United News of Bangladesh

The opening ceremony of ‘Exercise Tiger Lightning (TL)-2026’ was held on Sunday at the Para Commando Brigade in Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet, with the participation of the Bangladesh Army and the United States Army Pacific Command (USARPAC). The ceremony was attended by US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen and Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army Lieutenant General Md Mainur Rahman, according to an ISPR press release. The joint exercise is being conducted under the supervision of the Bangladesh Army’s specialized formation, the Para Commando Brigade. The 13-day exercise will continue until July 31, 2026. US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen mentioned that through this training, military-to-military interaction is serving as a cornerstone of the growing strategic partnership between the two countries. Besides, it is not just a training but also a symbol of the long-standing friendship, mutual respect and shared commitment of both countries to an open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Chief of General Staff of Bangladesh Army in his speech said that 'Exercise Tiger Lightning' is one of the most important means of bilateral military relations between Bangladesh and the United States.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has invited top leaders of the parties that joined the simultaneous anti-fascist movement to a dinner at State Guest House Jamuna on Monday evening. The event will begin at 7:30pm, Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said on Sunday. "Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has invited the leaders of the parties that were part of the simultaneous movement against the fascist regime to a dinner. He will exchange greetings with the political leaders," Rumon said. He said more than 150 leaders from the allied parties have been invited and invitation cards have already been delivered to them. Members of the BNP Standing Committee will also attend the programme, Rumon added. Sources said Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has not been invited as it was not part of the simultaneous anti-government movement. The meeting will be the first formal engagement between Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and the leaders of the allied parties since the BNP formed the government following its parliamentary majority in the February 12 general election. The invitees include leaders from parties and alliances that participated in the joint anti-government movement alongside the BNP, including the Democracy Platform, the 12-Party Alliance, Ganatantra Mancha, 12-party alliance, Jatiyatabadi Samomona Jote, Gonoforum and Gono Odhikar Parishad, Gonotantrik Bam Oikya, and several Islamist parties.

Four men have been caught on Sunday while attempting to join government service after allegedly securing appointments through proxy candidates who sat for their oral examinations for the post of Office Assistant (Grade-20) under the Ministry of Public Administration. The four were detained when they arrived at the ministry to join their jobs. During questioning, all of them admitted that they had not appeared in the oral examination themselves and that other individuals had taken the test on their behalf, said Md. Mansur Hossen, Public Relations Officer of the ministry. The accused were identified as Md A Alim of Gopalpur upazila in Tangail, Md Ali Haidar of Chauhali upazila in Sirajganj, Md Russell Rana Liton of Nageshwari upazila in Kurigram, and Md Masud Fakir of Sreepur upazila in Gazipur. During interrogation, they disclosed that they had paid money to different individuals in hopes of securing government jobs. Some had already made payments, while others promised to pay after joining the service. Based on the evidence, the Ministry of Public Administration filed a case with Shahbagh Police Station. An investigation would also determine whether other individuals or an organised fraud ring were involved in the recruitment scam, Officials said.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has raised the question over influential forces that are seemingly behind the reinstatement of the Tk 50,000 car maintenance allowance for vehicles purchased with interest-free loans by entitled government officials, despite clear directives from the Prime Minister. The anti-corruption watchdog believes the government has succumbed to the unjust influence of a privileged class of bureaucrats. Drawing on media reports, in a statement issued on Sunday, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “To ensure the proper use of limited government resources, the decision from the Prime Minister to reduce the maintenance cost of cars purchased with interest-free loans to Tk 25,000 and to cancel the interest-free loan facility was a commendable precedent. The main rationale behind this stance was to prevent discrimination and reduce waste of public money. However, disregarding reality and driven by narrow interests, an example is being set where decisions from the highest level of the state are rendered ineffective due to the influence of beneficiaries. Under whose influence is the government being forced to retreat from this austerity policy decision, despite goodwill at the highest level? We believe it is time-sensitive for the government to identify them alongside understanding their opportunistic mindset.” Commenting that purposive classification of so-called entitled officials was depriving and discriminatory, he further said, “Outside of a mere 2,400 officials, this situation was humiliating for those working in the same cadre and other services of equal status. The internal equilibrium of public administration has been jeopardized by such biased privileges." Raising the question of whether the bureaucrats and various agencies who have been enjoying such privileges have learned any positive lessons at all from the Prime Minister's decision to use his personal car and bear the fuel expenses, the TIB Executive Director said, “Considering the cost of living, the government has already decided to unconditionally increase the salaries of government officials. Against this backdrop, the recommendation made by TIB earlier to impose the obligation of disclosure of government officials’ assets was also not accepted. Hence, the question remains as to how much corruption and hassle-free services will the public receive after the implementation of the new salary scale. ”

Two farmers were killed after being electrocuted while planting paddy seedlings in a waterlogged field in Fatikchhari upazila of Chattogram on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Md Yunus, 35, son of late Mahabubul Alam, and Md Hasem, 50, son of late Abul Kashem. Both were residents of Mirerkhil Kargipara under Ward No. 8 of Bhujpur Union. The incident occurred in a paddy field south of Jannat Brick Field in the Joginighata area in the afternoon. Motorcycle collision leaves 2 dead in Bagerhat Locals said Yunus and Hasem were planting paddy seedlings with several others when an electric wire suddenly snapped from a nearby pole and fell into the waterlogged field. The two men were electrocuted and died on the spot, while other workers could not approach them immediately due to the live wire. Family members of the deceased alleged that the bodies remained in the water for nearly two hours because no officials from the police or the power distribution authorities reached the scene immediately. Rejecting the allegations of negligence, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Fatikchhari Police Station Rabiul Alam Khan said police rushed to the scene after receiving information about the incident. "Although the accident occurred within the jurisdiction of Fatikchhari Police Station, the victims were residents of the Bhujpur Police Station area. After the power supply was disconnected, local people recovered the bodies and took them home. The allegations of negligence by the administration are not correct," he said. The bodies were handed over to the families after due procedures, the OC added.

