deskreport

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman urged people to remain alert against attempts to create chaos and confusion, warning that such activities could hamper the country’s development and peace and ultimately cause suffering to the people.

“For the past few days, some people have been trying to spread confusion. Everyone must remain alert so that they cannot create any kind of disorder or confusion. Those spreading confusion will go away after serving their own interests, but ultimately it is the people of the country who will suffer,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing a programme titled “House Handover, Grant and Relief Distribution” at Banshkhali High School and College ground, organised to rehabilitate families affected by recent floods in Chattogram.

Referring to the government’s development plans to be presented in Parliament, Tarique Rahman said the BNP government would outline its overall plans, including those for the power and energy sector.

“If the opposition or anyone else has any plan, they can present it before the people. But do not create disorder or disturb people’s peace by making misleading statements,” he said.

“More than 50 years have passed since the country became independent. There is no time to look back anymore; now is the time to work and build the country,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the government’s main responsibility was to stand beside the people who elected it and ensure their welfare and social protection.

He said the government would work to support families, ensure education for children, provide proper treatment and create employment opportunities for young people.

Tarique Rahman said the government began implementing its election pledges within a month of assuming office. He said the pilot Family Card project had been completed successfully and the main programme would begin on August 16.

Under the programme, Family Cards will be provided to women heads of around 41 lakh families across the country during the 2026-27 fiscal year. Around 10,000 to 12,000 families in Banshkhali upazila will come under the programme.

He also announced the introduction of a Farmer Card to recognise farmers, including salt farmers. A new price for salt would be announced soon to improve the economic condition of salt farmers, he said.

Discussing the development of Chattogram as an economic corridor, the Prime Minister said he had visited Matarbari, Maheshkhali and Mirsarai earlier in the day.

“The vast sea is our national asset. We are working to attract both domestic and foreign investment to the Chattogram region,” he said.

He said a special zone had recently been established for Chinese investors, where new industries would be developed and thousands of young people would find employment.

On healthcare, Tarique Rahman said upazila hospitals would be upgraded from 50 beds to 101 beds within the next five years to improve healthcare services at the grassroots level.

Turning to the power and energy sector, he said the previous government had handed over the sector to a small group of individuals and adopted plans that served their interests rather than those of the people.

He said the present government had already begun reforming the power and energy sector and would present a 10-year plan to Parliament outlining the country’s future electricity system.

“We will formulate a plan to ensure that people get reliable electricity at schools, colleges, hospitals, mills, factories and homes, and proper gas supply for vehicles and other needs,” he said.

Noting that two key ministries—finance and home affairs—had been entrusted to leaders from Chattogram, the Prime Minister urged local people to remain patient and cooperate with development initiatives.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Asadul Habib Dulu addressed the programme.

Senior BNP leaders, officials of the Chattogram district administration and a large number of people attended the event.

Before the programme, the Prime Minister handed over the keys to a newly built house to a flood-affected family in Baharchhara village under a government rehabilitation programme. He also planted a mahogany sapling in the yard and provided the family with rice, essential commodities, ducks and chickens.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed over the keys to newly built houses for families whose homes were destroyed in the recent floods in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram.

The Prime Minister visited the flood-affected West Banshkhali area under Baharchhara Union around 1:20pm as part of his programme to rehabilitate flood-hit families.

During the visit, he spoke with affected residents and inquired about the wellbeing of their families. He also planted a mahogany sapling in the area.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu and senior government officials accompanied the Prime Minister.

Later, Tarique Rahman attended a programme titled “House Handover, Grant and Relief Materials Distribution” at Banshkhali High School and College ground, organised for the rehabilitation of flood-affected families.

Under the government rehabilitation initiative, 100 families in Banshkhali were selected to receive newly constructed houses.

The houses were built with government funding using RCC pillars, wood and corrugated iron sheets to improve their resilience to natural disasters. Each house has two rooms and an attached toilet.

Heavy rainfall and hill runoff since July 7 inundated several remote and low-lying areas of Banshkhali, damaging homes as well as fish farms, ponds and other water bodies.

Earlier, the Prime Minister visited Matarbari in Maheshkhali to inspect development activities, including the Matarbari deep-sea port and coal-fired power project.

After completing his Banshkhali programme, Tarique Rahman is scheduled to travel to Fatikchhari to meet Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Allama Shah Muhibullah Babunagari at Al-Jamiatul Islamia Azizul Ulum Babunagar Madrasah.

