United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday directed the authorities concerned to intensify cleanliness drives and public awareness campaigns across the country with people's participation to prevent the spread of dengue. He gave the directives at a meeting on the dengue situation and measures to combat the disease held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu. The Prime Minister stressed greater public participation in dengue prevention instead of relying solely on government agencies. He called for raising awareness about keeping homes and surroundings clean, removing stagnant water and waste, and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds. Tarique Rahman also directed the authorities to involve disaster management volunteers, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC), Rover Scouts and Red Crescent volunteers in cleanliness and awareness activities. He emphasised conducting cleanliness drives at the local level by engaging people through these volunteers. The meeting also discussed strengthening treatment facilities and patient-management capacity for dengue patients at upazila-level hospitals. The supply of mosquito nets for admitted dengue patients was also discussed to reduce the risk of the disease spreading through mosquitoes that bite infected patients. Stressing the need to ensure implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting, the Prime Minister said, “The decisions must be reflected in the field.” Emphasising prevention as the key to combating dengue, he directed the authorities concerned to work in a coordinated manner and undertake extensive awareness campaigns to ensure people's participation in cleanliness activities. Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, State Minister Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare MA Muhit, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Health Dr SM Ziauddin Hyder, Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Abdus Salam, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Shakirul Islam Khan and secretaries and senior officials of the ministries and divisions concerned were present.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday urged everyone to play a responsible role from their respective positions to ensure pollution-free rivers and a clean, liveable environment for future generations. “We must try to ensure pollution-free rivers and a liveable environment not only for ourselves but also for future generations,” he said. The Prime Minister made the call at a review meeting on pollution control, waste removal, conservation and management of rivers around Dhaka, ensuring navigability and improving the circular waterways, said a release issued by the PM’s Press Wing. The meeting was held at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the morning. Tarique Rahman stressed that people should not simply wait for government directives but should also act out of a sense of personal responsibility to protect the environment, rivers and waterways. The meeting reviewed the overall activities concerning pollution control and waste removal from the Buriganga, Turag, Dhaleshwari, Balu and Shitalakhya rivers and adjacent canals and drains. Those who attended the meeting also discussed measures to ensure navigability and the natural flow of water in the rivers and improve the existing circular waterways around Dhaka. The Prime Minister directed the authorities to take effective steps to quickly implement the plans already undertaken. He also stressed ensuring proper coordination among the ministries, divisions and agencies concerned to expedite the activities. Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, Industries and Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister for LGRD and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, State Minister for Shipping Md Razib Ahsan, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Dr Saimum Parvez, among others, attended the meeting. Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Commander Dhaka Naval Area Rear Admiral Abdullah-Al-Maksus, secretaries of the relevant ministries and divisions, administrators of Dhaka, Narayanganj and Gazipur city corporations and other senior officials were also present.  

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday evening sat among the audience and enjoyed a cultural programme organised by the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha (JASAS), marking the BNP’s 48th founding anniversary. Earlier, Tarique Rahman addressed a discussion organised by the BNP at the auditorium of Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in Farmgate, marking the party's anniversary. The discussion was held under the slogan “Korbo Kaj, Gorbo Desh, Sobar Age Bangladesh” (We will work, build the country, Bangladesh first).

