United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin on Tuesday said the government is giving the highest priority to ensuring reliable gas and electricity supplies to industries, describing energy security as critical to sustaining industrial growth. Speaking as the chief guest at the “BAYLA Future Summit 2026” organised by the Bangladesh Apparel Youth Leaders Association (BAYLA) at a city hotel, he acknowledged that many industrial units are still facing gas and electricity disruptions. "We are working on this issue and are committed to resolving these problems within a realistic timeframe," he said. Highlighting Bangladesh's core strengths in attracting investment – a large youth demographic, a massive domestic market, and an elected democratic government capable of ensuring policy continuity – Mahdi Amin stressed the need to ensure energy security, enhance port efficiency, and reduce the cost of doing business. He informed that the government is executing structural reforms to set up new industrial parks, simplify bonded warehouse facilities, cut bureaucratic hurdles, and ensure transparency, accountability, and good governance. Mahdi Amin, also Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) spokesperson, added that efforts are also underway to expedite incentive disbursements, encourage technology adoption, expand Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and implement supportive policies for genuine entrepreneurs, alongside investments in education, healthcare, and human resources. At the event, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Policy Exchange Bangladesh Dr M Masrur Reaz outlined a six-point strategy to elevate the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) export earnings to $100 billion. He noted that while the RMG sector is one of the biggest success stories of Bangladesh's economy, over-reliance on limited products and markets poses future risks. To reach the $100 billion export target, Masrur Reaz proposed a six-point roadmap – enhancing trade facilitation through customs, infrastructure, and regulatory reforms; boosting port capacity, implementing multimodal transport, and modernising supply chains; providing policy support for high value-added products, man-made fibre (MMF), and expanding exports to new markets; adopting a national strategy for sustainable development and the circular economy; strengthening PPPs for technology adoption and skill development; and making long-term investments in education, technical training, and human resource development. Managing Director of Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) Nuzhat Anwar pointed out that only 1 percent of corporate financing in Bangladesh currently comes from the capital market. She urged entrepreneurs in the apparel and textile sectors to utilise the capital market alongside bank loans for long-term financing needs. The summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and next-generation business executives to discuss the future of Bangladesh's garment industry, competitiveness, technology, investment, capital markets, skilled human resources, and sustainable growth. President of the Bangladesh Employers' Federation Fazlee Shamim Ehsan and Country Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Bangladesh Shams Zaman, among others, spoke on the occasion. At the summit, BAYLA organised the “BAYLA Future Leaders” competition for the first time, a practical business problem-solving contest involving over 100 teams from various universities across the country. Teams from North South University, BRAC University, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University reached the final round. State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj attended the awards ceremony as the chief guest.

A surprise audit has found medicines worth around Tk 73,100 missing from Jahangirnagar University's (JU) Medical Centre within just ‘21 days’, raising serious concerns over the centre's medicine storage and inventory management. The surprise audit, conducted by the university's Medicine Purchase Committee following complaints from students over the unavailability of medicines, found discrepancies involving 19,567 units of various medicines. According to Assistant Comptroller Md Fakhrul Islam, member secretary of the Medicine Purchase Committee, the university purchased a fresh stock of medicines on July 1, including 9,000 tablets of Alatrol. However, committee members became suspicious after learning that the stock had reportedly run out within a short period. Acting on the instruction of Pro Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof Muhammad Nazrul Islam, who also chairs the committee, committee member Prof Md Salekul Islam, Assistant Comptroller Md Fakhrul Islam and JU Central Students' Union (JUCSU) Health and Food Safety Secretary Hosne Mobarak carried out an unannounced inspection of the Medical Centre's medicine store. The audit found that 4,645 Alatrol tablets, 912 Azithromycin tablets, 420 Ciprocin tablets, 5,000 Paracetamol tablets, 700 Tiemonium tablets, 2,500 Famotidine tablets, 990 Napron tablets, 200 Antanil tablets and 4,200 Domperidone tablets were missing. The total market value of the missing medicines is estimated at Tk 73,101. Sources familiar with the matter said irregularities in medicine inventory management had continued for a long time, although no one had publicly raised the issue. Deputy Registrar (Store) Nur-e-Kamal admitted the stock discrepancy, saying he keeps the store keys and personally distributes medicines but could not explain how the shortage occurred. He suggested reviewing CCTV footage to investigate the matter. Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamsur Rahman said the store remains under the control of the Deputy Registrar and that he is not responsible for maintaining the medicine inventory. Prof Md Salekul Islam said he had previously received complaints that the medicine distribution records did not match the actual supply. "We found significant discrepancies during the inspection. We will submit a report to the university administration, which will take the necessary action," he said. Prof Muhammad Nazrul Islam said he had repeatedly received complaints about medicine shortages despite adequate procurement.  "That's why I ordered the audit. We found major irregularities, and an emergency meeting will be held on Sunday to decide legal and disciplinary action against those responsible in accordance with university regulations," he said.

