United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday sought expanded investment from Japan’s Marubeni Corporation in Bangladesh’s IT, fertiliser and energy sectors, including a 2nd KAFCO plant and a planned AI-based data centre. He made the call when a high-level delegation of Marubeni Corporation, led by its President and CEO Masayuki Omoto, met him at his office in the Secretariat, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin. During the meeting, the Prime Minister said the government is working to create a favourable investment climate to harness the country’s economic potential and generate new employment opportunities. He welcomed Marubeni’s investment in Bangladesh’s IT, fertiliser and energy sectors and stressed the need to expand the company’s long-standing business ties with Bangladesh, particularly in jute products, into new areas of cooperation.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday assured support for a technology that could turn waste into fuel oil and help reduce Bangladesh’s dependence on imported energy. He gave the assurance as a team of researchers led by Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) Professor Dr Md Khalequzzaman briefed him on the technology at his office in Tejgaon, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. The technology uses a process known as hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) to convert human waste, waste from sewage treatment plants, kitchen waste and agricultural residues into fuel oil. The researchers said they have been working on the technology for around 10 years and have achieved a 50–55 percent biocrude yield in laboratory tests. They have also made progress in producing biocrude with a high diesel content. The next step is to set up a pilot plant capable of processing one to three tonnes of waste daily to assess the technology’s efficiency, production costs and commercial viability.The estimated cost of the pilot project is Tk 100–120 crore.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday sought DP World’s investment in free trade zones and rail-based inland container depots in Bangladesh as he discussed expanding trade, investment and logistics cooperation with the UAE-based global port operator. A delegation, led by DP World Chairman Essa Kazim, met the Prime Minister at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat and discussed various issues of mutual interest, including trade and investment between Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates, port management and development of the logistics sector, said PM’s Assistant Press Secretary Md Nazmul Haque Khan. The meeting also discussed the 15-year concession agreement signed between Bangladesh and DP World for the operation and modernisation of the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) at Chittagong Port. Under the agreement, DP World will operate and maintain the container terminal and its overflow container yard.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday directed the authorities concerned to establish at least one playground in every union and set up at least 1,000 playgrounds across the country within the next two months to create a healthy and sports-friendly environment for children, adolescents and young people. He also directed for ensuring at least one playground for every two to three wards of the two city corporations of Dhaka, said a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Press Wing. The Prime Minister gave the directives at a meeting on establishing union-level playgrounds and expanding sports activities held at the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat in the afternoon. The meeting discussed making 40 playgrounds in Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and 90 in Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) suitable for sports and launching regular sporting activities there by December. Stressing implementation of the pledge made in the BNP’s election manifesto, Tarique Rahman ordered the establishment of at least one playground in every union. He also emphasised expanding sports opportunities for the physical and mental development of the next generation and keeping the playgrounds open to all. According to the meeting, initiatives have been taken to establish playgrounds in all 4,599 unions across the country in phases. So far, 403 sites of khas land have been identified in 27 districts for developing as playgrounds. The proposed playgrounds will range from three to eight bighas in size. A decision has also been taken to appoint a sports officer in each upazila to ensure proper maintenance of the playgrounds and organise regular sporting activities.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday pledged to build a Bangladesh where religion, race or identity will not stand in the way of anyone’s rights and opportunities, with equal rights and dignity for every citizen. “We want to build a Bangladesh where religion, race or identity will not stand in the way of people’s rights and opportunities. Our goal is to ensure equal rights and dignity for every citizen of the country,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks at a view-exchange meeting with representatives of the Hindu and Buddhist communities at his office at the Secretariat, said his Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin. During the meeting, representatives of the Hindu community thanked the Prime Minister for extending the government holiday for Durga Puja, saying the decision has added to the festive joy of the Hindu community. The representatives of the Hindu and Buddhist communities also raised various problems, needs and demands before the Prime Minister. Tarique Rahman listened to their views and assured them that the government is sincerely working for the welfare of people from all communities. “We will make our utmost efforts to do whatever is possible on behalf of the government. Your reasonable demands and problems will be considered with importance,” he said. The Hindu community representatives invited the Prime Minister to visit different Durga Puja mandaps during five-day Durga Puja beginning on October 17.  

