United News of Bangladesh

A one-year-old girl died after falling into a bucket of water at her home in Chan Mosque area of Kamrangirchar, Dhaka. The incident occurred on Thursday around 8:30 pm. The child, identified as Farzana, was found unconscious and rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. Farzana’s father, Omar Faruq, a battery-operated auto-rickshaw driver, said the child was playing while he and his wife were talking. Suddenly, I noticed she was missing. After searching, we found her head submerged in a bucket of water in the bathroom. We rushed her to the hospital, but she was declared dead, he said. The family hails from Gendukuri village under Hathibandha police station in Lalmonirhat district and currently rents a home in Kamrangirchar. Farzana was their only daughter. Dhaka Medical College Hospital police camp in-charge, Inspector Md. Faruq said the body has been kept in the hospital morgue and the incident has been reported to the relevant police station.

An electrician died on Thursday after being electrocuted while working on the wiring at a house in the Kajla Naya Nagar area of Jatrabari in the capital. The deceased was identified as Md Khairul Islam Hawlader (50), son of Abdul Kader Hawlader of Bamna Thana in Barguna district. He had been living in a rented house in the Kajla area. The victim’s nephew, who gave just one name, Rubel, said his uncle Khairul was working on electrical wiring at a nearby house around 7:30pm when he suddenly came into contact with a live wire, lost consciousness and collapsed. He was later rescued and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, Rubel added. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the police camp at Duber Hospital, said the body has been kept at the hospital’s emergency department morgue. “We have informed Jatrabari Police Station about the incident,” he said.

The country’s banking sector remains under severe structural stress and meaningful reform cannot be achieved within a short time frame, said Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said on Thursday. “The banking sector is definitely challenging. Institutions have been weakened, laws are often ignored and in many cases owners themselves control management, bypassing prudential norms,” he said while speaking at MTB-FE Roundtable on ‘Banking sector reforms’ at a city hotel. The adviser said the challenges facing the sector are deep, complex and institutionalized and the problems accumulated over the past 15 years cannot be fixed in 14 to 16 months. He said Bangladesh Bank has operational autonomy but full independence is neither realistic nor desirable without accountability. “No central bank can operate beyond the sovereignty of the state. Autonomy must go hand in hand with accountability,” he added. Referring to international assessments, the adviser cited recent global reports highlighting illicit financial flows, crime-related trade and inflation as key vulnerabilities for countries like Bangladesh. He said these issues directly affect the stability of the banking system and must be addressed primarily by the central bank with support from the finance ministry. The adviser also criticised the role of auditors, alleging that some chartered accounting firms had signed audit reports without proper verification. “This is an absurd reality. Auditors signing backdated or questionable reports severely undermine financial discipline,” he said adding that some firms have already been blacklisted. Irregularities are not limited to banks alone, mentioning that large financial activities in some sectors, including higher education often escape proper auditing, he added. The adviser said the government has recently passed amendments to the Negotiable Instruments Act and the House Building Finance Corporation Act, while work on amendments to money laundering laws and economic courts is ongoing. However, time constraints remain a major challenge, he said. “We have very limited time left but we are trying to complete as much as possible,” he said. The adviser acknowledged concerns over excessive numbers of senior officials at Bangladesh Bank and said steps have  already been taken to rationalise the structure. Despite the challenges, he said Bangladesh’s international image remains relatively positive. “Externally, the perception is not that Bangladesh is collapsing. But partners do say the situation is difficult,” he noted. The adviser said banking sector reform is unavoidable and critical for the economy. “This opportunity should not be wasted. If we cannot complete all reforms now, the next government must carry them forward. The banking sector is too important to delay,” he said. Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H Mansur was present as the special guest while Professor of the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management Dr. Shah Md. Ahsan Habib delivered the keynote speech.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday said that there would be no possibility of ballot snatching at polling centres in the upcoming national election. “The upcoming national election will be free, fair, impartial, peaceful and festive in Bangladesh’s history which will serve as a role model,” he said while speaking at a views-exchange meeting at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Malibagh area of the capital. In previous national elections, only one armed police member was deployed at each polling centre and for the first time, at least five armed members of law-enforcement agencies will be deployed at every polling centre in the upcoming election, he said. Of them, at least two will be armed police members and three armed Ansar members, he added. Besides, six armed law-enforcement personnel will be deployed in important polling centres, including three armed police members while10 unarmed Ansar members-- six male and four female Ansar members--equipped with batons will be posted at each polling centre, he said. The election officials and law-enforcement personnel must perform their duties with 100 percent honesty, neutrality and professionalism, he added. This time, there are several important aspects , including training of law-enforcement personnel, the use of body-worn cameras, installation of CCTV cameras and the deployment of drones and dog squads, said the adviser. The expatriate voters, government officials and employees, election-duty officials and members of law-enforcement agencies will be able to exercise their voting rights by registering through the ‘Postal Vote BD’ app, he said. Nearly 9 lakh law enforcers to be deployed during polls: Home Adviser Besides, a record number of around 9 lakh law-enforcement personnel will be engaged in election duties. The law-enforcement agencies, BNCC, Girls Guide and Scout members will also assist in maintaining order, he added. He said the forces would be deployed in two phases to maintain law and order during the election. The first phase, with currently deployed personnel, will continue, while the second phase will see polling-centre-based deployment from February 8–14, with officers on duty for seven days. Later, the adviser presented awards to CID officers for their outstanding performance.  

