United News of Bangladesh

BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Monday expressed hope that newly elected MPs from women’s reserved seats will play a meaningful role in the Jatiya Sangsad. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after paying tribute to BNP founder Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at their graves at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, along with reserved seat MPs from the ruling party. They offered Fateha at the graves. Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni was also present. Fakhrul expressed optimism that the MPs will contribute to strengthening democratic institutions and making Parliament more effective. “We hope they will perform their responsibilities properly and play their due role in Parliament,” he added. Earlier, around 1:00pm, Fakhrul led the newly elected women MPs in placing wreaths at Ziaur Rahman’s grave. After paying tribute, newly elected MP Arifa Sultana Ruma said she is committed to working for women across the country, especially the poor, helpless and oppressed. A lawyer by profession, she said she aims to provide legal assistance and dedicate her life to the country. Arifa said she is inspired by the political ideals of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, which are now being carried forward by Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman. She stressed that national progress is not possible without ensuring the inclusion and empowerment of women. The newly elected women MP also highlighted initiatives such as family cards to empower women at the household level, expressing hope that such measures will contribute to self-reliance at the family, social and national levels. Of the 50 reserved seats for women in Parliament, 36 are from the BNP alliance. The newly elected MPs took the oath on Sunday night at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, administered by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan, Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and other whips were present at the oath-taking ceremony.

Parliament on Thursday witnessed an unusual and unprecedented debate after the passage of two key financial sector bills, despite no provision in the rules of procedure allowing discussion once a bill has been passed. The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026 were passed in Parliament by a voice vote after Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury moved those. After the passage of the two bills, there was a debate between the treasury and opposition benches. Except for independent MP elected from Brahmanbaria-2 Rumeen Farhana, no one else had proposed sending the two bills to the public opinion or scrutiny committee. As a result, no member except Rumeen got the opportunity to discuss the bill. But several members of the opposition party raised their hands to discuss the bill. In her discussion, Rumeen Farhana said one of the pillars of the Bangladesh economy is the insurance sector. “If we discuss it honestly, the condition of the insurance sector is not very good.” In response, the Finance Minister said he completely agreed that the insurance industry in Bangladesh is going through a very difficult situation. “Many insurance companies have been born due to mismanagement, corruption and government patronage. Those who do not care about the law and regulations.” At this stage, several members of the opposition bench sought a chance to speak. Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal said there is no chance for speaking at this stage. However, he gave a chance to Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman. Shafiqur Rahman said they did not get the papers of the bills in due time, calling for suspending the bills. However, the Deputy Speaker said, according to the rules, the reports of the bills were given on Wednesday, and then he proceeded with the process of passing the bills and those were passed. Then National Citizen Party MP Akhter Hossen said two laws have just been passed, questioning the aim of the amendments. Referring to the lifting of age cap in the Securities and Exchange Commission Act and the Insurance Corporation Act, he said, "Is this being done keeping a person in mind or a policy in mind? Our idea is that if the age constraints of this law are lifted, keeping some special people in mind, like an appointment to the Bangladesh Bank, then it will create a contradiction from the place where the minister talked about skilled and qualified people. The law has been passed, but we are expressing our concerns here on behalf of the opposition party.” Akhter said when the BNP came to power in 2001, they increased the age limit of the Chief Justice from 65 to 67 to appoint the caretaker government chief adviser as per their own wishes. “After that, the nation had to endure a long suffering.” At this stage, the Speaker requested the Finance Minister to say if he had anything to say. At that time, Khosru said in almost every country in the world where the Securities Exchange Commission is operating successfully, there is no such obstacle. “If qualified and skilled people want to come here, you have to keep these in mind.” Then the opposition leader stood up again, saying qualified people need to be given space in the right place. “Morning shows the day. All the activities of the government in the basic areas like the Bangladesh Bank in the last two months have gone against the wishes of the people.” He referred to the appointment of the current central bank governor and the dismissal of the former one. “All the changes that have been made so far are not supported by the people and the democracy. We could not even keep the playing field open. We went there and got into trouble too.” Shafiqur Rahman said if everything is politicised and groups and families are given in particular areas, the country will not move forward. In response, the Finance Minister said there was no opportunity for such discussions after a bill was passed. He said every time the BNP has come to power, all the appointments made in the Bangladesh Bank and Securities Exchange Commission have been non-political. Khosru said the BB governor is not a member of any party. “The performance of the governor is better than the performance of any other governors.” He referred to the increase in the age limit of the BB governor in the past, saying the current opposition did not raise any objection at that time. The Finance Minister said the Prime Minister has already decided that no political figure will be given an appointment in the financial sector. Then Deputy Leader of the Opposition Syed Abdullah Md Taher said, "The Prime Minister has decided not to appoint party members to any financial institution. We are very happy if that is the case. I will thank him for that.” But, he said, the current BB governor has an identity. “That is, he was a member of the BNP election steering committee.” When the Speaker asked the Finance Minister to clarify the issue, he said supporting a party does not mean that the person is a party member. “And supporting a party in election activities does not mean being a party member. Surely many people from your party have helped with your election activities. Those who are not from your party."

