United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has formally established diplomatic relations with Caribbean nation Grenada through the signing of a joint declaration at the Bangladesh High Commission in London. The joint declaration was signed on Thursday afternoon by Bangladesh High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Abida Islam and Grenada’s High Commissioner to the UK Rachér Croney, marking the official start of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both Bangladesh and Grenada became members of the United Nations on September 17, 1974. Although various contacts and exchanges took place over the years, no formal diplomatic relations had been established until now. Speaking at the ceremony, High Commissioner Abida Islam described the development as a significant and memorable moment in the history of Bangladesh’s foreign relations. She said the historic step, approved by the Advisory Council led by Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, signals the beginning of a new chapter in South-South cooperation. “This is not merely a diplomatic formality; it is a bridge between South Asia and the Caribbean,” Adiba said, adding that the relationship is founded on mutual respect and a shared vision for a fair and just global order. As fellow members of the Commonwealth, both countries deeply value sovereignty and the resilience required for nation-building, she noted, adding that Bangladesh and Grenada share a unique historical bond. “We will strengthen our voices together on the international stage,” she said. Bangladesh calls for new, accessible climate finance to address damages The High Commissioner highlighted the potential for building a strong alliance by combining Bangladesh’s global leadership in disaster resilience with Grenada’s influential role among Small Island Developing States (SIDS). She also said both sides would work jointly to expand trade and industrial cooperation by leveraging Bangladesh’s global capabilities in pharmaceuticals and textiles and Grenada’s strategic position in the Caribbean region. Abida added that the partnership would further deepen mutual engagement, with both countries remaining steadfast advocates for equitable development and climate justice.

Bangladesh has sought robust international cooperation to prevent illicit financial flows and ensure the return of looted assets, emphasising that these resources are crucial for national development and public welfare. Delivering a statement at a special session on financial integrity of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury said the mass uprising of July 2024 had renewed public expectations for integrity, transparency, and accountability. He noted that so-called “mega projects” often deliver very limited benefits to ordinary people while creating opportunities for corruption and enabling the transfer of public funds to secure offshore havens. Finance Division rolls out BIPs to fix spending and curb rising debt Ambassador Chowdhury called for ensuring proper exchange of relevant information based on transparency, strengthening effective partnerships, and taking coordinated international action to recover these assets and return them to their rightful owners. Referring to the outcomes of the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development held in Spain last June as historic, he stressed that political progress must be effectively implemented so that recovered funds can be used to strengthen educational institutions, hospitals, social protection systems, and the country’s internal economic capacity.

The Environment Ministry has recently launched the dissemination of the 'National Framework and Action Plan for Locally Led Adaptation (LLA)’ one of the first frameworks of its kind globally. The initiative is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the British High Commission, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The dissemination marks a major milestone in Bangladesh’s efforts to translate its climate commitments into actionable, locally driven adaptation measures, said UNDP. Speaking as the chief guest, Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan emphasised the framework’s pivotal role. “This locally led adaptation framework is about connecting policy with implementation, ensuring that plans are not just documents but are translated into action by ministries and local government institutions delivering adaptation on the ground," she said. Hoe Yun Jeong, Country Director, ADB, stated, “LLA Framework marks a major milestone in integrating adaptation into national systems while ensuring that solutions remain grounded in local needs and community leadership.” He added that ADB will help enhance access to climate finance by strengthening national and local systems to channel climate financing efficiently, particularly to vulnerable households, smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, and the urban poor. Stefan Liller, UNDP Resident Representative, reaffirmed UNDP’s support. “Drawing from global experience and ensuring alignment with national systems, UNDP is proud to have contributed technically to the formulation of this framework in close partnership with MOEFCC, ADB and the World Bank.”   He added that the framework will guide the scaling of locally led adaptation under LoGIC Phase II nationwide. Bangladesh calls for new, accessible climate finance to address damages Arghya Sinha Roy, Director for Climate Change at ADB, delivered the keynote presentation. Nathaniel Smith, Team Leader for Climate and Environment at FCDO, and Kirtan Chandra Sahoo, Senior Environmental Specialist at the World Bank, also spoke at the event. Approved in May 2025, the LLA Framework guides community-driven climate action by empowering local governments within national systems. The event brought together key stakeholders to discuss how it will strengthen community-centred climate resilience.

