while talking to reporters after inspecting an election-related training and mock exercise organised by the 5th Battalion of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) at Pilkhana in the capital. The CEC said, “I won’t say the law and order situation has reached a perfect level. You saw what the situation was on August 5, 2024. Now compare it with the current situation. Now you can sleep safely. You were able to come here safely. There was no difficulty on the way. So, it will improve further, gradually.” He said the Election Commission will sit again with law enforcement agencies on November 30 over specific proposals. “The development strategy will be finalised there." Nasir Uddin said law enforcement agencies are being deployed on the field with maximum preparedness to ensure a free, peaceful and neutral election. Don’t hire politically linked election observers: CEC Nasir “Today we saw a very well-conducted mock exercise here. It was fully designed considering our election culture. The training covered all conceivable dimensions of what usually happens during elections or how elections are conducted. I am very pleased,” he said. He said election duty does not come regularly — only once every four to five years — which is why the forces need special training. “BGB’s regular duties are in the border areas. We will provide election-related training to various law enforcement agencies,” he said, adding that Police are training their members at 130 centres based on election requirements. “We have earlier seen Ansar-VDP’s drills. They are undergoing training as well. This BGB exercise will play a very important role. They are preparing their members so they can perform their duties properly,” he said. The CEC said each law enforcement agency is responsibly preparing its members. “We expect this training will have a significant impact on maintaining election-time law and order. I hope all law enforcement agencies, journalists, and 130 million voters together will help us deliver a fair election.” About a political party’s announcement to resist the election, the CEC said, “All necessary steps will be taken against those who have announced resistance. Journalists, voters, and citizens — everyone must work together to prevent any unwanted situation.” Regarding the recent discussions about running the election by advisers of the interim government, he said it is a policy matter of the government. “The Election Commission will perform its duties according to the laws.” About risky polling stations, he said the EC has made a risk assessment. “Forces will be deployed according to three zones — red, yellow, and green,” he said. Commonwealth Secretary-General meets CEC, discusses election preparations Meanwhile, BGB informed that 1,210 platoons will be deployed nationwide during the upcoming 13th national election. BGB will carry out election duties in all upazilas across the country except Sandwip, Hatiya and Kutubdia. In 60 of the 115 border upazilas, BGB members will perform election duties independently. BGB Director General Major General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, senior BGB officers and EC officials were present at the mock exercise event.

A fire that broke out at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) at Shahbagh intersection of Dhaka, was brought under control within a short time on Wednesday morning. Rashed Bin Khalid, duty officer (media cell) at Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters, said the fire erupted on the fourth floor at A-block of the hospital around 11:14am. On information, seven firefighting units from multiple stations were dispatched while the blaze was brought under control around 11:32am, he said.   No reports of casualties or people trapped inside the fire-affected block were found, the duty official added.

Firefighters finally extinguished the devastating fire that broke out at Kurail Basti (slum) in Tejgaon area of Dhaka, nearly after 16 hours of efforts on Wednesday morning. Shahjahan Sikder, duty assistant director (media cell) at Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters, said they were completely able to put out the blaze around 9:30am on Wednesday.   He, however, said that no casualties were reported in the fire. The origin and extent to the damage caused by the fire will be determined upon investigation. Earlier, the fire originated from one of the shanties of the slum around 5:22pm on Tuesday. Responding to an emergency call, 20 firefighting units from multiple stations were dispatched to the scene in stages. The firefighters faced difficulties in controlling the flame due to shortage of water, leading to the delay to manage the situation.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday (November 25) expressed deep concern and sympathy after a devastating fire swept through the capital’s Korail slum, destroying a large number of homes and leaving many families displaced. He wished quick recovery for the injured and conveyed heartfelt sympathies to the affected families. “The suffering of the families who lost their homes in the Korail fire is a shared pain for all of us. The government will ensure all necessary support for their rehabilitation,” the Chief Adviser said in a statement. Fire ravages Korail slum, leaving dwellers devastated amid water crisis He said the authorities concerned have been instructed to immediately intensify rescue and relief operations. He also directed the relevant officials to investigate the cause of the fire and take effective measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Traffic at the Karnaphuli Tunnel will move through controlled diversion at night from November 25 to 30 due to routine maintenance work, according to a press release of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges on Tuesday. Vehicle movement will be diverted through either the Patenga-to-Anwara or Anwara-to-Patenga tube each night, depending on the work required. The diversion will remain in place from 11pm to 5am. 15 injured as bus overturns inside Karnaphuli Tunnel Authorities said that passengers may need to wait between five and ten minutes at both ends of the tunnel depending on traffic volume. Bangladesh Bridges Authority requested public cooperation to complete the maintenance work safely and efficiently.    