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday accused some political parties and individuals of trying to create anarchy by exploiting the country’s ongoing power and gas crises inherited by his administration, saying everyone should act within their limits. “We are trying to resolve all the problems we have inherited, whether from the authoritarian regime or the interim government,” he said while speaking at a discussion meeting marking the BNP’s 48th founding anniversary. Tarique Rahman acknowledged that there are problems in various sectors that are causing suffering to the people. “But we are noticing that some political parties and individuals are trying in different ways to create confusion by exploiting these problems, and through this confusion they are trying to create anarchy in the country,” he said. The Prime Minister said the government will uphold the democratic process and make its utmost effort to maintain democratic principles and ethics. “But if anyone wants to create anarchy, the law of the country clearly sets out how to control such anarchy. Therefore, as a government—and not just as a government, but as a government elected by the people—I want to make it clear that everyone needs to remain within their respective limits,” he said. The discussion was held at the auditorium of the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in Farmgate. At the beginning of the programme, participants observed a one-minute silence in memory of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman, former BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and all those who sacrificed their lives for the country and the party. The event began with the national anthem, followed by the party anthem and a documentary on the BNP. President Ziaur Rahman founded the BNP on September 1, 1978. The five-day central programme marking the party’s 48th founding anniversary, which began on Tuesday, concluded with Saturday’s discussion. Tarique Rahman said the BNP inherited a fragile economy, as well as weak health, education and communication systems, after forming the government. He identified the energy crisis as the country’s biggest immediate problem, acknowledging that many people and industries are suffering from shortages of electricity and fuel. “I apologise on behalf of the party to all those who are suffering from the shortage of electricity and fuel,” the BNP chief said. He, however, said the government did not want to use the problems left behind by the previous regime or the interim government merely as excuses. “We do not want to simply cite these problems as excuses. Rather, we want to present the reality to the people and at the same time take measures so that people do not have to face such problems in the future,” the Prime Minister said. He said the BNP has already adopted an action plan to address the energy crisis and prepare the country to withstand possible future global disruptions. “An action plan requires time to formulate, and implementing it also requires some time,” Tarique Rahman said, adding that the government is taking its measures keeping possible future global crises in mind. He alleged that a political group operated in disguise during the previous authoritarian regime and that some of its members subsequently admitted their involvement. The Prime Minister also accused some political parties of attempting to spread confusion and said such activities could create an opportunity for forces associated with the ousted authoritarian regime to return to the political scene. “Could it be that those who remained hidden under the authoritarian regime are now, from within that hidden network, trying to incite this anarchy?” he asked. “If that is the case, then those who are hiding are actually working to bring that authoritarian regime back to the forefront,” Tarique Rahman said. Calling on all nationalist forces and BNP leaders and activists, he said: “Let us make the people more aware. Let us expose to the people who is taking responsibility for whom and who is trying to protect whom.” The Prime Minister alleged that certain political forces had protected or sheltered one another at different points in Bangladesh’s history. “This politics must be exposed before the people. We have to make it clear to the people..Because we have seen these forces, operating covertly, shielding and sheltering one another at different times over the years and decades—whether in 1971, 1986, 1996, over the past one and a half decades, or even today," he said. “So today, we have to expose their politics before the people. We have to make it clear to the people," Tarique Rahman said. He said the BNP had consistently sought to establish a democratic system and uphold the democratic rights of the people since the party’s inception. “We still firmly believe in this,” the Prime Minister said, adding that hundreds of thousands of BNP leaders and activists had sacrificed their lives for democracy. At the same time, he said, the BNP wants to build a humane state and a democracy where no one would face obstacles in exercising their rights. PM’s four directives to BNP leaders and activists Tarique Rahman urged party leaders and activists to help implement the government’s development programmes, including tree plantation, canal excavation and cleanliness drives. He also called upon BNP leaders and activists to play an active role in nation-building by undertaking four key tasks at the grassroots level. First, the Prime Minister asked party workers to participate in the government’s campaign to plant 25 crore trees over the next five years, describing it as a continuation of the tree-planting initiatives of Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia. Second, he urged them to actively participate in the government’s plan to excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals across the country, particularly when such work is undertaken in their respective areas. Third, the Prime Minister asked BNP’s main and affiliated organisations to work with local communities to remove garbage and keep