United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday unveiled plaques of various government development initiatives at the historic Sholakia Eidgah, where he also announced a Tk 17 crore project to improve facilities at the centuries-old Eid prayer ground. He said lakhs of people gather at the venue to offer Eid prayers and so, the government has taken the initiative to develop the field and make it more suitable for devotees. The Prime Minister said Tk 6 crore has already been released in favour of the district administration, while the development work will begin soon. “The field will be developed and beautified so that devotees can offer their Eid prayers comfortably,” he said. He also joined a tree-planting programme organised by Kishoreganj district unit of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and planted a sapling himself, highlighting the importance of protecting the environment and increasing greenery. Calling for more trees at the historic venue, Tarique Rahman said the government wants to plant a large number of neem trees on the Eidgah premises, following the example of the Arafat Maidan. He said the trees will provide shade and create a healthier environment for worshippers, children playing in the field and people who come here for morning and evening walks. The Prime Minister also urged local residents to take initiatives to protect the environment of the Eidgah and its surrounding area. After the programme, he left Kishoreganj for Dhaka by road, said his Deputy Press Secretary Md Sujauddhoula. Tarique Rahman’s presence at the historic Sholakia Eidgah generated considerable enthusiasm among local residents, with people from different walks of life gathering at the venue to see him and hear his remarks.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged people to remain vigilant against those spreading confusion and rumours in the country, and assess their activities in light of their past roles. “There are many confusion-makers and rumourmongers in the country. We must remain alert to them and see what they did in the past,” he said. The Prime Minister made the remarks while inaugurating the distribution of Family Cards, other financial assistance, and honorarium for imams, muezzins, khadims, and religious personnel at the Old Kishoreganj Stadium. He urged people to assess present and future activities of those trying to create confusion in light of their past roles and asked them to keep their “eyes and ears open.” “The time has come to keep the country stable. We must not be misled by anyone trying to create confusion. If anyone comes to mislead the people, they must be given a befitting response as in the past,” Tarique Rahman said. In an oblique reference to opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, he recalled its role in 1971, 1986 and 1996, saying the people had witnessed its stance during those periods. The Prime Minister claimed that those now trying to create confusion against the BNP government had not been seen on the streets during the people’s movement of the past 17 years. He said BNP leaders and activists, along with those of political parties that stood with the BNP during the movement, had faced repression, enforced disappearances and killings. Tarique Rahman said the BNP’s politics is centred on the people and aimed at changing their fortunes as well as those of the country. “Our goal is to work for the people and change their fortunes. Only by changing the fortunes of the people can we change the fortunes of the country,” he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday called for greater public awareness and coordinated efforts to save rivers, canals, haors, beels and other water bodies from pollution, saying safeguarding the environment is essential to protecting the country’s fisheries resources. “If we are truly conscious and want to protect our environment, and if we want to save our fish, then we must also pay attention to protecting the environment. We must safeguard our natural environment,” he said, pointing to the growing pollution of water bodies by plastic bottles, tissue paper and other waste. The Prime Minister made the remarks while inaugurating National Fisheries Fortnight-2026 at the George Institute Mini Stadium in Achmita union of Katiadi upazila. The fortnight is being observed across the country from August 16 to 30 under the theme “A self-sufficient country through silver fish, Bangladesh first.” Tarique Rahman said fisheries play a vital role in meeting the country’s nutritional needs while creating employment through fish farming, catching, transportation, processing and marketing. “There is a very important issue closely linked to fisheries that is the environment. For whatever reason, we are seeing that the environment of our canals, rivers, haors, beels and other water bodies is gradually being degraded by various forms of waste generated by our daily activities, including tissue paper, plastics and discarded water bottles,” he said. The Prime Minister said protecting the environment will enable people to live in a healthy environment, allow children to grow up in healthy surroundings, and help the country develop its fisheries and livestock sectors sustainably. He urged everyone to work together to conserve aquatic resources, promote environment-friendly and sustainable fish farming and distribution, and increase fish production, harvesting and productivity so that Bangladesh can become a nutritious, self-reliant and prosperous country. “To build such a Bangladesh, all of us must work with awareness, sincerity and dedication,” Tarique Rahman said. He also called for the restoration and productive use of the country’s ponds, haors, beels and other water bodies to expand fish production, create employment and raise