United News of Bangladesh

Police have arrested one Himon Rahman Shikdar, an Adabar Thana Jubo League activist and an associate of Alamgir, the motorcyclist allegedly involved in the killing of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson and Dhaka-8 prospective candidate Sharif Osman Hadi. The arrest was made on Wednesday around 2:00pm during a raid at a residential hotel in the Adabar area, based on secret information received by the Intelligence and Analysis Division (IAD), said Officer-in-charge of Adabar Thana Ziaur Rahman. Following information provided by the arrestee, police recovered a foreign-made pistol, three rounds of live ammunition, fireworks, crackers, gunpowder and various materials used for making cocktails from the house of his associate Mehdi in the Baitul Aman Housing area under Adabar Thana. Police said preliminary interrogation revealed that Himon Rahman Shikdar and his associate were planning subversive activities. Efforts are underway to arrest others involved in the incident.          

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) have arrested three more people in connection with the attack on the offices of  The Daily Star and Prothom Alo  in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area. With the latest arrests, the total number of arrestees has risen to 31. The arrestees are Mohammad Jakir Hossain Shanto (29), Mohammad Swapan Mondol (30) and Niaz Mahmud Farhan (21). Quoting the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit DMP’s DC (Media) Talebur  Rahman on Wednesday evening said Jakir Hossain Shanto was arrested on Tuesday  from Bailey Road area, while Swapan Mondol from Abdullahpur Mor area under Tongi Police Station in Gazipur district. 11 more arrested over attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star offices Meanwhile, a team of the DB Cyber North Division under the DMP  arrested Niaz Mahmud Farhan early Tuesday  during a drive in Bhola district.  The arrestees have been produced before a court, police said.      

The Council of Advisers on Wednesday approved the draft of Bangladesh Telecommunication ((Amendment) Ordinance aimed at improving service quality, strengthening regulatory oversight and preventing the misuse of surveillance powers. The approval came at a meeting of the Council of Advisers chaired by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus at his office, according to an official release. One of the most significant changes under the amendment is a provision stating that internet or telecommunication services cannot be shut down under any circumstances (Section 97). The amendment also restores the independence and accountability of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) by moving away from the controversial 2010 amendment framework and redefining the balance of authority between the Ministry and the regulator. Under the revised law, only select national-level licenses will require ministerial approval based on independent studies, while all other licensing powers will revert to the BTRC. To enhance oversight, an Accountability Committee chaired by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Posts and Telecommunications has been formed. The amendment also reduces the time required for license approvals and lowers previously high fines and recurring penalties to encourage investment in the telecom sector. Transparency measures have been strengthened, requiring the BTRC to hold public hearings every four months and publish follow-up actions online. Safeguards against conflicts of interest have also been introduced (Section 87). Strong protections against the misuse of personal data have been included. Surveillance or harassment using SIM and device registration information has been made a punishable offense (Section 71). Meanwhile, the controversial “speech offence” provision has been revised to criminalize only incitement to violence, aligning it with the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 (Section 66A). The amendment introduces new provisions for appeal and arbitration in telecom-related disputes (Section 82B). A major institutional reform is the establishment of the Centre for Information Support (CIS) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Section 97A), replacing the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), which has been abolished. The CIS will only provide technical assistance for lawful interception and will not conduct surveillance itself. Lawful interception will be strictly limited to clearly defined circumstances such as national security, maintenance of law and order, urgent life-saving needs, and judicial or investigative purposes, following specific procedures and international best practices. To ensure accountability, the amendment establishes a quasi-judicial council and parliamentary oversight mechanisms. Complaints regarding unlawful interception may be filed with the council, while the Parliamentary Standing Committee will publish an annual public report on interception activities and review related budgets and institutional capacity. The ordinance also includes provisions for image and voice protection, SIM and device data protection, and alignment with international standards set by the United Nations and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has taken extensive security measures across the country to ensure peaceful celebration of Christmas. It has intensified nationwide intelligence surveillance and deployed an adequate number of personnel since December 23. Sources at the RAB headquarters said its dog squad and bomb disposal unit are conducting round-the-clock sweeping operations at important churches, places of worship and major event venues. Besides, Rab's commando teams have been kept  standby to deal with any emergency situation. Checkposts have been set up at key points including churches and important locations in metropolitan cities, district towns and upazila levels. Besides, necessary reserve forces have been kept ready in all metropolitan areas and important district towns, said a RAB media releaes. RAB’s cyber monitoring teams are maintaining round-the-clock online surveillance to prevent the spread of rumours and false information in the virtual space. CCTV monitoring is being conducted at important churches and event venues by Christmas Celebration Committees. Volunteers appointed by the committees along with on-duty RAB members are carrying out searches. Special measures have also been taken to prevent harassment, eve-teasing and sexual harassment of women attending churches and programmes. RAB battalions are coordinating with local representatives and other law enforcement agencies through their respective control rooms. RAB has requested the public to inform them through hotline: 01777720029  regarding attempts to sabotage or disrupt communal harmony surrounding Christmas. Considering the movement of foreign diplomats, VIPs, prominent Christian community members and clergy during Christmas programmes, RAB said it is ensuring venue security through intelligence-based risk assessment.

