The ongoing Middle East conflict and global economic instability could push around 1.2 million additional people in Bangladesh into poverty this year, the World Bank has warned, highlighting growing risks to livelihoods and economic stability. The projection was outlined in the World Bank’s Bangladesh Development Update (April 2026), released on Wednesday, which cautions that rising inflation and declining incomes may prevent a large segment of the population from escaping poverty.

According to the report, individuals earning less than $3 per day are considered below the poverty line. Prior to the escalation of the Middle East conflict, around 1.7 million Bangladeshis were expected to move above this threshold in 2026. However, that figure is now projected to fall to about 500,000, leaving roughly 1.2 million people unable to rise out of poverty.

The World Bank noted that Bangladesh’s progress in reducing poverty has slowed in recent years. The national poverty rate increased from 18.7% in 2022 to 21.4% in 2025, with around 1.4 million people newly falling below the poverty line last year alone.

The report warns that external shocks — particularly the war in the Middle East — are compounding existing economic pressures, threatening to reverse earlier gains. The World Bank projects that Bangladesh’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth could slow to 3.9% in the 2025–26 fiscal year, as global uncertainty dampens consumption and investment.

At a briefing in Dhaka, World Bank Bangladesh and Bhutan Director Jean Pesme said weak revenue collection, rising trade barriers — including retaliatory tariffs — and persistent inflation are adding to economic strain. He stressed the need to sustain reform efforts and improve the investment climate to generate jobs and support long-term poverty reduction.

The report identifies several channels through which the conflict could impact Bangladesh’s economy. It warns of pressure on the current account balance, driven by disruptions in imports, exports and remittances, as well as exchange rate volatility. Rising global fuel prices are expected to push up transport costs, contributing to higher inflation.

At the same time, government finances may come under increased strain due to higher subsidy requirements for fuel and fertiliser. The report also highlights the risk of widening inequality, with the Gini coefficient projected to rise slightly in 2026, reflecting uneven income distribution.

Without the impact of the conflict, the World Bank estimates Bangladesh’s poverty rate could have declined to 19.3% by 2028. However, current conditions may delay that trajectory. The report underscores the importance of controlling inflation, expanding employment opportunities and strengthening the investment environment to mitigate the impact.

Experts say the coming months will be critical, as policymakers seek to balance short-term shocks with longer-term economic recovery. As global uncertainties persist, the World Bank’s warning signals a growing risk that external conflicts could translate into deeper economic hardship for millions in Bangladesh.

DHAKA – The United Kingdom (UK) today expressed interest in participating in ground handling operations at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The interest was shown when UK Trade Envoy Baroness Rosie Winterton of Doncaster paid a courtesy call on Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita and State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

During the meeting, discussions focused on prospects for increased investment in Bangladesh’s aviation and tourism sectors under a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Both sides emphasised strengthening bilateral trade relations and enhancing cooperation in key sectors. The UK trade envoy assured continued support for Bangladesh in implementing the electoral manifesto of the current democratic government.

The minister and state minister expressed their commitment to working jointly with the United Kingdom to further develop the country’s aviation and tourism industries.

DHAKA – Ten more people have died of suspected measles in the country in the last 24 hours, according to the control center of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). In a press release today, it said that in the last 24 hours, 1,248 new suspected measles patients have been identified across the country and 189 laboratory-confirmed patients have been found.

According to the release, from March 15 to April 8, the total number of confirmed measles patients was 1,599 and the number of suspected measles cases was 11,133. DGHS has so far confirmed a total of 21 deaths as measles-related and 138 people have died of suspected measles during the same period, it added.

During this period, the highest number of suspected measles cases was reported in Dhaka Division, where 4,667 people were infected. Of these, 991 people were confirmed to have measles.

The DGHS is continuously monitoring the situation and is regularly collecting and analyzing information through the Integrated Control Center. In addition to ensuring necessary medical care for patients, the people have been advised to remain vigilant.

