United News of Bangladesh

More than 100 native birds have died after pesticide was applied to a grassland in Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga. The incident occurred in Dakshinpara of Parkrishnapur-Madna union, where the landowner allegedly used poison to control insects in his grassland on Saturday afternoon. Local residents said birds of different species began dying from Saturday night after feeding on poisoned rice and insects in the field. The deaths caused concern among people in the area. On Sunday night, Damurhuda Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Shahin Alam visited the site after receiving information about the incident. During the visit, the landowner's son Rajan was questioned and admitted that pesticide had been applied to the land. The mobile court later fined him Tk 500 and warned him against using pesticides in a way that could harm birds and the environment. Assistant Commissioner (Land) Shahin Alam said farmers need to be more careful while using pesticides to protect crops. “Pesticides must not be used in a manner that harms birds, the environment or biodiversity,” he said, urging farmers to remain cautious to prevent such incidents in future.

A mild earthquake jolted Narsingdi and its adjoining areas early Monday. The tremor, measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale, struck at 5:32am, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). The epicentre was in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi, about 47 kilometres northeast of Dhaka, the BMD said. No casualties or damage were reported immediately.  

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Division filed 1,329 cases against traffic law violators during a crackdown across different areas of the capital on Saturday, said a press release issued on Sunday. According to the DMP Traffic Division, the Traffic-Ramna division filed 90 cases involving seven buses, two trucks, five covered vans, eight CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 30 motorcycles. Traffic-Lalbagh division filed 135 cases against violators, including 28 buses, four trucks, one covered van, 17 CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 66 motorcycles. Motijheel division filed the highest number of cases among the divisions, with 230 cases involving 18 buses, three trucks, 17 covered vans, 58 CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 86 motorcycles. Wari division filed 98 cases involving 14 buses, seven trucks, five covered vans, four CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 37 motorcycles. Tejgaon division filed 122 cases against six buses, seven covered vans, 20 CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 45 motorcycles. Mirpur division filed 334 cases — the highest among all traffic divisions — involving 16 buses, 17 trucks, 37 covered vans, 49 CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 146 motorcycles. Uttara division filed 204 cases involving 17 buses, seven trucks, six covered vans, 26 CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 81 motorcycles. Gulshan division filed 116 cases involving 17 buses, five trucks, seven covered vans, six CNG-run auto-rickshaws and 27 motorcycles. During the drive, a total of 493 vehicles were dumped and 338 vehicles were towed away, the DMP said. The Traffic Division said such drives will continue in different parts of the capital to maintain traffic discipline in Dhaka metropolitan areas.

