United News of Bangladesh

Eight students of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka have received the Ali Riaz Postgraduate Research Awards and Scholarships for their research work. Of them, two students received the Ali Riaz Postgraduate Research Award, while six others were awarded postgraduate research scholarships. DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr ABM Obaidul Islam handed over the awards and scholarship cheques to the students as the chief guest at a programme held at Prof Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium on Wednesday. The Department of Mass Communication and Journalism organised the programme. Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and acting chairman of the department Prof Kazi Mohammad Mahbobor Rahman presided over the programme, while Distinguished Professor Dr Ali Riaz of Illinois State University in the United States attended as the guest of honour. Prof Robaet Ferdous moderated the programme. Congratulating the scholarship recipients, the vice-chancellor said the success of students is made possible by the contributions and support of their families, parents and society. He urged the students to repay those contributions by becoming responsible citizens and skilled human resources and playing their part in building a happy, prosperous and inclusive society and country. Prof Obaidul Islam said it is not possible to advance the university by relying solely on government funding, stressing the need for private-sector partnerships and support from alumni. He said the university’s education and research could be raised to international standards through collective efforts. The vice-chancellor also called for establishing large-scale endowment funds by involving alumni in every department of the university. The recipients of the Ali Riaz Postgraduate Research Award are Arthee Nabanita and Farah Zahan Shuchi. The six scholarship recipients are Farah Zahan Shuchi, Usama Rafid, Azra Humayra, Kouritra Poddar Tirtha, Mohammad Al Mukit and Muhammad Muzzammil Haque.  

Twenty grassroots youth leaders completed a three-day EcoMen training programme in Dhaka on Wednesday, focusing on gender-transformative environmental stewardship and inclusive climate action. Titled “EcoMen: Training of Facilitators on Gender-Transformative Environmental Stewardship,” the programme ran from October 5 to 7. YouthNet Global and Bonhishikha organised it with SheRAA – Women’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation Alliance, in collaboration with The Earth Society. It is part of a consortium led by The Asia Foundation, with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh. At the closing session, Sumaiya Binte Selim Sudha, chair of SheRAA, spoke with participants and highlighted the importance of linking gender justice with climate and environmental justice. Participants shared their learning and future plans, and received certificates. The training was facilitated by Tasaffy Hossain, founder and managing director of Bonhishikha; Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet Global; S. M. Shahin Alom, additional national coordinator at YouthNet Global; Seyam Sikdar, joint coordinator of YouthNet Global’s Gender and Safeguarding Wing; and Mohaiminul Islam Zipat, YouthNet Global’s environmental justice and sustainability coordinator. Through facilitated discussions, group activities, presentations and practical exercises, participants examined how gender norms and unequal power shape people’s relationships with the environment, decision-making and care responsibilities. They also discussed who faces the greatest climate risks and why, including how climate change can increase the likelihood or intensity of some climate-related hazards, while impacts often fall hardest on people with the fewest resources and the least capacity to respond. Applying a feminist lens, sessions connected the climate crisis with fossil fuel dependence, extractive capitalism, colonial legacies and patriarchal systems. Participants examined how these forces damage the environment, concentrate wealth and power, and shift the burdens of harm and care onto marginalised communities. The training also covered climate resilience, gender justice, masculinities, gender-transformative approaches, diversity, inclusion, safeguarding and artivism. A key focus was how men and boys can challenge patriarchal norms and share responsibility for people and nature as partners in inclusive climate action. Care at the centre of climate resilience Discussions on October 6 focused on accountability and recognising care in climate action. Investment in resilient health services, childcare, and support for older people and persons with disabilities can protect wellbeing and support decent jobs in the care sector. However, care remains insufficiently recognised in many adaptation plans and national climate finance priorities. Participants said climate resilience means caring for people and nature while transforming the systems that put them at risk. They underscored the need to hold governments, businesses and high-emitting industries accountable for their climate commitments, and to include care in adaptation plans and budgets. Listening to care workers and communities, and monitoring and publicly reporting progress with community participation, were also identified as important steps. YouthNet Global calls for climate policy to address how patriarchal structures shape power, resource use, environmental exploitation and the devaluation of care. The organisation says gender equality risks remaining symbolic unless men and boys challenge harmful norms, share care responsibilities, and take accountability for decisions and environmental harm. “The patriarchal norms that perpetuate social inequality are the same ones driving environmental exploitation,” said Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet Global. Reflecting a global shift The training’s focus reflects a wider shift in international climate policy. At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, governments adopted the Belém Gender Action Plan for 2026–2034. The plan calls for engaging men and boys as agents and beneficiaries of change, and as strategic allies in achieving gender equality. It also provides for a high-level event at COP31 on how governments engage women, girls, men and boys as agents of change for socially just transitions. UN Climate Summit COP31 is scheduled for November 9 to 20, 2026, in Antalya, Türkiye.