villages, towns and cities clean, using the party’s extensive grassroots network. Fourth, Tarique Rahman urged every BNP leader and activist to remain vigilant against misuse of the party’s name, calling on them to ensure that no one carries out activities in the name of BNP that embarrass the party or cause suffering to ordinary people. The Prime Minister said the BNP’s role in Bangladesh’s independence and democratic politics could not be erased. “However hard anyone may try, even through the law and the courts, it cannot be erased,” he said. Tarique Rahman said Ziaur Rahman had declared Bangladesh’s independence and later restored multiparty democracy after the country gained independence. He also highlighted Ziaur Rahman’s initiatives on multiparty democracy, a free-market economy and creating overseas employment opportunities, as well as former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s contributions to parliamentary democracy, sustainable democratic practices, women’s education, economic development and the system of transferring power through elections under a neutral, non-party government. “In every crisis—whether it concerns the country’s independence, democracy or economic emancipation—Ziaur Rahman, Khaleda Zia and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have taken the country forward and brought it out of crisis,” the Prime Minister said. Tarique Rahman said the BNP had remained on the streets during the movement against the previous authoritarian regime despite facing widespread repression. “For the past 17 years, the BNP was on the streets. The BNP did not take any other role; it did not do anything secretly or underground. Whatever it did for people’s rights, it did openly on the streets, standing firm and fighting for people’s demands,” he said. The Prime Minister said the people were the “masterminds” behind the success of the 2024 mass movement. “We have always said that the mastermind behind the success of the 2024 movement was the people of this country. The BNP, together with the people, made that movement successful,” he said. Tarique Rahman said the people had subsequently seen that the BNP was the political party that protected their interests and democratic rights. He acknowledged that the BNP government had limitations and could not fulfil all its aspirations for various reasons. “Despite that, after assessing everything, the people of Bangladesh have seen that if there is a political party that protects the interests of the people, that party is the BNP,” he said. Tarique said the BNP had received public support and formed governments in elections that were considered credible both by the people of Bangladesh and internationally. The discussion was chaired by BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and moderated by the party’s Publicity Secretary Sultan Salahuddin Tuku. Economist Mahbub Ullah, BNP Standing Committee members Mirza Abbas, Amanullah Aman, Farhad Halim and Ismail Zabiullah, Jubo Dal General Secretary M Moinam Munna, Krishak Dal General Secretary Shahidul Islam Babul, Swechchhasebak Dal General Secretary Rajib Ahsan, Dhaka South BNP Member Secretary Tanvir Ahmed Robin, Dhaka North BNP Member Secretary Mostafa Zaman and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib also spoke at the programme. BNP Standing Committee members Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Selima Rahman and AZM Zahid Hossain, among other senior leaders, were present. The discussion was organised as part of a five-day programme marking the BNP’s 48th founding anniversary. The party was founded by President Ziaur Rahman on September 1, 1978.

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday joined a discussion meeting organised by the BNP to mark its 48th founding anniversary. The discussion, titled “Korbo Kaj, Gorbo Desh, Sobar Age Bangladesh” (We will work, build the country, Bangladesh first), began at around 3:50pm at the auditorium of the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) in the capital’s Farmgate area. BNP Acting Secretary General and Prime Minister’s Political Adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi is presiding over the programme. Members of the BNP National Standing Committee and invited distinguished guests are taking part in the discussion.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s 19th jail release anniversary is being observed on Thursday, marking his release on bail on September 3, 2008, after nearly 18 months in detention during the 1/11 caretaker government. Tarique was arrested from his residence in Dhaka Cantonment in the early hours of March 7, 2007 when he was the BNP’s senior joint secretary general.  Tarique Rahman remained in prison for nearly 18 months when he was subjected to severe physical torture, according to BNP. He was released on bail on September 3, 2008, after being granted bail in all the cases filed against him. Just eight days later, he left Dhaka for London on September 11 for advanced medical treatment. On December 25, 2025, Tarique returned home, ending his more than 17 years of exile in London. BNP took part in the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12 and secured an absolute majority with 209 seats. On February 17, Tarique Rahman assumed office as the 11th Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The BNP and its leaders have been observing September 3 as Tarique’s jail release anniversary since his release in 2008.