A young man was hacked to death allegedly over previous enmity in the capital's Sabujbagh area on Tuesday night. The deceased was identified as Palash, 34, son of Abul Kashem of Sonapur village in Raipur upazila of Lakshmipur. He had been living with his family in the Madartek area of Sabujbagh and worked as a private car driver. Hira, a neighbour who took Palash to hospital, said he was sitting at a grocery shop at Rajarbagh Bazar around 8:00pm when a group of 10-12 local men, including individuals identified as Royal, Sabuj and Nayeem, swooped on him with sharp weapons over a previous dispute. The attackers allegedly severed both of his hands at the wrists and stabbed him twice in the chest before striking him on the head and fleeing the scene, Hira said. Palash was first taken to Mugda Medical College Hospital and later shifted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as his condition deteriorated. He was declared dead by the doctor on duty at the One Stop Emergency Casualty (OSEC) centre of the hospital around 9:30pm. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, said the body has been kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy.

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has fined Tashofa Filling Station in the capital's Mohakhali area Tk 4 lakh for shortchanging customers on fuel through rigged measurements. A BSTI mobile court conducted a drive at the filling station on Tuesday and imposed the fine under the Weights and Measures Standards Act, 2018, besides sealing and shutting down the faulty dispensing units. During the drive, four dispensing units at the station were checked. One octane dispensing unit was found to be delivering 120 ml less per 10 litres, while three diesel dispensing units were found short by 230 ml, 220 ml and 190 ml, respectively, per 10 litres. All four units were subsequently shut down. The mobile court was led by BSTI Executive Magistrate Lutfunnesa Khanum. The institution said such drives will continue in the public interest.

Obhizatrik Foundation has distributed nearly 2 tonnes of emergency food assistance among 200 flood-affected families in Ramu, Pekua and Chakaria upazilas in Cox's Bazar district following recent heavy rains and flooding. The humanitarian initiative was carried out with support from ZXY International, according to a press release. The release said continuous rainfall and flash floods over the past several days damaged hundreds of homes across different parts of Cox's Bazar, leaving many families struggling with food shortages. Volunteers from Obhizatrik Foundation reached remote and hard-hit communities, delivering around 10 kg of food packages containing rice, lentils, potatoes and salt directly to affected households each. The assistance forms part of the foundation's ongoing post-flood emergency response programme, the release said. In the wake of the recent floods, the organisation has distributed around 10 tonnes of food assistance to 1,000 families across Kurigram, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar districts. During the initial phase of the flooding, the foundation also transported safe drinking water, emergency food and medicines by boat to inaccessible areas, participated in rescue operations, and worked with local volunteers to assess the urgent needs of affected communities.

Anti-tobacco campaigners on Tuesday called for an immediate ban on nicotine pouches in Bangladesh, expressing concern over a move by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) to formulate standards for the product, which they say could pave the way for its introduction into the local market. The BSTI has recently initiated a process to formulate standards for nicotine pouches, a product considered harmful to public health, PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) said in a press release. It has undertaken this initiative by forming a Tobacco and Tobacco Products Technical Committee, which does not include representatives from the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) and tobacco control organisations, they said, adding that the committee, however, includes representatives of tobacco companies. PROGGA and ATMA expressed alarm, saying the involvement of tobacco companies in such a committee violates Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). They urged the government to impose a complete ban on nicotine pouches. Nicotine pouches pose a serious threat to public health. Although tobacco companies promote these products as “relatively less harmful,” the World Health Organization (WHO) has clearly warned that, despite containing no tobacco leaf, nicotine pouches deliver high levels of nicotine. This highly addictive substance can impair brain development in children and adolescents and increase the risks of cardiovascular disease and other health complications. According to the WHO, adolescents and young adults are emerging as the largest consumers of these emerging tobacco products worldwide. To protect public health and prevent nicotine addiction among young people, at least 16 countries, including Singapore, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia, have already imposed a complete ban on nicotine pouches, according to the press release. Commenting on the issue, PROGGA Executive Director ABM Zubair said, “Although the Ministry of Health had proposed a ban on nicotine pouches, it was not incorporated into the amended tobacco control law. Efforts are now underway to introduce and market the product in Bangladesh. Bangladesh should follow the example of other countries and impose a complete ban on nicotine pouches.” According to PROGGA and ATMA, the initiative of a government institution to formulate a national standard for nicotine pouches is fundamentally inconsistent with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s declared “commitment to protecting future generations, including children and adolescents, from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.”

