United News of Bangladesh

The BNP-led government has implemented a series of election manifesto pledges within its first 100 days in office, according to an e-book published by the Prime Minister’s Press Wing. It said the government, which assumed office on February 17 following a major political transition after 17 years, spent the first 100 days addressing political instability, a fragile economy, weak law and order and deep social divisions. The e-book, released by the PM’s Press Wing on Wednesday, said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been working with commitment to reach people directly and implement the public welfare-oriented promises. It also said the government has already taken a series of initiatives across key sectors, bringing visible changes in public life. Social protection and welfare According to the publication, 53,096 families have received Family Cards, while 20,748 families have been issued Farmers’ Cards. Besides, around 5.5 million families are receiving subsidised rice at Tk 15 per kg while senior citizens and persons with disabilities are receiving a 25 per cent fare discount on metro rail and train services. The government has also arranged advanced medical treatment abroad for 152 injured persons from the July movement in countries including Russia and Singapore. Economy and finance The e-book said foreign exchange reserves rose to 34.38 billion US dollars as of May 20, while inflation declined to 8.71 per cent. Besides, revenue collection increased by 13.6 per cent in the second quarter of the 2025–26 fiscal year. It also said the government has managed the cooking oil market through subsidies amid pressure. Agriculture, infrastructure and communication Canal re-excavation work has begun on 666 canals across the country. The final approval has been given for the “Padma Barrage” project, expected to directly benefit 37 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, a deal has been signed to add 14 Boeing aircraft to expand the national carrier’s fleet while land services have also been fully digitised. Education, health and employment The e-book said over 20 million children have been vaccinated against measles, achieving near universal coverage. Around 65,569 government primary schools have been brought under uninterrupted internet connectivity. The government ensured payment of salaries, bonuses and allowances before Eid for all industrial workers. Sports and religious affairs A “Notun Kuri” Sports” programme for students aged 12–14 is ongoing, while sports equipment has been distributed to 550 educational institutions and clubs. Monthly allowances are being provided to imams, muezzins and other religious leaders in nearly 6,000 institutions. Training has also been given to more than 38,000 butchers on scientific meat processing ahead of Eid. Defence, sovereignty and foreign affairs A modern “Ground Master-400” radar system has been installed to monitor airspace up to 650 kilometres inland and 833 kilometres over the Bay of Bengal. Besides, the government is also reintroducing the phrase “Except Israel” in Bangladeshi passports, which had been removed by the previous Awami League regime. Anti-corruption and governance The e-book said assets worth Tk 4,264 crore belonging to S Alam Group have been seized. “Agreements have been signed with three countries to recover laundered money, while negotiations with others are ongoing.” It also said 10 cabinet meetings were held by May 24, taking 60 decisions, of which 37 have been implemented and 23 are in progress.

Fisheries, Livestock, and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid on Sunday said the government has taken special security measures across the country’s cattle markets to ensure the safety of traders, farmers, and buyers ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. To prevent the spread of counterfeit currency or fake note, detector machines have been installed at the cattle markets, while dedicated banking services have been made available on-site, allowing sellers to safely deposit their earnings or open new accounts instantly to secure their flow of money, he said. The minister made these remarks while exchanging views with journalists after visiting the Diabari cattle market in the capital on Sunday morning. Responding to a query, he assured that Bangladesh has an adequate supply of sacrificial animals for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, and this year’s demand can be fully met with locally reared livestock. Aminur Rashid said the volume of locally produced cattle, goats and buffaloes is more than sufficient to meet the local demand. He suggested that transitioning to a ‘live weight’ pricing system in the future would make transactions more transparent and standardised. The Livestock Minister dismissed the possibility of market manipulation, saying with thousands of buyers and sellers interacting freely, it is highly difficult to create an artificial syndicate. Animal prices are determined solely by market competition and the dynamics of supply and demand, he added. The minister said the government has deployed adequate personnel to ensure discipline, security, and smooth transactions at cattle markets in the capital and across the country. Director General of the Department of Livestock Services (DLS) Md. Shahzaman Khan was present during the visit.

