United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s National Emergency Service 999 has received a total of 72,362,402 calls since its launch on December 12, 2017, reflecting public confidence in the emergency response system. Police Headquarters on Monday evening said the nationwide service has continued to play a vital role in providing emergency assistance and facilitating rapid coordination among law enforcement and other emergency agencies. Introduced as a centralized emergency helpline, 999 enables citizens to seek immediate assistance related to police services, fire incidents, and ambulance support from anywhere in the country. Officials said the volume of calls received over the years demonstrates the increasing reliance of people on the service for emergency support and public safety needs. The National Emergency Service was launched with the aim of ensuring quick access to emergency assistance through a single hotline and has since become one of the key public service platforms in the country. Police Headquarters shared the latest call statistics on June 15 evening, highlighting the service’s continued outreach and public engagement across the country.

A policy dialogue in Dhaka on Monday called for placing climate-affected and marginalised communities at the centre of national and global climate decision-making, stressing that no climate policy can be complete without their lived experiences. The call came at a photo book discussion and policy dialogue titled "Lives on the Frontlines: Climate Change and Survival in Bangladesh”, jointly organised by YouthNet Global and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Bangladesh in the capital. Spekers said climate change is a lived reality shaping livelihoods and survival, not just statistics. They urged stronger adaptation support, fair climate finance, and greater inclusion of local leadership in climate governance at both national and global levels. They also highlighted the upcoming UN Climate Conference COP31 as a key opportunity to advance climate finance, loss and damage mechanisms, adaptation, and the just transition agenda. Emphasis was placed on ensuring fair participation of vulnerable countries, along with stronger transparency and accountability in climate funding. Additional Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD) Dr Kazi Shajahan said climate finance is not only about mobilising resources but also about ensuring fair distribution. “Climate finance is not just about raising funds. It must ensure priority access for the most vulnerable people. Transparency, accountability and local priorities are essential,” he said. FES Bangladesh Resident Representative Dr Felix Gaerdes said climate change is not an abstract issue but a lived reality affecting people’s daily lives and existence. “The policy must reflect the reality people face every day,” he said. YouthNet Global Executive Coordinator Sohanur Rahman said climate justice requires affected communities to be recognised as active decision-makers, not passive participants. “Without the lived experiences of marginalised communities, no climate policy can be complete. Their voices must be at the centre of decision-making,” he said, adding that youth and women’s leadership must be strengthened in climate action. ICCCAD Youth and Gender Programme Coordinator Sumaiya Binte Selim said locally led adaptation is essential for an effective and sustainable climate response. “Without empowering local communities, climate action cannot be sustainable,” she said. The panel discussion was moderated by YouthNet Global Deputy Executive Coordinator Aruba Faruk and climate policy analyst Ilmi Tabassum. In a special session, representatives from climate-affected regions shared their lived experiences. Tiger widow Sonamoni from coastal Shyamnagar said communities continue to face cyclones, salinity intrusion and uncertainty. “We are not only fighting disasters, but also silence and neglect. Our voices are still not heard,” she said. Mamtaz Begum from the Manta community in Barishal said river-dependent communities remain excluded from policymaking. “We live with the river, but we are not part of policy,” she said. Shahina Akter from Char YouthNet, Kurigram said women face increasing health risks due to floods and river erosion. Teacher Mudasser Alam from Sunamganj said haor communities seek dignity and security, not just survival. “We are living, but survival alone is not enough. We need dignity and security,” he said. Author of the Photobook Harunur Rashid Sagar said visual storytelling can influence policymaking beyond numbers and statistics. “Images speak truths that statistics often cannot capture,” he said. Filmmaker Mohammad Rakibul Hasan said visual media can bring climate realities closer to policymakers and create stronger pressure for action. Organisers said the initiative aimed to bring frontline experiences into the centre of national and global climate discourse, and that such efforts will be expanded to better reflect grassroots realities in policymaking.