SANGSAD BHABAN – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today reaffirmed that his government is committed to expanding women’s education, ensuring women empowerment and equal opportunities in education.

“The current government is committed to expand women’s education and ensure empowerment and equal access to education for women…The government is positively considering the nationalization of one women’s college in every upazila sadar to achieve this goal,” he said.

The premier said this while responding to a tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker from Naogaon-4 constituency Ekramul Bari Tipu in the House with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.

Addressing the lawmaker from Naogaon-4, Tarique Rahman said that the government would take initiatives to gradually nationalize eligible educational institutions, including Manda Thana Adarsha Girls’ School and College in Naogan, in line with existing policies and subject to necessary financial provisions.

SANGSAD BHABAN – Reiterating that four crore families across the country will be brought under the Family Card programme gradually, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today told the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) that the BNP government considers family, not the individual, as the fundamental unit of development.

“The philosophy of the current government is ‘family, not the individual, as the fundamental unit of development’,” he said. The Leader of the House said this while replying to a tabled question from treasury bench member from Noakhali-1 Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.

Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP chairman, said that the current government has taken the Family Card programme based on the vision of ensuring social security for citizens through a family-centric development approach.

In the initial phase, he said Family Cards were distributed to 37,814 families across 10 districts and three city corporations on March 10, 2026. The premier stated that the government has a plan to gradually bring about four crore marginalized and low-income families under this program in the future.

Referring to the Noakhali-1 (Chatkhil and Sonaimuri) constituency, Tarique Rahman expressed the hope that female members of poor families in the area would soon be brought under the Family Card programme to promote empowerment and self-reliance.

News Desk: A promising young software engineer of Bangladeshi origin, Sakib Ali, has passed away at the age of 29, leaving behind a grieving family and a shocked expatriate community across the United States.

According to local authorities, Sakib Ali was found deceased on April 6 at his residence in Marina del Rey. Police recovered his body after a concerned friend, requested by his family, visited the apartment and found the door locked from inside with no response.

Sakib Ali was the only son of Dr. Muhammad Ali Manik, a well-known pediatrician and community figure based in Georgia. He was a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology, where he completed his studies in engineering before joining Amazon Music as a software engineer. His work had recently brought him to the Los Angeles area.

Family members reported losing contact with him earlier in the week, which raised concern. After several unsuccessful attempts to reach him, his father requested a friend in Los Angeles to check on him. The subsequent discovery led to immediate police involvement.

Preliminary reports suggest that the cause of death may have been cardiac-related, although officials have stated that a full autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause. His parents have since arrived in Los Angeles. Funeral prayers will be held there before his body is transported to Atlanta for a second service and burial.

Sakib Ali’s untimely death has cast a shadow over the Bangladeshi diaspora, particularly among communities in Georgia and California. Friends and community members have expressed deep sorrow, remembering him as a talented, dedicated, and humble individual. His passing serves as a somber reminder of the often unseen struggles faced by young professionals living abroad, far from their families and support systems.

In a devastating road accident in Claverack, Columbia County, New York, four people, including members of the same family, lost their lives. The tragedy has cast a deep shadow of grief over the local Bangladeshi community. The accident occurred on Monday, April 6, around 7:00 p.m., on State Route 9H near Van Wyck Lane. According to local law enforcement, 29-year-old Nazmul M. Rubel from Loudonville was driving a personal vehicle northbound with family members and close friends. They were traveling from New York City to Albany.

For reasons not yet determined, Rubel’s car crossed the center line and collided head-on with another vehicle coming from the opposite direction. The impact was so severe that Rubel died instantly at the scene. His 60-year-old father, Mohammad Hiramon, and 25-year-old friend, Fahim Halim, also died at the site. A 62-year-old female passenger in the other car, Julia Richio, was pronounced dead at the scene as well.

The family’s relative, Mohammad Azmul Rabbi, described the loss as “unimaginable.” In one night, he lost his elder brother, his father, and a close family friend. “One phone call ended everything,” he said.

