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“We Have Not Come to Bid Farewell—Osman Hadi Will Live in the Hearts of All Bangladeshis”

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Chief Adviser at Janazah “We Have Not Come to Bid Farewell—Osman Hadi Will Live in the Hearts of All Bangladeshis” Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus said, “Brave Osman Hadi, we have not come here to bid you farewell. You live within our hearts, and as long as Bangladesh exists, you will remain in the hearts of all Bangladeshis—no one can erase that.” He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon while speaking ahead of the janazah of Inqilab Mancha Convener Sharif Osman bin Hadi at the South Plaza of the National Parliament. The chief adviser said, “Dear Hadi, we have not come today to say goodbye; we have come to make a promise to you—that we will fulfill what you stood for.” He added that people across the country have praised Hadi’s political vision, which must remain alive in everyone’s minds and be followed. Professor Yunus further said that Hadi left behind a mantra the nation will never forget— ‘Chiro Unnata Momo Shir’ (Ever Upright Is My Head). “That head will never bow. We m...
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Bangladesh Has Entered a Debt Trap: NBR Chairman

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Bangladesh Has Entered a Debt Trap: NBR Chairman

Policymakers and economists have raised serious concern about Bangladesh’s rising debt burden, warning that the country is at risk of falling into — and may have already entered — a debt trap.

Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), cautioned that without essential reforms and stronger fiscal discipline to boost revenue collection, Bangladesh could face a dangerous debt situation where borrowing becomes necessary just to repay existing debts.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan was even more direct: “We have already fallen into a debt trap; without acknowledging this truth, we cannot move forward.”

They made these observations on Monday at a seminar held at the NEC conference hall in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. The event was organised by the General Economics Division (GED) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission to launch the Bangladesh State of the Economy 2025 and the SDG Progress Report 2025.

The seminar was attended by Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Special Assistant on Finance to the Chief Adviser, as chief guest, and Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur as special guest. Also present were Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser; Lamia Morshed, Chief Coordinator on SDG affairs; Finance Division Secretary Md Khairuzzaman Majumdar; and Planning Division Secretary SM Shakil Akhtar.

Speakers included Zahid Hussain, former lead economist of the World Bank’s Dhaka office, and former Dhaka University professor Mahbub Ullah. GED Member Manzur Hossain delivered the welcome speech, while Additional Secretary Monira Begum presented the keynote paper.

Mustafizur Rahman said a debt trap would severely weaken the country’s financial position, as fresh loans would be needed to service existing ones. He noted that interest payments have now become the single largest component of the revenue budget, overtaking key sectors such as agriculture and education.

NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan pointed out that the tax-to-GDP ratio has dropped from above 10 percent a few years ago to about 7 percent today. A major reason, he said, is that revenue is not being collected from all sectors contributing to GDP. He also mentioned that during the interim government, the NBR would be restructured into two divisions, each headed by a separate secretary.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Mansur reported that the merger of the country’s five troubled banks is progressing quickly. The deposit guarantee has been raised from Tk 100,000 to Tk 200,000, and payments to depositors may begin within one or two weeks. He said around 7.6 million families, including customers of the five banks, will be able to recover their deposits, and expressed hope that the merged bank could turn profitable within one to two years.

New US Strike on Alleged Drug Boat in Pacific Kills Four

A US military strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed four people on Thursday, amid intensifying controversy over a counter-narcotics campaign that has now claimed more than 87 lives.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump’s administration are facing sharp criticism over a separate early-September incident, in which US forces struck the wreckage of a vessel they had already disabled, killing two survivors. A senior Democratic lawmaker who viewed unreleased footage on Thursday described the attack as one on “shipwrecked sailors,” and some have suggested it may constitute a war crime.

In a post on X, US Southern Command said the latest strike targeted a vessel in international waters operated by a designated terrorist organization. Intelligence indicated the boat was carrying illicit drugs along a known trafficking route. A video released with the statement shows a multi-engine craft speeding through open water before being hit by an explosion that engulfed it in flames.

Lawmakers were shown extended classified footage earlier in the day. Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the video depicted “the United States military attacking shipwrecked sailors… two individuals in clear distress without any means of locomotion,” adding that it was one of the most troubling things he had seen in public service.

Republican Representative Don Bacon said the individuals showed no imminent threat: “They were trying to survive, and our rules of war would not allow us to kill survivors.”

But Senator Tom Cotton defended the military’s actions, saying all strikes on 2 September were “entirely lawful,” claiming the footage showed survivors attempting to right a drug-laden vessel “so they could stay in the fight.”

Both the White House and Pentagon have tried to distance Defense Secretary Hegseth from the decision to strike the survivors, placing responsibility on Admiral Frank Bradley, who oversaw the operation. However, Bacon said Hegseth ultimately bears responsibility as defense secretary.

The Trump administration maintains it is conducting wartime operations against “narco-terrorists,” deploying the world’s largest aircraft carrier and other military assets to the Caribbean under the banner of counter-narcotics missions. The campaign has heightened regional tensions, with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accusing Washington of using drug-trafficking as a pretext for pursuing regime change in Caracas.


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