JP Chairman Manju says Bangladesh’s independence should ‘never be underestimated’
Jatiya Party Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju has said Bangladesh's independence "should never be underestimated", though Bengalis have yet to overcome “a tendency to be jealous of others’ success”. Speaking at the launch of the National Democratic Front (NDF) on Monday, he stressed that jealousy does not fully explain everything. "We have seen many changes and will see more... We did not make a mistake by liberating the country. The transformation of our infrastructure over the past five decades has surprised many at home and abroad.”After leaving HM Ershad's Jatiya Party in 1997, Manju and Sheikh Shahidul Islam went their separate ways. Criticising the culture of blame, Manju said: “Each side claims it fixed everything before another ruined it.
Source:bd News24
December 08, 2025 13:28 UTC
Air Ambulance for Khaleda Zia to Land in Dhaka on Tuesday
An air ambulance scheduled to transport Bangladesh's severely ill former prime minister Khaleda Zia to London for medical care will arrive in Dhaka on Tuesday. According to news portal bdnews24.com, a senior official at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) stated on Sunday that the aircraft has been assigned a landing time of 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday and a departure time of 9:00 p.m. on the same day.
Source:bd News24
December 08, 2025 06:02 UTC
Onion imports resume through Hili Land Port after 3 months
Onion imports from India have resumed through the Hili Land Port in Dinajpur after three months of suspension. On the first day, 30 tonnes of onions, imported by a company named Rocky Traders, entered the Hili port. Atik Hasan Rubel, the owner of Rocky Traders, said each tonne of onion was imported from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for $245. The import cost of per kg of onion, including duties and transportation expenses, stands at Tk 46, he said. If imports continue, onion prices in the market will fall significantly.”The last onion consignment through this port arrived on Aug 30.
Source:bd News24
December 07, 2025 18:21 UTC
TIB says interim administration failed to take stand against corruption
Transparency International Bangladesh chief Iftekharuzzaman has said the interim government failed to take a stand against corruption. Iftekharuzzaman added that there was no denying the fact that the interim government had missed the opportunity to take a strong stand against corruption. He called on political parties to form an independent bank commission. The TIB presented 52 recommendations at the press conference. He pointed out that the government failed to implement the reform commission proposal to incorporate corruption in the business sector in the ACC schedule.
Source:bd News24
December 07, 2025 15:55 UTC
EC meets to set schedule for national election, referendum
The Election Commission (EC) is holding a meeting to fix the schedule for the 13th parliamentary election and a national referendum expected to take place simultaneously in February next year. The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, began at the EC headquarters in Dhaka's Agargaon around 10:45am on Sunday. As in previous years, EC officials are due to meet with President Md Shahabuddin at the Bangabhaban on Dec 10 to brief the him on overall preparations. The EC is also assessing progress in preparations for both the referendum and the general election. All four election commissioners, the EC secretary and other relevant officials are attending the meeting.
Source:bd News24
December 07, 2025 06:09 UTC
Costlier cooking oil hits Dhaka markets despite govt warning
"We still have bottles at the old rate. Whoever wants the new one will get the new rate, whoever wants the old one will pay the previous rate. We cannot argue with customers, so we are keeping both," he told bdnews24.com.Under the earlier rate, a one-litre bottle was selling for Tk 189. The price of a kg of green chili was reduced by up to Tk 40. The price of juvenile hilsa has also been increased by Tk 200 a kg.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 18:35 UTC
Former Jubo Dal leader arrested by joint forces dies in Jashore
A former Jubo Dal leader, who was arrested in an operation in Jashore’s Keshabpur by joint forces, has died. He died a day after he had been arrested by the joint forces on Thursday night. He was admitted to the prison hospital, from where he was admitted to the Jashore General Hospital as his condition kept deteriorating. Ujjal’s body bore blunt injuries and he was bleeding internally, said Jobayer Hossain, a doctor at the Jashore hospital. Keshabpur Police chief Borhan Uddin said Ujjal was sick when joint forces handed him over to police.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 18:25 UTC
Study warns of rising risks for journalists in 2026 Bangladesh elections
A new study has warned of rising physical and digital risks for journalists during the 2026 national elections in Bangladesh. The statement said the study draws on a survey of 201 journalists from 19 districts and 10 in-depth interviews. Threats are more acute for women journalists, with 50 percent fearing sexual harassment and 40 percent fearing sexual assault. Respondents said there is often no designated person or system to manage safety threats, and less than one in four journalists report receiving safety gear or training from their employers. Rising risks were linked to “political labelling, declining trust in media, extremism, mob violence, weak law enforcement responses, and targeted disinformation campaigns”.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 16:39 UTC
Dhaka-Mymensingh rail link restored
Train services between Dhaka and Mymensingh have resumed nearly three hours after the engine of the “Balaka Commuter” train broke down in Gazipur’s Sreepur. According to Sreepur Railway Station Master Md Shamim, services restarted around 7:15pm on Saturday after a replacement engine was brought in and attached to the train. The engine malfunction occurred near Satkhamair Railway Station around 4:30pm, causing panic among passengers. Faisal Khan Turja, a local, said the train, bound for Dhaka from Mymensingh, entered Kawraid Station in the afternoon. The engine failure left several trains stranded at nearby stations, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 16:03 UTC