Two others were seriously injured in the accident. 33-year-old Ratna Akter was rushed to a medical center in Albany in critical condition but is now reported to be stable. Additionally, a one-year-old girl, Ikra Ayat, was airlifted to the hospital and remains in intensive care in critical condition.

The 24-year-old driver of the other vehicle, Luke Palvenian, sustained injuries but was released from the hospital after initial treatment. The entire community remains in shock. Those who were traveling together just moments ago, laughing and planning their journey, are now gone or fighting for their lives. The tragedy underscores the fragile and unpredictable nature of life.

Local authorities have stated that the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined. Investigators are examining how the vehicle crossed the center line. The funeral prayers for the deceased are scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, after noon prayers at the Baitul Aman Islamic Center in the Bronx.

For many in Bangladesh, the country’s strained health system is not an abstract policy issue but a daily reality measured in long waits, rising bills, and difficult choices between treatment and survival. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed these weaknesses sharply, yet little has changed since. Shortages of doctors and nurses, low budget allocation, mismanagement, and soaring treatment and medicine costs continue to weigh heavily on patients and families.

Experts say the system lacks a comprehensive master plan and remains overly centralized, leaving rural and district-level facilities under-resourced and overcrowded. Decentralization, they argue, is key to making healthcare accessible to ordinary people.

In Bangladesh, health sector allocation remains below 1% of GDP, with most of it spent on salaries and allowances. Although the World Health Organization recommends at least 5%, that benchmark has not been achieved. During the interim government period, the sector saw little visible progress. The BNP’s election manifesto included a pledge to allocate 5% of GDP to health, though experts say implementation will be difficult.

Health Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said the government plans to spend 5% of GDP on the sector, focusing on infrastructure development and modernization to improve services and build a healthier nation. The Health Sector Reform Commission has recommended allocating at least 15% of the national budget to health. However, only 5.3% has been allocated in the 2025–26 fiscal year.

Public health expert Dr. Lelin Chowdhury said that although the allocation is low, even the existing resources are not being effectively utilized. He said the health ministry and its directorates lack the capacity to manage funds efficiently and need restructuring, though no initiative is visible.

For patients, the imbalance between demand and available healthcare providers is most visible at hospitals and clinics. Bangladesh has only 0.83 doctors per 1,000 people, with around 90,000 practicing physicians. Nursing shortages are even more severe: against a need of 310,500 nurses, only 56,734 are currently employed—just 28% of the requirement.

This shortage means longer waiting times, hurried consultations, and overworked medical staff. In many rural and upazila-level facilities, patients often find no choice but to travel to private hospitals or delay treatment altogether.

Each doctor ends up seeing far more patients than recommended, while limited nursing support affects patient care and recovery. The situation contributes to declining service quality and growing frustration among patients. The government has announced plans to recruit doctors, nurses, and technicians in phases. Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said the shortages will be addressed gradually through large-scale hiring.

Dr Lelin Chowdhury noted that the country has about 172,000 hospital beds, with roughly 100,000 in the private sector and 72,000 in the public sector. He said oversight capacity is limited, particularly in monitoring private facilities, and there is no dedicated system to ensure quality standards. He added that serving a population of 180 million requires a comprehensive plan and better distribution of services.

For many families, the biggest burden is not just access to care but the cost of it. A study by the Health Economics Unit shows that individuals bear the majority of healthcare expenses. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, out-of-pocket spending accounted for 64%, 66%, and 69% of total health expenditure, respectively, while government spending remained much lower.

More than 8.6 million people fall below the poverty line each year due to medical expenses, with medicines alone accounting for 64.6% of total spending.

A 2020 study found that individuals bear 68.5% of total healthcare costs themselves. A Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) report published in July 2024 showed that out of every Tk100 spent on healthcare, patients pay Tk73—54.40% on medicines, 27.52% on diagnostics, 10.31% on doctors, and 7.77% on transportation.