Food and Public Administration minister Abdul Bari on Saturday said food poisoning is increasingly affecting children due to a lack of food safety. "The situation is due to excessive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural production, in some cases three times the required amount of pesticides are being used," he said. He made the remarks at the inception seminar and cheque distribution ceremony of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) Fellowship Programme for the fiscal year 2025–26, held on Saturday at the BFSA office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in Dhaka. Govt focusing on food security: ERD Secretary The BFSA launched the fellowship initiative under its 2024 fellowship policy to promote research in food safety. He also said that despite global demand for Bangladeshi food products, weak safety standards are preventing access to export markets.

The Ministry of Shipping on Saturday issued a series of emergency directives to ensure safe and smooth movement of passengers on inland waterways during the Eid-ul-Azha travel rush, banning cargo transport on passenger vessels and halting all bulkhead movement across key river routes. Under the directives, all passenger vessels departing Sadarghat will be prohibited from carrying heavy goods for five days before Eid, while vessels bound for Sadarghat from other river ports will face the same restriction for five days after the holiday. All bulkhead movement on waterways will remain suspended round-the-clock from May 23 to June 2. Eid rush swells traffic on Dhaka-Chattogram highway In addition, regular trucks and covered vans will be barred from ferry crossings from May 25 to May 31, with exceptions only for vehicles carrying essential commodities and perishable goods. Meanwhile, launch services from Shimuliya Tourist Ghat near Kanchon Bridge and Basila Launch Ghat in Dhaka will begin operating from Sunday on the Shimuliya-Chandpur Eidgaon and Basila-Hakimuddin-Chandpur-Muladi-Galachipa-Barishal-Ilisha routes respectively. The ministry urged all waterway passengers not to board or disembark from launches via boats or trawlers under any circumstances. Ferry passengers were also advised to exit their buses and cross on foot to prevent accidents. For emergencies and service-related queries, passengers were directed to contact BIWTA's hotline 16113, national emergency service 999, government information line 333, Fire Service 102, Coast Guard 16111, or River Police at 01769-702215.

The Cabinet Division on Thursday said the implementation rate of decisions taken at Cabinet meetings stood at 70.73 percent as of April 30. According to a Cabinet Division press release, seven Cabinet meetings were held between February 17 and April 30 after the BNP government assumed office. The implementation progress report on decisions taken during the period was presented at the 8th Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved a proposal to ratify the Agreement on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology signed between the governments of Bangladesh and Japan. Besides, it approved the proposal to sign the Framework Agreement on the Establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), considering Bangladesh’s role as home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and the importance of conserving the Sundarbans ecosystem. The IBCA, established in April 2023, is a global alliance aimed at conserving seven major big cat species – tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah. Currently, 24 UN member states are part of the alliance. The framework agreement focuses on protecting big cat habitats, preventing illegal hunting and wildlife trade, and promoting technical cooperation and exchange of expertise among member countries. The Cabinet also approved the draft Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration National Action Plan (GCM-NAP) for 2026-2030, initiated by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) was adopted by the United Nations in 2018 to promote safe, regular and orderly migration worldwide. Bangladesh is among 164 countries that are parties to the agreement. The release said Bangladesh has been playing a leading role in global cooperation on migration issues and was recognised by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as a GCM Champion Country in 2020. The draft national action plan for 2026-2030 was prepared jointly with the IOM based on recommendations from various stakeholders and later approved by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved a series of important proposals, including changes in the implementation model of a major inland container depot project and expedited procedures for government-to-government (G2G) food grain imports under emergency arrangements. In a meeting held at the Secretariat with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair, the committee discussed a proposal from the Ministry of Railways regarding the “Construction of a new Inland Container Depot (ICD) near Dhirasram Railway Station.” The committee decided to withdraw the project from the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) list in its construction phase. However, it gave in-principle approval for implementing the “Operation and Maintenance of Dhirasram Inland Container Depot (ICD) under PPP modality.” Officials said the revised approach aims to ensure more efficient private sector participation in managing and maintaining the strategic logistics facility once completed. The Dhirasram ICD, located near Dhirasram Railway Station, is expected to play a crucial role in easing container congestion at Chattogram Port and improving inland cargo handling capacity. The revised PPP model is expected to attract experienced international operators for long-term facility management. In another major decision, the committee considered proposals from the Ministry of Food regarding the import of wheat and rice under government-to-government (G2G) arrangements. The committee granted in-principle approval for the purchase of wheat under G2G arrangements in line with relevant provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2006 and Public Procurement Rules, 2025. It also approved the use of provisions allowing time reduction in procurement procedures through international open tender methods. Similarly, a separate proposal for rice import was also approved under G2G arrangements, along with expedited procurement provisions under the same legal framework. Officials said the decisions aim to ensure stable food grain supply in the domestic market, maintain adequate public stock, and respond quickly to global supply chain uncertainties. The meeting emphasized that both logistics infrastructure development and food security measures remain priority areas under the government’s ongoing economic management strategy.

