United News of Bangladesh

The undergraduate (Honours) first-year admission test of Jahangirnagar University (JU) for the 2025–26 academic session will begin on Sunday with the examination of ‘C’ unit. The university authorities have issued nine important instructions for candidates appearing in the admission test, Syed Mohammad Ali Reza, member secretary of the university’s Admission Management Committee and deputy registrar (education), said on Saturday evening. 1.      Candidates must fill in the OMR answer sheet properly using a black ballpoint pen. Any incorrectly filled OMR sheet will be considered invalid. The form must not be folded, torn, stained, stapled or pinned. 2.      Candidates are required to write their roll number, shift and question set code in English. Both the OMR sheet and question paper must be submitted to the invigilator at the end of the examination. 3.      Information regarding exam centre and seat can be found on the downloaded admit card. 4.      Candidates must reach the centre at least 10 minutes before the examination begins. 5.      No bags, books, mobile phones, watches, calculators or any electronic devices will be allowed inside the examination hall. A wall clock will be available in the hall for time management. 6.      Only candidates and concerned officials will be permitted to enter the examination centre. 7.      The results of the admission test will be published within seven days after the completion of the examination on the website: ju-admission.org. Jahangirnagar University suspends 16 students over ragging of freshmen 8.      Candidates must bring the original Secondary School Certificate (SSC) registration card along with the admission test admit card. 9.      As the JU campus is located about 30 kilometres away from Dhaka city, candidates have been advised to arrive at the centre well in advance, considering possible traffic congestion. According to university sources, a total of 219,399 applications have been submitted this year against 1,844 seats in seven units, meaning an average of 119 applicants are competing for each seat.    

The two-day Hason Raja Folk Festival–2025 will begin in Sylhet on Sunday, marking the birth anniversary of renowned Sufi poet Hason Raja. Organised by the Hason Raja Folk Literature and Culture Council, the festival will be held at the Central Shaheed Minar premises in Chowhatta area of the city. Programmes will run daily from 3:30pm to 10:00pm. The festival will showcase various aspects of Hason Raja’s life, philosophy and folk heritage through discussions, cultural performances, recitations and renditions of his songs. Dr Jahirul Islam Achinpuri, president of the central committee of the Hasan Raja Folk Literature and Culture Council, said Hasan Raja’s birthday falls on December 21. He said the council has been working to revive Bengal’s traditional Sufi culture with the aim of promoting a non-violent, intellectual, creator-centred and afterlife-centred society. Researchers, artists, litterateurs and cultural activists from different parts of the country are expected to participate in the festival, he added, noting that enthusiasm has already been created in Sylhet’s cultural arena surrounding the event. 56 migratory birds freed from poachers and released in Sylhet Dr Achinpuri also said the festival was originally scheduled to begin on Saturday, December 20, but was deferred by a day in observance of the National Mourning Day announced by the government for the demise of Shaheed Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. The organisers urged people from all walks of life to attend the festival with their families.  

The bodies of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers who were killed in a drone attack by separatist forces in Sudan arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Saturday (December 20, 2025). A flight of Emirates Airline, carrying the bodies of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers landed at the Airport on Saturday morning, according to a media release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The Chief of General Staff of the Bangladesh Army, Lieutenant General Mizanur Rahman Shamim, received the bodies. Read more: Bangladeshi peacekeepers killed in Sudan: Condolences keep pouring in from international community After a namaz-e-janaza at the Central Mosque of Dhaka Cantonment, the peacekeepers’ bodies will be sent to their respective villages by helicopter and they will be buried with full military honour. Six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and nine others were injured in a drone attack on the Kadugli logistics base under the UN mission in the Abeï area of Sudan on December 13. The injured personnel are receiving treatment at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. One of them has already been discharged, while the remaining peacekeepers are reported to be out of danger, the ISPR said. Read more: Another Bangladeshi peacekeeper injured in Sudan drone attack