incomes, particularly among young people and marginalised communities. “Bangladesh is a riverine country. There are opportunities to become self-reliant by using ponds, beels, haors, baors and other water bodies, or even small areas of land, for fish farming,” the Prime Minister said. At the inaugural programme, Tarique Rahman handed over the National Fisheries Medal (Gold Medal) to 14 individuals and organisations in 13 categories in recognition of their contributions to fisheries production, innovation, research, technology, conservation, exports and employment generation. Highlighting the importance of the fisheries sector, he said it plays a vital role in increasing the incomes of marginalised people. The Prime Minister said the government has decided to renovate unused water bodies across the country, release fish fry there and allocate those to local young people so that they can engage in fish farming and create employment. He said he has already instructed State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku to take necessary steps in this regard. Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh earned more than Tk 6,000 crore in foreign currency by exporting fish and fish products to around 52 countries in the 2025-26 fiscal year. He credited entrepreneurs, traders, fish farmers and everyone involved in the sector with the achievement. The Prime Minister said Bangladesh has significant potential to emerge as a major global producer of freshwater fish. Citing a report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in June, he said Bangladesh ranked fifth globally in the production of aquatic animals, including fish, while it ranked second in the world in inland fish capture. Tarique Rahman said planned efforts could create more employment in the fisheries sector while increasing foreign exchange earnings. Referring to ongoing initiatives, he said the Department of Fisheries has formed 300 clusters in the Khulna region to promote cluster-based shrimp farming, resulting in more than doubling average production in around 7,500 farms. The Prime Minister also said a master plan has been prepared to develop shrimp farming on around 7,000 acres of land in Chakaria upazila of Cox's Bazar, including infrastructure development. He also highlighted government measures for the conservation and development of hilsa, describing it as not only Bangladesh's national fish and an economic asset but also a globally recognised Geographical Indication (GI) product. Tarique Rahman said hilsa accounts for around 10 percent of the country's total fish production and more than 1 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The government is also giving priority to the fisheries, livestock and aquatic-resource sectors because millions of Bangladeshis depend directly or indirectly on these activities, he said. The Prime Minister said around 2 crore people, including 14 lakh women, are directly or indirectly dependent on the fisheries sector. For this reason, he said the government considers ensuring the safety and uninterrupted development of the sector a major responsibility. Tarique Rahman said fisheries, livestock and the blue economy have been placed among the government's priority sectors because millions of Bangladeshis remain connected to these activities as part of the country's traditional economic structure. He said the government is committed to improving the livelihoods of fish farmers and fishermen. The Prime Minister said fish farmers will be brought under the Farmers’ Card programme, while registration and issuance of identity cards for fishermen are ongoing. For the first time in the 2026-27 fiscal year, fishermen in the Sundarbans and haor regions have also been brought under the VGF programme during fishing bans, he said. Tarique Rahman also called on entrepreneurs and businesses to explore new overseas markets for Bangladeshi products. He said Bangladesh has exported hatching eggs to Nigeria for the first time in June and urged entrepreneurs to seek new export opportunities, assuring them of government support. The Prime Minister also announced that the government has established a Tk 500 crore startup fund to encourage technology-driven employment, research, innovation and the development of a knowledge-based economy. He said promising startups will receive grants ranging from Tk 5 lakh to Tk 5 crore, stressing that the assistance will be provided as grants, not loans. Tarique Rahman urged young entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunity. National Fisheries Fortnight will feature rallies, discussions, seminars, fish fairs, fish-fry releases, technology exhibitions, awareness campaigns and programmes to honour successful fish farmers across the country. The programmes aim to promote safe fish production, sustainable management of fisheries resources, modern farming technologies and awareness of the nutritional value of fish. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid chaired the inaugural programme. State Minister Tuku, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md Shariful Alam, Kishoreganj-2 MP Md Jalal Uddin, Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Delwar Hossain and Department of Fisheries Director General Md Khaled Kanak, among others, attended the event. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister released fish fry into the old Brahmaputra River in Pakundia, visited the Katiadi Carp Hatchery Complex and exchanged greetings with local people. Following the fisheries programme, he is scheduled to inaugurate a tree-planting programme at Sholakia Eidgah and attend a Family Card distribution programme at Kishoreganj Stadium.