Public health and medical experts addressing a BRAC University seminar have called for stronger routine vaccination, research-based decision-making, and coordinated action to address the ongoing measles situation in Bangladesh. The Department of Microbiology under the School of Life Sciences and BRAC University Microbiology Student Council organized the seminar titled “The Resurgence of Measles: Recent Outbreaks in Bangladesh and the Path Forward” at the university auditorium on Sunday, said a media statement. Four more suspected measles deaths reported in Bangladesh, toll reaches 784 Professor Mahmudur Rahman, former director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), stressed the need for high vaccination coverage, robust disease surveillance, rapid outbreak detection, and community engagement to build confidence in vaccines.

The current government is working to revive the country’s traditional handloom industry and restore its lost glory by adopting policies focusing on the needs of grassroots craftsmen, said state minister for textiles and jute Md Shariful Alam on Sunday. “The government is working to enrich the handloom industry further by reviving this lost tradition,” he said. The state minister made the remarks at a views-exchange meeting with handloom craftsperson at Baitara village in Sirajganj Sadar upazila, said a PID handout here. He said the government will formulate necessary policies for the development and expansion of the country's handloom industry by giving priority to the opinions, problems and recommendations of grassroots handloom artisans. During the programme, the artisans highlighted various issues relating to the development of the handloom sector, including access to loans, rising prices of yarn and raw materials, marketing challenges and other difficulties facing the industry. The state minister said future plans and policy decisions will be based on the opinions of grassroots artisans by understanding their real-life challenges. Describing Sirajganj as one of the country's main handloom hubs, Shariful said the region has a rich tradition and immense potential in the handloom sector. He said some Tk 65 crore in loans has already been disbursed among handloom craftsmen in Sirajganj Sadar, Ullapara, Shahjadpur and Belkuchi upazilas under an easy-term credit programme carrying an interest rate of four percent. The state minister also said the newly established Handloom Training Centre and Basic Centre in Sirajganj would not only provide training but also help trainees become entrepreneurs and secure employment. Textiles and Jute Secretary Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury, high officials from Bangladesh Handloom Board and local administration were present.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo on Sunday expressed hope that cooperation with the ILO will be further strengthened during Bangladesh’s presidency at the UN General Assembly. He paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir at a hotel in the capital on Sunday evening. At the beginning of the meeting, the ILO Director-General extended his sincere congratulations on Bangladesh’s election as the President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The discussions focused on recent progress in Bangladesh’s labor sector, the situation of child labor, labor law and institutional reforms, ensuring the rights and welfare of migrant workers, and safe and regular migration, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Two women were killed and three others injured in a head-on collision between a CNG-run autorickshaw and a locally made three-wheeler, commonly known as a "Bhotbhoti", in Melandah upazila of Jamalpur on Sunday. The identities of the two deceased could not be confirmed immediately. The injured were identified as Mojibor, 55, Jibon Mia, 35, and Tushar, 38, all residents of the Katharbil area in Dewanganj upazila. According to police, the CNG-run autorickshaw was travelling from Dewanganj to Jamalpur when it collided head-on with the Bhotbhoti coming from the opposite direction near Betmari village at around 1:30pm. All five passengers of the autorickshaw sustained serious injuries in the crash. Local people rescued the victims and took them to Jamalpur General Hospital. Dr Ujjwal Kumar Sarkar, medical officer at the hospital's emergency department, said five injured people were brought to the hospital from the accident site. "Two women were dead before being brought to the hospital, while the remaining three are undergoing treatment," he said. The bodies have been kept at the hospital morgue, he added. ATM Mahmudul Haque, officer-in-charge of Melandah Police Station, said police rushed to the hospital after receiving information about the accident. Efforts are underway to identify the two deceased women and determine the cause of the crash, he added.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan on Sunday said the government has reduced its net expenditure for broadcasting the 2026 FIFA World Cup to almost zero by purchasing the media rights directly from FIFA and recovering most of the cost through sub-licensing. He said the government purchased the media rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup directly from FIFA for US$3.85 million. It subsequently recovered most of the expenditure by sub-licensing the rights to four domestic broadcasters. Swapon alleges widespread irregularities in 2022 World Cup broadcast deal "So, the government's actual expenditure has now been reduced to between Tk 4 crore and Tk 5 crore, and we expect to recover the remaining amount through ongoing revenue-sharing negotiations," said the Information Minister at a press conference at the Secretariat. He said the previous World Cup in 2022 involved transactions worth around Tk 140 crore through intermediaries, whereas the current government eliminated middlemen by negotiating directly with FIFA. Drawing a comparison with the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Swapan said FIFA had sold the broadcasting rights for US$3.2 million, but the Bangladesh government did not acquire them directly. Instead, he said, a Singapore-based company initially purchased the rights before Bangladesh's Toma Construction acquired them. Bangladesh Television (BTV) later bought the broadcasting rights from the company for nearly Tk 98 crore. At the same time, Toma Construction separately sold the rights to two private companies for around Tk 40 crore, resulting in total transactions of nearly Tk 140 crore through intermediaries, the minister said. He said the 2022 process involved two layers of middlemen, while the current government procured the rights directly from FIFA, eliminating unnecessary costs and opportunities for a lack of transparency. "This has saved taxpayers' money and protected the state's financial interests," he added.