United News of Bangladesh

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku has said there is no alternative to public awareness and cleanliness to prevent dengue. The next three months are particularly critical as the risk of dengue outbreaks remains high, he said while speaking to journalists after attending a rally organised by the Tangail District Administration as part of the Nationwide Dengue Prevention and Cleanliness Campaign 2026. “Aedes mosquitoes breed in stagnant water around homes, leading to the spread of dengue. Everyone must remain vigilant to ensure that water does not accumulate anywhere in or around their homes,” he said. He urged people not only to keep their own surroundings clean but also to encourage others to take part in cleanliness activities. Tuku said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman envisions building the country through collective efforts, adding that preventive measures can help protect people from dengue and other diseases. “Awareness must not stop with ourselves. We must also make people around us aware and fulfil our individual responsibilities,” he said. He stressed that the government alone cannot prevent dengue and called for active participation from the public. “If everyone works together to raise awareness and maintain cleanliness, the prevalence of dengue can be brought under control,” he said. Tangail Deputy Commissioner Sharifa Haque, Superintendent of Police Muhammad Shamsul Alam Sarkar, former member secretary of the District BNP Mahmudul Haque Sanu and Sadar Upazila BNP President Azgar Ali attended the rally. Officials and employees of the district administration and leaders of the BNP and its affiliated organisations were also present.

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Chowdhury on Saturday urged journalists to remain vigilant and responsible in countering misinformation, rumours and AI-generated misleading content circulating on social media. He said journalists should highlight government errors and shortcomings, but must do so through fact-based reporting rather than smear campaigns or misinformation. The state minister made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a certificate distribution ceremony following a three-day training workshop on multimedia journalism, fact-checking and AI for journalists in Hossainpur upazila. “There is hardly any popular or well-known figure in Bangladesh who has not been targeted by smear campaigns on social media. Even our mothers and sisters are being humiliated through misinformation and impersonation. This amounts to a violation of human rights,” he said. He said the training was aimed not simply at awarding certificates but at developing journalists’ skills in fact-checking and dealing with misinformation and disinformation. “Journalists play a crucial role in curbing the spread of misinformation in Bangladesh,” he said. Yasser said smear campaigns are not limited to professional journalists, as many people posing as journalists spread rumours and false information. Some also use AI to manipulate images and create videos that are circulated on social media, damaging the reputation of genuine journalists. He said the government is creating opportunities for genuine journalists to receive advanced training, including two-year master’s programmes and AI-based journalism courses. “A list of genuine journalists will be prepared through press clubs, and they will subsequently be brought under the training programmes,” he said. The state minister said various forms of support are being provided to journalists through the Journalist Welfare Trust. He also said a proposal had been made to the Prime Minister to increase support for journalists and that the process had begun at the Ministry of Finance. “I am not only a minister for the Mymensingh Division; I am a minister for the entire country. The ministry works for all of Bangladesh. However, it is only natural to have a special concern for the people of the surrounding areas,” he said. Yasser said the first phase of journalist training programmes had been organised in the Mymensingh Division, Bogura, Feni and districts surrounding Dhaka. The programme will gradually be expanded to other parts of the country, he added. Talking about the country’s development, the state minister said the government did not want to make unrealistic promises. “We do not wish to offer false or hollow assurances, such as promising to transform Bangladesh into Singapore within the next five years. We do not make such empty promises. However, we are working to make Bangladesh a better and more prosperous country,” he said. He said Bangladesh belongs to everyone and that politicians, administrators, government employees and journalists all have responsibilities towards the country. “Journalists voice the concerns of the people and highlight the government’s errors and shortcomings. But this must be done through responsible and fact-based journalism,” he said. On media freedom, Yasser said the freedom currently enjoyed by the media under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would continue. Urging journalists to play a constructive role in protecting democracy and the interests of the state, he said, “You must remain vigilant to ensure that the fascism which once shattered the state and crippled Bangladesh’s economy over 17 years does not return, and that democracy is upheld.” Speaking about development in Hossainpur and other upazilas of Kishoreganj, the state minister said government development programmes would be implemented in phases.

A man and his nephew were killed when lightning struck them while they were fishing in Changnoagaon haor in Karimganj upazila of Kishoreganj district on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Shah Alam, 38, son of Ishaque Mia, and Mokarram Hossain, 24, son of Nazrul Islam of Changnoagaon village. Soheb Khan, Officer-in-Charge of Karimganj Police Station, said lightning struck Shah Alam and his nephew Mokarram while they were fishing in the haor amid rain around 7am, killing them on the spot. As they did not return home for a long time, family members went out in search of them around 10am and found their bodies lying in knee-deep water in the haor. On information, police recovered the bodies.    

