United News of Bangladesh

Two minor children were killed after being struck by lightning in separate incidents in Fulgazi and Chhagalnaiya upazilas of Feni on Wednesday. The victims were identified as Nadia Akhter, 9, daughter of Md Shahid of Basantapur village in Fulgazi and a third-grade student, and Abir Hossain, 7, son of Md Arif of Purba Debpur village in Chhagalnaiya upazila. Locals said the two children were struck by lightning amid rain in the afternoon. They were later rescued and taken to hospital, where the on-duty doctor declared them dead, they said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited ailing former MP Khaleda Rabbani here on Wednesday. The Prime Minister went to Khaleda Rabbani’s residence on Shah Mostafa Road in the town after attending a Family Card distribution programme at the Moulvibazar Govt High School ground. During the visit, an emotional Khaleda Rabbani recalled various memories from her long political career, including her association with former President Ziaur Rahman. She also showed the Prime Minister several old photographs, reminiscing about different moments from the party’s history. At one point, moved by the emotional recollections, Tarique Rahman embraced her affectionately and offered words of comfort and reassurance. The Prime Minister spent some time with the veteran politician and discussed her medical condition and overall health with family members. He wished her a speedy recovery. BNP Assistant Organising Secretary Miftah Siddique, Moulvibazar Zila Parishad Administrator Mizanur Rahman Mizan, and local BNP leaders and activists were present during the visit. Khaleda Rabbani previously served as women affairs secretary of BNP, president of Moulvibazar district BNP and chief adviser to the central committee of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal. She was elected MP from reserved women's seat for several times.

A parliamentary attempt to erase a finger-pointing incident from the official record hit a constitutional roadblock on Wednesday when Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad clarified that while words may be expunged, fingers enjoy a certain degree of parliamentary immunity. The unusual debate emerged during budget discussions when ruling party lawmaker Rafiqul Islam Hilaly elected from Netrokona-3 demanded that remarks made by an opposition member on Sunday – along with an accompanying finger gesture – be removed from the record. According to Hilali, the opposition MP had suggested that members seated in the back rows of the House do not consume drugs, while allegedly pointing towards government benches in a manner that implied the opposite. “We do not make remarks that undermine the dignity of any member, whether from the government or opposition,” Hilali told Parliament. “The finger was directed at us. I request that it be expunged.” The Speaker, however, drew a firm distinction between verbal and manual expressions. “I will examine whether any unparliamentary words were used,” he said. “But as for the finger-pointing, that cannot be expunged. Words can be expunged. Fingers cannot.” The ruling immediately sparked amusement among members, with some privately wondering whether future parliamentary procedures might require separate rules governing gestures, eyebrow movements and meaningful coughs. Earlier in the debate, Hilali expressed concern over the ease with which suspects in drug-related cases obtain bail. Recalling a recent incident in his constituency, he said a suspected drug user was arrested and sent to court, only to reappear at a tea stall outside the police station before officers had even returned from escorting him. “The policemen had not yet reached the station, but the accused was already having tea,” he said, prompting murmurs across the chamber and renewed appreciation for the efficiency of the justice system — at least in terms of travel time. Hilali called for stricter legal measures to prevent bail in narcotics cases until trials are completed.

A woman was killed as her husband allegedly slit her throat with a razor following a family dispute in Narayanganj's Bandar upazila on Wednesday evening. The deceased was identified as Sathi, 38, wife of Jony Shil of the Jhautala area in the upazila. According to locals, the couple, originally from the Bihari community, had been living in a rented house in the area for about four years. Jony ran a barbershop at a local market. Other tenants of the building said the couple frequently quarrelled. On Wednesday evening, residents noticed blood near the door of their room and informed police. Police later entered the room and recovered Sathi’s throat-slit body around 7:30pm, said Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bandar Police Station Golam Moktar Ashraf Uddin. He said they launched a drive to arrest the accused, who went into hiding after the incident.