Latest estimates from the World Health Organization and the World Bank indicate that 44% of households face financial hardship due to healthcare costs. Public health expert Professor Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed said many people are forced to forgo treatment, deplete savings, take on debt, or sell assets to afford care. “The burden falls most heavily on the poor,” he noted.

Lelin Chowdhury said tertiary care services remain concentrated in Dhaka and major cities, leaving district-level populations underserved. He stressed that decentralization is necessary to reduce pressure on urban hospitals and improve access to advanced care closer to home.

The Health Sector Reform Commission, formed by the 2024-2026 interim government, submitted 32 recommendations aimed at short- and medium-term improvements, including structural reforms, digital health systems, increased funding, universal health coverage, protection of healthcare workers, and better medicine management.

Commission chief Dr. A.K. Azad Khan said the responsibility of the commission was to recommend reforms, while implementation lies with the government. Public health expert Dr. Mushtaq Hossain said the recommendations have largely not been acted upon. He added that even a monitoring committee was not formed to oversee reforms, and little attention has been given by the current government as well.

For patients and families navigating this system, the gap between policy discussions and everyday realities remains stark—reflected in overcrowded wards, rising bills, and the ongoing question of who will truly take responsibility for a health sector under strain.

A Dhaka court has placed retired Lieutenant General Masud Uddin Chowdhury on a four-day remand in connection with the Delwar Hossain murder case filed with Mirpur Model Police Station. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Monirul Islam passed the order on Tuesday afternoon following a hearing. Earlier, the investigation officer of the case, DB Police Sub-Inspector Kafil Uddin, produced the accused before the court and sought a seven-day remand. The court granted four days. Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Farooqui confirmed the matter.

According to the remand petition, the preliminary investigation found sufficient information and evidence regarding the accused’s involvement in the incident. It said remand was necessary for proper interrogation and to ensure a fair investigation. No lawyer appeared on behalf of the accused during the hearing.

Earlier, Chowdhury had been taken into remand for a total of 14 days in three phases in a separate case filed with the Paltan Model Police Station over alleged embezzlement and human trafficking involving Tk24,000 crore.

According to the case statement, an attack took place in the Falpatti area of Mirpur-10 on July 19, 2024, during an anti-discrimination student movement. The complaint states that the accused opened fire from different directions, leaving Delwar Hossain seriously injured.

He was first taken to the National Heart Institute and later shifted to a private hospital in Shyamoli, where he died at 7:40am on July 21 while undergoing treatment. In connection with the incident, the victim’s wife, Mosha Liza, filed a murder case with Mirpur Model Police Station on July 6, 2025.

Chowdhury was arrested from the Baridhara area of the capital on the night of March 23. The following day, the court placed him on a five-day remand. On March 24, he was shown arrested in the Paltan case and remanded again. Subsequently, the court granted him a second six-day remand on March 29 and a third three-day remand on April 4.

Former speaker of the National Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, has been arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). She was taken into custody from her residence on Road 8/A in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, at around 4:30am on Tuesday.

Additional Commissioner of DB, Shafiqul Islam, confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune. Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the DMP’s media division, M N Nasir Uddin, told journalists on Tuesday morning that Chaudhury is currently being interrogated.

“As far as we know, cases have been filed against her over incidents during the July movement at Banani and Uttara police stations in the capital. There is also a case against her in Rangpur,” he said.

The DC added that she is now being questioned and further steps will be announced later. According to sources, a case was filed against Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in connection with the fatal shooting of gold worker Muslim Uddin in Rangpur during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

The murder case, lodged on August 27, 2024, names Chaudhury and 16 others, including former commerce minister Tipu Munshi. Munshi is currently in jail following his arrest in the same case.

Chaudhury was elected a member of parliament from Rangpur-6. After the 2008 Bangladesh election, the Awami League assumed power and Abdul Hamid was elected speaker. Following his elevation to the presidency, Chaudhury was elected speaker on April 30, 2013. She went on to serve four consecutive terms, most recently as speaker of the 12th National Parliament on January 30, 2024.