Abu Bakar Siddique, the elder brother of Inquilab Moncho Sharif Osman Hadi, on Saturday (December 20, 2025) questioned the failure to arrest the killers even after seven to eight days of the shooting. “If criminals can open fire after Jum’a prayers in the heart of Dhaka and escape, there can be no greater disgrace for us as a nation,” he said while addressing thousands of mourners before the namaz-e-janaza of Hadi at Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. He also demanded a quick and public trial of those responsible for the killing. Read more: Hadi laid to rest beside National Poet’s grave at DU Siddique said his younger brother had devoted his life to protecting Bangladesh’s independence and sovereignty and left behind a message for the country’s people on how to safeguard the freedom. Hadi is survived by an eight-month-old child who will never know his father, he said, adding, “When the child was born, my brother asked me to choose a name reflecting revolutionary spirit and courage. I named him Firnas.” He said the family has been shattered by the loss, with their mother repeatedly losing consciousness and other siblings suffering severe trauma. He urged people to pray for Hadi’s wife and child, for his injured brother Omar Faruk who was with him during the attack and for his sister Masuma, who is undergoing treatment for severe trauma. Siddique led the janaza prayers around 2:30 pm. ‘Hadi, you’ll never be lost; no one will ever be able to forget you’: Prof Yunus Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain described Hadi as a poet and cultural activist who co-founded the Inquilab Cultural Center to help shape a new cultural narrative for the country. Inquilab Moncho Member Secretary Abdullah Al-Jaber alleged that the killing was the result of a planned conspiracy involving multiple actors. He demanded that the killers, planners and facilitators be brought to justice and urged the Home Affairs Adviser and other officials to publicly explain within 24 hours what steps have been taken so far. He also called on supporters to refrain from violence and warned against acting on any propaganda outside Inquilab Mancha’s directives, saying future programmes would be announced by the platform. Read more: Bangladesh mourns death of Osman Hadi

Inquilab Moncho leader Sharif Osman Hadi was laid to rest beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University Central Mosque. Hadi was buried beside the mosque beside Kazi Nazrul Islam’s grave at around 3:30 pm. Read more: Hadi’s brother questions failure to arrest killers After the namaz-e-janaza at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad, his body was brought to Dhaka University in a procession for burial. For security reasons, all entry points to Dhaka University were kept closed.  

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Saturday said martyr Sharif Osman Hadi would never be forgotten, stressing that he will remain alive through the lessons he left for the nation. “Dear Hadi, you wanted to take part in the election. In expressing your desire to contest, you also taught us how elections should be conducted. Let us all accept that process,” Prof Yunus said while speaking before the namaz-e-janaza of Hadi, spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho. He said Hadi demonstrated how to run an election campaign and how to connect closely with people. “By embracing the lessons you gave us, we ensure that you remain alive in our memories. Hadi, you will never be lost. No one will ever be able to forget you. You will remain with us for decades,” Prof Yunus added. The Chief Adviser also said they would continue walking on the path of national progress while remembering Hadi. Thousands of people from different walks of life joined the Janaza at Manik Mia Avenue near the Jatiya Sangsad. Many arrived in processions, chanting slogans demanding justice for Hadi and vowing that his death would not go in vain. The Chief Adviser, in his recent televised speech said, Hadi was an enemy of the defeated forces and fascist terrorists. “The evil attempt to intimidate revolutionaries by silencing his voice will be completely thwarted. No one can stop the journey to democracy of this country through fear, terror or bloodshed. Shaheed Hadi was an integral part of this process. His sole desire was to contest the upcoming elections and play an active role in the next phase of building a new Bangladesh,” he said. The Chief Adviser said the government will take responsibility for Hadi’s wife and his only child. The nation is observing a one-day state mourning today (Saturday) following Hadi’s death. On this occasion, the national flag was flown at half-mast at all government, semi-government and autonomous institutions, educational institutions, as well as government and private buildings across the country and at Bangladesh missions abroad. At the same time, special prayers and munajat were held at every mosque across the country after Jum’a prayers on Friday for the eternal peace of martyr Hadi. Hadi’s janaza held at Manik Mia Avenue amid huge turnout Expressing deep sorrow and grief at Hadi’s untimely death, Prof Yunus said the loss is irreparable for the country’s political and democratic landscape. “I pray for the eternal peace of his soul and express my deepest condolences to his bereaved wife, family members, relatives and colleagues,” he added.    