Speakers at a discussion on Wednesday urged ophthalmologists to promote women leadership in eye health to make them contribute more to health care.The call came at the discussion titled “Women Leadership and Gender Mainstreaming in Eye Health in Bangladesh” held in the capital Prof Ava Hossain, a globally renowned ophthalmologist, said women should not think that they cannot lead because of their age, position or circumstances. “If we have something to contribute, we should come forward and make your voices heard. Leadership requires courage, commitment and the willingness to work with others,” she said.According to Ava Hossain, who was the first Bangladeshi and first female president of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO), said leadership does not simply come from holding a position.“Everyone should try to develop themselves through self-education. We should attend seminars and conferences, set targets for ourselves and think about how we can reach a leadership position,” she added.Ava Hossain said leadership development should start from home and from within own professional organisations.Ophthalmology Women Circle of Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB) organised the event with the support of Orbis International. Ophthalmologists from different medical colleges and health facilities joined the discussion.National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) Director Dr Sayeed Mehbub ul Kadir, OSB President Dr Md Tauhidur Rahman, Secretary General Prof Dr Zinnu Rain, Vice-president Prof Md. Sayedul Huq, Advisor Prof Dr Md Shahabuddin, Orbis International Country Director Dr Munir Ahmed and Associate Director Md Iqbal Hossain spoke at the event.Prof Dr Zakia Sultana Shahid shared with the audience her journey as an ophthalmologist while Prof Dr Jesmin Ahmed presented a paper on the role of physician intercommunication.Chief Executive of DevResonance Limited Nazme Sabina conducted a session on gender mainstreaming in eye health.In his speech, Dr Sayeed Mehbub ul Kadir said Bangladesh is going to see a momentum in eye care as the country has been primarily selected for Global Vision Award, which will bring home big funds for the sector. He urged the ophthalmologists to get prepared for the momentum.Dr Munir Ahmed hailed the role women physicians are playing but lamented that they are lagging behind in leadership. “The number of women physicians is high. But when it comes to leadership, we still see very little representation of women. There is a clear disparity between women’s participation in the health workforce and their presence in leadership positions,” he said.According to Dr Munir, mentorship can play a vital role in addressing these challenges.Prof Md. Sayedul Huq and Prof Md Shahabuddin urged the ophthalmologists to take greater responsibility, which, they said, would lead them to leadership positions.

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) Vice-Chancellor Dr Md Khairul Islam has stepped in to help a first-year student who had been spending nights in a mosque or the university’s TV room for the past three months after failing to secure a seat in a residential hall. The Vice-Chancellor called Nishan Hossain, a student of the Department of Political Studies, to his office on Wednesday morning and took steps to arrange temporary accommodation and provide him with financial assistance. Nishan, a first-year student from the 2025-26 academic session, had been struggling to find accommodation because he could not afford a room in a private mess. Sources said the issue had been brought to the hall provost's attention several times, but no residential seat had been arranged for him.  VC Md Khairul Islam said the financial assistance was given to Nishan from the university’s student welfare fund to help cover his immediate expenses. “The head of his department is also very supportive regarding his situation,” he added. Regarding Nishan’s accommodation, Prof Khairul said steps had been taken to arrange a residential seat for him. “The department head will speak with the hall provost about the seat. For the time being, he will stay in the room of a senior student from the Department of Food Engineering and Tea Technology,” he said. Arrangements have also been made for Nishan’s meals. The Provost of Syed Mujtaba Ali Hall confirmed that he will bear the cost of Nishan’s three meals a day, Prof Khairul said.

