United News of Bangladesh

The government has cancelled the appointment of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) Md Shafiqur   Rahman following his arrest in a case over the abuse of a domestic worker.   Dr Humaira Sultana, Additional Secretary (Biman and Civil Aviation) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, has been assigned to perform the duties of the airline’s MD until a new MD is appointed, according to an office order issued by the ministry on Tuesday. The order said Shafiqur Rahman’s contractual appointment was revoked as he is currently in jail on criminal charges. It added that in the interest of ensuring efficient and effective management of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Dr Humaira has been given charge as the new Managing Director and CEO until further notice. Shafiqur, his wife and two others were arrested by Uttara West Police early Monday from their residence in Sector 9 of Uttara in connection with alleged torture of an 11-year-old domestic worker. A Dhaka court on Monday sent them to jail in the case .

 An earthquake was felt again in Dhaka and other parts of the country on Tuesday night. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck at around 9:34pm( Bangladesh time). The epicentre was located near the Sittwe region of Myanmar. Earlier in the day, another mild earthquake was felt around 4:30am, measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said the epicentre of the early-morning tremor was in Satkhira district. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage following either of the tremors.  

The government has approved a proposal to procure education services through UNICEF to improve pre-primary and primary education for forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (Rohingyas) living in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts, as well as Bhasan Char in Noakhali. The approved proposal involves an expenditure of Tk 203.87 crore, which will be implemented with funding from the government (GoB) and a World Bank grant. The approval was given at a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase held at the Secretariat on Tuesday. Env Adviser Rizwana, Unicef stress youth role in climate action The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education placed the proposal before the committee. The service procurement will be carried out under the SD-4 package of the project titled “ISO Component-One: Pre-Primary and Primary Education Improvement Project in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban Districts and Bhasan Char of Noakhali.” According to meeting sources, the initiative under Component-1 of the project aims to engage forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in productive activities and help them acquire skills in their mother tongue through structured education services. To this end, UNICEF was invited under a single-source procurement method to submit a proposal for implementing the education programme. Following the submission, the proposal was jointly reviewed, evaluated and negotiated by the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) and the World Bank’s education team. After completion of the negotiation process, a proposal was placed seeking approval to award the package to UNICEF at a cost of USD 18.45 million, equivalent to Tk 203.87 crore, based on the Development Project Proforma (DPP) exchange rate of Tk 110.502 per US dollar. The committee subsequently approved the proposal. The project was earlier approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on May 28, 2024. Its implementation period has been fixed from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2027. Under the agreement, the World Bank will directly disburse the entire USD 18.45 million (Tk 203.87 crore) to UNICEF in US dollars. UNICEF welcomes Bangladesh’s decision  to establish separate children’s courts  Sources noted that while the approved DPP initially stipulated implementation through open tendering, the decision to engage UNICEF was taken in line with the conditions of the World Bank’s grant and loan agreements. Under the package, a total of 256,490 Rohingya students will receive education support in the Myanmar language. To deliver the programme, 4,106 volunteer teachers will be recruited during the first 12 months, followed by an additional 3,700 volunteers over the subsequent six months. The recruited teachers will receive honorariums at rates determined under the project framework.

Muslims across the country are observing the holy night of Shab-e-Barat with prayers, zikr and tasbeeh throughout the night, while graveyards have been decorated with lights as devotees seek forgiveness for the departed souls.In villages and many urban areas, families traditionally prepare homemade rice bread, halua, beef curry and biryani, which are shared with relatives, neighbours and the poor on the occasion.