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has said at least two candidates contesting the 13th parliamentary election concealed their dual citizenship in their submitted affidavits. Both the candidates are British citizens but their affidavits made no mention of this, said Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of TIB, at a press conference held at the organisation’s office in the capital on Thursday. He said the irregularities were identified after analysing the affidavits they submitted, he said. Iftekharuzzaman said 21 candidates declared in their affidavits that they held foreign citizenship but later renounced it to become eligible to contest the election. Nat’l Human Rights Commission Ordinance hostage to bureaucratic capture: TIB “However, based on the information we have, at least two candidates did not disclose their dual citizenship in their affidavits. The data indicate that they are British citizens,” he said. As per law, candidates with dual citizenship must declare it in their affidavits and provide proof of renunciation of foreign nationality, he said. For policy reasons, they have not revealed the names of the two candidates, he said. “We have the relevant documents and the matter will be reported to the authorities concerned,” Dr. Iftekharuzzaman added. At the press conference, TIB also highlighted multiple discrepancies related to undeclared overseas assets. One candidate reportedly purchased a property worth nearly £1.4 million (about Tk 2.10 billion) in the UK in 2013 under the name of a declared dependent, which was not mentioned in the affidavit. Credible information suggests the property was bought through a shell company registered in Dubai, UAE. Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said another candidate did not disclose any personal foreign assets but a flat in Dubai is registered under his spouse’s name. Another candidate declared ownership of three overseas flats in the affidavit but in reality, the number is at least three times higher with an estimated investment of Tk 350 million. TIB’s analysis further revealed that one candidate failed to declare ownership of any foreign business though he is associated with at least 11 foreign companies, eight of which are currently operational. Besides, one candidate’s company registration in a tax haven has long been publicly available, yet there was no mention of it in the affidavit, he said. The organisation has called on the Election Commission and relevant authorities to take swift and effective action.

Bangladesh’s capital market ended the last trading session of the week on a mixed note, with the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) closing lower while the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) posted gains. Both bourses witnessed upward momentum in the first half of the session but selling pressure toward the close dragged the DSE into the red. The benchmark DSEX shed 6 points by the end of trading. Among the other indices, the Shariah-based DSES fell by 2 points, while the blue-chip DS30 edged down by 1 point. Most listed companies on the DSE saw price declines, as shares of 189 companies lost value against gains by 145, while prices of 56 issues remained unchanged. The market turnover also dropped, with shares and units worth Tk 536 crore traded during the session, down from Tk 605 crore in the previous trading day. In the block market, shares of 27 companies worth Tk 13 crore changed hands, with Dominage Steel Building Systems Limited accounting for the highest turnover of Tk 2 crore. Asia Insurance PLC topped the DSE gainers’ list after its share price surged by nearly 10 percent, while MIDAS Financing PLC ended as the worst performer, losing more than 5 percent. In contrast, the CSE closed higher, with its broad-based index CASPI advancing by 25 points. Most companies on the port city bourse ended in positive territory, as share prices of 87 companies rose against declines by 57, while 20 issues remained unchanged. The turnover on the CSE also increased marginally, with shares and units worth Tk 14 crore traded during the session, compared to Tk 13 crore a day earlier. Asia Pacific General Insurance Company Limited emerged as the top gainer on the CSE with a 10 percent rise, while Deshbandhu Polymer Limited sank to the bottom of the chart after losing over 9 percent.  