The Standing Committee on Non-Concessional Loans (SCNCL) is set to consider proposals for obtaining $3.3 billion in non-concessional loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) to finance a power distribution project and fuel imports. The proposals have been placed before the 46th meeting of the SCNCL, with one being a new proposal and the other seeking ex-post facto approval, according to Economic Relations Division (ERD) sources. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury chaired the meeting held at the Secretariat on Wednesday. Under the first proposal, Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) will seek a $200 million loan from ADB to finance the Power Distribution Network Enhancement Project. The total estimated cost of the project is $449.34 million, while the proposed ADB loan will be provided under the bank’s regular Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR). The loan will carry an interest rate of six-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus a 0.50 percent spread, with a 25-year tenor and a five-year grace period. It will also carry a 0.10 percent maturity premium and a commitment charge of 0.15 percent per annum. Based on the SOFR rate of 3.87 percent on Oct 1, 2026, the grant element of the proposed loan was estimated at 5.70 percent, making it a non-concessional loan as the grant element is below 25 percent. The grant element may change with fluctuations in SOFR. The project, scheduled to run from October 2026 to July 2031, aims to improve the reliability, efficiency and climate resilience of electricity distribution in 13 rural electricity cooperative areas around Dhaka. It will involve expansion of new and existing substations, construction of overhead and underground distribution lines, installation of insulated conductors, deployment of fault locators and environmentally friendly GIS technology, digital monitoring systems, and institutional capacity building of BREB and the concerned rural electricity cooperatives. The second proposal involves a total $3.1 billion loan facility from ITFC, based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to finance petroleum product and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports during fiscal 2026-27. Of the amount, $2.5 billion will finance petroleum product imports by Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), while $600 million will finance LNG imports by Petrobangla. The loan will have a six-month tenor from the date of each disbursement, with an interest rate of six-month Term SOFR plus 1.70 percentage points, an administrative fee of 0.20 percent per annum and bullet repayment. Based on the six-month USD Term SOFR rate of 3.67765 percent on Oct 1, 2026, the indicative interest rate was calculated at 5.37765 percent per annum. The ITFC proposal was initially received for consideration by the SCNCL on Aug 9. Given the need to maintain regular fuel imports and ensure fuel security, the proposal was placed before the SCNCL chairman on an urgent basis and approved on Aug 17 for subsequent ex-post facto approval by the committee. Under the $3.1 billion facility, ITFC will provide $600 million from its own resources, while the remaining $2.5 billion will be arranged through co-financing by Bangladesh Bank. The financing may be rolled over after six months, with Bangladesh Bank’s co-financing amount at around $195 million at a given time and a maximum exposure of $1.25 billion in certain circumstances. The proposals are being placed before the SCNCL in line with the requirement for committee approval before signing non-concessional foreign loan agreements. The committee’s consideration also takes into account the government’s policy of limiting non-concessional foreign debt servicing and debt stock within specified thresholds.  

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir on Wednesday said Bangladesh does not sign any agreement to please its friends, but makes deals based on the country's needs and interests. “We do not sign on any dotted line on any deal that does not suit the interest of the people of Bangladesh,” he said while addressing a programme celebrating a milestone in Bangladesh-European Union relations and the conclusion of discussions on the procurement of Airbus aircraft for Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Biman, Bangladesh's national flag carrier, signed a purchase agreement with Airbus to acquire 10 aircraft. The agreement covers four Airbus A350-900 widebody aircraft for long-haul international operations and six Airbus A321neo single-aisle aircraft for regional operations. It marks a significant milestone in Biman’s fleet modernisation and long-term growth strategy. According to the preliminary roadmap of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the next-generation aircraft are expected to join Biman’s fleet from around 2033. The new aircraft will enhance Biman’s long-haul and regional transport capacity through next-generation fuel-efficient technology. They will also play an important role in strengthening the airline’s route network, improving passenger service standards and enabling Biman to compete more effectively in regional and global aviation markets. Kobir said the government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, did not sign the Airbus deal to make ambassadors or friends happy, but because it meets Bangladesh's aviation needs. “This government has signed this deal because it meets our aviation needs. Bangladesh does not do deals to please. It does it because it needs it,” he said. The state minister said whenever there is a sound business case based on Bangladesh's needs, the government will not hesitate to do business with Airbus or any other partner in any sphere of the economy. “What we need is a business case,” he said, adding that the government is ready to sign agreements once they are found legally sound. The ceremony was attended by Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat. Biman Bangladesh Airlines was represented by Rumee A Hossain, Chairman, Biman Board of Directors, and Kaizer Sohail Ahmed, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Airbus was represented by Jürgen Westermeier, President, South Asia. Also present were Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman and Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhtar. European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller, British High Commissioner Sarah Cooke, German Ambassador Dr Rudiger Lotz, French Ambassador Jean-Marc Sère-Charlet and Spanish Ambassador Gabriel Sistiaga were also present. The state minister congratulated Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the European Union and Airbus on reaching the milestone through positive discussions. “When our national flag carrier invests in the most advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft available today, it strengthens connectivity and its standing in the world,” he said. The agreement, Kobir said, also reflected the strength of Bangladesh's friendships across Europe, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, as well as with the European Union. Referring to Bangladesh's relations with its European partners, he said these friends had stood by Bangladesh throughout its development journey. The state minister also sought to clarify that Bangladesh's engagement with different countries is guided by its own national interests. “Bangladesh does business on its needs and its interests,” he said. Kobir expressed confidence that there will be more business between Bangladesh and the European Union in the future. “I believe the goodwill between the people of Bangladesh and the European Union will strengthen our partnership further, and I can assure you there is more business to follow,” he said.  