He will then visit Hathazari and attend another rehabilitation programme for flood victims at Hathazari Government College ground at 5:00pm.

In the evening, the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend an organisational meeting at the auditorium of Radisson Blu Chattogram Bay View hotel before returning to Dhaka by a flight from Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport at 9:30pm.

The visit marks Tarique Rahman’s first trip to Maheshkhali, Fatikchhari and Hathazari since assuming office.

The results of this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations were published at 10:00am today, with an average pass rate of 62.25 percent across the country’s 11 education boards.

A total of 1,16,676 students secured GPA-5 this year, while the pass rate was 68.45 percent last year.

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon officially announced the results at a press conference at the Secretariat.

Following the announcement, students were able to access their results simultaneously through the websites of all education boards, their respective educational institutions and SMS services from 10:00am.

A total of 18,57,344 candidates participated in this year’s SSC and equivalent examinations under nine general education boards, the Madrasa Education Board and the Technical Education Board.

Of the candidates, 9,30,305 were boys and 9,27,039 were girls.

The examinations were held at 3,885 centres across the country, with students from 30,666 educational institutions taking part.

Moulvibazar: A Bangladeshi man was allegedly shot dead by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Kulaura border in Moulvibazar early Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Tara Mia, son of Abdul Malek, of Murai Chhara Basti area in Kulaura upazila.

According to local residents, a group of four to five people allegedly crossed into Indian territory through the Alinagar border area of Prithimpasha union early Sunday. They reportedly crossed the border around 500 yards beyond Border Pillar No. 1845/63-S in the Maguruli area, allegedly with the assistance of Indian smugglers, to bring in contraband goods.

The locals said BSF members opened fire after confronting the group, leaving Tara Mia dead at the scene.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting could not immediately be independently verified.

Lt Col Sarkar Asif Mahmud, commanding officer of BGB 46 Battalion in Sreemangal, said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was taking necessary steps to gather further information about the incident.

The incident comes amid continued concerns over shootings and other incidents along the Bangladesh-India border.

From Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman, a strong advocate of parliamentary democracy, to former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and now Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Chattogram has continued to hold an important place in the political and state activities of the Zia family.

Political observers and BNP leaders say the family has maintained a deep connection with Chattogram since the Liberation War, with the port city playing a significant role in their political journey and development initiatives.

In 1971, Major General Ziaur Rahman declared Bangladesh’s independence from the Kalurghat Radio Station in Chattogram at a critical moment of the Liberation War. Later, after assuming state leadership, he continued to place importance on the development of Chattogram and maintained close relations with political leaders from the region.

Ziaur Rahman was assassinated at the Chattogram Circuit House on May 30, 1981. His connection with the city continued through Begum Khaleda Zia, who also placed importance on Chattogram during her political career.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is also giving priority to Chattogram in his government and political initiatives. He is scheduled to visit the district on August 9, six months after taking office, and spend the day visiting flood-affected areas.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is expected to distribute relief materials, hand over newly reconstructed houses to 100 families affected by recent floods and provide financial assistance to persons with disabilities.

Chattogram-5 lawmaker and State Minister for Land and Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Barrister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin said the history of Chattogram and the Zia family was closely connected.

“Chattogram and the Zia family are intertwined by a common thread,” he said, adding that the legacy of Ziaur Rahman’s declaration of independence from the city would remain deeply rooted in the memories of its people.

He said Ziaur Rahman placed Chattogram at the forefront of many of his political initiatives, while Begum Khaleda Zia also maintained a strong bond with the people and leaders of the region.

Golam Akbar Khandaker, an adviser to BNP Chairman and a former convener of North District BNP, recalled that Ziaur Rahman formally established the Bangladesh Nationalist Party at the Chattogram Circuit House on September 1, 1979.

He said Chattogram remained closely connected with the Zia family from Ziaur Rahman to Begum Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman.

Former Chattogram Metropolitan BNP president and former Chattogram City Corporation mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain said Chattogram had always received special attention from the Zia family.

He said Ziaur Rahman’s declaration of independence from Chattogram and his death in the city had created a unique emotional bond between the people of Chattogram and the family.

Chattogram Metropolitan Union of Journalists President Mohammad Shah Nawaz said the historical connection between Ziaur Rahman and Chattogram had created a strong emotional relationship between the city’s people and the Zia family.

According to local BNP leaders, Tarique Rahman’s upcoming visit reflects the government’s continued focus on Chattogram and its commitment to addressing the needs of people affected by recent floods and other challenges.