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday urged people to remain vigilant against rumours and attempts to provoke people through social media, saying that no communal provocation or hatred should be allowed to create instability in society. “Some people are spreading rumours in various ways to destabilise the country. Some are trying to incite people through social media,” he said while exchanging greetings with the Hindu community members marking Janmashtami at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital. Tarique assured that his government is committed to ensuring the security of every citizen, regardless of caste or creed. Janmashtami, one of the major religious festivals of the Hindu community commemorating the birth of Lord Sri Krishna, will be celebrated across the country on Friday with due religious fervour and gaiety. Wishing the Hindu community on Janmashtami, the Prime Minister said that Bangladesh belongs to everyone and all citizens here enjoy equal rights. He said every citizen has the constitutional right to live according to their own religious beliefs and culture, stressing that the government and BNP believe that while religion is personal, the state belongs to everyone. “Religion is individual, but everyone has the right to security,” the Prime Minister said. He called upon all to further strengthen religious harmony, tolerance, mutual respect and the bonds of goodwill and communal harmony. “On the occasion of Janmashtami, I call upon everyone to strengthen further the bonds of religious harmony, tolerance, mutual respect and goodwill and harmony,” he said. Tarique also wished the Hindu community peace, comfort and security in celebrating all their religious festivals, and extended advance greetings for Durga Puja. “Following the Janmashtami festival, the religious and social festival of Durga Puja is ahead of you. Celebrate all the festivals peacefully, comfortably and safely. I once again extend my greetings on Janmashtami as well as advance greetings for Durga Puja,” he said. The Prime Minister said the presence of people of different religions and beliefs in a state and society is the beauty of a diverse society. The Prime Minister said people in Bangladesh had traditionally lived together with mutual respect, goodwill and harmony while practising their respective religions and cultures. However, at different times, he said people with the character of Kamsa, the tyrannical and wicked king of Mathura ,have tried to create and prolong divisions and conflicts in the state and society. Tarique called upon the country’s all citizens to remain alert so that anti-social forces could not raise their heads again or disrupt the existing environment of communal harmony. He said maintaining mutual goodwill and harmony in society is the responsibility of every citizen. Referring to the story of Lord Krishna, Tarique said Krishna was born in Mathura about 5,500 years ago when the city was ruled by the cruel and authoritarian King Kamsa. According to Hindu belief, Krishna's mission included the destruction of evil and protection of the righteous, he said.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman still bears the scars of torture he suffered during the 1/11 regime, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon on Wednesday. “He was arrested without a warrant and subjected to inhuman torture. He still carries the marks of that torture,” Rumon said while speaking at a discussion organised by the Uttaranchal Chhatra Forum at the Jatiya Press Club, marking Tarique Rahman’s 18th jail release anniversary. He said Tarique Rahman, also BNP Chairman, does not want to dwell on those painful memories or seek revenge for what happened to him. “Our leader himself has said that he does not want to remember those days. If we keep those memories alive and seek revenge, it will not end even in five years,” Rumon said. He said spending the next five years seeking revenge will prevent the government from fulfilling the aspirations of the people who elected Tarique Rahman as prime minister. “Our leader Tarique Rahman wants to leave those painful memories behind and move forward with the development of the country,” the additional press secretary said. He urged BNP leaders and activists to remain alert to conspiracies aimed at tarnishing Tarique Rahman’s image and to work together to make his initiatives successful. Rumon said conspiracies were launched at home and abroad to defame Tarique Rahman when BNP was in power in the past. “We must remain alert to these conspiracies so that the good work of our leader is not undermined,” he said. The additional press secretary also recalled the difficulties faced by BNP activists in organising Tarique Rahman’s prison release anniversary programmes during the previous regime. “The situation today is not the same as it was during those difficult days,” he said. He said BNP leaders and activists had faced intimidation, arrest and various forms of repression while organising the programmes at that time, but they did not remain silent. “We informed journalists and trusted leaders of our programmes. We often organised them secretly and informed journalists only two or three hours beforehand,” Rumon said, recalling the support provided by journalists at the time. Tarique Rahman was arrested by the joint forces of the 1/11 government on March 7, 2007. He was released on bail on September 3, 2008, following a High Court order. The main speaker at the discussion was BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. People are the source of all power Rumon said the people of Bangladesh have repeatedly demonstrated that they are the source of all political power. “The people proved it during the Liberation War in 1971. They removed the autocratic Ershad regime and the 1/11 government. Most recently, students, people and various political parties united during the July uprising and removed the autocratic Sheikh Hasina government,” he said. The additional press secretary urged leaders and activists of BNP, Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal to work shoulder to shoulder to ensure the success of Tarique's initiatives. State Minister for Land and Adviser to the Uttaranchal Chhatra Forum Barrister Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin, Dhaka district Jubo Dal convener Nazmul Hasan, Amra BNP Poribar member secretary Moksedul Momin Mithun and student leaders from northern Bangladesh also spoke at the programme with Rumon in the chair.