United News of Bangladesh

Brigadier General Md Anwarul Kabir on Monday officially joined as the new Inspector General of Prisons. Upon his arrival at the Department of Prisons in the morning, the new IG Prisons was received by acting IG Prisons Colonel Mesbahul Alam Salim, Additional IG Prisons Md Jahangir Kabir and other senior officials. The government appointed Brigadier General Anwarul Kabir to the top prison post via a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on October 4.

A Cabinet meeting on Monday discussed expanding the use of solar power as a renewable energy source and accelerating the implementation of ongoing development projects. The meeting was held at the Secretariat in the afternoon with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. The meeting emphasised expanding the use of renewable energy in the country's energy sector and speeding up the implementation of ongoing development projects. Various government activities and development-related issues were also discussed at the meeting.

Tuesday marks the 20th anniversary of the announcement that Prof Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank had jointly won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to create economic and social development from below through poverty alleviation. On 13 October 2006, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award, recognising their efforts to create economic and social development from below through poverty alleviation. The recognition brought global attention to the role of microcredit in empowering people at the grassroots level, particularly women, and creating economic opportunities for those traditionally excluded from the formal financial system, according to a press release issued on Monday. The work of Prof Yunus and Grameen Bank demonstrated how access to financial services and recognition of people's entrepreneurial potential could contribute to poverty alleviation and social development. In awarding the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, the Nobel Committee recognised that poverty is not merely an economic problem. It is deeply connected to human dignity, security and peace. When people are economically deprived and have no opportunity to shape their own lives and futures, frustration and instability can follow. On the other hand, when people are economically empowered, given the opportunity to take control of their own lives and included in mainstream society, the foundations of peace become stronger. On 10 December 2006, the Nobel Peace Prize was presented at a ceremony at Oslo City Hall in the presence of members of the Norwegian Royal Family. Prof Yunus received his medal and diploma and delivered the Nobel Lecture. Taslima Begum, a Grameen Bank borrower and member of its Board of Directors, accepted the award on behalf of Grameen Bank. The Nobel Peace Prize Concert was also held at Oslo Spektrum. The performers included opera singer Monica Yunus, Lionel Richie, Rihanna, opera and jazz singer Renée Fleming, singer Paulina Rubio, Hakim, Mick Hucknall of Simply Red, Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens), and Wynonna Judd.

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNICEF on Monday marked the completion of a $5.94 million project aimed at equipping out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Bangladesh with market-driven skills and employment opportunities. The project, titled “Empowering Out-of-School Adolescent Girls and Young Women with Market-Driven Occupational Skills, Transferable Skills, and Job Placements”, reached nearly 17,000 girls and young women aged 15-24 across seven districts between July 2022 and September 2026. State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Boby Hajjaj attended the closing ceremony in Dhaka as the chief guest. Funded by the government of the Republic of Korea through KOICA and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with relevant government agencies and local partners, the initiative aimed to help marginalised young women overcome barriers to education and economic participation. Through vocational and transferable skills training, workplace apprenticeships, engagement with employers and entrepreneurship support, the project helped participants prepare for wage employment or establish their own businesses. It also linked aspiring entrepreneurs with financial institutions to access relevant financial services, supporting their efforts to achieve greater economic independence. Beyond skills development, the initiative sought to address social barriers that often restrict young women's participation in education and economic activities. Community engagement and social and behaviour change initiatives were undertaken to increase awareness and encourage families and local communities to support young women's education, employment and entrepreneurship. As the project concludes, its market-oriented and employment-focused approach aligns with the government's efforts to expand inclusive learning and economic opportunities nationwide. Government initiatives, led by the Bureau of Non-Formal Education (BNFE), including the Alternative Learning Opportunities (ALO) programme and the expansion of the SKILFO model, reflect the country's commitment to strengthening non-formal education and skills development. This alignment is expected to provide a basis for sustaining the project's achievements beyond KOICA's support. 

Bangladesh has signed a loan agreement worth RMB 2.404 billion, equivalent to Tk 3,592.90 crore or US$335.78 million, with China’s Export-Import Bank to expand and modernise Mongla Port. The agreement was signed on October 10 between the Government of Bangladesh and EXIM Bank of China  under the project titled ‘Expansion and Modernisation of Mongla Port Facilities’. Alia Meher, Joint Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Fengjun Tian, Assistant General Manager of EXIM Bank of China, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides, according to an official press release. The project will be implemented by the Mongla Port Authority under the Ministry of Shipping. Under the project, Mongla Port will undergo modernisation, including the construction of two container terminals equipped with modern machinery. The project will also include a container yard, a container delivery yard and a cargo handling yard to improve the port’s facilities. China has agreed to provide the loan at a concessional interest rate of 2 per cent. The repayment period is 20 years, including a five-year grace period. The financing is expected to support the development of port infrastructure and cargo-handling facilities at Mongla, one of Bangladesh’s key seaports.