Toyota Tsusho Corporation is eying to launch vehicle manufacturing in Bangladesh, as a high-level delegation of the Japanese company briefed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on its investment plans on Tuesday. The delegation, led by Toyota Tsusho Vice Chairman Ichiro Kashitani, met the Prime Minister at his office in the Secretariat and informed him of the company’s plan to establish a Toyota vehicle manufacturing plant in Bangladesh, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin. The delegation said the initiative will contribute to employment generation, industrialisation expansion, technology transfer and the development of skilled human resources in the country.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday recalled a childhood memory of seeing a fresh pugmark of a Royal Bengal Tiger beside a pond in the Sundarbans during a three-day family trip with his parents and younger brother. Responding to a child’s question about his favourite childhood memory, Tarique Rahman said his father, Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, once took him, his younger brother and their mother, Begum Khaleda Zia, to the Sundarbans. “We went to the Sundarbans. We got down at a place called Hiron Point, which was like a small island. There was a pond there. Local people told us that a tiger had come to the pond the previous night to drink water. There was a very fresh pugmark of the Royal Bengal Tiger in the mud beside the pond. I still remember that,” he said. The Prime Minister was answering questions from children at a special session at Bangladesh Shishu Academy marking Children’s Rights Day 2026 and the 50th anniversary of the academy. Asked what he had dreamed of becoming when he was a child, Tarique Rahman said he did not have any particular ambition at that age. “To tell you the truth, I did not really have any dream then. When I was little like you, I only thought that when I grew up, I would buy all the toys,” he said. Responding to a question about the government’s plans to ensure a bright future and quality education for children, the Prime Minister said children should be given opportunities to develop their abilities alongside their studies.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday said his government is working to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable housing for all citizens while pursuing planned and decentralised urban development across the country. “Livable, affordable, environmentally friendly and safe housing with basic services for all, or universal housing, is a fundamental constitutional right of citizens. The government is firmly committed to ensuring and safeguarding this right,” he said. The prime minister made the remarks while addressing a discussion marking World Habitat Day 2026 at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre. The Ministry of Housing and Public Works organised the programme under the theme “Universal Housing, Sustainable Urbanisation.” The prime minister said ensuring planned urbanisation and housing facilities for low- and lower-middle-income people is one of the government’s electoral commitments. He said the government is taking steps to prepare master plans for city corporations and districts across the country to ensure planned urban development. “Ensuring planned urbanisation and housing facilities for people with limited incomes is one of our government’s major electoral commitments,” Tarique said. He said housing should not be viewed merely as a physical structure, but as a comprehensive living environment involving safe drinking water, uninterrupted electricity, improved sanitation, public transport, better road management, education and healthcare facilities, adequate employment opportunities and a safe environment for a dignified life. “It is now a necessity not only to provide housing for citizens but also to ensure that such housing is safe and sustainable,” Tarique added. The Prime Minister acknowledged that ensuring such housing for all citizens is more difficult in a densely populated country like Bangladesh than in developed countries. “Yet, if we want to survive with dignity in a competitive world, we must move forward by facing every challenge and keeping pace with the rest of the world,” he said. Pressure on cities The prime minister said population pressure is continuously increasing in cities, towns and urban centres across Bangladesh, with Dhaka now being “overpopulated” by any standard. He said other major cities are also facing similar pressures, making the concept of universal housing and sustainable urbanisation particularly important for Bangladesh. Tarique Rahman, however, noted that implementing these goals is not as easy as articulating them, particularly given the country’s existing realities. The government, Tarique said, is nevertheless taking steps to address the challenges and implement its plans. Master plans, secondary townships The prime minister said the government is working to reduce population pressure on urban areas by improving fast, affordable and safe connectivity between Dhaka and other cities and the rest of the country. At the same time, the government is working to improve civic amenities in rural areas so that better facilities outside cities can help reduce pressure on urban centres, he said. Tarique said development in Bangladesh was concentrated around Dhaka and a few major cities in the past. The government now wants to bring every region into the mainstream of national development and promote decentralised and balanced urban and regional development, he said. “Our goal is not to concentrate urban development in one particular place. Rather, we want balanced and decentralised urban and regional development so that development spreads across all areas,” Tarique said. He said the Ministry of Housing and Public Works is working on a nationwide planning initiative as well as a plan