Source: BSS NEWS

Three villages in Bangladesh are set to become SDG Villages by achieving targets aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The villages are Pankhali in Dakope upazila of Khulna, Mitinga Chhari in Kaptai upazila of Rangamati and Nafanagar in Bochaganj upazila of Dinajpur.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the initiative at Pankhali on Monday, August 10, and join the programmes at Mitinga Chhari and Nafanagar virtually.

The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals across the country.

Under the programme, priority will be given to poverty reduction, resolving waterlogging, addressing climate risks, ensuring quality education and improving healthcare, said Dakope UNO Borhan Uddin Mithu.

Other priorities include reducing maternal and child mortality, expanding safe water and sanitation facilities, empowering women, promoting renewable energy, protecting the environment, increasing afforestation, developing agriculture and livelihoods, and expanding digital services and technology.

The initiative has generated enthusiasm among residents of Pankhali, who hope it will bring improved electricity services, new businesses, better agricultural opportunities, quality education, employment and improved basic services to the coastal village.

Khulna Divisional Commissioner Md Abdullah Harun visited Pankhali on August 6 and spoke with local residents. He earlier instructed officials to provide necessary services and extend all-out cooperation for the village’s development.

Pankhali Union Parishad Chairman Sheikh Sabbir Ahmed welcomed the initiative, saying the declaration would help improve the socio-economic condition of the coastal village and create new employment opportunities.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today said beneficiaries of fascism remain active in the state, politics, governance and administration and are trying to destabilise the country’s power and energy sector by spreading misleading information and creating confusion.

“Those who benefited from fascism are not sitting idle. This group is quite active to destabilise the country’s energy and power sector in various ways. They are spreading misleading information about the sector,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing a doctors’ rally organised to mark the 37th founding anniversary of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) at LD Hall of the Jatiya Sangsad complex.

Tarique Rahman said unplanned projects and decisions taken by previous governments had placed the power and energy sector at risk, while the present government was working to address their consequences.

He acknowledged that people are currently facing challenges related to electricity, gas and fuel, saying the country and its people are now paying the price for unplanned schemes that had provided benefits to certain quarters.

“The government is not denying that people are currently facing crises of electricity, gas and fuel. But the country, its people and the government are now paying for those unplanned schemes,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government had inherited a fragile situation and had already begun taking steps to address the multifaceted crises. Plans are also being formulated to gradually ease the country’s gas, electricity and fuel shortages.

Tarique Rahman also highlighted the government’s healthcare priorities, saying it believes prevention should receive greater emphasis alongside treatment.

He said the government has decided to recruit 100,000 new health workers across the country to raise awareness about primary healthcare and urged doctors to take the lead in training them.

The Prime Minister said the government was also considering several proposals placed by doctors, including recruiting 5,000 doctors through a special BCS examination, raising the maximum entry age for government service for doctors from 32 to 34 years and increasing their retirement age from 61 to 65 years.

Other proposals include enacting a Health Services Protection Act, introducing special allowances for doctors working in remote areas, establishing a fair pay structure for private-sector doctors and setting up specialised hospitals at divisional, district and upazila levels.

He said the proposals were reasonable and would be examined and implemented in phases.

The Prime Minister said the government had allocated the second-highest share of the national budget to the health sector and plans to gradually increase health spending to 5 percent of GDP over the next five years.

He also said work had begun to introduce e-health cards and upgrade every upazila hospital to a 101-bed facility.

Tarique Rahman stressed that infrastructure development alone would not be enough unless doctors remained dedicated to their profession and provided humane and responsible services.

He urged doctors and the government to work together to build a doctor-friendly healthcare system where citizens receive quality treatment without having to travel abroad for better medical care.

Earlier, Tarique Rahman and his wife Dr Zubaida Rahman planted neem and arjun saplings on the premises of LD Hall. They later inaugurated the doctors’ rally by hoisting the national and party flags and releasing balloons and pigeons.

DAB President Professor Dr Harun Al Rashid presided over the programme. BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md Zahid Hossain, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain and DAB Secretary General Dr Md Zahirul Islam Shakil, among others, addressed the gathering.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today handed over job appointment letters to 10 family members of martyrs and seriously injured persons of the July Mass Uprising.