As many as 1,667 women and girls across Bangladesh were subjected to various forms of violence between January and July this year, with 83 girl children and 258 women killed and 292 raped, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad said on Sunday. The rights organisation disclosed the figures at a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the afternoon, staged to protest the continuing violence, rape, murder and killing of children across the country. Speaking at the programme, Mohila Parishad president Fauzia Moslem said an analysis of data showed that 83 girl children and 258 women were killed over the past seven months, of which 31 incidents were linked to rape and post-rape murder. She, however, cautioned that the figures likely understate the actual scale of violence. "The information we are getting has mainly been compiled from a limited number of newspaper reports, based on data from only 14 newspapers. Yet there are numerous other media outlets in the country. Had we received data from all media, the real picture of violence against women could have been far more alarming," she said, questioning how far women's right to live safely is actually ensured in Bangladesh. Mohila Parishad general secretary Maleka Banu said 1,667 women and children faced different forms of violence between January and July 2026, of whom 292 women and girls were victims of rape. "These incidents make it clear that women and children in Bangladesh are not fully safe anywhere today. It is not just rape or sexual violence, women and children are also falling victim to murder, torture and various other forms of violence. The most worrying part is that we are failing to bring down this trend of violence. Even children who have not yet reached physical and mental maturity, who have not yet reached an age where they identify themselves as women, are becoming victims of sexual violence," she said. Other speakers at the programme said the rising violence against women is a matter of grave concern, describing Bangladesh as having turned into a "safe haven" for rape and abuse. They noted that women have been the primary targets of violence at every turn, from the country's independence struggle to the present day. Citing prevailing patriarchal attitudes and discriminatory social norms that fail to treat women as human beings, the speakers called for building a social movement, ensuring proper enforcement of laws, and monitoring their implementation to prevent ongoing violence, rape, murder and killing of children, while urging the head of state to run the country with patriotism, humanity and a sense of responsibility to restore trampled human rights.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury on Sunday stressed the need for democratisation of the country’s economy to make political democracy successful. “Political democracy alone is not enough. If we cannot democratise our economy, political democracy cannot be successful,” he said. The Finance Minister made the remarks while addressing a discussion titled “July Mass Uprising commemoration ceremony 2026” at the Central Auditorium of BUET in the capital. Explaining the concept of democratization of the economy, Khosru said its fundamental idea is to ensure that every citizen of Bangladesh can participate in all sectors of the country’s economy. “The basic idea behind the democratisation of the economy is that every person in Bangladesh will have the opportunity to participate in the economy. The benefits of the economy must reach every person regardless of their position,” he said. The finance minister said the people of Bangladesh were not only deprived of their rights during the Sheikh Hasina regime, but the country’s independence and sovereignty were also put into question. “There was a tendency to remain in power even by selling the interests of the country that everything had to be sold to stay in power. This created a major question over our sovereignty,” he said. “That is why one of the slogans of our Prime Minister is, ‘Bangladesh first,’” he added. State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said the July Uprising doesn’t belong to any person or group and warned against attempts to turn the uprising into a means of personal or political business. “July does not belong to any individual or any party,” he said. “Some political parties are constantly capitalizing on the events of July. We want to steer clear of this kind of opportunism,” he added. He said the government would implement the public aspirations reflected in the July uprising. “We want to implement the aspirations of July as July is the fruit of 17 years of struggle,” he said. The vice chancellor of BUET professor Dr. Eqramul Hoque, Pro vice chancellor Mohammad Shariful Islam along with families of July martyrs were also present among the guests.

A fire that broke out at a helmet warehouse in Dhaka’s Bangshal area on Sunday evening was brought under control. Six firefighting units from Siddik Bazar Fire Station rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control at 7:55pm, said Warehouse Inspector Anwarul Islam of the Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) headquarters media cell. The fire broke out around 6:04pm on the second floor of a six-storey building at Mukim Bazar, he said. No casualties were reported until 8:10pm, when the report was filed. The cause of the fire could not immediately be ascertained.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj on Sunday expressed hope that major and visible changes will be made to the country’s primary education system over the next two to three years. He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a training workshop titled “Classroom Management, Monitoring, Accountability and Changing Expectations for Local Administration in Primary Education” at the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE) auditorium in Mymensingh in the afternoon. The workshop was organised by the Divisional Primary Education Office, Mymensingh. The state minister said the authorities are working in a planned manner to fulfil the responsibility entrusted by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to transform primary education. He said the workshop discussed school management, ensuring students’ rights and facilities, greater community involvement in schools and effective leadership in the education sector. Bobby Hajjaj said the primary education sector has made significant progress during the government’s first 180 days. He said emphasis is being placed on curriculum development, teacher training, a new teacher policy, value-based education, cultural activities, sports and technology-based learning. Citing the Prime Minister’s instruction that no child should be left out of the classroom, the state minister said initiatives have been taken to provide primary students with nutritious midday meals, free uniforms, shoes and school bags to achieve this goal. On infrastructure, he said the government’s aim is not simply to construct school buildings but to create modern, safe and student-friendly learning environments. “We want to turn government primary schools into shining stars in every locality,” he said. Bobby Hajjaj said a speaking test will be introduced alongside the written English examination under the new primary education curriculum to improve students’ communication skills. He said an integrated IT ecosystem is being developed to modernise student information management and education programmes, with each student receiving a unique identity. The workshop was presided over by Divisional Deputy Director of Primary Education Muhammad Rafiqul Islam Talukder.