The Ministry of Finance has issued a fresh circular making the automated challan system, known as “A-Challan”, mandatory for all government revenues and receipts from July 1, 2026, completely abolishing the manual challan method. According to the circular issued on Tuesday, the decision aims to ensure maximum transparency in handling public funds, strengthen cash management, secure real-time digital deposits, and reduce the government's interest burdens resulting from hidden liquidity pools. Years of plunder pushed banks, capital market to brink: Finance Minister It noted that under the Constitution of Bangladesh and Treasury Rules, all government revenues and receipts must be deposited into the “Consolidated Fund” or “Public Account of the Republic” via the Treasury Single Account (TSA) maintained at Bangladesh Bank. All ministries, departments, and subordinate offices are legally obligated to use this account for their financial transactions. To streamline this, the government introduced the online “A-Challan” system using a 5-digit economic code during the fiscal year 2018-19 to ensure real-time deposits of revenues. However, the Finance Division observed that several government offices are still bypassing the TSA framework. These offices continue to use old manual codes to deposit funds and are unlawfully maintaining separate bank accounts at various commercial banks. This unauthorised practice prevents the government from determining its actual, real-time net cash balance. Consequently, despite having substantial cash scattered across commercial bank accounts, the state is forced to borrow from domestic and foreign sources at high interest rates to meet immediate expenditures. To curb this fiscal indiscipline and minimise borrowing costs, the government has enforced three immediate directives. With the complete abolition of the manual system, the manual challan system will be completely shut down from July 1, 2026. A 100 percent automated “A-Challan” system must be implemented for all public revenues and other receipts from this date. Cancellation of Independent Systems Any separate financial systems or independent arrangements currently active across ministries, departments, directorates, and subordinate offices for collecting and depositing revenues must be cancelled immediately. Mandatory Fund Transfer by June 30 All funds currently accumulated by government offices in commercial banks must be mandatorily transferred to the TSA at Bangladesh Bank using the designated economic codes through “A-Challan” by June 30, 2026.

The Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement on Wednesday approved large-scale purchase of edible oil and lentils through open tender, with a total approved expenditure of about Tk 448.8 crore to meet the demand in the coming days. The approvals were given in a meeting of the committee held at the Secretariat with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair. Govt focusing on food security: ERD Secretary In the case of refined rice bran oil, the committee approved the purchase of 1 crore litres of oil packed in 2-litre PET bottles at a cost of Tk 179.50 crore. The unit price was fixed at Tk 179.50 per litre. The supply has been distributed among four companies. Majumdar Bran Oil Mills Limited of Jashore will supply 40 lakh litres, Majumdar Products Limited of Dhaka will supply 30 lakh litres, Tamim Agro Industries Limited of Dhaka will supply 20 lakh litres, and Green Oil and Poultry Feed Industries of Dhaka will supply 10 lakh litres. In another decision, the committee approved the procurement of 1 crore litres of refined palm olein in 2-litre PET bottles at a total cost of Tk 184.38 crore, with a unit price of Tk 184.38 per litre. The contract was awarded to Sonargaon Seeds Crushing Mills Limited of Gulshan in Dhaka. The committee also approved the purchase of 10,000 tonnes of lentils in 50 kg bags at a total cost of Tk 84.77 crore, with a unit price of Tk 84.77 per kg. The contract was awarded to Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries Limited of Kawran Bazar, Dhaka. In addition, the purchase of another 10,000 tonnes of lentils was approved at a total cost of Tk 83.63 crore. Under this, 5,000 tonnes will be supplied by Madina Trading Corporation of Savar, Dhaka and 5,000 tonnes will be supplied by Bismillah Dal Mill of Rajshahi. Officials said these procurement decisions are aimed at ensuring stable supply of essential commodities in the domestic market, particularly edible oil and pulses, and to help maintain price stability amid global market fluctuations.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam on Tuesday said the government has already started working at the field level to implement its election manifesto, noting that it is committed to fulfilling every pledge within the next four years. He made the remarks while addressing a citizens’ dialogue titled “People’s Mandate: Citizen Dialogue on Manifesto to Action” held at the Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University. Govt to build tech-driven modern land management system to ease people's suffering: PM During the second session of the programme, detailed discussions were held on “Challenges and Prospects of Manifesto Implementation: Urban Development and Climate Resilience,” where the state minister said the government had already initiated several important and welfare-oriented activities within the first three months of taking office. He said one of the key agendas in the government’s election manifesto was the Family Card programme. “To empower women economically, the government has already started distributing the cards at the grassroots level.” At the same time, Shahe Alam said, excavation of canals across the country is being intensified to strengthen the rural economy further. He asserted that the commitments announced in the BNP election manifesto are being implemented fully. Referring to administrative complexities and development challenges in the capital, the state minister said the city corporation and the Local Government Division are usually blamed whenever any problem arises in Dhaka. “But in reality, all responsibilities of the capital do not fall solely under the jurisdiction of the local government,” he said, adding that the powers of local government institutions need to be expanded further to accelerate civic services. Shahe Alam also stressed the need to move away from conventional systems and introduce modern city governance in line with present-day demands. He said every household will now be required to install its own septic tank to keep rivers, canals and water bodies in urban areas free from pollution, noting that discussions with the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha regarding the matter have already been finalised. At the same time, the state minister said the government is continuing bilateral discussions with China to modernise Dhaka’s waste management system scientifically and comprehensively, overcoming the limitations of past projects. The citizens’ dialogue was jointly organised by APE, Sachetan Foundation, BRAC C3ER and several environmental organisations.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated that the government is actively working to enhance the capacity and capability of the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department. The Minister said this as the chief guest at the 'Fire Service and Civil Defense Week, Medal Distribution, and Passing Out Parade-2026' held this morning at the Fire Service and Civil Defense Multipurpose Training Ground in Purbachal, Dhaka. RAB to be restructured as people-friendly, responsible force: Salahuddin The Director General of the Fire Service and Civil Defense Department, Brigadier General Muhammad Jahed Kamal, ndc, presided over the ceremony, while Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Manzur Morshed Chowdhury, spoke as the special guest. Mostafizur Rahman Bhuiyan Dipu, Member of Parliament for Narayanganj-1 constituency, was also present. The Minister noted that the Fire Service currently provides services through 538 fire stations across the country, which is insufficient considering the present demand. In light of this, the present government has undertaken various development plans for the Fire Service and Civil Defense in line with its electoral manifesto. He mentioned that the construction and reconstruction of 20 fire stations are currently underway. Additionally, the procurement of 100 ambulances is in progress to expand ambulance services. Furthermore, to enhance the capacity of divers, a proposal to create 72 posts has been approved, which, once implemented, will further strengthen the department's capability to respond to waterway accidents. He added that a proposal to restructure the organogram of the Fire Service is under consideration to increase the number of fire stations and expand the workforce to over 30,000 as per the plan. To improve training quality, initiatives have also been taken to establish a Fire Service and Civil Defense Academy in Gazaria, Munshiganj. The Minister further stated that an online-based 'E-Fire License' service was launched on May 1, 2026, to ensure  transparency and accountability in fire service delivery. He emphasized that alongside boosting the capability of this public-important institution, the current government is committed to increasing the benefits and facilities for Fire Service officials and employees. Several proposals regarding the upgrading of ranks and benefits for the members of this force, in coordination with other forces and government departments, are under consideration. The Minister added that to address the housing issues of the force, construction projects for two multi-storey residential buildings are ongoing in Mirpur and Sadarghat, Dhaka, along with the construction of the Headquarters building in Mirpur, Dhaka. Moreover, decisionsregarding the provision of a special "Fire and Rescue Allowance" and fresh money allowance for the members of the force will be finalized after proper review and examination. At the beginning of the event, the Minister formally inaugurated "Fire Service and Civil Defense Week 2026." He inspected the passing out parade and received the salute. A total of 234 personnel participated in the passing out parade, including 12 Station Officer and Staff Officers, 158 Firefighters, 2 Nursing Attendants, 56 Drivers, and 6 Divers. In recognition of their multidimensional heroic deeds, the Minister handed over medals to 84 officials and employees of the Fire Service and Civil Defense. The recipients included 34 individuals for the year 2023 and 50 individuals for 2024.