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police has arrested three members of an alleged human trafficking gang for deceiving job seekers with false promises of employment in Jordan. The arrestees were identified as Manjur Pradhania, 35, Osman Gani, 25, of Chandpur district, and Kazi Md Ata-e-Rabbi, 28, of Lakshmipur district. A team of CID's Trafficking in Human Being (THB) Unit conducted a drive at Surah Travels and Traders, located at Rupayan Millennium Square in Uttar Badda of the capital, on Sunday and arrested them, according to a press release. According to CID officials, preliminary investigations revealed that Surah Travels and Traders had been using the name, logo and seal of Jordan-based Jerash Garments and Fashion Manufacturing Company Limited, located in Al-Tajamouat Industrial Estate in Amman, without authorisation to recruit workers for Jordan. The agency allegedly collected between Tk 2 lakh and Tk 2.5 lakh from each aspiring worker by offering employment visas and job opportunities in Jordan. The alleged fraud came to light after the Jordanian company lodged a complaint through the Bangladesh Embassy in Jordan. The complaint was later forwarded to the relevant authorities through the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, prompting the CID to launch an investigation. Investigators found that though Surah Travels and Traders operates as a travel agency, it does not possess a valid recruiting licence. Despite this, the company had reportedly been advertising overseas job opportunities in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Malaysia through its Facebook page. During the raid, the CID team seized 55 Bangladeshi passports, 16 overseas employment agreements executed on non-judicial stamps, two CPUs and one DVR from the office. Of the seized passports, 18 were found to belong to individuals seeking employment in Jordan, while the remaining passports were linked to prospective workers intending to travel to Saudi Arabia, according to the preliminary investigation. CID officials said evidence gathered so far suggests that the accused had been collecting passports and processing overseas employment arrangements without the required licences and approvals, raising suspicions of migrant smuggling activities. A case was filed at Badda Police Station under Sections 15 and 20 of the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Prevention and Suppression Ordinance, 2026. The CID said efforts are underway to identify and arrest other persons involved in the alleged scheme.

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested three suspected members of a fraud ring accused of using forged documents and false promises of jobs in Jordan. The arrestees were Manjur Pradhania, 35, Osman Gani, 25 of Chandpur district and Kazi Md Ata-e-Rabbi, 28 of Laxmipur district. Tipped off, a team of CID's Human Trafficking Monitoring Cell conducted a drive at the office of Surah Travels and Traders at Rupayan Millennium Square in North Badda on Sunday and arrested them, said a press release of CID. CID arrests man for impersonating judge’s voice using AI to commit fraud According to CID officials, Surah Travels and Traders had been using the name, logo and seal of Jordan-based Jerash Garments and Fashion Manufacturing Company Limited, located in Al-Tajamouat Industrial Estate in Amman, without authorisation to recruit workers for Jordan. The agency collected between Tk 2 lakh and Tk 2.50 lakh from each aspiring worker by offering employment visas and job opportunities in Jordan. The alleged fraud came to light after the Jordanian company lodged a complaint through the Bangladesh Embassy in Jordan. The complaint was later forwarded to the relevant authorities through the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, prompting the CID to launch an investigation. Investigators found that although Surah Travels and Traders operates as a travel agency, it does not possess a valid recruiting licence. Despite this, the company had reportedly been advertising overseas job opportunities in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Malaysia through its Facebook page. During the raid, CID officers seized 55 Bangladeshi passports, 16 overseas employment agreements executed on non-judicial stamps, two CPUs and one DVR from the office. Of the seized passports, 18 were found to belong to individuals seeking employment in Jordan, while the remaining passports were linked to prospective workers intending to travel to Saudi Arabia, according to the preliminary investigation. CID officials said evidence gathered so far suggests that the accused had been collecting passports and processing overseas employment arrangements without the required licences and approvals, raising suspicions of human trafficking. A case was filed with Badda Police Station under Sections 15 and 20 of the Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Prevention and Suppression Ordinance, 2026, against some people including the arrestees. The CID said efforts are underway to identify and arrest other persons involved in the crime.

Four more children have died from measles and measles-like symptoms in the country in the 24 hours until 8:00am on Monday, bringing the cumulative number of deaths to 656. Of the new deaths, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS has classified one as confirmed measles fatality while three others as suspected. With the latest update, the number of suspected measles deaths has risen to 563, while the number of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths reached 93. A total of 972 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the number of suspected cases across the country to 86,923. Meanwhile, 64 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 10,387. Since March 15, a total of 71,467 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 67, 878 have recovered, according to DGHS data.

