United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government is implementing the Family Card programme based on the principle that the family, not the individual, is the main unit of development. “The present government has introduced the Family Card programme to ensure the social security rights of citizens of Bangladesh based on the principle that the family, not the individual, is the core unit of development,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while replying to a tabled question from treasury bench MP AM Mahbub Uddin (Noakhali-1) during the question-answer session in Parliament. At the initial stage, the Prime Minister said Family Cards were distributed among 37,814 families in 13 districts and three city corporations on March 10. Tarique said the programme will gradually be expanded to cover around four crore marginal families across the country. He expressed hope that poor women from vulnerable families in Noakhali-1 constituency will be brought under the programme within a short time. The parliamentary session began around 11am, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed in the chair, after a 30-minute delay due to a microphone problem. Four questions were listed for the Prime Minister during the session.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government is implementing short, medium and long-term plans after identifying 43 priority areas to gradually increase the allocation for the education sector to 5 percent of GDP.  “The government has announced in its election manifesto a plan to gradually increase the allocation for the education sector to 5 percent of the GDP. In line with this goal, 43 priority areas in the education sector have been identified and short,  medium and long-term plans are being implemented,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while replying to a tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker Selim Reza (Sirajganj-1) during the question-answer session in Parliament. He said the present government considers education the best investment for the nation and is committed to building a quality, life-oriented and inclusive education system. The Prime Minister said special importance has been given to improving primary education in the election manifesto. “As part of this, free school uniforms will be distributed among 200,000 students in government primary schools in the current fiscal year, with plans to expand it gradually to all upazilas,” he said. The government also plans to introduce school feeding or mid-day meal programmes across all upazilas in phases to meet the nutritional needs of primary students. The parliamentary session began at around 11 am with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed in the chair, after a 30-minute delay caused by a microphone problem. Four questions were listed for the Prime Minister during the session. Selim Reza raised the question regarding the government’s plans to prioritise education and equip the new generation with quality education, technology and skills in line with global standards. Responding to the question, the Prime Minister also said multimedia classrooms will be set up in primary, secondary and equivalent institutions to prepare students for global competition. To reduce the digital discrepancy, he said free Wi-Fi will be introduced in 1,500 institutions, including schools, colleges and universities, while a unique digital identity or “Edu-ID” will be provided to each student and teacher. Tarique Rahman also said the government plans to make technical education compulsory alongside general education at the secondary level. Technical schools and colleges will be established in all upazilas and polytechnic institutes in every district in phases, he added. The Prime Minister said steps have been taken to modernise technical and madrasa education, including launching free Wi-Fi in 2,336 technical institutions and 8,232 madrasa institutions within the next 180 days. He said smart classrooms will be introduced in madrasa institutions, along with training for teachers and inclusion of technical courses. Besides, the Prime Minister said that under the ICT Division, the Bangladesh Computer Council will provide training to students within the next six months in areas such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, mobile app development and designing using Flutter, Python programming and AI-based digital marketing.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday chaired a special meeting to determine necessary steps to tackle the fuel situation amid rising global oil prices triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict. The meeting was held at the Secretariat in the morning with the Prime Minister in the chair, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister arrived at the Secretariat at 9:02 am and attended to official duties before joining the meeting. He also unveiled a commemorative postage stamp marking Independence and National Day. The Prime Minister is scheduled to chair a Cabinet meeting at 4:00 pm at the Cabinet Division conference room at the Secretariat. Rumon said the Cabinet usually meets on Thursdays, but this week’s meeting was brought forward as Independence and National Day falls on Thursday.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday unveiled a commemorative postage stamp marking the Independence and National Day. He unveiled the stamp at his office at the Secretariat around 9:30am, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. The Prime Minister arrived at the Secretariat at 9:02am and carried out some official work before unveiling the stamp, he said. Posts and Telecommunications Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam, Posts and Telecommunications Division Secretary Abdun Naser Khan and Director General of the Directorate of Posts Kazi Asadul Islam were present at the time. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to chair a Cabinet meeting at 4:00pm at the Cabinet Division conference room at the Secretariat. Rumon said the Cabinet usually meets on Thursdays but the meeting was brought forward as Independence and National Day falls on Thursday this week.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday urged the nation to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War and remember the horrors of the March 25 genocide, calling for united efforts to build a just, democratic and prosperous Bangladesh. In a message marking Genocide Day, he described March 25, 1971 as one of the darkest and most brutal days in the history of freedom-loving Bangladesh. He also stressed the need to pass on the history and true meaning of independence to future generations. “Let us all strive to honour the sacrifices of the martyrs by upholding the spirit of the great Liberation War — equality, human dignity and social justice — in our state and society. Let us work together to build a just, developed, prosperous, self-reliant and democratic Bangladesh,” the Prime Minister said. He said on that night, Pakistani occupation forces carried out one of the most heinous genocides under ‘Operation Searchlight’, targeting unarmed people across the country. The Prime Minister recalled that the occupation forces indiscriminately opened fire on teachers, intellectuals and innocent civilians at various places, including Dhaka University, Pilkhana and Rajarbagh Police Lines, killing many people. “The genocide of 25 March was a pre-planned massacre. Why this organised killing spree could not be resisted remains a matter of historical research regarding the visible role of the political leadership of that time,” he said. However, on the night of 25 March, Tarique said the 8th East Bengal Regiment in Chattogram formally initiated armed resistance against the genocide by declaring ‘We Revolt’. “Through this resistance to genocide, the long nine-month armed Liberation War began.” He prayed for the salvation and eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs and wished success to all programmes organised to observe Genocide Day.