Experts and leaders on Tuesday urged a national consensus to overhaul Bangladesh’s energy sector, warning that chronic overcapacity, heavy import reliance, and governance failures now pose a critical threat to economic stability and security. Speaking at a policy dialogue in the city, they warned that without cross-party agreement and continuity in core energy policies—regardless of political change—the sector’s mounting financial stress could undermine industrial growth, strain foreign exchange reserves and weaken macroeconomic stability in the years ahead. The dialogue titled 'Sustainable Pathways for Next Government to Overcome Power and Energy Crisis', held at the CIRDAP auditorium organised by Just Energy News. Participants stressed that frequent policy reversals with changes of government have aggravated the crisis, arguing that power and energy—like education and health—must be treated as national priorities insulated from partisan politics. They urged future governments to move away from 'business as usual' and agree on a minimum national framework for the sector, warning that without consensus, reforms would remain fragile and reversible. Speaking at the event, Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) Chairman Jalal Ahmed said the crisis stems largely from decades of neglect of primary energy development. “Bangladesh invested heavily in power generation capacity but failed to invest adequately in primary energy—gas, coal and renewables,” he said, adding that sustainable electricity supply is impossible without strengthening indigenous energy sources. He pointed to major constraints in LNG imports, noting that the country’s two Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs) are already operating near maximum capacity. “In emergencies, LNG imports cannot be increased beyond these limits, a reality often ignored in planning,” Jalal Ahmed said. He noted that no realistic reservoir management study has been conducted since 2001, while gas exploration has remained stagnant for about 16 years. Jalal Ahmed said much of the existing generation capacity is unnecessary relative to actual demand, yet consumers continue to bear the financial burden. Keynote speaker Dr Ijaz Hossain, a former BUET professor, said exaggerated demand projections in the past led to overcapacity and expensive contracts. “Today, 97 to 98 percent of total energy supply is fossil fuel–based, while around 60 percent of power and energy is import-dependent,” he said, noting that import reliance has increased further over the past year, intensifying pressure on foreign exchange reserves. Hossain warned that inefficiencies and irregularities in the gas sector have become more severe since the shift to imported LNG. According to his analysis, nearly 10 percent of supplied gas is lost through theft and mismanagement. “When 30 to 33 percent of gas comes from imported LNG, such losses translate into billions of dollars in direct foreign exchange wastage every year,” Ijaz Hossain said, adding that curbing these losses could significantly ease the dollar crisis. BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku said electricity policy must balance commercial viability with public service obligations, which requires time, stability and political commitment. “For years, development was treated as an end in itself. Now ordinary people are paying the hidden costs through higher electricity bills and mounting public debt," he said. Tuku recalled that earlier frameworks aimed to keep 65 percent of power generation under government control, with the remainder developed through public-private partnerships, allowing the state leverage over prices. Abandoning this approach, along with bypassing public procurement rules through one-to-one negotiations, had encouraged corruption and rent-seeking, he alleged. Tuku criticised capacity payments for idle plants and warned that continued foreign currency outflows for power projects—including non-operational ones—have intensified economic pressure. “No government alone can fix this. A national consensus is the only way forward.” Speaking at the dialogue, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Ahsanul Mahboob Zubair said his party would work to build a national consensus to ensure power and energy as a basic right of citizens. He also stressed national unity to address the crisis and expressed concern over corruption, alleging that large industrial units are involved in natural gas theft. Economist Prof Mushtaq Hossain Khan of SOAS, University of London, warned that the power sector required around $5 billion in subsidies last year, much of it paid in foreign currency. “These losses cannot be financed indefinitely through borrowing or printing money,” he said, cautioning that such a path would fuel inflation and macroeconomic instability, argued that the core problem is not a lack of policy documents but institutionalised corruption since 2010. “Power generation increased fourfold, but costs rose elevenfold, while capacity charges increased twentyfold,” he said, adding that reforms would fail unless corruption is tackled decisively. Several speakers, including BEPRC member Dr Md Rafiqul Islam and energy expert Prof M Tamim of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), stressed the need for diversifying energy sources and gradually shifting towards renewables. Prof Tamim said domestic gas remains the cheapest source of electricity and warned that power generated without indigenous fuel cannot be supplied below Tk 10 per unit. Over-reliance on imports, he said, has eroded opportunities to develop local resources. At the same time, Tamim cautioned against abrupt cancellation of power contracts without proper review, warning that such moves could disrupt supply and harm consumers. “Politically sensitive decisions are unavoidable, but they must be taken carefully and transparently,” he said. Governance and accountability gaps Former justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury said non-competitive and risk-heavy power purchase agreements have saddled the Bangladesh Power Development Board with disproportionate liabilities, citing estimates that annual losses now exceed Tk 50,000–55,000 crore. Consumer rights advocate Prof M Shamsul Alam criticised regulatory failures, alleging that oversight bodies have been unable to curb irregularities. Without restoring accountability, he warned, even well-designed policies would fail. In his concluding remarks, BEPRC Chairman Mohammad Wahid Hossain said the next government would face immense challenges in the power and energy sector and urged the media and academia to help build public understanding. “Unpopular but necessary decisions become easier when people understand the truth,” he said. The session was moderated by Md Shamim Jahangir, Editor of Just Energy News. The discussion ended with a clear message— without a broad-based national consensus that transcends political cycles, Bangladesh’s power and energy sector risks sliding deeper into crisis, undermining economic stability and long-term development goals.

The Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force visited Gazipur district Tuesday ahead of the 13th National Parliament election and the 2026 referendum. Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, SBP, OSP, SGP, PSC; Navy Chief Admiral M. Nazmul Hasan, OSP, NPP, NDC, NCC, PSC; and Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, BBP, OSP, GUP, NSDWC, PSC, held discussions with senior military officers, law enforcement officials, and civil administration personnel from Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Narsingdi districts at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute conference hall. Smooth power handover after Feb-12 election: Shafiqul Alam During the meeting, the officials discussed inter-agency coordination and overall security arrangements to ensure a peaceful, fair, and transparent national election. The tri-service chiefs emphasized professionalism, neutrality, discipline, patience, and citizen-friendly conduct while carrying out their responsibilities. The chiefs also observed the activities of armed forces personnel deployed under the “In Aid to Civil Power” framework and provided necessary guidance on the ground. Senior military officers of the three services, top officials of the civil administration and law enforcement agencies, and representatives from various media outlets were present during the Gazipur visit.

The government on Tuesday approved power purchase proposals from three major combined cycle power plants at re-determined levelised tariffs, aiming to ensure grid stability while optimising electricity generation costs. The approvals came from the 5th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase this year, held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at the Bangladesh Secretariat, with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. The Adviser later briefed reporters on the decisions. Read More: Govt Purchase Committee approves fertilizer purchase deals  The committee endorsed the procurement of electricity from the Ashuganj 450 MW Combined Cycle (South) Power Plant at a tariff of US cents 4.6934 per kilowatt hour, involving an estimated expenditure of Tk 23,880.02 crore. It also approved the purchase of power from the Siddhirganj 335 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant, constructed by Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh (EGCB), at a tariff of US cents 4.4140 per kilowatt hour, with an estimated cost of Tk 21,675.04 crore. Another proposal to procure electricity from the Haripur 412 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant at a tariff of US cents 3.8753 per kilowatt hour, with an estimated expenditure of Tk 19,864.13 crore, was also recommended. Officials said the revised tariffs would help maintain stability in the national power grid while reducing overall generation costs. Read More: Minorities also citizens, govt must act on atrocities: Touhid Hossain The committee meeting also approved a proposal from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education to hire UNICEF under a World Bank-financed project to improve pre-primary and primary education for forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban and Bhasan Char. The project cost has been estimated at Tk 203.87 crore. In addition, the committee approved a proposal from the Ministry of Land to procure services for the operation, development and maintenance of the Digital Land Record Management System (DLRMS) from Mysoft BD Limited at a cost of Tk 99.44 crore. The meeting further endorsed the appointment of international law firm White & Case LLP to provide legal services for defending the government in an arbitration case at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

Home Affairs Adviser retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Tuesday said there is no doubt that the upcoming national election scheduled for February 12 will be free, fair and impartial. He made the remarks while speaking to journalists after visiting a mock polling centre at Tetuljhora High School in Savar in the afternoon. The mock polling exercise was organised ahead of the national election by the Savar Upazila administration in coordination with the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), RAB, Ansar, police, Fire Service, village police and Bangladesh Scouts. Home Adviser orders Coast Guard to maintain neutrality during election duties “The election will be held in a free, fair and neutral manner. There is not the slightest doubt about it,” the Home Affairs Adviser said. He also said those expressing doubts about the election represent only a small group. “They are speaking from abroad after fleeing the country. If they have the courage, they should come back and speak here,” he added. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury expressed confidence that voters across the country would turn out in large numbers and participate spontaneously in the polls. “When people go to the polling centres, those spreading confusion will be left embarrassed,” he said. Home Affairs Adviser directs strict action against election code violations The adviser also said efforts would be made to change the uniform of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in order to uphold the force’s dignity. Home Secretary Nasimul Gani, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam and other senior officials were present at the event.

Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday said Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has failed in many cases to properly recognise the government’s ongoing reform initiatives, arguing that not all reforms are immediately visible. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Secretariat after a meeting of the Advisers’ Council Committee on Government Procurement. Responding to a question about a recent TIB observation that the interim government’s reform and development efforts were less substantive than they appeared, Dr Salehuddin said the organisation’s assessment overlooked several fundamental changes. Read More: Banking sector reform can’t be done overnight: Salehuddin “TIB cannot see everything. They do not have divine vision or perfect sight. Even if they want to see, they cannot always see many things,” he said. He stressed that reforms should not be judged only by legislation, pointing to procedural and administrative simplifications carried out by the government. “Do not just look for reform laws. We have simplified many processes. For example, earlier one had to seek permission under the outward wage scheme. We are not saying it is automatic now, but the process has been eased. Why do people not see what we have done?” he asked. When journalists noted that Dr Salehuddin had previously praised TIB and that organisations often face criticism once governments come to power, he rejected the suggestion that he was attacking the watchdog. “No, no — I am not criticising or defaming TIB. I still acknowledge their role. But I am saying: look at the fundamental issues. If someone does not want to see, then many things can be ignored,” he said. He added that he had never engaged in baseless criticism while outside government and had always focused on core policy issues. Referring to the fact that TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman had been a member of the government’s reform commission, the finance adviser said public expectations regarding reforms were understandably high. “People definitely have expectations. We also thought we would carry reforms forward smoothly. But reform requires cooperation and a proper process,” he said. Drawing on his experience within the administration, Dr Salehuddin said systemic weaknesses and procedural flaws made reform implementation extremely difficult. Read More: Pay Commission recommendations need review before implementation: Dr Salehuddin “I have seen from inside how flawed the processes are — more than you can imagine. Still, we have pushed many things through the Ministry of Finance. The finance secretary and others worked quickly. I provided immediate solutions where possible,” he said, adding that several advisers were frustrated due to institutional constraints. He said his background in the civil service had helped him navigate the system more effectively than many others. “I was trained in the civil service. I know how things work. Not everyone has that experience. Without cooperation, reform becomes very difficult,” he said. Frankly acknowledging the challenges, Dr Salehuddin said working within Bangladesh’s administrative framework was particularly demanding. “This is a very difficult place to work. The processes are extremely complicated, with too many interventions. Untangling them is like solving a knot,” he said. When asked whether bureaucracy was the main obstacle, he said it was certainly a major factor, but not the only one. “There is definitely a bureaucratic element. But the system itself and the laws that were drafted earlier were not done properly,” he said. Citing the banking sector as an example, he said governance standards had weakened over time. “During my time, two or three directors from the same family were allowed in a bank. Later, that number suddenly increased to six or more. This is moving backwards instead of forwards,” he added. Read More: Long-term energy strategy prepared to ensure fuel security: Salehuddin

The government on Tuesday approved separate proposals for procuring some 2.10 lakh metric tons of fertilizer from various sources to meet the country’s agricultural demand during the upcoming crop seasons. The approvals came from the 5th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase in this year held today at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair. The Adviser also briefed reporters after the meeting. The committee approved the import of 40,000 metric tons of DAP fertilizer under the 11th optional lot from OCP Nutricrops of Morocco at a cost of Tk 319.51 crore, with a unit price of US$651 per metric ton. It also endorsed proposals for importing 30,000 metric tons of TSP fertilizer each under the 17th and 18th lots from the same supplier OCP Nutricrops, Morocco costing Tk 184.53 crore per lot. Besides, the committee recommended importing 40,000 metric tons of DAP fertilizer under the first lot of 2026 from MA’ADEN of Saudi Arabia at a cost of Tk 323.92 crore. Govt to procure 30,000 mt fertiliser, over 2.71 crore litres soybean oil In addition, proposals for importing 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertilizer from KAFCO, Bangladesh, with around Tk 153.08 crore and 40,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertilizer from SABIC Agri-nutrients Company of Saudi Arabia with around Tk 205.31 crore were also approved. Officials said the fertilizer imports would help ensure uninterrupted supply to farmers and support food security.