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said the government is planning to introduce technical and vocational training for Qawmi madrasah students to create employment opportunities for them at home and abroad. Replying to a supplementary question from Cumilla-6 MP Md Manirul Haque Chowdhury, the Prime Minister said the initiative aims to equip Qawmi madrasah students with skills needed for employment in Bangladesh and overseas. “The government is planning to arrange technical and vocational training for Qawmi madrasah students to create employment opportunities for them at home and abroad,” he said. The question-answer session for the Prime Minister began after the parliamentary sitting started at 3:30pm with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair. During the first 30 minutes, Tarique Rahman directly answered four written questions and six supplementary questions. In reply to Manirul Haque’s starred question, the Prime Minister said a permanent institution called the “Qawmi Madrasah Education Board Bangladesh” was decided to be formed through a gazette notification in 2006 to coordinate, develop, and conduct public examinations for all Qawmi madrasahs. Later, under the Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh, the government enacted the 2018 law recognising the Dawra-e-Hadith (Takmil) certificate of Qawmi madrashas as equivalent to a master’s degree in Islamic Studies and Arabic and decided to establish six Qawmi madrasah education boards. The six boards are Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh, Befaqul Madarisil Qawmia Gawhardanga Bangladesh, Anjumane Ittehadul Madaris Bangladesh (Qaumi Madrasa Education Board), Azad Dini Adaraye Talim Bangladesh board, Tanzimul Madarisid Diniya Bangladesh and Jatiya Deeni Madrasa Education Board Bangladesh. Tarique Rahman said certificates from the six Qawmi madrasah education boards were recognised on June 23 following an amendment to the “Private Educational Institutions (Madrasah) Manpower Structure and MPO Policy, 2026”. As a result, holders of Dawra-e-Hadith (Takmil) degrees along with Ilmul Qiraat or Hifzul Quran certificates from Qawmi madrasahs became eligible for appointment to the posts of assistant Moulvi (Qari) and Ebtedayee Qari, he said. Replying to another question from Lakshmipur-2 MP Abul Khair Bhuiyan about incorporating more Arabic subjects into the general education curriculum, the Prime Minister said it is a good suggestion. He said religious education is already part of the regular curriculum and the government could review how it could be further developed. PM seeks separate notice on nationalisation of Ebtedayee madrasahs Replying to a supplementary question from Kurigram-3 MP Md Mahbubul Alam about nationalising ebtedayee madrasahs, Tarique Rahman asked him to submit a separate notice on the issue. “If you give me a separate notice, I will look into the matter properly and present the details before Parliament,” he said.  

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday outlined a five-point comprehensive government plan to tackle the country’s ongoing energy crisis by boosting domestic gas production, intensifying exploration, strengthening BAPEX, expanding LNG infrastructure and reducing dependence on imported gas. Replying to a question from MP Selina Sultana (Women Seat-35) during the question-answer session in Parliament, Tarique said the energy sector was left “crippled” during the previous fascist rule, resulting in inadequate gas exploration and growing import dependence. He said the government has adopted an integrated action plan to bring the country out of the existing energy crisis and build a self-reliant and sustainable energy system. As part of efforts to increase domestic gas production, Tarique said 30 wells have already been drilled under a programme to drill or carry out workovers on 150 wells, adding 140 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas to the national grid. “Once the seven wells currently under drilling are completed, another 85 mmcfd of gas will be added to the national grid,” he said, adding that projects are being taken up in phases to drill the remaining wells. The Prime Minister said the government has also planned 4,500 line-kilometre of 2D seismic surveys and 4,200 square kilometres of 3D seismic surveys to explore domestic gas reserves. He said the government is  also taking steps to strengthen Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company Limited (BAPEX) including the procurement of two new rigs. On offshore and onshore exploration, Tarique said the Offshore Model Production Sharing Contract (PSC) 2026 has been approved and a bidding round invited, while the Onshore Model PSC was under the approval process. “Gas discoveries through offshore and onshore exploration will play a significant role in ensuring the country’s energy security,” he said. The Prime Minister said negotiations are underway with interested companies to establish a floating LNG terminal at Kutubjom in the deep sea off Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar. “We hope to be able to supply regasified LNG from the terminal by December 2028. As a result, LNG imports are expected to increase by another 600 mmcfd within the next two years,” he said. Tarique also said feasibility studies have also been initiated for setting up one or two additional floating LNG terminals on an urgent basis near Payra or Mongla ports or along the coastal areas of the southwestern region. Tarique said the proposed terminals would help strengthen the country’s overall energy security. PM rejects report on factory closures Replying to a supplementary question from MP Norul Hasan (Mymensingh-6) about reports that 92 or even 200-300 factories had closed due to electricity and gas shortages, Tarique rejected the figures. “Had you taken a little more information, you would have seen that those who used the reference you mentioned about 95 factories being closed apologised the following day and said their information was completely wrong,” he said. He said the report apparently cited an old news report or data, possibly from 2022, and was later retracted with an apology. The first 30 minutes of Wednesday’s parliamentary session were allocated for the Prime Minister’s question-answer session.