The Prime Minister handed over the appointment letters at his office in Tejgaon this afternoon, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

The recipients are martyr Md Sohag’s wife Sabina Akter Rima, martyr Md Shahriar’s wife Raziya Khatun, martyr Md Abdullah Kabir’s wife Afsana Akter, martyr Md Mostafa Kamal Raju’s wife Akleema Akter, martyr Md Jewel’s wife Sumaiya Akter Suborna, martyr Miraj’s sister Samia Islam Popy, martyr Ahsan Kabir’s wife Hafiza Akter Happy, martyr Omar Nurul Absar’s wife Farzana Akter Rani, injured Md Abdul Matin’s wife Sabana Akter and seriously injured Md Zulfikar Alam’s wife Arzu Akter.

After handing over the appointment letters, the Prime Minister spoke with the recipients and inquired about the wellbeing of their families.

Referring to the sacrifices made by people at different times, from the 1971 Liberation War to the July Movement of 2024, Tarique Rahman said the ultimate purpose of those sacrifices was to build a better Bangladesh where people could live better lives.

“Those whom we have lost, those who were physically injured or otherwise affected—all their sacrifices were driven by a single aspiration—to make Bangladesh a better country,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the country must continue moving forward despite the limitations faced by the state and government.

“What we received is not the most important thing. Rather, what we were able to give to the country is what matters most,” he said.

He expressed hope that continued efforts based on this principle would help build the Bangladesh people aspire to see in the future.

Tarique Rahman said the government would continue its efforts to ensure due recognition of the sacrifices made by those who were killed or injured during the July Movement.

Fatema Tuz Zohra, mother of martyr Abdullah Bin Zahid, who recently joined government service, and injured July fighter Soheli Tamanna were also present and met the Prime Minister.

The family members expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister after receiving the appointment letters.

PM’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman and Amra BNP Poribar Member Secretary agriculturist Moksedul Momin Mithun were also present.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has called for preserving the spirit of the historic July Mass Uprising and maintaining “iron-clad national unity” to build a fascism-free Bangladesh.

He made the remarks while addressing a discussion titled “Role of University Teachers in the Fall of the Fascist Government” at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building auditorium of Dhaka University this afternoon, marking the second anniversary of the July Mass Uprising.

The discussion was jointly organised by the Dhaka University White Panel and the University Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh (UTAB).

Salahuddin Ahmed said the victory achieved through years of democratic struggle and the sacrifices of thousands of martyrs should not be used by any particular group to promote its own interpretation of the uprising.

He called for completing democratic reforms of the state through democratic practices and tolerance, while avoiding provocative actions that could create conditions for the resurgence of authoritarianism.

The Home Minister said the fall of Sheikh Hasina came through the student-people’s uprising following years of repression, enforced disappearances, killings and deprivation of voting rights.

“The politics of the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina died in Dhaka and was buried in Delhi,” he said, adding that the people of Bangladesh could no longer be misled through politics centred on the “spirit” of the uprising.

Speaking about constitutional reforms, Salahuddin said a provision would be introduced to limit a prime minister’s tenure to a maximum of two terms to prevent any elected government from becoming authoritarian.

He also said checks and balances would be established between the upper and lower houses of parliament.

The minister said constitutional amendments would be pursued democratically in line with the aspirations of the people following the mass uprising.

Addressing students and young people, he urged them to remain patient and tolerant and avoid provocative statements arising from political immaturity. He also called on students to raise their demands through democratic means.

Regarding Bangladesh-India relations, Salahuddin said ties between the two countries must be based on mutual dignity, respect and sovereign equality.

He said allowing Sheikh Hasina to make statements against Bangladesh or engage in political activities from Indian territory while seeking friendly relations with Bangladesh was contradictory. He expressed hope that the Indian government would understand Bangladesh’s position and stop playing the “Hasina card.”

At the programme, family members of July martyrs shared their experiences. They included Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, brother of martyr Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho; Shafiul Alam, father of martyr Wasim Akram; Md Abu Hossain, brother of martyr Abu Sayed; and Nazma Khatun Lipi, mother of martyr Ekramul Haque Sajid.

A special honour was presented to the families of the martyrs in recognition of their sacrifices.

Dhaka University White Panel Convener and UTAB Secretary General Professor Dr Md Morshed Hasan Khan chaired the programme. BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ABM Obaidul Islam attended as special guests.

Later, the Home Minister visited a photography exhibition organised to mark the July Mass Uprising. Teachers and students from different universities, political and social figures, and civil society representatives attended the discussion.