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated National Fisheries Fortnight-2026 here on Sunday, stressing the need to strengthen the fisheries sector to advance the government’s vision of a self-reliant and welfare-oriented Bangladesh. He formally opened the fisheries fortnight, which is being observed across the country from August 16 to 30 under the theme “A self-sufficient country through silver fish, Bangladesh first,” at the George Institution Mini Stadium in Achmita Union of Katiadi upazila. On his arrival at the stadium amid rains, Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku and State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam welcomed him. At the inaugural ceremony, Tarique handed over the National Fisheries Medal (Gold) to 14 individuals and organisations in 13 categories in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the country's fisheries sector. The awardees were recognised for their contributions to areas including fisheries production, research, technological innovation, extension services, administrative efficiency and entrepreneurship development. Earlier in the day, the prime minister began his Kishoreganj programme by releasing fish fry into the Old Brahmaputra River at Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat area of Pakundia at around 11:30am. He also distributed fish fry among local people and exchanged greetings with residents. The programme was organised as part of the activities marking National Fisheries Fortnight, with the government seeking to increase fish production while protecting the country's natural fisheries resources. Speaking at a public gathering there, Tarique said his government wanted to establish Bangladesh as a welfare state, while stressing the importance of developing the country’s productive sectors. Later, the prime minister visited the Katiadi Carp Hatchery Complex before joining the inauguration and award ceremony at the Achmita George Institute field. The National Fisheries Fortnight has been organised with programmes across districts and upazilas, including rallies, discussions, seminars, fish fairs, fish-fry release, technology exhibitions, awareness campaigns and recognition of successful fish farmers. The programmes aim to promote safe fish production, sustainable management of fisheries resources, modern technology-based aquaculture and awareness of the nutritional value of fish. Fisheries, Livestock and Agriculture Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid presided over the inaugural ceremony. State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku, State Minister for Local Government Shahe Alam, State Minister for Textiles and Jute Shariful Alam, Kishoreganj-2 MP Jalal Uddin, Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Delwar Hossain and Department of Fisheries Director General Dr Md Khaled Kanak, among others, attended the event. After the fisheries programme, the prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate a tree-planting programme at Sholakia Eidgah and attend a Family Card distribution programme at the old Kishoreganj Stadium. At the programme, honorariums will also be provided to religious figures including imams, muezzins, priests, monks and pastors as part of the government's broader social-support initiatives. The prime minister is scheduled to return to Dhaka by road in the evening.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged the people of the country to keep faith in the BNP government and its development initiatives, saying his government would continue working in the interests of the country and its people. “Keep your faith in us. BNP was with you, BNP is with the people of Bangladesh and BNP will remain with the people of Bangladesh,” he said while addressing a public gathering in Pakundia after releasing fish fry into the Brahmaputra River at Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat area. Tarique Rahman said the government was formed with the support of people and would not take any step against the interests of the country and its people. “You supported us in the February 12 election and placed your trust in BNP. I clearly want to say keep that trust,” he said. Tarique Rahman said BNP will work for the people of Bangladesh. “As long as BNP remains, Inshallah, it will not do anything against the interests of the country and its people,” he added.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday released fish fry into the Brahmaputra River in Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj as part of the National Fisheries Fortnight-2026. The Prime Minister reached Pakundia around 11:30am, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon. After arriving in Pakundia, he released fish fry into the Brahmaputra River near the Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat. Earlier, Tarique Rahman left his Gulshan residence in Dhaka at 9:15am for Kishoreganj. On his way from Dhaka, hundreds of party leaders and activists, children and women gathered on both sides of the road to greet him, Rumon said. The Prime Minister waved back at them with a smile. After completing his Pakundia programme, the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the Katiadi Carp Hatchery Complex. Later in the afternoon, he will formally inaugurate National Fisheries Fortnight-2026 and distribute the National Fisheries Awards at the George Institute Mini Stadium in Achmita. His other scheduled programmes include a tree-planting event at Sholakia Ground and distribution of Family Cards at Kishoreganj Stadium.