A 35-year-old man was shot dead by some miscreants over previous enmity in Daulatpur area of Khulna city on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Jalil Munshi, a jute worker and son of Dilu Munshi of Sadhu Bagan area. Sudarshan Kumar Roy, deputy commissioner of Khulna Metropolitan Police, said three young men riding a motorcycle intercepted Jalil while he was heading towards Kulirbagan Bottala around 9:45am. At one stage, Jalil locked into an altercation with them over previous enmity. At one stage, one of the three men opened fire on him, leaving Jalil injured. He was later taken to Khulna Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. “Police are trying to find out the motive behind the killing and who was involved in it,” said Deputy Commissioner Sudarshan.  

Police recovered five “suicide notes” after recovering the hanging body of Pulak Chatterjee, former bureau chief of daily Samakal in Barishal, from the newspaper’s bureau office in the city on Friday evening. Pulak wrote separate notes addressed to his wife Priyanka and daughter Prakriti, younger brother Dipak Chatterjee and his wife Iti, Barishal Press Club General Secretary SM Zakir Hossain, Samakal’s Barishal bureau in-charge Suman Chowdhury and the administration. Barishal Metropolitan Police Commissioner Abu Raihan Muhammad Saleh said suicide notes have been found and that the matter is under investigation. In the note addressed to the administration, Pulak said nobody is responsible for his death and that he could no longer endure the pain caused by his illness. “I tried a lot to remain healthy. I even consulted doctors in Vellore, India, but could not recover. My illness was pushing me back socially. When I was suffering from physical pain, I could not go anywhere,” he wrote. He requested the administration to hand over his body to his family without causing them any harassment. In the note to his wife and daughter, Pulak asked them to forgive him and urged Prakriti to continue her studies and music lessons. He also asked Priyanka to stay with his younger brother Dipak, saying Dipak would look after her. Addressing Zakir Hossain, Pulak wrote that they shared many memories and requested him to help ensure that his body is handed over to his family without harassment. He also requested Zakir to look after his wife and daughter occasionally. In the note to his brother Dipak and sister-in-law Iti, Pulak asked Dipak to take care of Priyanka and Prakriti, saying he has placed a major burden on him and asking him to forgive him. In the note addressed to his longtime colleague Suman Chowdhury, Pulak expressed regret for putting him in an embarrassing situation. He said they had worked together for nearly 18 years and asked Suman to forgive him if he had ever caused him any pain. Pulak also requested Suman to recover any money due to him from Samakal and hand it over to his wife, if possible. Police sent the body from the Samakal Barishal bureau office to the morgue of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital around 9pm Friday. Earlier in the evening, local people saw his body hanging inside the newspaper’s bureau office on Parara Road in the city. Police later arrived at the scene and broke open the office door to recover the body. Pulak had served as the Barishal bureau chief of daily Samakal. He was dismissed from the newspaper in May 2023. He occasionally used to visit the Samakal office and sit there. Pulak was a former general secretary of the Barishal Press Club and a senior member of its current executive committee.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday called upon people from all sections of society including businesspeople, young entrepreneurs and researchers to work together to build a prosperous and desired Bangladesh. “Your cooperation is needed. Your coming forward is needed for the state. Let us work together to build such a state we aspire to build,” he said while inaugurating Bangladesh Innovation Fair-2026 at Novo Theatre in the capital. Seeking cooperation from entrepreneurs, businesspeople and researchers, the Prime Minister said the government would always stand beside them with all possible support. He called for greater collaboration among the government, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and financial institutions. Tarique said the speeches and presentations by speakers at the event have broadly outlined the country’s course of action for the coming days. “Through the issues raised by the previous speakers, particularly Dr Anisuzzaman in his presentation and speech, our course of action for the coming days has broadly been determined,” he said. The Prime Minister said the country would be able to achieve its desired goals if the important issues highlighted by the speakers could be gradually implemented. “If we can gradually implement these issues, we will be able to reach our desired goal.” Highlighting the role of innovators and businesspeople in the country’s overall progress, the Prime Minister urged everyone to come forward with innovative ideas in response to the present needs of the state and government. “On behalf of the government, I seek cooperation from all of you. Your support is essential for the state,” Tarique said. Science and Technology Minister Faqir Mahbub Anam, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Rehan Asif Asad, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Science and Technology M Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, BUET Professor Dr Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder and Science and Technology Ministry Secretary, among others, addressed the programme.  

