United News of Bangladesh

A case has been filed with Goalunda Ghat Police Station in Rajbari over the incident in which a passenger bus plunged into the Padma River from a pontoon at the Daulatdia Ferry Terminal on Friday morning. Abuzar Gifari, Sub-Inspector of Daulatdia River Police Station, filed the case late Friday night. The accused include bus driver Md Jhantu Ali, 48, of Alampur in Kushtia Sadar upazila; supervisor Md Ajmal Hossain, 38, of Sugribpur in Kushtia; and helper Shakib Hossain, 22, also from Alampur. Unidentified officials of SB Super Deluxe (Non-AC) Paribahan, the bus operator (registration number Dhaka Metro-B-15-5649), were also named in the case. According to the complaint, the accident caused damage to ferry infrastructure and passengers’ belongings estimated at around Tk 3 lakh. It said that the members of the Daulatdia River Police Outpost were on duty at the terminal on Friday morning when the Dhaka-bound SB Super Deluxe bus, travelling from Gangni in Meherpur, arrived at the ferry ghat. Following government directives, officials from the River Police and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) instructed the driver to disembark all passengers before boarding the ferry. Around 37 to 40 passengers got off the bus and proceeded on foot toward the ferry. The complaint alleges that driver Jhantu Ali then started the bus and drove it recklessly. Instead of boarding the designated ferry, Bir Shrestha Jahangir, he reportedly crossed the pontoon and entered another ferry, Karbi Oxfam. The bus then struck the ramp at speed, snapping its chain and safety belt before plunging into the Padma River. River Police said the bus supervisor and helper managed to jump onto the ferry before the vehicle fell into the river. The driver swam to the pontoon and was rescued by police personnel and locals before being taken to Goalundo Upazila Health Complex. The sunken bus was salvaged at around 11:55 am with assistance from the rescue vessel Hamza. It was later seized and taken into River Police custody. The vehicle sustained extensive damage, including twisted bodywork and broken glass. The complaint also states that the ramp, cable and chain of the Karbi Oxfam ferry were damaged. In addition, passengers reportedly lost or damaged luggage and personal belongings in the incident. Md Shafiqul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Goalandaghat Police Station said the three named accused were arrested and sent to court on Saturday. River Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident. Goaland Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sathi Das said belongings recovered after the accident had been verified and returned to their owners. Earlier, the incident occurred at about 9:25 am on Friday in the Daulatdia ferry ghat area.   END/UNB/Corr/SIS/ssk

Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday said his visit constituted the "first step" towards elevating Bangladesh-Türkiye relations to a "strategic" level. Minister Fidan, during a courtesy meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, also conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's greetings to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Prime Minister Tarique Rahman thanked the Turkish Foreign Minister for undertaking the visit.  He extended an invitation to President Erdoğan to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time in the near future. Both sides agreed to hold annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Foreign Ministers.  It was also decided that annual 2+2 consultations will be held involving Foreign and Defence Minister's of both sides.  In addition, with a view to further strengthening political, economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, a consultation mechanism in the form of a committee would be established under the respective Foreign Ministers which will involve the concerned ministries of each side, said the Ministry. The meeting reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations.  Discussions focused particularly on the Rohingya issue, climate change, trade and investment, joint production and cooperation, and regional and international matters of mutual interest. From the Bangladesh side, Foreign Minister, Dr Khalilur Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed, and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir were present during the meeting. The meeting marked the final engagement of the Turkish Foreign Minister’s two-day official visit to Bangladesh. 

The ruling BNP's parliamentary party held a meeting on Saturday ahead of the budget session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad beginning on Sunday. The meeting began around 3:30pm in the ruling party's meeting in the Parliament Building, with Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman in the chair, said his Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony. “The BNP parliamentary party meeting began with the recitation from the Holy Quran,” he said. Govt plans locally made electric ambulances to strengthen emergency healthcare access The meeting was conducted by Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and attended by BNP Secretary General, and Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with ruling party lawmakers. Mirza Fakhrul delivered the welcome address at the meeting. The budget session of Parliament is scheduled to begin on Sunday afternoon. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury is expected to place the national budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year in Parliament on June 11. This will be the second session of the 13th Parliament, which was formed following the February 12 general election. The first session of the current Parliament began on March 11 and was prorogued on April 30 after 25 sittings.

Five more children have died from measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours leading up to 8:00am on Saturday, raising the fatalities from the disease in Bangladesh to 613. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified the latest casualties as suspected. With the latest figure, the total number of suspected measles deaths has reached 522, while the confirmed deaths remained unchanged at 91. 5 more children die from measles-like symptoms A total of 915 suspected measles cases were recorded in 24 hours till Saturday morning, taking the overall suspected cases to 77,791. During the same period, 117 new confirmed measles cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 9,620. Since March 15, a total of 63,134 suspected measles patients were hospitalised, of whom 58,964 have recovered, according to the DGHS.