The namaz-e-janaza of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi was held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Saturday afternoon. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, advisers and leaders and activists of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Inquilab Moncho, National Citizens Party (NCP) and the chiefs of the three services, among others, attended the namaz-e-janaza. Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain and an Inquilab Moncho leader spoke before the namaz-e-janaza. Amnesty urges accountability over Hadi murder, mob violence Hadi’s brother Abu Bakar Siddique administered the janaza around 2:30 pm. Earlier, thousands of people gathered at Manik Mia Avenue in small processions to attend the janaza. Mourners chanted various slogans, including “We will all be Hadi for ages, we will fight” and “We will not let Hadi Bhai’s blood go in vain.” Osman Hadi, also a prospective candidate for Dhaka-8, was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Puratan Paltan. For advanced treatment, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he succumbed to his injuries on the night of December 18. People from different parts of the capital were seen using the Metro Rail from early morning to reach the janaza venue, resulting in heavy passenger pressure at key stations. Thousands gather at Manik Mia Avenue to attend Hadi’s janaza Additional police personnel and members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed at key points in the capital to maintain law and order during the namaz-e-janaza. Police personnel equipped with around 1,000 body-worn cameras have been deployed to ensure overall security and prevent any untoward incident. Besides, 20 platoons of BGB have been deployed in and around important areas of the capital including the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to strengthen security, said Shariful Islam, public relations officer of BGB. Hadi will be buried beside the grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on the Dhaka University campus in line with the wishes of his family, according to a Facebook post from Inquilab Moncho’s official page.  

A large number of mourners thronged the Metro Rail on Saturday to attend the namaz-e-janaza of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. People from different parts of the capital were seen using the Metro Rail from early morning to reach the janaza venue, resulting in heavy passenger pressure at key stations. The namaz-e-janaza of Hadi will be held at 2 pm at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Puratan Paltan.He initially underwent surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and was later admitted to Evercare Hospital. For advanced treatment, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he succumbed to his injuries on the night of December 18. His body arrived in Dhaka on Friday evening.  

Former Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force, Air Vice Marshal AK Khandker (Bir Uttam), passed away on Saturday due to complications related to old age. He was 95. AK Khandker, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Mukti Bahini during the Liberation War, breathed his last at around 10:35am, according to an ISPR press release.  

People have started gathering at Manik Mia Avenue adjacent to the Jatiya Sangsad to attend the namaz-e-janaza of Inquilab Moncho spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. People have been arriving on Manik Mia Avenue in small processions to attend the janaza. The namaz-e-janaza of Hadi will be held at 2 pm at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. People were chanting slogans various slogans including “We will all be Hadi for ages, we will fight” and “We will not let Hadi Bhai’s blood go in vain.” Additional police personnel and members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed at key points in the capital to maintain law and order during the namaz-e-janaza. An adequate number of police personnel equipped with around 1,000 body-worn cameras have been deployed to ensure overall security and prevent any untoward incident, said DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Talebur Rahman. Besides, 20 platoons of BGB have been deployed in and around important areas of the capital including the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to strengthen security, said Shariful Islam, public relations officer of BGB. The government has requested those wishing to attend the janaza not to carry any bags or heavy objects. It also said that flying drones in and around the parliament complex will remain strictly prohibited during the funeral prayers. Bangladesh mourns death of Osman Hadi Hadi will be buried beside grave of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam on the Dhaka University campus in line with the wishes of his family, according to a Facebook post from Inquilab Moncho’s official page. Hadi was shot in the head on December 12 while travelling in a rickshaw on Culvert Road in Puratan Paltan. He initially underwent surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and was later admitted to Evercare Hospital. For advanced treatment, he was airlifted to Singapore, where he succumbed to his injuries on the night of December 18. His body arrived in Dhaka on Friday evening.