Police in a drive arrested three people for their alleged involvement in the ‘gang-rape’ of a woman at Bashantopur village in Sharsha upazila of Jashore district early Monday. The arrestees were Hasib Al Hasan, 19 of Chanduria ghop village, Abdur Rahman Emon, 20 of Choto Bashantapur village and Mehedi Hasan Tutul, 21. Tipped off, a team of police conducted separate drives in the upaizla and arrested them, said Maruf Hoddain, Officer-in-Charge of Sharsha Police Station. Police arrested them after getting written complaint from the victim. According to the complaint, a group of young men equipped with arms took the woman to an abandoned place on the night of June 13 when she went out to respond to natural call. Later, they violated the woman in turns and threatened to kill her if she disclosed it to others. Police are trying to arrest two other accused, said OC Maruf.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday took back 12 people, including women and children, from the Pragpur border in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia three days after they were pushed into Bangladesh. The handover took place around 11:00am following a flag meeting between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the BSF near border pillar 148/3-S at Pragpur, said Lt Col Rashed Kamal Rony, commanding officer of Kushtia 47 BGB. According to BGB sources, a delegation, led by Deputy Commanding Officer Nurul Huda, represented the BGB at the meeting, while the BSF team was led by Raninagar Company Commander AC Sunil Kumar Yadav. BGB officials said the BSF pushed the 12 people into Bangladesh through the Pragpur border around 5:30am on Friday. With assistance from local residents, BGB personnel identified the group and took them under their custody. Although a flag meeting was scheduled for that day, it did not take place. Another meeting was held on Saturday near border pillar 150/3-S at Bilgatua, but no final decision was reached. During that meeting, the BSF denied the allegation of any push-in through the Daulatpur border and initially refused to take the group back. Following a formal protest lodged by the BGB, the BSF sought time to investigate the matter. BGB sources said the 12 people remained on the zero line for three days and suffered from illness and hardship after staying under the open sky in extreme heat. Rashed Kamal said the BGB remains on the highest alert to safeguard the border and will take necessary steps to protect the country's interests.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday fixed June 28 for delivering judgment in a case over the killing of two people and shooting youth hanging from cornice of a  building in Rampura area of the capital during July Uprising. A three-member ICT bench led by its chairman Justice Golam Mortuza Majumdar passed the order after completing the law-point argument in the case. Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam sought the highest punishment for all five accused. Earlier, on June 10, Chanchal Chandra Sarkar, one of the five accused, gave additional testimony in his defence. He had previously testified in his defence on January 13 this year. The remaining four accused are absconding. They are former DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former ADC of Khilgaon Zone Md Rashedul Islam, former Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Rampura Police Station Md Mashiur Rahman and former SI Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan. The tribunal earlier fixed March 4 for delivering the verdict. However, the prosecution later filed a petition seeking to submit new digital evidence, prompting a fresh testimony from Amir Hossain, the first prosecution witness in the case. On September 18 last year, the tribunal formally framed charges against the five accused and ordered the trial to begin. The prosecution submitted the formal charge sheet on August 7, 2025. Two people were killed in Rampura during on July 19, 2024  during the mass uprising while another young man was shot and injured by police while he was hanging from a building cornice.  