Bangladesh has stressed the need for new, additional and accessible climate finance to address losses and damages faced by climate-vulnerable countries. At the annual meeting of the Executive Board of UNDP, held in UN Headquarters on February 3, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury highlighted UNDP's crucial role in strengthening democratic participation and judicial reforms in Bangladesh. Bangladesh also expressed support for ongoing UN reforms while emphasising the importance of preserving UNDP's delivery mandate and country-level programming. Bangladesh reaffirmed its strong commitment to multilateralism and vowed to work in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for development in line with national priorities. Read More: Bangladesh launches new climate finance strategy to combat $1 billion in annual losses Ambassador Chowdhury also emphasised the need for continued and predictable international support as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category. The Ambassador congratulated the new UNDP Administrator, Alexander De Croo for assuming his responsibility and reaffirmed Bangladesh's full support to his leadership.

To strengthen the linkage between skills development initiatives and industry demand and to make the national skills development system more labour market–oriented, the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) has provided office and technical equipment worth around Tk 1 crore to thirteen Industry Skills Councils (ISCs). The support is expected to play a significant role in enhancing industry engagement and strengthening the institutional capacity of the ISCs, according to a press release. The equipment, supplied with assistance from the Accelerating and Strengthening Skills for Economic Transformation (ASSET) project, was formally handed over to representatives of the ISCs at a programme held at the NSDA conference room on Sunday. Read More: Lutfey Siddiqi suggests modern, demand-driven curricula at NSDA The Chief Guest at the event was Chief Secretary to the Chief Adviser, M Siraj Uddin Mia. The programme was presided over by Dr Nazneen Kawsar Chowdhury, Executive Chairman (Secretary) of the National Skills Development Authority. In his address, the Chief Guest called upon the Industry Skills Councils to play a more proactive role in making the skills development system labour market–oriented by ensuring direct participation of industry stakeholders. He said that strengthening the institutional capacity of the ISCs would help develop a skilled workforce based on real industry demand, improve the quality of training, and promote sustainable employment. In her remarks, Dr Nazneen Kawsar Chowdhury said that the NSDA has been working relentlessly to build an integrated and sustainable national skills development ecosystem based on strong industry linkages. She noted that providing necessary office and technical equipment to the ISCs would make their operations more dynamic and effective. She added that this support would further strengthen sector-based skills standards development, curriculum improvement and the implementation of industry-relevant training programmes. As part of the initiative, office and technical equipment worth approximately Tk 1 crore has been provided to the ISCs. Read More:  Govt seeks to build skilled manpower in tourism sector: NSDA The equipment includes desktop and laptop computers, printers, scanners, photocopiers, Wi-Fi routers, multimedia projectors, digital cameras, IPS and UPS units, conference sound systems, interactive flat panels and other essential office and technological devices. Representatives of the 13 Industry Skills Councils, along with NSDA members, directors and concerned officials, were present at the event. Industry Skills Councils play a crucial role in identifying industry skill demands, developing skills standards and training frameworks, and linking skilled manpower with the labour market. NSDA’s initiative is expected to make a meaningful contribution to strengthening an industry-linked skills development system in Bangladesh.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been increased again at the consumer level, with the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) raising the price of a 12kg LPG cylinder by Tk50 for February. According to a BERC announcement issued on Monday afternoon, the new price of a 12kg LPG cylinder has been fixed at Tk1,356, up from Tk1,306. The revised price will come into effect from 6pm. BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed said the latest adjustment was made as part of the commission’s regular monthly price review mechanism. The last LPG price adjustment was made on January 4, when the price of a 12kg cylinder was increased by Tk53 to Tk1,306. Read More: LPG prices for Jan up but BERC admits lack of control over retailers At the same time, BERC has also increased the price of autogas. For February, the retail price of autogas, including VAT, has been raised by Tk2.34 to Tk62.14 per litre. On January 4, the commission had last revised autogas prices, increasing them by Tk2.48 to Tk59.80 per litre at the consumer level. BERC adjusts LPG and autogas prices on a monthly basis, considering changes in global market prices and other relevant factors.