Two separate bills were passed in Parliament on Tuesday bringing amendments to remove the maximum age limit for the posts of Chairman and Commissioner of Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) and Chairman and Member of Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA). With the passage of the two bills, the government will be able to appoint chairmen of any age in the two regulatory bodies. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury separately moved the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026 in Parliament. Later, the two bills were passed through a voice vote. According to the existing law, if a person completes the age of 65, he/she is not considered eligible to be appointed as the Chairman or Commissioner of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, nor can he/she continue in office. It has been proposed to delete this provision in the bill. On the other hand, the Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority Act states that a person cannot become the chairman or member of the Insurance Development Authority if he or she is 67 years of age. The bill brought to Parliament proposes to remove this provision. Separate statements containing the purpose and reasons for the two bills state that the laws need to be made timely to appoint experienced, skilled and knowledgeable persons to take important decisions. The two bills were introduced in Parliament on Tuesday when those were sent to a special parliamentary committee for scrutiny in the absence of the parliamentary committee related to the ministry concerned.

Japanese Prime Minister’s special envoy and also Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister SUZUKI Norikazu witnessed the session of Jatiya Sangsad on Wednesday afternoon. The House warmly welcomed the Japanese minister by thumping desks by the members of parliament (MPs) after Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni announced the arrival of the Japanese Minister. “We are delighted to announce with great pleasure that Japanese Prime Minister’s special envoy and also Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister SUZUKI Norikazu has arrived at Bangladesh Parliament,” said the Chief Whip. He said the Japanese agriculture minister and his delegation are visiting the Parliament. Bangladesh has shared a long friendly relationship with Japan since 1971, he added. Following the announcement, the MPs welcomed the visiting minister and his delegation by thumping their desks. Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal was chairing the House during the visit at around 5:50pm.

A ruling party whip on Wednesday expressed mixed reactions to the office of the President, saying he honours the chair of the President, but could not thank him as an individual. Paying tribute to those killed during the July uprising in his constituency, Lakshmipur-4 MP ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan, speaking in Parliament during the discussion on the thanksgiving motion on the President's speech, said he had pledged to the mothers of the deceased that the chair of the President must be respected. "I have promised their mothers that the chair of the President must be honoured. I thank that chair. However, I regret that I could not thank Honourable President Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu as an individual," he said. Recalling the July uprising, Nizan claimed that when rumours spread that people were hiding inside the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, rooms were broken open, and large sums of money were allegedly found inside it. He also alleged that bricks from Ganabhaban were taken away during the incident. The Whip said the incident did not involve BNP or Jamaat leaders, nor were the mothers of the July martyrs involved. “It was rather an outburst of anger from ordinary people, including rickshaw pullers and workers,” he added. Reflecting on the 9th Parliament, he criticised the language used during that period, alleging that derogatory remarks were made against then Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia in the House. Nizan further alleged that under then Leader of the House Sheikh Hasina, members of the treasury bench were encouraged to make offensive comments targeting opposition figures. “Despite all that, we continued to remain in Parliament,” he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday called upon MPs to raise public awareness to help reduce waterlogging across the country, saying blocked drains, canals and other water channels worsen the problem particularly in urban areas. “The problem in urban areas lies with big drains, lakes and canals. We use different things like plastic bottles and polythene. We are unintentionally blocking these canals and beels (by dumping these things into the water channels),” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks at Parliament after treasury bench lawmaker Sayeed Al Noman (Chattogram-10) on a point of order raised the issue of waterlogging and public suffering in Chattogram city. Pointing at the lawmaker, Tarique Rahman said he has already spoken with the Mayor of Chattogram City Corporation in this regard and the mayor is working to address the issue. Noting that it has been a severe waterlogging and it would take time to address it, he said, “For the suffering caused by this, I sincerely express my sorrow to the residents of Chattogram city. We are trying our best to bring people out of this problem as quickly as possible.” Referring to media reports on inundation in Chattogram city, the Prime Minister said the problem is not confined to the port city alone but exists across the country including in Dhaka where blocked drains during rainfall often lead to serious waterlogging. Describing the waterlogging as a long-standing problem, he recalled that former president Ziaur Rahman had once taken initiatives to address it through canal re-excavation across the country, which created water reservoir and thus control flood and remove waterlogging. “We exactly need to return to that kind of work again,” he said, adding that the current government has already begun canal excavation programmes. Although the government has undertaken efforts to clean drains and improve drainage systems in Dhaka city, the problem often resurfaces within 7-10 days as people continue to dump waste indiscriminately that blocked the drains again, he said. Citing that the waterlogging problem is there in many constituencies including Dhaka-12, he said several lawmakers including Dhaka-12 MP Saiful Alam have raised similar concerns with him. “It is a huge problem. I believe the government will continue to take more initiatives,” he said. He also stressed reducing the use of plastic bottles, polythene and similar materials and ensuring proper disposal after use. "As members of parliament, I think we have a moral responsibility to make people aware of this issue," said the Prime Minister.