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police has arrested seven suspected members of an alleged human trafficking syndicate accused of fraudulently sending a woman to Italy using the passport and visa of another applicant. The arrestees were identified as Belayet Hossain, 40, son of Lokman Hossain, Nazmul Hasan, 19, son of Monir Hossain, Mehedi Hasan, 37, son of Rafiqul Islam, Solaiman Sumon, 32, son of Abdus Sattar, Fazle Rabbi, 27, son of Sirajul Islam of Ramganj upazila in Lakshmipur district, Touhidur Rahman, son of Saiful Molla of Madaripur district, and Kawsar Ahmed, 42, son of Amir Hossain of Mirpur in Dhaka. Based on intelligence information, a team of the CID’s Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) unit conducted a drive in the office of a travel agency in the Gulshan-1 area in the capital on Monday and arrested them, Additional Special Superintendent of Police Abu Taleb said. During the drive, CID officials recovered three CPUs, an HP laptop, 56 passports belonging to different individuals, 153 seals in the names of various government, private and foreign individuals and organisations, an iron embossing seal, and Tk 2.5 lakh in cash from the office. The arrest came following a case filed at Gulshan Police Station. According to the case statement, the victim’s husband has been living in Italy for a long time. The woman had been trying to obtain a visa to travel to Italy with her four children. She submitted the required documents and passport to the Italian Embassy in Dhaka. After her passport expired, the embassy contacted her, asking her to renew it. When she went to the embassy to collect her passport, she met Nazmul Hasan, one of the accused named in the case. Nazmul allegedly introduced himself as someone capable of arranging passport renewal and an Italian visa, assuring her that he could renew her passport within 24 hours. Later, Nazmul took the woman to a travel agency in Gulshan-1 and introduced her to the agency chief, Belayet Hossain, another accused in the case. The accused entered into a financial agreement with the victim, assuring her that they would arrange an Italian visa for her travel to Italy. Under the agreement, she was required to pay the full amount once the visa had been issued. According to the case statement, the accused later forced the woman to hand over the agreed payment after taking possession of her passport when she got it back from the embassy with visas. Hoping to complete the visa process and recover her passport, she transferred Tk 2.5 lakh on April 19 and another Tk 1.9 lakh on May 11 this year, bringing the total amount paid to Tk 4.4 lakh. Her passport was returned the following day. When the victim later went to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with her four children to fly to Italy, immigration officials informed her that another unidentified woman had already travelled to Italy on April 24 using the Italian visa attached to her passport. Realising she had been defrauded, she contacted the CID's Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) unit on the advice of immigration authorities. Preliminary investigation also found that the alleged kingpin, Belayet, had been involved in sending people to Italy through similar fraudulent methods since 2016 and was linked to around 30 such cases. CID also said Belayet is currently on bail in a similar fraud case filed with Airport Police Station in 2024, which is now under trial.

The Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh (REHAB) and Evercare Hospital, one of the country's leading international healthcare providers, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to make world-class healthcare more accessible and affordable for real estate entrepreneurs, employees and their families, offering discounts of up to 52 percent. The agreement was signed at a ceremony at the REHAB head office on Tuesday afternoon, according to a press release. REHAB President Dr Ali Afzal and Evercare Hospital General Manager and Head of Corporate Marketing AM Abul Kashem Rony signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations. Under the agreement, REHAB members, employees of member organisations, staff of the REHAB secretariat, and their family members will get special corporate benefits and price discounts, up to a maximum of 52 percent across various categories on select specialised treatments, diagnostic facilities, health check-ups and other medical services at Evercare Hospital. Both parties described the MoU as an important milestone in member welfare, expansion of corporate healthcare, and long-term institutional cooperation, expressing hope that it will make quality medical care more accessible, affordable and effective for people associated with the housing sector and their families.

Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association on Tuesday threatened a nationwide strike unless its four-point demand including an increase in commission on CNG sales is met by July 30. The association announced it will observe a symbolic countrywide strike on July 30 if its demands remain unaddressed, followed by an indefinite shutdown of all CNG filling stations across the country from August 23. CNG drivers’ council announces rally to press for registration, safety demands The programme was announced at a press conference at Bijoynagar in the capital. Amiruzzaman Chowdhury, convener of the steering committee formed to implement the programme, read out a written statement. The commission on CNG sales has remained unchanged at Tk 8 per cubic metre since September 1, 2015, they said. Over the past nearly 11 years, electricity and gas prices have risen multiple times, while high inflation has pushed up workers' wages, bank guarantee commissions, interest on loans, the dollar exchange rate, and other operational costs several times over, the association leaders said. With the commission remaining static, most stations are now running at a loss, the association said. The four-point demand includes raising the commission on CNG sales from Tk 8 to at least Tk 13.96 per cubic metre, introducing a mechanism for automatic adjustment of the commission whenever fuel prices rise in future, scrapping the practice of collecting additional security deposits from existing customers following gas price hikes, and bringing down licence and renewal fees charged by various government agencies, including land lease fees under the Roads and Highways Department, to a reasonable level. Under the announced programme, a symbolic strike will be observed at all CNG filling stations across the country from 6:00 am to midnight on July 30, during which scope for dialogue with the government will remain open. However, if no progress is made on the demands, all CNG filling stations nationwide will be shut indefinitely from August 23, the association said. Association leaders alleged that despite repeated attempts to contact the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources and the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) to discuss their demands, they received no positive response. Two main arguments were presented at the press conference in favour of raising the commission to Tk 13.96. First, the latest hike in electricity prices has significantly increased the cost of running stations and second, inflation, the rise in workers' minimum wages, the high dollar exchange rate, and other operating costs have rendered the existing commission structure unworkable. The association a high-level technical committee formed earlier by the ministry and Petrobangla recommended raising the commission by Tk 2.98, but BERC increased the margin by only Tk 1 in 2015, leaving the rest of the recommendation unimplemented. Since the government fixes both the purchase and sale prices of CNG, leaders said, station owners have no scope to pass on rising operational costs to consumers, making it increasingly difficult for the environment-friendly sector, built on an investment of around Tk 5,000 crore, to survive. They called for swift government intervention to implement their demands and spare the general public from suffering. Monoranjan Bhakta, president of the association, and Farhan Noor, its secretary general, were present along with other central leaders.

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir on Tuesday said the government is working on a priority basis to push Bangladesh's potential export sectors including leather, agro-processing and light engineering, toward double-digit growth in the near term. "Each of the sectors we have identified as priority export sectors including leather, agro-processing and light engineering has the potential to become a major export sector through double-digit growth," the minister said while presiding over the 149th board meeting of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) at its conference room in the afternoon. The minister said the government has taken initiatives to create a business-friendly environment to attract fresh investment into the economy and steps are underway to simplify the process of starting and running businesses. "The practical outcomes of this will be visible within the next two to three months." The present government is working to develop the economy, generate fresh investment and expand business activities, he said. "Not just in words, the necessary steps are being taken to create a favourable environment for implementing investment." He said the government is working to make business start-up processes simpler and faster, which will help make Bangladesh a more attractive destination for both local and foreign investors. Stressing the need to create opportunities for new entrepreneurs and start-ups to enter international markets, the minister noted that many of today's large exporting firms once started small. Young entrepreneurs need support in connecting with international buyers, participating in overseas markets and building export capacity, he said. Many new business owners lack the financial capacity to travel abroad for market research or buyer contacts, Muktadir said, adding that they need cooperation and support at this stage. The EPB, he said, will play an active role in taking young entrepreneurs forward.