A young girl has allegedly been raped by four people at Gachabari Madhyapara in Shaghata upazila of Gaibandha district early Saturday. Mahbubur Rhman, Officer-in-Charge of Shaghata Police Station, said the victim, daughter of a Bangladeshi expatriate in Saudi Arabia, had an affair with local Muktar Hossain. Around 1:30 am, Muktar asked the girl to come out from her house and met him. 12-year-old schoolgirl found 5 months pregnant in Chandpur; elderly neighbour accused of rape At one stage, some miscreants chased them and managed to catch the girl while her lover managed to flee. Later, they took the girl to a bamboo bush owned by Gafur Ali and violated her in turns overnight, said police. The victim raised hue and cry for help and local people then managed to catch three people—Nirob Mia, Labu Hasan and Rahmat Ullah—from the spot. While another one Shwadhin Mia managed to flee. A case was filed with Shaghata Police Station, said OC Mahbub.

Two young Bangladeshis, Md Toufiq Elahi and Tisha Khandokar, have been selected as in-person delegates for the prestigious World Bank Group Youth Summit 2026, set to be held on June 11-12 at the headquarters of the World Bank Group in Washington. Their selection came through a highly competitive, merit-based process involving applicants from across the globe, highlighting the growing presence of Bangladeshi youth in international development, innovation and leadership initiatives. Bangladesh economy under stress, World Bank flags growth slide The World Bank Group Youth Summit, the institution’s largest annual event dedicated to people aged 18 to 35, brings together thousands of young leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and development practitioners to exchange ideas and explore solutions to pressing global challenges. This year’s summit will be held under the theme, “FutureWorks: Designing Jobs for the Digital Age,” with discussions focusing on the future of employment, education, skills development and entrepreneurship in an increasingly digital economy. Organisers said the summit aims to empower young people to develop innovative solutions to development challenges, equip them with the knowledge and tools needed to create meaningful impact, and foster dialogue between youth, the World Bank Group and other key global stakeholders. The event is linked to a global network of more than 10,000 alumni from over 170 countries, offering participants opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and long-term engagement with emerging leaders worldwide.

Bangladesh and Türkiye on Saturday reached an understanding to form ministerial-level joint committees to strengthen cooperation in defence and political areas. The understanding came when visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. During the meeting, both sides agreed to hold Annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Foreign Ministers. They also decided that annual 2+2 consultations will be held involving Foreign and Defence Ministers of both sides in order to further deepen strategic relations. During the meeting, Minister Fidan conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's greetings to Prime Minister Rahman. He said his visit constituted the first step towards elevating Bangladesh–Türkiye relations to a strategic level. Besides, with a view to further strengthening political, economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, a consultation mechanism in the form of a committee would be established under the respective Foreign Ministers which will involve the ministries concerned of each side, said the PM’s Press Wing. Discussions focused particularly on the Rohingya issue, climate change, trade and investment, joint production and cooperation, and regional and international matters of mutual interest.

Three members of a family sustained burn injuries after a blast apparently from a gas cylinder leak in the kitchen of their house in the capital's Uttarkhan area on Saturday morning. The injured were identified as Ali Hossain, 50, his wife Hasnahena, 40, and their daughter Akhi, 30. They were rushed to the emergency department of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery around 7:30 am in critical condition. 3 suffer burn injuries in Mirpur blast ‘from gas pipeline leak’ Resident physician Dr. Shawon Bin Rahman said Ali Hossain sustained burns over 100 percent of his body, Hasnahena suffered 60 percent burns, while Akhi received 15 percent burn injuries. As the extent of their injuries is serious, all three have been shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), he said. Ratul Hasan Tushar, who accompanied the victims to the hospital, said the explosion occurred while Hasnahena  was working in the kitchen in the morning.

Professor Dr Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan has been relieved of his duties as Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Jamalpur Science and Technology University (JSTU). The Ministry of Education issued a notification in this regard on Saturday. The notification said the decision was approved by the President and Chancellor of the universities. In line with a condition stipulated in a previous notification issued on May 14, 2026, Prof Bhuiyan has been released from the post of Vice-Chancellor of Jamalpur Science and Technology University, it said. The notification also granted him permission to rejoin his substantive position as a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Jahangirnagar University.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday advised officials to select tree species for plantation programmes based on local soil characteristics and environmental conditions to ensure better survival rates and ecological benefits. He made the remarks at a meeting on the government's tree plantation programme held at the Prime Minister's Office, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. “Not all regions of the country have the same type of soil. Trees should be selected and planted according to the soil and environmental conditions of each area,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying. He also said such an approach would increase the survival rate of planted trees and contribute positively to maintaining ecological balance. Referring to the growing impacts of climate change, Tarique Rahman said seasonal patterns are changing and weather behaviour has become increasingly unpredictable. “Previously, regular rainfall was expected with the arrival of June, but that pattern has changed significantly. The decline in forest cover and tree resources is one of the important reasons behind nature’s adverse behaviour,” he said. The Prime Minister said tree plantation should be given priority to protect the environment, address the impacts of climate change and ensure a safer planet for future generations. The meeting also discussed the government's plan to plant 25 crore trees across the country over the next five years. The Prime Minister is scheduled to formally launch the nationwide programme on June 14 at Dulahazara in Cox’s Bazar. Environment and Forest Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister ABM Abdus Sattar, Environment Secretary Raihan Kawsar, Director General of the Department of Environment Lutfur Rahman, Additional Director General Ziaul Haque, Chief Conservator of Forests Amir Hossain Chowdhury and member of the 25 crore Tree Plantation Programme Cell Jamail Bashir JB, among others, attended the meeting.