Gold prices in Bangladesh have been cut by Tk6,590 per bhori, with the new rates taking effect immediately, the Bangladesh Jewellers Association (BAJUS) said on Monday. In a morning notice, BAJUS said the decision was taken following a decline in the local price of pure gold (tejabi), prompting a review of the overall market situation. Under the revised rates, a bhori (11.664 grams) of 22-carat hallmark gold will now cost Tk251,184. The price of 21-carat gold has been fixed at Tk239,754 per bhori, while 18-carat gold will sell at Tk205,520. Gold made under the traditional method has been priced at Tk168,195 per bhori. In addition to the selling price, buyers will have to pay a mandatory 5 percent government VAT and a minimum 6 percent wage set by BAJUS. The labour charge, however, may vary depending on the design and quality of jewellery. BAJUS last adjusted gold prices on the night of February 1, when it reduced the price of 22-carat gold by Tk1,925 per bhori to Tk257,774. So far in 2026, gold prices have been adjusted 21 times in the local market—raised on 14 occasions and reduced seven times. Despite the fall in gold prices, silver rates have remained unchanged. According to prices set on January 31, 22-carat silver is currently selling at Tk7,290 per bhori. Why gold prices hit record highs and what triggered the sudden drop The price of 21-carat silver stands at Tk6,940, while 18-carat silver is priced at Tk5,949 per bhori. Silver made under the traditional method is trading at Tk4,432 per bhori. Silver prices have been adjusted 14 times so far this year, with increases on nine occasions and reductions on five.

Bangladesh recorded a significant increase in rape and sexual violence in 2025, with girls accounting for the majority of victims, according to rights groups monitoring violence against women and children. Data from Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) shows that 786 women and girls were victims of rape and gang rape in 2025, compared with 516 in 2024, marking a 52.3% year-on-year increase. Of those victims, 543 were girls, a rise of 47.9% from the previous year. The findings, published in BMP’s 2025 annual report, point to a disturbing escalation in sexual violence, particularly against minors. The organisation defines girls as individuals aged between one and under 18 years. Widespread Violence An analysis of reports from 15 national daily newspapers, compiled by BMP’s central Legal Aid Sub-Committee, found that 2,808 women and girls experienced various forms of violence across Bangladesh last year. Among them, 1,571 were women and 1,234 were girls, highlighting what campaigners describe as a deepening crisis in public safety and protection. Sexual violence accounted for a large share of these incidents. In 2025, 179 victims were subjected to gang rape, including 104 girls and 75 women. RU teacher sued in attempted rape case A further 188 cases of attempted rape were recorded, while seven victims died by suicide following rape. Sexual harassment affected 169 individuals, including 112 girls. Beyond Sexual Violence The report also documents a rise in other forms of abuse. 739 people were killed for reasons unrelated to rape, including 632 women and 107 girls, while 230 deaths were classified as mysterious. At least 196 individuals died by suicide due to various forms of abuse. Other reported crimes included dowry-related violence (52 cases), acid attacks (nine), and burn injuries (34). Human trafficking affected 55 individuals, including 24 girls, while 19 cases of cyber violence were recorded. Comparing 2024 and 2025 In 2024, BMP documented 516 rape victims, including 367 girls. That year, 142 victims were gang-raped, 23 were murdered after rape, and six died by suicide. There were also 94 attempted rape cases. Overall, 2,525 incidents of violence against women and girls were reported in the media in 2024, with 528 deaths, including 451 women and 77 girls. Corroborating Data Separate figures from Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) broadly support BMP’s findings. ASK reported 749 rape cases nationwide in 2025, up from 635 in 2024. Of these, 569 were single-perpetrator cases and 180 were gang rapes. According to ASK, at least 36 women were murdered after rape in 2025, seven died by suicide, and six others died following attempted rape. ASK also reported that 217 women were killed by their husbands, 63 by in-laws, and 51 by other family members during the year. At least 168 women died by suicide due to domestic violence. In 2024, ASK recorded 401 women and 234 girls as victims of rape or gang rape, including 34 murders and seven suicides. There were also 109 attempted rape cases, one of which ended in murder. Rights Concerns A recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, citing police data, found that gender-based violence increased in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Fawzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, linked the rise in violence to growing pressure from conservative religious groups. She said their activities and rhetoric had increasingly targeted women’s mobility, expression and participation in public life. In May 2025, several such groups protested initiatives by the caretaker government aimed at promoting gender equality, calling for an end to what they described as “anti-Islamic” activities. Since then, Ms Moslem said, women and girls have faced rising levels of verbal, physical and digital abuse, contributing to a climate of fear and silence. Calls for Reform BMP’s report urges the government to implement reforms proposed by the National Women’s Reform Commission, including greater representation of women in Parliament and stronger support for the UN Security Council’s Women, Peace and Security agenda. Three arrested in Narsingdi over attempted rape and violation of anti-porn law It also calls on Bangladesh to fully uphold its commitments under international conventions such as CEDAW and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and protect the constitutional rights of religious and ethnic minorities. Rights groups say without structural reforms, accountability and social change, the scale of violence documented in 2025 risks becoming entrenched rather than exceptional.

