Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) President Col (retd) Oli Ahmed on Monday warned that they would launch a movement against the interim government if it does not take steps to arrange the next national election soon. “Today we are demanding that parliamentary elections be held first. If parliamentary elections are not held, we in unison will be forced to launch a movement against this government,” he said. Food Adviser calls for action against illegal food hoarding The LDP president sounded the note of warning at a press conference at his party’s office in the capital. “Those of us who are elected after the national elections will decide when and how the local government elections will be held,” he said. Oli Ahmed said the victory (of the mass uprising) was achieved on August 5 as a result of the sacrifices of the politicians who had been in movements for over 15 years. And then when students,  people and politicians in unison took to the streets, Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee, he added. The LDP chief said they also want reforms but the nation is disappointed because the reform works have not progressed as expected.  HC affirms legitimacy of interim government, cites public consensus The nation expected a lot from the interim government, he said. He said if this situation continues, the current government will face public anger. The current government's advisers are not performing their duties properly and efforts are being made to form a new political party with state sponsorship, said Oli Ahmed. LDP Secretary General Dr Redwan Ahmed and senior leaders were present.

Five Bangladesh mission officials of Pakistan, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and Japan have been withdrawn and asked to return home. The Information Ministry issued a notification in this regard on Sunday. ‘Our overall focus on national polls, not any other polls’, says EC Sanaullah The officials are Md. Tayab Ali, (Press) counselor of Bangladesh High Commission in Pakistan, Sufi Abdullahil Maruf, first secretary of Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Md Arifur Rahman, (Press) first secretary of Consulate General of Bangladesh in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Asaduzzaman Khan, second secretary (Press) at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Md. Imranul Hasan, (press) second secretary of  Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. According to the notification, the officials of the press wings of Bangladesh missions abroad have been withdrawn and asked to return home within 15 working days for their next posting.

A significant restructuring is on the horizon for Nobel Prize-winning microfinance institution Grameen Bank, with plans to reduce the government’s ownership stake and reshape its board management structure. According to a draft ordinance recently published on the Financial Institutions Division's website under the Ministry of Finance, the government’s stake in Grameen Bank is set to decrease from 25 percent to 5 percent. The ordinance also proposes amendments to the Grameen Bank Act of 2013. NBR confirms five-year tax exemption for Grameen Bank to end discrimination The proposed amendment includes a reduction in the number of government-appointed directors on the bank’s board from three to one. Additionally, it eliminates the government’s authority to appoint the chairman of the bank. Instead, a 12-member board, which includes representatives of the microfinance borrowers, will elect the chairman independently. If implemented, these changes aim to strengthen Grameen Bank’s autonomy by limiting government interference, thereby increasing control for the bank’s microfinance recipients over its governance. Chinese Ambassador visits Grameen Bank's Jobra branch Grameen Bank, founded by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, has long been a symbol of empowerment for the rural poor through microfinance. Prof Yunus served as the bank’s managing director until 2011, when the Awami League government forced his resignation, citing his age as the reason. The move drew widespread criticism both domestically and internationally. The proposed reforms reflect a renewed emphasis on ensuring that Grameen Bank operates with greater independence. Professor Abdul Hannan made Grameen Bank chairman