India ‘always seeks stability’ in Dhaka-Delhi ties: Envoy
Describing the bond between Bangladesh and India as “eternal”, Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka Pranay Verma said mutual benefit and interdependence will advance the relationship. He made the remarks at an event organised to mark India-Bangladesh Friendship Day or Maitri Diwas at Gulshan on Saturday. “We always seek a stable, positive, constructive, forward-looking and mutually beneficial relationship with Bangladesh which is based on equality, mutual sensitivity and mutual respect and understanding,” Verma said. The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) of the High Commission of India organised a cultural programme to mark the day. Highlighting the significance of the day, Verma said: “This date marks the beginning of a relationship based on empathy and trust that has sustained despite changes and occasional challenges and ups and downs.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 16:02 UTC
Mymensingh Medical College doctor suspended over misconduct with health DG
A video of the heated arguments between the doctor and Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr Md Abu Jafor went viral on social media. Photo: UNBA physician of Mymensingh Medical College (MMC) was suspended for misbehaving with the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr Md Abu Jafor this afternoon (6 December). Earlier in the morning, the DGHS director general visited Mymensingh Medical College Hospital to attend a seminar on the recent progress and challenges in treating bladder and reproductive system diseases in children. Assistant Director (Administration) Dr Mohammad Main Uddin Khan said Dr Barman had a heated conversation with the DG during the inspection over the quality of services. Further action will be taken following departmental procedures," Dr Main Uddin said.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 14:00 UTC
Bangladesh Judiciary has entered a ‘new institutional era’, says Chief Justice Refaat
Bangladesh’s judiciary has entered what the Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has described as a “new institutional era”, marking a fundamental shift in how the justice system operates over the past 18 months. The seminar was organised jointly by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), according to a Supreme Court media statement. With the enactment of the Supreme Court Secretariat Ordinance 2025, the longstanding dual administrative structure has been removed, giving the Supreme Court full administrative and financial autonomy for the first time, he added. The chief justice added that the business community had long sought a dedicated commercial court for faster and modern resolution of commercial disputes, a demand that is now on the verge of being realised. He said a Supreme Court research team drafted the initial commercial court law, which was later refined through roadshows across the country, close engagement with BIDA, and inputs from business law experts and commercial stakeholders.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 13:48 UTC
Train engine fails in Gazipur, halting Dhaka-Mymensingh rail services
A train engine malfunction in Gazipur’s Sreepur Upazila has brought rail services between Dhaka and Mymensingh to a halt, leaving passengers stranded and frustrated. The incident occurred near Satkhamair Railway Station around 4:30pm on Saturday, according to Sreepur Station Master Md Shamim. A Local, Faisal Khan Turjo said the “Balaka Commuter” train, bound for Dhaka from Mymensingh, entered Kawraid Station in the afternoon. As the train was about to depart, a loud noise erupted from the engine, causing it to slow suddenly. Station Master Shamim said, “The train engine breakdown suspended rail connections between Dhaka and Mymensingh.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 13:39 UTC
Extra climate funding needed for women entrepreneurs: Adviser Farida
Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter spoke at a seminar titled 'Voices for Change: Putting Climate Action, Women Entrepreneurs, and SMEs in Bangladeshi Public Policy' held at a city hotel on Saturday (6 December 2025). Photo: UNBFisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter has stressed the need for additional financing from global public-sector climate-risk funds to support women entrepreneurs and all others facing climate-induced vulnerabilities. Farida said promoting women entrepreneurs should not only be about increasing numbers, but ensuring their visibility in economic activities. "Although institutions like Bangladesh Bank and SME Foundation provide special support for women entrepreneurs, the overall scope is still insufficient despite women making up 51% of the population. Turning to the impact of climate change, the adviser said earthquakes may strike once, but climate change is a daily crisis.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 13:37 UTC
Advisors ignored women’s commission under fire: TIB
Transparency International Bangladesh’s Executive Director Ifthekharuzzaman has said he has repeatedly appealed to members of the interim government for action after hostility grew around the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission, but received no redress. On Saturday, speaking at the opening session of the Bangladesh Energy Summit at the Military Museum in Dhaka, he said he had approached at least seven advisors directly as “abusive” campaigns surged against the commission and its members faced security concerns, bdnews24.com reports. The TIB chief said he had asked the advisors to set out the government’s position in support of the commission but was told only that the report was “not a government report”. He asked why any commission’s findings should be dismissed on that basis and said the reaction had emboldened the groups attacking the body’s work.
Source:bd News24
December 06, 2025 13:11 UTC