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has congratulated the Bangladesh national cricket team on their historic nine-wicket victory over Australia in the first Test in Darwin, their first Test win on Australian soil. Bangladesh secured the memorable victory on Sunday, beating the hosts by nine wickets in the series opener. The win came 23 years after Bangladesh last played a Test in Australia. The Prime Minister was on his way to Kishoreganj when Bangladesh sealed the historic victory. After the match, he spoke to the players over a video call and congratulated them on their achievement. He also conveyed greetings and congratulations to the players on behalf of the people of Bangladesh. Tarique Rahman said the historic victory against a strong Australian side on their home ground was a matter of great pride for Bangladesh cricket. He attributed the success to the players’ determination, confidence, skill and team effort. The Prime Minister congratulated the Bangladesh team, coaching staff and everyone involved in the achievement. He also expressed hope that Bangladesh will continue its strong performance in the next Test and turn its opportunity to win the series into success. Bangladesh had previously beaten Australia in a Test at Mirpur in 2017. The Darwin victory marked the Tigers’ first Test win on Australian soil.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman left Dhaka by road on Sunday morning for Kishoreganj where he will attend several programmes including the formal inauguration of the National Fisheries Week-2026. The prime minister left his Gulshan residence at around 9:15am, said his Additional Press Secretary Atiqur Rahman Rumon. During his daylong visit, Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the National Fisheries Week at the George Institution Mini Stadium in Achmita Union of Katiadi and attend several other programmes. This is the prime minister’s first visit to Kishoreganj since assuming office following the 13th parliamentary election in which the BNP secured a massive victory. According to his schedule, the prime minister will first visit Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat area in Pakundia at 11:30am, where he will release fish fry into the Brahmaputra River, distribute fish fry and exchange greetings with local people. He will visit the Katiadi Carp Hatchery Complex around 12:30pm. The Prime Minister will attend the inauguration of National Fisheries Week and the National Fisheries Award ceremony at the George Institution Mini Stadium around 1pm. He will inaugurate a tree plantation  programme at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan at 2pm. The prime minister is scheduled to have lunch at the Circuit House at around 3:15pm. At 4pm, he will attend a programme at the Old Kishoreganj Stadium, where Family Cards will be distributed and honorariums will be provided to religious figures including imams, muezzins, priests, monks and others. Tarique Rahman will leave Kishoreganj for Dhaka in the evening after completing the scheduled programmes.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday expressed deep condolences over the loss of lives and widespread destruction caused by a devastating earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara Province. In a condolence message to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the Prime Minister conveyed, on behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh, his deepest sympathy to the Indonesian government and the people of the country following the devastating earthquake. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of 38 lives and the widespread destruction caused by this tragic disaster,” he said, referring to the 7.7-magnitude earthquake. Tarique Rahman said his thoughts and prayers were with the bereaved families and all those affected by the disaster. He also wished those injured in the earthquake a speedy recovery and expressed hope that ongoing rescue and relief operations will provide much-needed assistance and comfort to the affected people. “Bangladesh stands in solidarity with Indonesia at this difficult hour and remains ready to extend all possible support and assistance,” the Prime Minister said. At least 47 people were killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake and dozens of aftershocks struck off eastern Indonesia on Saturday.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to go to Kishoreganj on Sunday to inaugurate the National Fisheries Week-2026, marking his first visit to the district since assuming office as prime minister. Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said the Prime Minister will leave for Kishoreganj on Sunday morning and attend several programmes during his daylong visit. The National Fisheries Week-2026 will be inaugurated at 1pm at the George Institute Mini Stadium in Achmita union under Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj. This year's theme is “A self-reliant country through silver fish, Bangladesh first.” According to the Prime Minister's programme, he will begin the visit at around 11:30am by releasing and distributing fish fry and exchanging greetings with local people at the Brahmaputra River in the Mirzapur Chairman Bari Ghat area of Pakundia. At 12:30pm, he will visit the Katiadi Card Hatchery Complex. The Prime Minister will then attend the fisheries week inauguration and National Fisheries Award ceremony at the George Institute field in Achmita at 1pm. At 2:30pm, he will inaugurate a tree-planting programme at the historic Sholakia Eidgah Maidan. After lunch at the Circuit House at around 3:15pm, Tarique Rahman will attend a programme at the Old Kishoreganj Stadium at 4pm, where Family Cards will be distributed and honorariums will be provided to religious figures, including imams, muezzins, priests, monks and others. The Prime Minister will return to Dhaka by road after completing the day's programmes, the additional press secretary said. State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said the National Fisheries Week will formally begin from Kishoreganj with the Prime Minister's inauguration.