Bangladesh’s public administration witnessed major turmoil and disruptions in its operations after the fall of the Awami League government in August and the chaos is not over yet as inter-cadre conflict intensified at the end of the year. Issues surrounding promotions, postings, and the appointment of deputy commissioners (DCs) and others who were reportedly deprived under the previous regime remained in discussion in the last four months and many decisions sparked controversy. The latest controversy arose following the recommendations of the Public Administration Reform Commission which has fueled significant discontent among various cadres of the civil service. Although the commission was initially formed to simplify public services it has now become entangled in disputes among officials’ own interest. On Sunday, administrative cadre officers expressed anger over the reform commission’s proposals and several hundred officers staged rare demonstrations outside the Ministry of Public Administration in protest. Education sector may get increased allocation in FY 25-26 The Inter-Cadre Disparity Resolution Council, representing 25 other cadres, has announced plans for demonstrations, including pen-down strikes, human chains, and rallies. The draft proposal recommends allocating 50% of deputy secretary positions to officials from the administration cadre and the remaining 50% to other cadres. Currently, 75% of these positions are reserved for the administration cadre and 25% for others. Chaos under the interim government The interim government, which took office on August 8 following the ouster of the Awami League government through an uprising, has yet to restore administrative discipline. Instances of disorder, such as frequent cancellation of transfer orders and inconsistencies in postings  reflect the lack of coordination. Bangladesh must boost investment to avoid economic crisis: Analysts The interim government canceled the contractual appointments made during the tenure of the previous government. Later this government appointed secretaries on a contractual basis in 14 ministries. Over the past four and a half months, the Ministry of Public Administration had to withdraw several significant transfer orders. They appointed secretaries on a contractual basis only to later cancel those appointments. Similarly, deputy commissioner (DC) appointments were made but had to be withdrawn following criticism. Slackened administrative activities Administrative activities have slowed significantly due to ongoing disruptions. Talking to UNB, officials from various ministries said normalcy may take longer to achieve under the current circumstances. BNP conveys a strong message against any ‘puppet party’ Mass promotions raise questions According to the Ministry of Public Administration, 537 officers got promoted in the past four months including 23 secretaries, 17 to grade-1, 135 made additional secretaries, 228 joint secretaries, and 134 deputy secretaries. Now questions have arisen regarding these promotion criteria, with allegations of favoritism and inclusion of officials facing graft allegations. Fear of arrest and uncertainty Fear of arrests gripped many as 12 high-ranking officials including former secretaries were arrested in the past four months. Cases have been filed against several others, further deepening tension among civil servants. Vacant secretary posts hamper activities Four critical ministries and divisions remain without secretaries -the Local Government Division, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division, Cultural Affairs Ministry, and Bridge Division which is hampering operations and their activities. The reform committee has also recommended promoting 764 previously ‘deprived’ officials to various ranks including 119 to secretary positions.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Sunday that Syria's youth would oppose any new government formed after the fall of President Bashar Assad. He accused the United States and Israel of instigating instability in the country. Khamenei emphasized that Iran had supported Assad throughout Syria's 14-year civil war, which began with a violent crackdown on protests against his long-standing rule. Syria has also served as a vital link for Iranian support to Lebanon’s Hezbollah group. Rocket from Yemen Hits Tel Aviv, Injuring 16 People Addressing the situation, Khamenei said Syrian youth face insecurity after Assad’s ouster and must confront those responsible for the unrest. “They must resist with determination,” he asserted, expressing hope for their success. He further accused the U.S. and Israel of orchestrating Assad’s downfall to exploit Syria’s resources. “They believe they’ve achieved victory,” he said, referring to Washington, Israel, and their allies. Palestinian refugees return to Yarmouk, facing uncertainty in post-war Syria Khamenei dismissed claims that Iran uses regional militant groups as proxies, saying these groups act based on their own ideologies, not Iranian directives. “If we ever choose to act, we won’t need proxies,” he added.

The government has issued new directives aimed at curbing foreign travel by public officials, discouraging such trips except for those deemed absolutely necessary for national interests. Officials are also prohibited from traveling abroad simultaneously in groups unless it is unavoidable. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the issuance of these updated guidelines today. This follows a circular released by the Chief Adviser's Office on December 9. Similar restrictions were placed in the previous fiscal year due to an ongoing dollar shortage, limiting non-essential foreign travel. Key directives on foreign travel: Public officials are to avoid foreign travel unless absolutely necessary. Ministries are required to prepare a forecast of potential foreign trips for the year. A centralized database for tracking foreign travel must be developed. The Chief Adviser’s Office will oversee its framework and manage the data. Government renames 14 hospitals and medical colleges Officials across all levels are instructed to refrain from traveling abroad in groups. Ministers and secretaries are discouraged from traveling abroad together. Exceptions require clear justification based on national interests. Secretaries and department heads may only travel together if it serves a critical national purpose. Proposals for attending seminars or workshops must include details about the rank of invited officials and counterparts from other participating countries. Travel proposals must outline the necessity of the trip and its relevance to the official’s responsibilities. South Korea weighs travel ban on President Yoon Only relevant experts should be sent abroad for activities like pre-shipment inspections or factory acceptance tests. Low-priority foreign trips funded by government resources must be avoided. Recreational travel abroad is strictly prohibited for all government officials. Officials are discouraged from taking extended study leaves abroad. Travel proposals must include a record of the official’s foreign trips in the past year. The government has reiterated that any exceptions to these rules will require substantial evidence of necessity, ensuring that only essential trips aligned with national priorities are approved. These measures come as part of broader efforts to manage foreign currency reserves and optimize public expenditure.  