Popular fiction maker Ashfaque Nipun has questioned how tickets for two trains on the Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar route could sell out within just "one minute" of online sales opening, raising questions about the railway’s ticketing system. In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, he shared his experience of trying to buy three train tickets for his maternal uncle, aunt and cousin, who are planning to visit Cox’s Bazar during the Durga Puja holidays. Nipun said his uncle, due to his age and health condition, cannot sit continuously for 10 to 12 hours, making train travel a preferable option to a long bus journey. He said he sat down with his mobile phone at around 7:45am, 15 minutes before online ticket sales were scheduled to open at 8am. “I do not want to take any risk,” Nipun wrote, adding that he had switched off other notifications on his phone so that nothing could distract him while trying to secure the tickets. As 8am approached, he logged out and logged back into the ticketing system, saying he wanted to avoid being automatically logged out during the booking process. Then came the moment he had been waiting for. “At 8:00am, I immediately pressed ‘Search Train’,” Nipun wrote. He said the available seat plans appeared on the screen, with rows of seats seemingly inviting passengers to choose them. However, by around 8:01am, according to Nipun, tickets for both trains had disappeared. The acclaimed director questioned how the tickets could have been sold so quickly when the online booking process itself requires several steps, including seat selection, OTP verification, payment and final confirmation. Based on his experience of regularly travelling by train and purchasing tickets online, he said completing the process normally takes at least six to seven minutes. “So, even if everyone starts at exactly 8am, selects their preferred seats at record speed and has a high-speed internet connection, it should take at least until 8:07 am for the tickets to be processed,” he argued. The director questioned, “Then how did all the tickets of two trains disappear at 8:01?” Nipun used his trademark satirical tone to describe the situation, joking that Bangladesh Railway had created a “commercial fiction” in which two trains effectively disappeared within one minute. He stressed that he does not expect tickets to be readily available during Eid, Puja or other long holidays, when demand is exceptionally high. Rather, he said, he regularly waits before the ticket sales open in an attempt to secure seats for his family, but has repeatedly failed. The filmmaker then alleged that a ticket syndicate has been operating within Bangladesh Railway for years. He claimed that the problem has persisted across different governments and questioned whether changes to ticketing software or systems would be enough to address it. Nipun also called for action against what he described as entrenched syndicates in the railway and airport sectors, saying that breaking such networks would be a major measure of a government’s success. “Can you do it? Do you have the courage?” he asked at the end of his post.

A senior Iranian military advisor has said the country will soon close the routes created by "violators" in the Strait of Hormuz. Mohammad-Reza Naqdi, advisor to the chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, made the remarks in an interview published on Tuesday night with state-run Al-Alam news channel while elaborating on the latest situation of the Strait of Hormuz. He said the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and the Iranian armed forces have full control over it, stressing that this situation will continue unless Iran's "legitimate" demands are met. He added that although the strait is closed, "some individuals use small vessels to smuggle oil and transfer it to oil tankers," emphasizing, "The few passages created by violators through the explosion or destruction of some rocky routes in the Strait of Hormuz will soon be closed." Shifting to the range of Iran's weapons, he said technical issues are not the reason why Iran keeps its weapons' range limited, but the country's policies. Naqdi said the range of Iran's weapons is determined based on the decisions made by the country's authorities and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and according to the needs. He noted that whenever authorization is granted, the weapons' range will be increased in accordance with the battlefield's necessities and requirements. Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory. U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, have claimed that the waterway is open and under the U.S. forces' control, and oil is being transported through it.