Some low-lying areas in Chapainawabganj district have been inundated as water levels in the Padma, Mahananda and Punarbhaba rivers continued to rise on Saturday due to an onrush of water from the upstream, leaving around 4,350 families waterlogged. Over the past 24 hours till Saturday moirning, the water level of the Padma rose by 3 centimetres, while the Mahananda and Punarbhaba rose by 7 centimetres each. However, the water levels of all three rivers are still flowing below their respective danger marks, according to the Water Development Board. As of Saturday morning, the Padma was flowing 26 centimetres below the danger level, while the Mahananda and Punarbhaba were flowing 1.05 metres and 2.02 metres below their respective danger marks, respectively, it said. With the continued rise in the Padma, new areas in low-lying areas of Narayanpur and Alatuli unions of Sadar upazila and Panka, Durlabhpur and Ujirpur unions of Shibganj upazila have been inundated. Water has entered roads, homes, shops and educational institutions in some areas, while croplands have also gone underwater, causing severe hardship to people living in the affected areas. Deputy Commissioner Abu Saleh Md Musa Jangi said around 4,350 families have become stranded. Relief assistance is being provided to the affected families, he said. Water Development Board Executive Engineer Ahsan Habib said the rate of increase in the river water levels has started to slow. There is no immediate risk of flooding. We expect the water levels to start falling after the next two days, he said.    

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday sought people’s cooperation in keeping their homes and surroundings clean to prevent dengue, saying collective efforts over the next three months can significantly reduce the disease. “Let us keep ourselves healthy, our families healthy, our society healthy and try to keep our country healthy,” he said while inaugurating the three-month nationwide ‘Dengue Prevention and Cleanliness Campaign-2026’ at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The Prime Minister urged people to spend at least one hour every week cleaning their homes, schools, colleges, workplaces and other surroundings to help prevent dengue. “This work is not very difficult. Today you may have to make a little effort, but if every week you give one hour to cleaning the place where you live, work or study, we will certainly be able to succeed quickly,” he said. Tarique stressed that preventing mosquito breeding is the safest and easiest way to tackle dengue, as discarded plastic, paper and other waste can collect stagnant water and create breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes. PM opens  3-month nationwide dengue prevention, cleanliness campaign “Let us all work together to solve this problem. Perhaps we will not be able to do it 100 percent, but at least we can do 80 percent,” he said referring to the three-month campaign.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday inaugurated a three-month nationwide campaign aimed at preventing dengue and promoting cleanliness, as the country braces for the peak dengue season. The Prime Minister formally inaugurated the ‘Dengue Prevention and Cleanliness Campaign-2026’ at 9:30am at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Ministry, Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation jointly organised the inaugural programme. The campaign carries the slogans “Keep your own surroundings clean, let us all stay healthy” and “Remove stagnant water every day.” Organisers said around 25,000 volunteers and workers including cleaning workers of Dhaka North and South city corporations, members of Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Girl Guides, Scouts and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, as well as students from different educational institutions were present at the programme. Members of the Cabinet, MPs, secretaries and other senior government officials also attended the programme. Representatives of all 64 district administrations joined the event virtually. The campaign will continue for three months, from Sept 12 to Dec 12, considering the period a high-risk season for dengue. The programme will be implemented in a coordinated manner at the city, divisional, district and upazila levels, involving local administrations, volunteer organisations and students. The respective city corporations will coordinate activities in metropolitan areas, while deputy commissioners will coordinate the programmes at the district level. At the upazila level, upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) will oversee local activities. The cleanliness and awareness campaign will involve volunteers from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief along with Scouts, BNCC, Girl Guides, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society volunteers and students from schools and colleges. Local Government Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain, Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman, State Minister for Health MA Muhit, State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam, Education Secretary Abdul Khaleque, and Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, among others, spoke at the programme. The campaign was launched as the prevalence of dengue has increased in Dhaka and different parts of the country. The decision to launch the campaign was taken following the Prime Minister’s directive at a recent meeting on dengue prevention at the Secretariat,.  

A local leader of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) went missing after falling into the Padma River when a boat carrying 123 people hit a pillar of the Hardinge Bridge in Bheramara upazila of Kushtia district on Friday night. The JCD leader was identified as Rakibuzzaman Rocky, member secretary of the Shailkupa municipality unit JCD in Jhenaidah. Mohammad Zahedur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Bheramara Police Station, said a group of people hired a boat to visit the Solaiman Shah Shrine in Bheramara from Katla Ghat in Shailkupa of Jhenaidah district. When the boat was returning after visiting the shrine, it was hit by a strong current, causing it to collide with a pillar of the bridge. At one point, three people, including Rocky, fell into the river as the rear portion of the bulkhead boat collided with pillar No. 4 of the Hardinge Bridge. Two of the victims, Liton and Wahab, were rescued, but Rocky remained missing. Divers from the local fire service conducted a rescue operation but failed to trace Rocky until 1am on Saturday. Bheramara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Amirul Arafat, who visited the scene, said darkness and the strong river current were making the rescue operation difficult, while several government units were working at the scene. Assistant Director of Kushtia Fire Service and Civil Defence Wadud Hossain said, “Due to the strong current in the Padma, it has become difficult to conduct the search operation at night.”