The Char Development and Implementation Council on Tuesday organised a rally and memorandum submission programme in Kurigram, pressing for a 10-point demand that includes forming a Ministry of Char Affairs, a separate budget for char areas, and compensation and rehabilitation for people affected by river erosion. The programme began with a march from Singha Chattar in the Ghoshpara area of Kurigram town in the morning. The procession passed through various roads before ending at the Deputy Commissioner's office premises, where a rally was held. Following the rally, leaders of the organisation submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister through the Deputy Commissioner. The rally was chaired by the organisation's president, Professor Shafiqul Islam Bebu, and addressed by General Secretary Ashraful Haque Rubel, Principal Khaja Sharif Uddin Rintu, Principal Shah Alam, Prof Mokhlesur Rahman, Iman Ali, Rafiqul Islam, Syed Ahmed Babu, Professor Nazmun Nahar Beauty, BM Abul Hossain, Yusuf Hossain, Prof Golam Rasul Raja, Yasin Ali and Saiful Islam Badal, among others. Prof Bebu said millions of people living in Bangladesh's char areas remain outside the mainstream of development and continue to suffer from river erosion, poverty, unemployment and poor infrastructure.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested six people, including alleged top criminal Farid Uddin Babu alias "Excel Babu", in connection with the robbery of a bKash agent and an attack on police officers in the capital's Adabor area. The arrested include Farid Uddin Babu, Rashed Khandaker, 32, Md Liton, 28, Md Tosir, 30, and Md Tariqul Islam, 25. Two other suspects, Amir and Rubel, were also apprehended during subsequent operations. RAB-2 Commander Additional DIG Naimul Hasan disclosed the information at a press briefing at the RAB Media Centre in Karwan Bazar on Wednesday. According to RAB, a group of armed robbers entered a bKash outlet in the Shekhertek area of Adabor around 4:50pm on Tuesday. The attackers allegedly hacked the agent with a machete, snatched around Tk 3 lakh and a mobile phone, and fled the scene. Acting on information, Adabor police later conducted a raid in the Turag Housing area. During the operation, the suspects allegedly attacked police officers with locally made weapons, seriously injuring Adabor Police Station Officer-in-Charge Zaidul Islam and Sub-Inspector Tarun. Police opened fire in self-defence, leaving two suspects, Amir and Rubel, with gunshot injuries, officials said. Naimul Hasan said RAB launched intelligence-led operations immediately after the incident and carried out separate raids in Mohammadpur's Pirerbag area, Adabor and Mirpur from Tuesday night until early Wednesday. During the raids, six suspects, including Excel Babu, were arrested. A motorcycle, a machete and a mobile phone believed to have been used in the robbery were recovered. The RAB official said Excel Babu admitted his involvement with the "wrist-cutting" gang. He claimed that Babu had been a mentor to the gang's founder Anwar and its current leader Abu Sayeed. According to RAB, Abu Sayeed took charge of the gang after Anwar's arrest.

Ruling BNP lawmaker Zainul Abedin Farroque on Wednesday raised concern over the “poor condition and design” of chairs used by MPs in the House, alleging that exposed fittings and heavy structure are causing injuries to some members. Taking floor on a point of order in the House, he said the chairs need urgent inspection and maintenance. “The pins are all open. MPs are getting their hands cut. This should be looked into,” he said. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad was presiding the session at that time. Farroque said there are more than 300 chairs in the House and claimed that their design is not suitable for lawmakers, particularly those with physical difficulties. He said they suffered for 16 years due to police repression – some have waist problems, some have problems in their hands, some others in their backs. The treasury bench member said the gap in the backrest of the chairs makes sitting uncomfortable. “There is a three-inch gap at the back. When we sit, it should be adjusted properly. Even many young MPs cannot sit comfortably,” he said. Referring to the weight of the chairs, he said the design dated back to 1990s. “I became an MP in 1991. At that time questions were raised about the chairs. If records are checked, it will be found that the chairs were made very heavy so that the chairs could not be lifted and thrown. I think they were even fixed with iron chains. That is the history,” he said. In the same point of order, Farroque referred to a recent discussion regarding whether MPs should bow their heads while entering Parliament, urging a formal decision on the matter. “I have got scope of visiting many parliaments around the world, and this practice exists in some places. We need to decide whether it goes against Islamic principles or our national culture. The Speaker is the authority to decide this,” he said. In response, Speaker Hafiz Uddin said the decision on the issue of head bowing will be informed later.  