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested one more person from Tejgaon area of the capital in connection with the attack, vandalism, looting and arson at the office of The Daily Star in the capital’s Karwan Bazar area. The arrestee was identified as Azmir Hossain Akash, 27, son of Alamgir Hossain of Tejturi Bazar in Tejgaon area of the capital. Tipped off, a team of Rab-3 conducted a drive in the area and arrested Azmir along with two monitors, one CPU, one hard disk, three cables, one switch adaptor and one mouse on Tuesday night. A group of miscreants carried out an attack on the newspaper office on the night of December 18, taking advantage of unrest in Shahbagh and Karwan Bazar areas following the death of Osman Hadi, a spokesperson of Inquilab Moncho. The attackers vandalised the premises, looted valuables from The Daily Star office and later set fire to parts of the building. Police have collected CCTV footage from the scenes and launched multiple drives to identify and arrest those involved, they added. A case was filed with Tejgaon Police Station in connection with the incident. According to the case statement, the attackers carrying local weapons, sticks, and flammable materials, gathered outside The Daily Star building around 12:25am and chanted provocative slogans against the newspaper. Around 12:35am, the group forcibly broke steel gates and glass doors to enter the premises. They assaulted staff, vandalised office property, looted valuables, and set fire to furniture and documents. More than 200 computers, laptops, cameras, printers, and other electronic equipment were damaged or destroyed. Besides, around Tk 35 lakh in cash stored in several lockers was looted. The assailants set fire to the ground, second, and third floors of the building, severely damaging assets and documents. After the attack, the Daily Star was forced to suspend its print edition on December 19, and its online operations were halted for 17 hours, it added.

International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday ordered commencement of  trial against four people including ex-BGB officer Lieutenant Colonel Redwanul Islam in connection with the killing of 28 people in Rampura during July-August Movement. The three-member tribunal led by Chairman Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder framed charges against them and passed the order. The other accused are ex- BGB Major Md Rafat Bin Alam, additional deputy commissioner of DMP Khilgaon zone Rashedul Islam and former Officer-in-Charge of Rampura police station Mashiur Rahman. Among them Major Rafat was produced before the court from Dhaka Cantonment sub-jail. Earlier on October 22, the two former BGB personnel were produced before the court. Ex-DMP Commissioner, 7 other policemen indicted in Chankharpool mass killing Later they were sent to jail after showing them arrested in the case. Earlier, prosecutor Faruk Ahmed brought charges against the four people. According to the prosecution, 28 people were killed and several others injured in Rampura area by members of law enforcement agencies during the July uprising.  

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Wednesday reported irregularities amounting to Tk 2,926.88 crore in six government and IPP-based solar power projects implemented between October 2010 and October 2025. The findings were disclosed at a press conference held at the MIDAS Centre in Dhanmondi, where TIB unveiled its research report titled ‘Electricity Generation from Renewable Energy in Bangladesh: Governance Challenges and Ways Forward’. The six solar power projects recorded an average cost of Tk 13.08 crore per megawatt—against the standard Tk 8 crore, resulting in excess expenditure of Tk 2,926.88 crore, according to the study. The research report was jointly presented by TIB’s Energy Governance Coordinator Newazul Mowla and Assistant Coordinator Ashna Islam. They said the projects involved not only inflated costs but also irregularities in land acquisition. Agricultural land was reportedly shown as non-agricultural, and land prices were exaggerated. Besides, the per-unit electricity cost quoted for these projects was several times higher than comparable costs in neighbouring countries such as India, China and Pakistan. The report pointed to a lack of transparency in procurement and tendering processes in the renewable energy sector, along with multiple irregularities in price determination. These factors, it said, have directly influenced electricity tariffs and significantly increased overall project costs. TIB also highlighted Bangladesh’s heavy dependence on foreign technology in renewable energy development. Insufficient government investment, bureaucratic complexities, and the deliberate weakening of the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) were identified as major obstacles to sectoral growth. Overall, renewable energy continues to receive far lower policy priority than fossil fuels, despite existing policy and legal provisions, which themselves remain weak and inadequate. Bangladesh’s installed power generation capacity currently stands at 28,616 megawatts, of which only 1,314 megawatts come from renewable sources. Between 2010 and 2023, nearly USD 30 billion (about Tk 3.3 lakh crore) in foreign investment flowed into the country’s power sector, but 96.7 percent went to fossil fuel-based projects, while only 3.3 percent was allocated to renewable energy. If this trend continues, achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 will be at serious risk, the report warned. The study found that energy policies and plans have failed to give renewable energy adequate priority. Inconsistencies, discrepancies and lack of coordination in renewable energy targets pose major challenges to achieving time-bound goals. It said ambitious electricity demand targets were set in the Power System Master Plan without sufficient analysis of ground realities, capacities and existing frameworks. At the same time, renewable energy targets were not aligned with national and international commitments and pledges, creating a significant policy mismatch. The research also flagged risks of undue influence on government policymaking and planning due to investment-related interests of development partners. Bangladesh’s energy sector remains heavily shaped by fossil fuel-centric policies, resulting in excessive subsidies and capacity payments that waste state resources. In contrast, inadequate incentives for renewable energy and privatisation policies risk allowing the sector to be dominated by corporate interests. Speaking at the event, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said renewable energy has never received due policy priority in Bangladesh, significantly reducing the likelihood of achieving the country’s renewable energy targets by 2050. “Bangladesh currently depends on fossil fuels for around 95 percent of its energy, while reliance on renewable energy is just over 4 percent. This clearly shows that the renewable energy sector has been consistently neglected,” he said. He said there are widespread inconsistencies and ambiguities in energy policies, strategies and planning. The power sector’s master plan is largely based on fossil fuels, leaving renewable energy sidelined. Dr Iftekharuzzaman also criticised the emphasis on so-called ‘clean energy’ as a way of projecting a transition, calling it untested and misleading. To ensure transparency and accountability in the renewable energy sector, TIB recommended the formation of an independent oversight and regulatory commission comprising experts and representatives from civil society.  