The government is set to launch the pre-piloting of Farmers’ Card scheme for around 21,500 farmers on Pahela Baishakh, marking another step in fulfilling its election pledge to support the country’s farmers. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the programme on April 14, the first day of the Bengali New Year, by distributing the cards among farmers in Tangail Sadar upazila. The decision was taken at a meeting on Tuesday at the Secretariat presided over by the Prime Minister, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. He said the programme will be launched simultaneously in 11 upazilas including Tangail Sadar. In the first phase, around 21,500 farmers will receive financial support through mobile banking, he added. “The card will be provided to farmers in the agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors. It will work like a debit card. Each year, 2,500 taka will be given as an incentive to small, marginal and landless farmers to purchase agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, seeds, pesticides and animal feed,” Rumon said. Apart from Tangail Sadar, the other upazilas selected for the pre-pilot phase are Panchagarh Sadar and Boda upazila, Shibganj (Bogra), Shailkupa (Jhinaidah), Nesarabad (Pirojpur), Teknaf (Cox’s Bazar), Adarsha Sadar (Comilla), Islampur (Jamalpur), Goalanda (Rajbari) and Juri (Moulvibazar).

Though a seven-day public holiday began on Tuesday to mark Eid-ul-Fitr, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended office at the Secretariat and continued his official work. The Prime Minister arrived at his office at around 11am, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. “The Prime Minister came to his office at 11am. The Eid holidays have started but he is continuing his official work,” he said. He said the Prime Minister’s schedule for the day includes a cabinet meeting while several meetings were held earlier in the day. The Prime Minister had a meeting with the Farmers’ Card preparation cell, where a decision was taken to launch the pre-piloting of the Farmers’ Card scheme for around 21,500 farmers on Pahela Baishakh. Tarique Rahman is set to formally inaugurate the programme on April 14, the first day of the Bengali New Year, by distributing the cards among farmers in Tangail Sadar upazila. Later, a cabinet meeting was held at the Cabinet Division, chaired by the Prime Minister. Earlier in the morning, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani and Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar received the Prime Minister upon his arrival at the Secretariat. Eid journey to be hassle free: Road Transport Minister The Eid holidays began on March 17 and will continue until March 23. The Ministry of Public Administration earlier fixed a five-day holiday from March 19 to 23. March 19 and 20 before Eid and March 22 and 23 after Eid were declared holidays by an executive order. To ease Eid travel, the government also declared March 18 a holiday, making it a continuous seven-day break along with the Shab-e-Qadr holiday on March 17. On Monday, the Prime Minister inaugurated a nationwide canal excavation and re-excavation programme by cutting soil with a spade at the Sahapara canal in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first 28 days in office have seen a series of initiatives in key sectors including social protection, economy, administration, education, health and public safety, reflecting his focus on delivering on people’s expectations. In a Facebook post,Prime Minister’s adviser Mahdi Amin outlined what he described as “28 steps in 28 days”, highlighting the government’s early actions and priorities. The steps reflect the Prime Minister’s commitment to fulfilling his electoral pledges and ensuring accountability to the people, he wrote in the post. “Today is March 17. Exactly one month ago, the BNP government was formed under the leadership of the popularly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. In just 28 days, he has worked tirelessly in every moment of state administration to fulfil his election pledges. These steps are not merely administrative actions as they are a clear reflection of his accountability to people,” the post reads. Among the major initiatives, the government introduced a family card programme, providing monthly financial assistance to thousands of families, and arranged allowances for imams, priests, monks and other religious leaders. It also mentioned relief distribution ahead of Eid and an initiative to introduce an institutional zakat system to strengthen social welfare. PM vows to work day and night to build Bangladesh, urges patience In the agriculture sector, the post highlighted plans to introduce farmer cards and waive small loans for marginal farmers, along with a nationwide canal excavation programme to