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is taking preparations to launch its drive against the corrupt government officials for restoring the pride of the public servants which has been demolished in the course of time. According to some NBR top level officials, the revenue collecting authority is working seriously regarding the issue as it got a go ahead signal from the highest level of the government. They said that whether the government officials accept or not, it is a dire reality that the image of the government officials in the last 15 years has been on the verge of destruction due to some corrupt public servants. “As we got the green signal from the top office of the country, it is the time to strike on the corrupt officials,” they said. According to NBR sources, the regime change due to the revolution of the students and mass people of the country a sentiment is brewing in the govt offices including the NBR to take stern action against all corrupt officials. Recently, in a press briefing NBR chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan while responding to a question regarding the drive against all government officials including NBR replied that the revenue collecting authority is taking measures against the corrupt NBR and other government officials. “We are stepping forward gradually setting our priority,” he told. A senior official of the NBR while talking to UNB echoed the NBR chairman’s statement and said that to launch any drive against the corrupt government officials it should need a concrete base and documentary support, otherwise the move might be futile which would not bring any positive change in the society. Read: Shortfall in NBR’s revenue collection continues in first 4 months of FY25 Recently, the National Board of Revenue issued an order to make online filing of income tax returns (e-Return) mandatory for government employees under the jurisdiction of income tax circles located in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Gazipur and Narayanganj City Corporation. The senior official mentioning the move of online return submission for the public servants said that this would be very much beneficial for the NBR to find out the corrupt officials very easily. “If this online submission continues for the next couple of years it would create a good database for the revenue collecting authority as this database is linked with integrated budget and accounting system (iBAS),” he said. The NBR official mentioned that with one click NBR would be able to get income and expenditure scenario of any government official along with that particular person’s assets. During the Awami League regime, a law titled "Public Service (Amendment) Bill-2023' was enacted making prior permission of the authorities concerned compulsory for arresting government employees in criminal cases related to performance of duties. Law enforcers will need prior permission from the government or the appointing authority to arrest employees of autonomous, legislative and local government bodies before the chargesheet is accepted by a court in criminal cases filed in connection with duty performance. Read more: 10.50 lakh complete registration for online tax payment so far: NBR The law also sought to make it mandatory for the autonomous, legislative and local government bodies to take clearance from the Finance Division over financial expenditures. The NBR chairman in the press briefing also told that the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) is working to dig out all information regarding president of the National Board of Revenue's (NBR) Customs, Excise and VAT Appellate Tribunal Matiur Rahman, who faced serious controversy over his wealth. The controversy regarding Matiur Rahman's wealth surfaced after his son Mushfiqur Rahman Ifat posted a photo of a sacrificial goat on social media and claimed to have bought it for Tk 12 lakh. This raised questions about the income of this official at this grade (a grade-1) with a basic monthly salary of Tk 78,000. Later, social media saw photos of Ifat with cars of various brands, and the wealth including flats and resorts of Matiur in various places including Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narsingdhi.

In another shake-up within the police force, 28 officers holding the ranks of Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP) and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) have been transferred to different units. This order was issued on Tuesday. According to the directive, 25 Additional Superintendents of Police and three Assistant Superintendents of Police have been transferred. This follows a previous notice on November 11, from the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which announced the transfer and attachment of 64 officers of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Additional Deputy Inspector General (Addl. DIG), and Superintendent of Police (SP) ranks. Read: Police administration undergoes major reshuffle In one of the notifications, one DIG, eight Addl. DIGs, and 39 SPs were transferred to different units. Another notice saysthat one DIG, five Addl. DIGs, and ten SPs were withdrawn from their current assignments and attached to various units. These reassignments aim to enhance operational efficiency and address organisational needs within the Bangladesh Police.