For generations, the Surma and Kushiyara rivers have shaped life in Sylhet and Habiganj—nurturing fertile floodplains while also unleashing destruction with alarming regularity. Each monsoon, swollen waters spill over Surma and Kushiyara banks, washing away cropland, homes and roads, and forcing thousands into cycles of loss and recovery. In a bid to break that cycle, the government has taken up a Tk 1,273.77 crore project aimed at strengthening flood protection, stabilising riverbanks and introducing integrated water resources management in Surma–Kushiyara river basin. The project—titled Surma–Kushiyara River Basin Development and Flood and Integrated Water Resources Management Project (Phase I)—will be implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board under the Ministry of Water Resources between January 2026 and June 2028. Fully financed by the government, it will cover 11 upazilas of Sylhet and Habiganj districts, where agriculture remains the backbone of local livelihoods. At the heart of the initiative lies large-scale river dredging. More than 121 kilometres of river stretches will be dredged, with an estimated 120.53 million cubic metres of sediment to be removed. Besides, , riverbank protection works will be carried out along 17 kilometres of erosion-prone sections—areas that have repeatedly borne the brunt of the rivers’ shifting courses. The Surma and Kushiyara are part of the vast Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna basin, originating from the Barak River in India before entering Bangladesh. After crossing the border, the river splits into two branches, flowing through Sylhet’s hilly valleys before reuniting at Ajmiriganj in Habiganj as the Kalni River, which later merges with the Meghna near Bhairab Bazar and eventually drains into the Bay of Bengal. Their mountainous origin makes both rivers naturally fast-flowing and highly meandering. Erosion is a regular phenomenon, especially along concave bends. In recent years, however, the problem has intensified. Climate change–induced extreme rainfall, coupled with widespread destruction of upstream hill forests, has increased sediment loads entering the rivers. These sediments settle along convex bends, choking river channels and accelerating erosion along opposite banks, according to the project document obtained by UNB. During the monsoon, the volume of upstream runoff often exceeds the rivers’ carrying capacity, triggering floods that inundate vast tracts of land. Crops are destroyed, homesteads collapse into the river, and public infrastructure—from roads to schools and religious institutions—suffers repeated damage. Sylhet waterlogging mitigation project delayed again; sees 44pc cost surge The basin also includes other transboundary rivers such as the Sarigoain, Sonai and Piyain, which enter Bangladesh from India and merge with the Surma. Severe erosion along these rivers has displaced families and erased farmland, underlining the urgency of coordinated intervention. Officials say the new project is designed to address these challenges in a more integrated manner—maintaining natural river flow through dredging, reducing erosion, enhancing fisheries resources and protecting both public and private infrastructure. Special attention will be given to erosion-prone border stretches in Zakiganj upazila where riverbank protection works are expected to help safeguard Bangladesh’s territorial integrity—an often-overlooked consequence of unchecked river erosion along transboundary rivers. Once completed, the project is expected to protect crops, homes, roads, mosques, madrasas, orphanages and other key installations from both early and peak monsoon floods across the region. Beyond immediate protection, officials hope it will lay the foundation for more sustainable water resource management, agricultural stability and long-term socio-economic resilience in one of Bangladesh’s most flood-vulnerable landscapes. During the monsoon of 2022, northern and northeastern Bangladesh experienced an unprecedented flood, widely regarded as the worst to strike the region in 122 years. The disaster affected 18 districts, with Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj and Netrakona bearing the heaviest damage. The flooding claimed 12 lives and disrupted the lives of around 7.2 million people. Abdul Karim, a resident of Sylhet city said, “If this project can really control erosion and reduce flooding, it will give people like us some peace of mind. But we hope the work is done properly and finished on time.”

Another consignment of 58,359 metric tonnes (MTs) of wheat from the United States (US) has arrived at Chittagong Port. The vessel MV WF Artemis, carrying the wheat, docked at the outer anchorage of the country’s premier seaport on Saturday, the Food Ministry said in a statement. Under the agreement, a total of 220,000 MTs of wheat will be imported, while the first and second consignments, comprising 114,093 MTs, arrived earlier. With this shipment, a total of 172,452 MTs of wheat has arrived in Bangladesh under cash purchase agreement No. G to G-02, signed as part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Bangladesh. Read More: US to work with all Bangladeshi political parties, its Ambassador retaliates  Bangladesh is importing wheat from the US on a government-to-government (G to G) basis. Under the G to G-01 agreement, Bangladesh has already imported a total of 220,000 metric tonnes of wheat. The process of testing samples of the wheat carried by the vessel has already begun. Necessary steps will be taken to ensure quick unloading of the wheat after completion of the sample testing, the statement said.