The Bangladesh Elevator, Escalator and Lift Importers Association (BEELIA) on Wednesday called upon the government to reclassify elevators and escalators as Capital Machinery and rationalize the existing duty structure to ensure sustainable growth of the country’s housing, industrial, and infrastructure sectors. Speaking at a press conference held in the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), BEELIA President Md. Shafiul Alam Uzzwal stated that elevators are no longer luxury items in the context of modern urbanization, high-rise construction, industrialization, and inclusive infrastructure development. Rather, they are essential capital equipment that support economic growth and public accessibility. He noted that elevators were removed from the Capital Machinery category in 2023 and subsequently classified as commercial products. Since then, import duties have increased consecutively in the fiscal years 2024 and 2025. As a result, the total duty burden on elevator imports has risen from approximately 11% in FY2023 to nearly 46% in FY2025. This significant increase has raised construction costs across various sectors, particularly the housing industry, forcing many elevator companies to scale down operations and resulting in substantial job losses. The recommendations were also presented during a press conference organized by the association, where industry leaders highlighted a number of challenges facing elevator importers, manufacturers, and consumers. Among its key proposals, BEELIA urged the government to reclassify elevators and escalators as capital machinery, arguing that such a move would facilitate investment and help modernize the country's infrastructure. The association also called for reducing the load factor value used in customs assessment from USD 3.00 per kilogram to USD 1.50 per kilogram, saying the current rate significantly increases import costs. To protect legitimate businesses and ensure fair competition, BEELIA recommended stronger monitoring mechanisms to prevent the misuse of imported raw materials under the guise of local manufacturing. The association further sought simplification and faster processing of port-level scaling, valuation, and customs clearance procedures, which it said would reduce delays and lower business costs. Highlighting public safety concerns, BEELIA stressed the need for reforms to the existing duty and tax structure to facilitate the import of internationally certified and safety-compliant elevators. The organization also called for a rationalization of duties and taxes to discourage the growing use of low-quality and reconditioned elevators, warning that such equipment poses significant risks to public safety. REHAB Senior Vice President Abdur Razzaq highlighted the importance of government support for the elevator sector in the interest of planned urbanization, smart city development, and safe infrastructure growth. Other speakers at the press conference included BEELIA general secretary Eadul Haque, BEELIA Advisor Emdad Ur Rahman, vice president of BEELIA Asim Sarkar, director of BEELIA Mohammad Zakirul Haque, and BEELIA Chattogram Representative Yusuf Nobi.  

While lawmakers spent Wednesday debating the proposed national budget, one MP drew attention to a matter much closer to home: curtains, microwaves and washing machines. Taking part in the discussion on the proposed 2026-27 budget, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Md Mizanur Rahman urged the authorities to equip MPs' residential flats with the promised household conveniences. The MP lamented that although Parliament has already passed a hefty supplementary budget, the curtains for lawmakers' flats have yet to get a grand appearance. “We are discussing the budget. We have also passed the supplementary budget involving large sums of money. But the curtains meant for the residential flats of MPs have still not been hung,” he said. Addressing the Speaker, the lawmaker went on to press his case for a package of domestic upgrades. “We heard that each flat would receive a washing machine and a microwave oven. Through you, I strongly demand that we receive the curtains, microwaves and washing machines,” he said. The remarks briefly shifted the focus of the budget debate from fiscal policy and development spending to the more immediate challenges of parliamentary living, where apparently the absence of curtains remains a pressing concern. No immediate response was given regarding when the long-awaited curtains, microwaves and washing machines might arrive, leaving MPs to continue their legislative duties while keeping one eye on the budget and the other on their curtain-less windows.

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Wednesday told Parliament that the recruitment and promotion of thousands of teachers, as well as appointments to key administrative positions in educational institutions across the country, have remained stalled for a prolonged period due to various legal complications. Making a statement under Rule 300 of the Rules of Procedure in the Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said thousands of cases related to the education sector are pending in courts, creating significant obstacles to recruitment and administrative processes. The statement came after ruling party lawmaker Zainul Abdin Farroque raised concerns on a point of order regarding the acute shortage of teachers and the legal complexities surrounding recruitment. Milon, who also oversee the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, said the recruitment process for 32,500 teachers, along with separate initiatives to appoint 2,600 and 17,000 teachers, has remained suspended because of pending cases. “Since assuming office, I have been working to resolve these legal complications. From the very first week after taking charge, I personally visited the court premises and made efforts to address these issues,” he said. However, the minister noted that the cases have yet to be listed before the Appellate Division, making it impossible to proceed with recruitment despite an acute teacher shortage nationwide. He said appointments of heads of institutions through the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA), as well as the recruitment of college principals and heads of educational institutions, have also been halted because of ongoing litigation. Milon added that the recruitment of office assistants-cum-night guards at primary schools has similarly been suspended. He told Parliament that thousands of education-related cases are currently under judicial consideration, seriouslyhampering administrative activities in both the education and primary education sectors. The minister further said nearly 33,000 headteacher posts have already fallen vacant across the country. Yet many qualified teachers are retiring before receiving promotions due to legal disputes and complications related to promotion processes. “There are many teachers across Bangladesh who have attained the qualifications required to become headteachers, yet they are not receiving promotions. The legal complexities are preventing these issues from being resolved,” he said. Regarding administrative transfers in primary schools, Milon said authority for such transfers has been decentralised to the upazila, district and divisional levels. Reiterating the government's commitment to resolving the situation, he said achieving the desired progress in recruitment and promotion activities will remain difficult until the pending court cases are disposed of. “The government is making its highest efforts to address the situation. However, meaningful progress in recruitment and promotion will be difficult until these cases are settled.”