The government has initiated a comprehensive feasibility study to assess the reopening of several closed and underutilised airports as part of a broader plan to strengthen domestic air connectivity and promote balanced regional development. Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanam made the announcement in Parliament on Wednesday while responding to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker SM Jahangir Hossain, elected from Dhaka-18. Bangladesh currently has 17 airports and aviation facilities including international and domestic airports, navigation installations, Bangladesh Air Force-operated bases, and former Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) airfields, she said. Among them, three international airports — Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport, and Osmani International Airport — handle both international and domestic flights. Five domestic airports — Saidpur Airport, Shah Makhdum Airport, Jashore Airport, Barishal Airport, and Cox's Bazar Airport — currently operate domestic flights only. Six STOL airports built during World War II — Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Ishwardi, Shamshernagar, Cumilla, and Patuakhali — which remain closed or underutilized, said the minister. She noted that although Cumilla Airport does not currently handle commercial flights, it still provides navigation services for international aircraft passing through Bangladeshi airspace. Meanwhile, Tejgaon Airport remains under the control of the Bangladesh Air Force and is not used for passenger operations. The government plans to build a nationwide air connectivity network by linking divisional and district towns through the development of small airports and airstrips, she said. “In response to public demand, initiatives have been taken to conduct feasibility study through local consulting firms to assess the viability of reopening closed airports,” the minister said. As part of this initiative, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology has been assigned to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Bogura Airport. Officials say the move is expected to stimulate economic activity and support more balanced regional development across the country.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday told Parliament that the government's planned Family Card and Farmers' Card programmes will not increase inflation or create undue pressure on the national budget. Instead, he said, the initiatives will boost employment, strengthen the rural economy and support local industries. Replying to a supplementary question from National Citizen Party MP Abul Hasnat (Hasnat Abdullah, Cumilla-4) during the parliamentary session, Tarique said the government will gradually bring four crore families under the Family Card programme and 2.75 crore farmers under the Farmers' Card scheme. "No government in the world can implement such a massive programme all at once," he said. The Prime Minister said the government will first identify vulnerable families and bring them under the scheme in phases. "We will collect data, prepare the budget gradually and expand the coverage step by step. So, according to our calculations, there is no reason for significant pressure on the budget," he said. Tarique also said the programme would not be financed by printing money. "We will not print money to fund this initiative.” He said a review of existing social safety net programmes found that some people are receiving multiple benefits. "We will rationalise overlapping benefits where necessary though not all programmes will be cut. We will proceed gradually in this way,” he said. He said beneficiaries would spend the money on essential goods such as clothing, books and daily necessities, most of which are produced locally. "The people who receive this support do not buy luxury brands. They purchase essential goods made in local factories," Tarique said. He also said spending under the Family Card programme would circulate within rural communities, benefiting local businesses and creating jobs. "This is an investment by the state. It will gradually help build local industries and generate employment," he said. "Our assessment is that inflation will not rise; rather, it will come down," the prime minister added.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday told Parliament that the feasibility study for implementing the Teesta Master Plan has already been completed. Replying to a starred question from Gaibandha-1 MP Majedur Rahman during the question-answer session, he said the Bangladesh Water Development Board completed the study. "The feasibility study report has recommended dredging of 110 kilometres of the Teesta River under the Teesta Master Plan," the Prime Minister said. He said the technical and financial aspects of the feasibility study report are now being examined at different levels. "Once the review process is completed and the project is found technically viable, a timeline for implementation will be fixed," Tarique said. He said the Teesta is a fast-flowing river and excessive rainfall during the monsoon often causes flash floods and riverbank erosion in the region. "On the other hand, water flow drops sharply during the dry season, and in many places it almost reaches zero," he said. He also noted that heavy silt carried by monsoon waters causes the riverbed to fill up, splitting the Teesta into multiple channels. The first 30 minutes of Wednesday's parliamentary sitting, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, were allocated for the Prime Minister's question time.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Tuesday told Parliament that the government is committed to maintaining the law and order situation and has undertaken a series of comprehensive and coordinated measures to ensure it across the country. “The present democratic government remains firmly committed to maintaining law and order in the country and Bangladesh Police has undertaken plans to materialise the various goals of maintaining law and order and are implementing a range of operational strategies in line with government directives,” he said in response to a starred tabled question from independent lawmaker elected from Brahmanbaria-2 Rumeen Farhana.  “Based on intelligence inputs, regular and special drives are being conducted to recover illegal arms, explosives and narcotics, and legal actions are being taken accordingly,” he said. He added, “Checkposts have been set up at key points on roads and highways and both day and night patrols have been strengthened to prevent criminal activities.” Visible police patrols alongside enhanced intelligence surveillance are being carried out to prevent theft, robbery and mugging, he added.. “Community engagement has been strengthened through beat policing, community policing and open house day programmes to ensure public participation in maintaining law and order,” said the minister. The minister also said that modern technology is being increasingly used to combat crime. “Installation of CCTV cameras at important locations and the use of information technology are helping identify criminals and bring them to justice,” he said. He further informed the House that capacity building of police personnel is ongoing through modern training at home and abroad. The Case Data Management System (CDMS) is being used to store records of cases and crimes, which is assisting investigation processes,he added.