The government is planning to plant a special species of grass, locally known as "Binna" (vetiver), across river erosion-prone areas of the country as a low-cost, nature-based defence against riverbank erosion and soil loss, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said on Sunday. "Binna grass can be an effective, environment-friendly and low-cost natural solution to river erosion, soil erosion and land degradation. Planting it systematically along riverbanks, embankment slopes, haor areas and erosion-prone zones can significantly increase soil stability," the minister said while addressing a meeting on "Vetiver Grass Policy for Bangladesh" at Pani Bhaban in the capital's Panthapath. The minister said the roots of Binna grass penetrate deep into the soil and hold it firmly in place, helping reduce erosion caused by rainwater, waves and currents. He said the use of the grass along riverbanks, canal banks, embankments, hill slopes and haor regions could help maintain ecological balance while enhancing the durability of infrastructure, and called for wider use of the grass to protect soil on riverbanks and embankments across the country. The water resources ministry is prioritising sustainable and environment-friendly initiatives to protect the country's rivers, canals, embankments and reservoirs, he added. Speaking at the event, State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad said climate change is increasing the risk of floods, river erosion, excessive rainfall and land degradation in the country. He said tackling these natural disasters requires greater emphasis on nature-based, environment-friendly solutions instead of relying solely on concrete infrastructure, adding that Binna grass could play an effective role in this regard. Professor Mohammad Shariful Islam, pro-vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), made a PowerPoint presentation on the benefits and potential of Binna grass at the event, which was attended by senior officials of the ministry and its affiliated departments and agencies.

A total of 409 engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD) have been transferred and posted through a lottery system aimed at ensuring transparency and impartiality in the process. A lottery event was held at the conference room of the PWD Bhaban in Segunbagicha on Sunday. Of the engineers transferred, 152 are assistant engineers (civil) and 67 are assistant engineers (electrical/mechanical), 135 are sub-divisional engineers (civil) and 55 are sub-divisional engineers (electrical/mechanical). Among the assistant engineers, 100 were transferred and posted to different offices under Dhaka division, 20 to Rajshahi, 34 to Chattogram, 20 to Khulna, 12 to Barishal, seven to Sylhet, nine to Mymensingh and 17 to Rangpur divisions. Of the sub-divisional engineers, 79 were transferred and posted to different offices under Dhaka division, 18 to Rajshahi, 32 to Chattogram, 20 to Khulna, 10 to Barishal, nine to Sylhet, seven to Mymensingh and 15 to Rangpur divisions. The lottery system was introduced to ensure transparency, neutrality and discipline in the transfer and posting of PWD engineers. Earlier, 767 sub-assistant engineers (civil) were transferred through a lottery on July 30, while 254 sub-assistant engineers (electrical/mechanical) were transferred on Aug

Students of the Geography and Environmental Sciences Department of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR), began a hunger strike on Sunday demanding a five-point solution to the session jam, among other issues. The students began the strike in front of the main gate of Academic Building-2 around 11am. Their demands include completing the fourth-year first-semester final examinations by November and the second-semester examinations by March 30; publishing examination results within four to six weeks of the end of each semester; ensuring that no student faces discrimination or retaliation in marks or evaluation for taking part in the movement; and providing a written assurance from the university administration on implementing the demands. The students said their strike would continue until academic activities, including timely publication of results, are completed and the session jam is resolved. A protesting student said the third-year first-semester examinations began in the second week of November last year and ended in the first week of December, but the results have yet to be published even after nearly 10 months. Another student said the delay in publishing results had put their academic lives in uncertainty and disrupted their future plans. Md Mostafizur Rahman, head of the department, said the department was facing a session jam for various reasons, including a shortage of teachers and classrooms. “We need five laboratories, but currently have only two,” he said, adding that the department had recently taken an initiative to resolve the problems through discussions with students. “However, I do not know why the students of the 2021-22 academic year suddenly went on a hunger strike,” he said. Regarding the delay in publishing the results, Professor Dr Mosha Sifat Rumana, chairman of the examination committee for the 2021-22 academic year, said the delay was caused partly by teachers taking time to submit marks. “As the chairman of the examination committee, I am not solely responsible for all the work,” she said, adding that the results were expected to be published by today. Professor Dr Md Ferdous Rahman, Registrar (additional responsibility) of the university, said the institution was facing some crises and limitations. “The results of the first semester of the third year are now being processed for publication,” he said. “We have taken the initiative to complete one semester within six months. If necessary, students have agreed to attend classes on Fridays and public holidays,” he said, expressing hope that the problem would be resolved soon.