Bangladesh on Tuesday launched a national dialogue to address digital violence against women and girls, marking the start of the 2025 global “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.” The event was held at the Bangladesh China Friendship Conference Center in Dhaka, organized by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, the Local Consultative Group on Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality, and the United Nations. The program brought together government officials, UN agencies, diplomats, civil society leaders, youth advocates, and technology experts to discuss the growing threat of technology-facilitated violence. Chief Guest Sharmeen S. Murshid, Adviser to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, said, “Before, a girl couldn’t go out without worrying about eve teasing; now, you cannot enter cyberspace without being stalked. Technology has to move forward, but our attitude will determine its impact. The 16 Days of Activism remind us to act every day.” Senior Secretary of MoWCA, Mamtaz Ahmed, called for stronger laws, better coordination among institutions, and increased public awareness. UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh highlighted that globally, between 16 and 58 percent of women and girls face online harassment, affecting their participation in public life. Panelists at a high-level discussion, moderated by Dilara Begum, Joint Secretary of MoWCA, identified gaps including weak enforcement, lack of digital literacy, and the absence of a national framework to report and respond to online abuse. Experts emphasized that digital violence is linked to social norms and power structures and needs coordinated prevention and accountability measures. International representatives also spoke. Australian High Commissioner Susan Ryle urged collective action to make technology a tool for empowerment, while Swedish Ambassador Nicolas Weeks stressed proper enforcement of existing laws and the need for a Sexual Harassment Prevention and Protection Ordinance. Shoktikonna graduation marks rise of women leaders in energy transition UNFPA Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong called for survivor-centred prevention and response mechanisms. Speakers agreed that digital violence is not only a technological issue but a human rights and development challenge that limits women’s freedom and safety. The event coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and calls on government, civil society, and international partners to take concrete steps to eliminate technology-facilitated violence.  

A massive fire swept through the Korail slum on Tuesday evening (November 25), leaving hundreds of residents scrambling for safety and destroying everything in its path. The blaze, which intensified rapidly, gave many slum families no chance to salvage their belongings. Amid the chaos, Rozina, a resident, broke down in tears on the roadside after fleeing her burning home. “I couldn’t save a single thing,” she cried. “Everything we owned—earned through so much struggle—burned to ashes. Why would Allah show us something like this?” she said before collapsing into sobs. Read more: Recent fire incidents highlight safety challenges in Bangladesh: Experts Another resident, Kamal, was seen running with a television on his head and a gas cylinder clutched in his hand. “These are the only two things I have saved,” he said breathlessly. “Everything else turned to dust before my eyes.” Amid the flames, schoolboy Rafi and his mother Rahima were spotted rushing out of their home with a heavy sack and two large bags. With the family’s male members away, the mother and son struggled to save what they could. “Our house caught fire too,” Rahima said. “This is the second fire we’ve faced in six years. We managed to escape with some belongings last time, but this time even our costly furniture couldn’t be saved.” Meanwhile, firefighters faced severe challenges in controlling the blaze due to an acute shortage of water. Water-carrying vehicles were delayed as they became stuck in traffic, forcing authorities to resort to an emergency alternative. Three generators were installed beside a nearby waterbody to pump water directly to the scene. Multiple hoses were connected to disperse water toward the burning structures, as firefighters battled to bring the flames under control. Read more: Gazipur coil factory fire under control Despite their efforts, the extent of destruction is expected to be significant, with hundreds of families now homeless and waiting for relief. Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire or the full scale of the damage. Earlier, Talha Bin Jashim, duty officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters media cell, said the fire originated from one of the shanties of the slum around 5:22pm. Fire Service and Civil Defence Director (Operations & Maintenance) Lt. Col. Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said the flames are gradually decreasing. “We have strengthened our operations here, and nearly 20 units are now working at the scene,” he said. “We have managed to confine the fire. The next step is to identify the source of the blaze. We hope to share some good news within the next couple of hours. However, nothing can be said with certainty at this moment,” he added. Read more: Top Strategies to Enhance Fire Resilience in Dhaka City