In its bid to boost the national revenue the interim government has set a target to collect Tk 6,15,500 crore and Tk 6,95,100 crore respectively for the next two fiscals. In the next 2025-26 fiscal an amount of Tk 5,53, 300 crore will come from NBR which is 15.2 percent higher than the previous year. Officials familiar with the plan said this week another Tk 62500 crore will come from other sources which is 5.5 percent higher than the previous year. In the 2026-27 fiscal, Tk 6,31,100 crore, which is 14.1 percent higher, will be collected from NBR while Tk 64000 crore, which is 5.3 percent higher, will come from other sources. The revenue target for the running 2024-25 fiscal is Tk 5,41,000 crore. Of which, Tk. 4,80,000 crore is supposed to come through the National Board of Revenue, and Tk. 61,000 crore from other sources. The government has undertaken various reform measures to achieve its fiscal targets in the medium term (2026-27 fiscal), according to an official document of the finance ministry. The revenue is expected to grow around 13 percent in the next three years, including the running one, to reach Tk 695,000  crore in FY27. The NBR tax is estimated to grow by as high as 28.2 percent in FY24, which is then projected to grow by 17.1 percent in FY25, 15.2 percent in FY26, and finally 14.1 percent in FY27. As per the document, there is no other option but to boost revenue collection and raise the tax-to-GDP ratio to the acceptable level in order to maintain Bangladesh's economic development. The government is planning to bring in appropriate changes and reforms in tax policy and administration to make them both effective and simple in the medium term. Several initiatives are underway to make tax administration taxpayer-friendly and transparent by expanding the scope of digitalisation and automation in tax registration, return submission, and tax payment. Tax exemptions currently being provided in various areas will be scrutinised and rationalised. Laws pertaining to customs and income tax have been updated and more amendments are in the offing in those laws to make those more taxpayers and business friendly. A Medium and Long Term Revenue Strategy (MLTRS) is currently being developed by the National Board of Revenue that is expected to chart a pathway to enhance revenue collection over the next five years. Along with the initiatives for reforms in the taxation system, the government has also paid its attention to explore the potential of revenue mobilisation from NTR sources. Various initiatives are being taken to make autonomous institutions pay part of their profit to the government. Ministries/Departments are being sensitised and encouraged to update fees/rates in non-tax revenue sector, identify potential sources and generate revenue from these sources, the document said. A database has already been created regarding fees/rates of government services provided by government agencies. In addition to updating the fees/charges of various services provided by the government, it has introduced a digital payment system so that the public can avail themselves of numerous services from their doorsteps which will improve NTR collection in the medium term, the document says. On ther other hand, to encourage hassle-free tax return submission the NBR has issued an order to make online filing of income tax return (e-Return) mandatory for government employees under the jurisdiction of income tax circles located in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Gazipur and Narayanganj City Corporation. Online filing of income tax returns has been made mandatory for working officers/employees for all scheduled banks, all mobile telecom service providers and some multinational companies namely Unilever Bangladesh Limited, British American Tobacco Bangladesh Company Limited, Marico Bangladesh Limited, Berger Paints Bangladesh Limited, Bata Shoe Company (Bangladesh) Limited, Nestlé Bangladesh Plc. The NBR has taken a move to simplify submission income tax return and payment procedure through online. Online return filing system has been opened for taxpayers since September 9. Individual taxpayers can easily prepare their returns and file them online using the National Board of Revenue website www.etaxnbr.gov.bd. From this system, taxpayers can pay taxes through internet banking, card payment (debit/credit card) and mobile banking and get the facility of downloading and printing copies of filed returns, receipts, income tax certificates, TIN certificates. Besides, anyone can download and print the e-Return filed for the previous year. The e-Return registration process has already been made more taxpayer friendly. Biometric SIM registered with own national identity card of respected taxpayer is required for successful registration in e-Return.  

Environment Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Tuesday said the government is determined to set an example in controlling air, noise, plastic, and river pollution. “Our efforts are focused on ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment for the people of Bangladesh,” she said. The environment adviser made this remark when Ambassador of the Netherlands to Bangladesh Irma van Dueren paid a courtesy visit to her at the Secretariat. The meeting discussed strengthening collaboration between Bangladesh and the Netherlands in the areas of environmental sustainability, water resource management, and pollution control. Both sides discussed ongoing initiatives and future cooperation to address the growing challenges of climate change and environmental degradation in Bangladesh, said a press release. Rizwana emphasized the importance of community involvement in environmental initiatives, particularly in river conservation. “Rivers are the lifeline of our ecosystem, and any sustainable cleanup programme must involve local communities. Their active participation is key to ensuring long-term success in preserving our natural resources,” she added. Read more: Price hikes: Seven businesses fined in market monitoring drive She also mentioned the government's ongoing enforcement of the polythene shopping bag ban. The Dutch Ambassador expressed her country's willingness to assist Bangladesh in its efforts to improve water resource management and mitigate the effects of climate change. In the meeting, both sides expressed optimism about future collaborations to enhance environmental conservation and water resource management in Bangladesh. The Dutch government’s expertise in water management and Bangladesh’s commitment to sustainable development were recognised as strong foundations for continued partnership. The environment secretary and the water resources secretary, director general of Bangladesh Water Development Board, among others, were present at the meeting.