A leader of Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (Jasas) was stabbed to death by unidentified miscreants at Latifpur village in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur district early Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Farid Sarkar, joint secretary of Gosinga union unit of Jasas. Nasir Ahmed, Officer-in-Charge of Jasas, said Farid Sarkar returned home from abroad after 17 years after the July movement last year and got involved in a brick kiln business. A group of miscreants intercepted Farid at his brick kiln on Tuesday midnight and stabbed him indiscriminately, leaving him injured. Being informed, Faruk Hossain, brother of Farid, took him to Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared him dead. Trader stabbed to death ‘by muggers’ in Jatrabari Family members of the victim said he had an enmity with his neighbour over a piece of land and they suspected that Farid might have killed over the issue. Police are investigating to unearth the motive behind the killing, said the OC. Legal action will be taken after identifying those involved in the killing, he said.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin has appointed Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury as the 26th Chief Justice of Bangladesh. According to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday (December 23, 2025), President Shahabuddin made the appointment exercising his power following Article 95 (1) of the Constitution. Justice Zubayer is scheduled to take oath as the new Chief Justice on December 28. Read more: Violent clash over char capture in Hatiya leaves five dead The appointment follows the imminent retirement of the current 25th Chief Justice, Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, whose retirement takes effect on December 27. Born on May 18, 1961, Justice Zubayer is the son of the late AFM Abdur Rahman Chowdhury, who also served as a judge of the Supreme Court. Obtaining LLB (Honours) and LLM degrees from the University of Dhaka, he did a master’s degree from the United Kingdom on international law. He started his career as a lawyer in the district judges’ court in 1985 and at the High Court (HC) in 1987. On August 27, 2003, he was appointed as an additional judge of the HC Division, with his position made permanent two years later. Read more: Judiciary must see constitutional changes as reality, not threat: CJ Syed Refaat President Shahabuddin appointed him as a justice of the Appellate Division on August 12, 2024, and he took oath the following day, on August 13.

At least five people were killed and 10 others injured in a fierce clash between two groups over occupying Jaglar Char in Hatiya upazila of Noakhali district on Tuesday. Police said the incident occurred around 10:00 am in the char along the border of Wards 7 and 8 of Sukchar union. Three of the deceased have been identified as Samsuddin, his son Mobarak, and Alauddin, 40, son of Mohiuddin. Further details about the victims could not be gathered yet. Locals said several hundred landless families currently live on Jaglar Char, as nearly half of it is owned by the government while the rest is controlled by a private group. For years, an armed group allegedly led by Farid Member, also known as Farid Commander of Hironni union, and former chairman Mushfiq, had been controlling the char and its newly formed land. The group reportedly sold lands on the char to landless people at around Tk 20,000–30,000 per acre. On Tuesday morning, an armed group of 30-40 people, led by Kauya Kamal, Alauddin, and Nizam Member, attempted to seize control of the char. Sensing the move, supporters of Farid and Mushfiq, armed with lethal weapons, attacked their rivals, leaving four dead on the spot and several others injured. Of the injured, Alauddin was rushed to Noakhali General Hospital, where physicians declared him dead. Samsuddin, his son Mobarak, and two others from Farid and Mushfiq’s group were found dead at the scene. Officer-in-charge of Hatiya Police Md Saiful Alam said five people were killed in the clash and it took considerable time to control the situation due to the remote location of the char. Along with Coast Guard and Navy personnel, additional police forces have been deployed in the area to prevent further incidents, he added.