improve irrigation, boost agricultural production, and create employment in rural areas. On administrative reforms, it noted steps to ensure discipline in offices, reduce VVIP protocols and cut special privileges for MPs, aiming to lower public expenditure and restore public trust. The post also referred to measures to stabilise markets during Ramadan and Eid, facilitate foreign investment, ensure timely payment of workers’ wages and bonuses, and revive closed industrial units. In education, it highlighted decisions to cancel re-admission fees, reform admission processes, support higher studies abroad and recruit teachers, alongside steps to promote sports and cultural activities. The post also mentioned the introduction of e-health cards, recruitment of health workers and a nationwide cleanliness drive to prevent dengue. Measures to strengthen law and order, including action against extortion and steps to enhance women’s safety such as introducing women-operated bus services, were also noted. It also mentioned steps aimed at promoting discipline and values, including limiting state-sponsored iftar events, saving electricity and removing illegal establishments in tourist areas. Other initiatives included declaring a national day in memory of martyred army personnel, efforts to expedite the opening of the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and plans to introduce free internet services at all airports and important public places and establishments, it added. The post said the steps taken in the first 28 days of government formation reflect Tarique Rahman’s strong leadership, tireless efforts, and accountability to people. “Under his leadership, the hopes and aspirations of ordinary people are being addressed and turned into reality. This unprecedented journey will prepare the new generation for the future of the country, Inshallah. As he (PM) says, “Together we will work, together we will build the country, and Bangladesh comes first,” it concluded.

The launch of a canal re-excavation programme by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dinajpur on Monday stirred memories of a similar initiative taken nearly five decades ago by his father, former president Ziaur Rahman. Residents of Balrampur village in Kaharol upazila said Tarique Rahman appeared to be following the path of the BNP founder by personally joining the excavation work with a spade. About five decades ago, Ziaur Rahman took part in canal excavation work by cutting soil with a spade alongside hundreds of villagers of different ages. Accompanied by ministers and BNP leaders, Tarique Rahman personally began the re-excavation of the Sahapara canal by cutting soil with a spade at Balrampur Sahapara in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur around 12:27pm. By cutting the first soil from the canal, he formally launched the nationwide programme, marking the start of similar activities across the country. Several thousand local people enthusiastically watched as the head of government dug the canal himself, following in the footsteps of his late father. Sixty-five-year-old resident Halima Khatun of Balrampur village said the programme reminded many people of the earlier initiative led by Ziaur Rahman. “Just like his father, he is taking part in canal digging. President Ziaur Rahman used to join canal excavation programmes with ordinary people through voluntary work,” she added. Sahapara canal in Balrampur now looks more like uneven piles of soil than a flowing canal, as much of the water has dried up over the years. During the monsoon, water flow through the canal remains limited, often leading to waterlogging in nearby areas. A local resident, Amjad Hossain, said the canal has long been a source of hardship for people in the area.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday congratulated the Bangladesh national cricket teamfor their thrilling victory over the Pakistan national cricket team and for winning the ODI series 2–1. In a message, the Prime Minister warmly greeted the players following Bangladesh’s historic 11-run win in the final match of the series held at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. “Bangladesh’s brave young cricketers have proved that victory can be achieved through determination and united effort by winning today’s thrilling match against Pakistan by 11 runs and clinching the ODI series 2–1,” he said. The Prime Minister said the team’s impressive performance has made the nation proud. He expressed hope that the young players will continue their journey of success in the days ahead. Bangladesh secured the three-match series 2–1 with an 11-run victory in the final ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. The win marked Bangladesh’s second bilateral ODI series triumph over Pakistan national cricket team after 11 years.