The High Court on Thursday rejected a writ petition filed by BNP-nominated candidate Md. Abdul Gafur Bhuiyan challenging the Election Commission’s decision to cancel his candidacy for the Cumilla-10 constituency (Lalmai-Nangalkot) over dual citizenship issues. A High Court bench comprising Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Md Anowarul Islam passed the order, barring him from participating in the national election. Barrister Fida M Kamal and Barrister Ruhul Quddus stood for the BNP candidate while Advocate Yusuf Ali represented the EC. Earlier, on Jan 18, following an appeal hearing at the EC office, the EC annulled Bhuiyan’s candidacy. The appeal was filed by Kazi Nure Alam Siddiqui, a candidate of Bangladesh Cultural Muktijot (Muktijot). After hearing both parties, the EC formally cancelled Bhuiyan’s nomination. On Jan 20, Bhuiyan challenged the EC’s decision at the High Court which was rejected on Thursday.  

A total of 3,263 candidates have been appointed to various cadres through the 48th Bangladesh Civil Service (Special) examination. The Ministry of Public Administration issued a notification in this regard on Thursday. According to the notification, the appointments were made following the recommendation of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC). The appointees will have to undergo basic training at the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) or at any other training institution designated by the government. After completing the basic training, they will receive such professional and special training as determined by the government at the institution concerned with their respective employment. The notification further said that the appointees will serve an apprenticeship period of two years. If necessary, the government may extend the apprenticeship period by a maximum of two more years. During the apprenticeship period, if any appointee is found unfit to continue in service, he or she may be removed from service without assigning any reason and without consulting the PSC, the notification added.  

Prof Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, on Thursday said the key to the nation’s success rests with the country’s people. Speaking at a consultation meeting organised by the Khulna Divisional Administration at the Divisional Commissioner’s Office auditorium, Prof Riaz emphasised the importance of public participation in the referendum and voter mobilisation. Ali Riaz, also the chief coordinator of the public awareness campaign team on the upcoming referendum, urged people to vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum to reform the country and establish equality and dignity, marking their ballots with a tick. BNP in favour of ‘Yes’ in referendum: Mahdi Amin Ali Riaz highlighted that the July National Charter 2025 reflects the aspirations of people.  “Although this charter is printed in black ink, its true meaning has been written in blood. While we may not have contributed with our blood, it is our responsibility to recognise the July National Charter 2025.” He said the referendum is the best mechanism to determine the future system of government, and even though the interim government remains neutral in national elections, it supports the ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum. According to the constitution, he said, public servants face no restrictions in campaigning for the ‘Yes’ vote. Nation's future hinges on ‘Yes’ vote in referendum: Land Adviser At the event, Special Guest Monir Haider, Special Assistant (Consensus) to the Chief Adviser, said the main aim of the 2024 mass uprising was to create a fascism-free and inequality-free society. “This referendum serves to gauge public support for a new Bangladesh and a new settlement. Voting in favour of the July National Charter will constitutionally block the path of fascism,” he added. Presided over by Khulna Divisional Commissioner Md Mokhtar Ahmed, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Prof Dr Md Maksud Helali, Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering & Technology, Range DIG Md Rezaul Haque, and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Zahidul Hasan. Officials from all 10 districts of Khulna Division, including district, divisional, and upazila-level officers, election officials, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, teachers and students from schools and colleges, civil society members, NGO representatives and media personnel, attended the consultation meeting.

The Council of Advisers on Thursday approved a proposal to declare February 11 a public holiday, in addition to the public holiday on the voting day on February 12, to help voters participate and ensure law and order management in an effective manner. The approval was given at the Council’s weekly meeting held at the Chief Adviser’s Office, with Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus in the chair. Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed reporters at the Foreign Service Academy on the outcomes of the meeting. EC warns against code violations over voter data collection campaign day Chief Adviser’s Senior Assistant Press Secretary Foyez Ahammad was also present at the briefing. The Council approved the proposal following a high-level meeting held on Wednesday to review election preparations and security issues. Alam said the meeting also approved an additional holiday on February 10 exclusively for workers in industrial zones. Workers in industrial zones will enjoy holidays on February 10 and 11. Along with the public holiday on the voting day on February 12, this will result in a three-day break. Alam said February 10 will apply only to industrial zone workers as a holiday. 288 BNP, 224 Jamaat candidates in Bangladesh election race He said the reason behind the decision was to allow voters currently residing in Dhaka, industrial towns, and other major cities to travel to their respective hometowns to cast their votes, as February 11 falls on the day before the election. The decision is also expected to help authorities manage law and order more effectively during the election period, Alam said. An official notification regarding the decisions will be issued shortly.