to develop secondary townships around Dhaka. The prime minister said new development authorities have already been established in Sylhet, Mymensingh, Barishal, Cumilla, Rangpur and Narayanganj, which would help facilitate planned urbanisation in those areas. He expressed the hope that these initiatives would contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11, which calls for inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. “It will take time, but we will be able to achieve it gradually, InshaAllah,” he said. Environment at centre of housing plans Tarique said environmental protection was a major consideration in the government’s plans for liveable housing and urban development. He said the government had set a target of planting 250 million trees across the country over the next five years. The Prime Minister also stressed the need for effective waste management in Dhaka and other city corporations and districts, saying the government was working to properly manage the growing volume of waste generated by people’s daily activities. He said population pressure and rapid urbanisation had made proper waste management increasingly important for protecting the environment. Public-private cooperation needed Tarique said tackling the housing crisis in urban areas would be difficult for the government alone and called for coordinated participation by major entrepreneurs and stakeholders in the housing sector. He said private-sector stakeholders could play an important role in addressing the housing challenges and ensuring affordable, environmentally friendly and safe housing with basic services. The government, Tarique said, is also working on block-based housing schemes, area-based parks and playgrounds, and designated industrial zones as part of its broader urban planning efforts. The prime minister expressed confidence that the government would gradually implement its plans and make safe housing for all a reality for the citizens of Bangladesh. He wished success for the World Habitat Day 2026 programmes and formally declared their inauguration. Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher Sumon, State Minister for Housing and Public Works Ahmad Sohel Manzur, ministry secretary Md Obaidur Rahman and UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Ms Carol Flore-Smerecznia,  among others, addressed the programme. Before joining the programme, the prime minister planted a Swarna Champa on the premises of the conference centre. The Prime Minister also inaugurated a three-day housing fair at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre  after attending the discussion programme. Various organisations from the housing and construction sectors, along with different departments and agencies under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, are participating in the fair. The prime minister visited different stalls at the fair and later signed the visitors’ book. World Habitat Day is also being observed across all divisions and districts of the country through various programmes, including publication of a souvenir, special discussions on television and radio, and displaying banners, posters and festoons at important locations. Since 1986, World Habitat Day has been observed in Bangladesh and countries around the world. At the programme, a special documentary on World Habitat Day 2026 was screened and the prime minister unveiled a souvenir marking the day.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday called for deeper regional cooperation in trade, energy, technology, climate and maritime affairs to turn the Bay of Bengal into a region of shared prosperity. “Let the Bay of Bengal become a region where nations grow together, embrace mutual and reciprocal benefits, and citizens expand meaningful cooperation,” he said while inaugurating the fifth Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh’s strategic location, ports, waterways and coastal economy offered significant opportunities to connect the country with the wider world through shipping, fisheries, tourism, energy and regional supply chains. “Regionally, our shared geography should become a shared prosperity,” he said, stressing the need for deeper bilateral and multilateral engagement. Tarique said Bangladesh could expand cooperation with regional and global partners in trade, energy, education, technology, climate and maritime affairs, while opening new markets and creating more opportunities for young people. “We can build stronger cooperation based on equality, fairness and justice. Geography has brought us together; and we are confident that people-to-people ties can take us further,” he said. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh believes in dialogue, partnership and mutual respect and would protect its national interests and sovereignty while working positively with all regional and global partners. “Because peace and harmony are the foundation of shared prosperity and development,” he said.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman returned home on Sunday morning after wrapping up his five-day visit to the United States to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). “An Emirates flight carrying the Prime Minister, his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman and members of his entourage reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via Dubai around 8:20am,” PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu told UNB. Upon his arrival, Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni, Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General (retd) AKM Shamsul Islam, Whip Miah Nuruddin Ahmad Apu, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar and local MP SM Jahangir Hossain received the Prime Minister at the airport. After a six-hour transit stop in Dubai, the Emirates flight departed Dubai International Airport for Dhaka at 2:15am local time, Shiplu said.