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chiwdhury on Monday directed officials to ensure that the Family Card programme is implemented in a transparent manner free from any political influence, so that benefits reach the intended recipients. The directive came during the fourth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Family Card Distribution held at the conference room of the Ministry of Finance. The meeting reviewed and approved the administrative expenditure required for implementing the Family Card programme and finalised the revised 2026 guidelines for piloting the initiative. The committee also reviewed and gave policy approval to the draft Family Card Implementation Policy, 2026, which is expected to provide a structured framework for identifying eligible beneficiaries and distributing support under the programme. Officials said the policy and guidelines are aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability and efficiency in the implementation process while preventing irregularities and political interference in beneficiary selection. The Family Card programme is being introduced as part of the government’s broader social protection efforts to support low-income and vulnerable households across the country. Speaking at the meeting, the Finance Minister stressed the importance of establishing a fair and credible beneficiary selection process so that the programme serves those who are genuinely in need. Among others, Social Welfare Minister Prof Dr A.Z.M. Zahid Hossain, State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin, and State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam attended the meeting.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Convener of the Citizen's Platform on Monday said the budget's fiscal architecture remains "devoid of realism" despite its welfare-oriented rhetoric. The national budget, while thoughtfully designed in its policy framework, falls critically short in reaching the country's most disadvantaged citizens, he said while presenting a detailed analysis at a media briefing at BRAC Centre in Mohakhali. "The real budget question is not how much we are spending, but whose vulnerabilities we are choosing to protect," he said. Debapriya said FY26 economic growth of 4.14 percent became "exclusionary", failing to lower prices, raise real wages or create jobs where disadvantaged people actually work. He noted that headline CPI inflation reached 9.42 percent in May 2026 while wage growth stood at only 8.13 percent, leaving real wages negative and domestic savings also fell sharply from 25.76 percent of GDP in FY23 to 21.38 percent in FY26, weakening household resilience. Large-scale manufacturing growth collapsed to 1.76 percent in FY26, he said, while RMG export receipts fell 1.9 percent between July and April, threatening livelihoods across a sector employing millions of low-income workers, particularly women. The budget targets revenue mobilisation at 10.2 percent of GDP and public expenditure at 13.7 percent, while aiming to contain the deficit at around 3.5 percent of GDP. Debapriya described the macroeconomic framework as prepared "without proper professionalism," noting the budget requires a 52.9 percent revenue growth from a base that missed its FY26 target by 22.7 percent. He raised concern over the revenue mix, pointing out that 59 percent of incremental revenue relies on indirect taxes: VAT, customs duty and supplementary duty, which burden all consumers equally regardless of income. VAT alone accounts for 32.9 percent of the FY27 revenue target, with an incremental share of 41.2 percent. "This raises serious concerns about tax justice and equity," he said. On the positive side, Citizen's Platform acknowledged that 59.5 percent of the incremental budget has been directed toward education, health, and social security marking what it called a "decisive shift" in expenditure priorities. Social protection allocation has risen to 2.11 percent of GDP and 15.39 percent of the national budget, the highest share on record. The platform welcomed the consolidation of social security programmes from 95 to 90, the expansion of the Government-to-Person (G2P) digital payment system to over 3.26 crore beneficiaries across 29 programmes, and the introduction of the Family Card and Farmers Card as pro-poor flagship initiatives. However, it cautioned that civil service pension alone accounts for 24.51 percent of the social protection budget, an occupational entitlement for government employees rather than a universal right. Combined education, health and social protection spending amounts to only 4.82 percent of GDP, roughly 15 percent of the benchmark maintained in welfare states, the platform noted. The budget raises the tax-free income threshold from Tk 3.5 lakh to Tk 3.75 lakh and removes import duties on 60 essential food items including rice, wheat, fish, potatoes, and edible oil, steps the platform acknowledged may ease inflationary pressure on low-income households. Duty exemptions were also extended on 21 categories of assistive devices for persons with disabilities, 51 active pharmaceutical ingredient inputs and nine cancer drug raw materials. But Debapriya said persons with disabilities, the third gender, Dalit communities, indigenous peoples, climate-vulnerable households and urban slum dwellers, the most marginalised groups received the least targeted support. He also flagged that doubling of advance tax on savings certificates from 5 percent to 10 percent and reduction of the tax rebate on listed securities investments would hurt middle-income savers who depend on such instruments. The platform criticised the budget for leaving wealth tax and inheritance tax untapped as revenue sources while offering no unemployment insurance for workers who lose jobs, and no dedicated social protection architecture for urban or informal sector workers. "Bangladesh is deploying welfare state vocabulary without a welfare state fiscal architecture," Debapriya said. He called on the government to publish credible real-time data, require the Finance Minister to present quarterly statements to parliament under the Public Finance and Budget Management Act 2009, and ensure that Leave No One Behind remains a guiding principle across all fiscal decisions. The Citizen's Platform said it has set up a Reform Tracker to monitor progress not only in fiscal terms but against the reform measures and their outcomes.