State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki on Monday said Bangladesh must make marine resource management a significant contributor to its gross domestic product (GDP) to achieve the target of becoming a trillion-dollar economy by 2034. “Equal importance is being given to rail and inland waterways alongside road transport,” he said while addressing a seminar titled “Planning Perspective on the Emerging Industries in the Blue Economy Sector of Bangladesh.” The Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) organised the programme at its DMK Lecture Gallery. Saki said the government has identified several priority sectors under the blue economy, including shipbuilding, port management and development, while improving connectivity between ports and industrial production centres. He said the Prime Minister’s Office has a dedicated Blue Economy Cell to improve coordination among institutions working in the sector and bring them together on a common platform. The state minister stressed the need for cooperation among the government, academia and the private sector to develop the blue economy and build the skilled workforce required to support its growth. “Universities have a crucial role to play in developing the skilled human resources needed to achieve this goal,” he said, thanking IUB and its Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies for drawing the government’s attention to the issues. Javed Hosein, a member of the IUB Board of Trustees, attended the seminar as a special guest, while Vice Chancellor Prof M Tamim delivered the welcome address. Javed pointed to inefficiencies in port operations and logistics, saying they are affecting Bangladesh’s competitiveness in international trade. He said it takes around three to five days to unload a 21,000-tonne fuel oil tanker in Bangladesh, compared to four to five hours in Singapore. Javed also said garment export products usually take about 95 days to reach their destinations after the fabric is made, compared to 60 days in Vietnam and 32 days in China, attributing the delay mainly to corruption. Rear Admiral (retd) Md Khurshed Alam, director of IUB’s Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies, delivered the keynote presentation on the prospects of the blue economy and emerging industries. Prof Dr Bakhtiar Ahmed, dean of IUB’s School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, delivered the vote of thanks. The seminar was moderated by Marium Binte Hassan Farin, a student of Environmental Science and Management at IUB.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan on Monday reiterated his commitment to providing aesthetically pleasing footpaths to city dwellers within a short time. “Within a short time, roads and footpaths under the Dhaka North City Corporation will be made free of hawkers on a daily basis, and aesthetically pleasing footpaths will be presented to city dwellers,” he said. The DNCC administrator made the remarks while inaugurating the collection of information for the Family Card programme in Mirpur-13 under Dhaka-15 constituency, as part of a nationwide social safety programme, said a press release. He said the BNP had announced the Family Card programme in its election manifesto and described the Family Card as a gift for the people announced by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Issuing a warning, the administrator said action would be taken against anyone within the party who tried to engage in irregularities over the Family Card programme. He said the right families to receive Family Cards and that no discrimination or division would be created over the programme. The administrator said those who worked for the people and engaged in service-oriented activities would receive the party's nomination for the upcoming city corporation elections. He said such activities included efforts to tackle dengue, waste management, cleanliness, and various development and public service initiatives under the vision of a “Clean Dhaka, Green Dhaka”. Those who did not work for the people would not receive nominations, he added. The administrator said 1,917 volunteers would be engaged in collecting and preserving information for the Family Card programme. He also warned that strict action would be taken against members of any clandestine group who attempted to provide false information or create confusion during the collection of Family Card data.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat on Monday said Cox’s Bazar International Airport is likely to be inaugurated in the first week November next. An official announcement will be made after securing a convenient time from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, he said while at a meeting on operating international flights from Cox’s Bazar Airport at the Secretariat. The minister said the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Japan on October 26-29. “The inauguration date will be announced after the Prime Minister’s availability is confirmed following his return,” he added. Millat said he has already discussed the inauguration of the airport as an international facility with the Prime Minister and hoped to obtain his time for the ceremony in early November. “The Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate the airport,” he added. He said discussions are underway with all relevant stakeholders to determine which airlines will operate international flights from Cox’s Bazar. “A decision will be made after consultations with the relevant parties,” he said. The minister said it is too early to confirm the number of flights that could operate from Cox’s Bazar or the countries that will be connected through the airport. “More details will be available after discussions with the airlines concerned.”

A temporary bus terminal has been opened in RAJUK’s Jhilmil Residential Project area in Chunkutia, aiming to reduce the entry and movement of long-distance buses within the capital, ease traffic congestion and improve road discipline and passenger safety. The terminal was inaugurated at 9:30 am, said Md Akhtar Hossain, deputy police commissioner of the DMP's Media and Public Relations Wing. Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Chairman Md Riazul Islam and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Md Anisur Rahman, among others, were present. Under the plan, bus services to 19 districts in southern Bangladesh will begin operating from the temporary terminal within the next two months. The DMP emphasised the need for coordinated efforts by all relevant agencies to ease traffic congestion and modernise traffic management in the capital. It said such joint initiatives would continue to ensure orderly traffic movement and safer, smoother journeys for passengers.

A suspected cattle smuggler was shot dead during an anti-smuggling drive of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) along Haluaghat border in Mymensingh district early Monday. The deceased was identified as Noman, 38, son of Rafiqul Islam of Jhaljhulia village in Haluaghat upazila. Tipped off, a BGB patrol team seized four cattle while being smuggled into the country across the border, said Lieutenant Colonel Nurul Azim Bayezid, commanding officer of the 39 BGB Battalion. At one stage, a group of smugglers attacked the BGB personnel and snatched away two cattle around 5:45am in Jaljalia area under the jurisdiction of Telikhali Border Outpost (BOP) of the BGB’s 39 Battalion, leaving BGB Nayek Rafiq injured, he said. The BGB members subsequently fired warning shots in self defence and to bring the situation under control, leaving Noman injured, said the BGB commander. Later, Noman was taken to Haluaghat Upazila Health Complex where the doctors declared him dead. Bayezid said preparations are underway to file a case over obstructing government officials in the discharging their duties. Meanwhile, news of Noman’s death triggered anger and tension in Haluaghat municipality on Monday morning. Local people staged a demonstration by placing logs and furniture on the road, halting vehicular movement on the Haluaghat-Mymensingh highway. A long tailback was created on both sides of the highway causing severe suffering for commuters and pedestrians. Members of law enforcement agencies rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control. Officer-in-Charge of Haluaghat Police Station Jalal Uddin said the situation in the area is now normal. Police recovered the body and sent it to the morgue of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital for an autopsy, he said.