Today’s top 5 news stories

Beyond Headlines brings together the five biggest news stories of the day in one concise news digest to keep readers informed about the developments that matter. Here’s the news digest for 24th September 2026.

PM calls for decisive UN action on Rohingya Crisis

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has proposed five urgent measures to resolve the Rohingya crisis. 

Addressing a high-level side event of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN Headquarters in New York, he said the international community must transition from managing protracted displacement to ending it through decisive action.

His proposals are a clear and credible repatriation roadmap, civilian security in Myanmar, sustained humanitarian assistance, international judicial accountability and regional anti-trafficking cooperation. Tarique said Bangladesh cannot shelter over 1.2 million refugees indefinitely while abuses persist in Rakhine State.

The prime minister met Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at UN Headquarters to discuss expanding bilateral trade and investment. Assistant Press Secretary KM Nazmul Haque said both leaders agreed to broaden cooperation across skilled manpower exports, technology, education and multilateral diplomacy.

In talks with Gates Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mark Suzman, Tarique Rahman discussed healthcare modernisation and vaccination programmes. Nazmul said discussions covered training one lakh health workers, upgrading upazila clinics and developing an artificial intelligence-integrated healthcare system.

During a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the prime minister discussed regional stability and the safety of Bangladeshi expatriates. State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Bangladesh requested Iranian assistance to secure commercial vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz.

Addressing a UN climate summit, Tarique Rahman urged collective action to build a sustainable future, proposing five global measures. He said nations must maintain the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit, provide predictable adaptation finance and replenish the Loss and Damage Fund.

Source: BSS, The Business Standard

Government raises launch fares by 7.54 per cent

The government on Wednesday raised passenger launch fares by 7.54 per cent following recent domestic fuel price increases. Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam announced the decision after a meeting with water transport owners and stakeholders at the Secretariat.

Under the revised structure, fares for journeys up to 100 kilometres increased by 23 paisa to Tk 3.18 per kilometre. For trips exceeding 100 kilometres, the fare rose by 20 paisa to Tk 2.72 per kilometre, while the minimum fare increased from Tk 32 to Tk 35.

Launch owners had demanded a 25 per cent fare hike due to higher operational costs, currency fluctuations and equipment prices. Alam said fuel prices had climbed 17.39 per cent, but the ministry limited the fare increase to protect public interests and passenger affordability.

The adjustment follows an earlier bus fare hike of 17 paisa per kilometre after fuel prices rose by Tk 20 per litre. Alam said the ministry is monitoring river terminals to ensure vessel operators do not arbitrarily charge passengers above the official government rates.

Source: Dhaka Tribune, Prothom Alo

DGHS records rising dengue and measles fatalities across Bangladesh

Six people died from dengue and 1,868 patients were admitted to hospitals across Bangladesh in 24 hours, according to Directorate General of Health Services data. The latest casualties raised the national death toll to 201, while cumulative hospitalisations reached 67,367 since January.

Meanwhile, 11 children died with measles symptoms during the same 24-hour period, according to a DGHS control room release. Health authorities recorded 1,157 new suspected cases and 113 confirmed infections nationwide, bringing cumulative suspected cases to 183,449 and confirmed infections to 20,851 since 15 March.

The directorate reported that cumulative hospital admissions for suspected measles reached 162,048, with 155,612 patients successfully discharged following treatment. Total fatalities from confirmed and suspected measles rose to 1,076, comprising 975 deaths from suspected symptoms and 101 from laboratory-confirmed infections among children across the country.

Source: Dhaka Tribune, BSS

ADB approves $200 million loan for Dhaka power grid

A $200 million loan to modernise the electricity distribution network surrounding Dhaka was approved by the Asian Development Bank on Wednesday. The project supports the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board in upgrading power infrastructure across 13 rural electric cooperatives around the capital.

The project will install 1,150 megavolt-amperes of transformer capacity across 52 substations and expand 12 existing stations by 115 megavolt-amperes. It will also construct or upgrade more than 2,600 kilometres of distribution lines alongside deploying 900 fault locator sets for faster service restoration.

ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Qingfeng Zhang said modern distribution networks are essential to sustaining growth, creating employment and attracting private investment. He said the project will future-proof the power system through advanced technology, stronger infrastructure and enhanced resilience measures across vital growth corridors.

The Bangladesh government will provide $107.95 million in cofinancing alongside $141.39 million from BREB, complemented by a $1 million South Korean technical assistance grant. The scheme will also train utility personnel in cybersecurity, financial management and low-carbon operations to ensure institutional sustainability.

Source: UNB

EC sets new Union Parishad candidate deposit rules

TThe Election Commission on Wednesday fixed the security deposit for Union Parishad chairman candidates at Tk 25,000 and members at Tk 5,000. The revised rules also cap campaign expenditure at Tk 10 lakh for chairman contenders and Tk 2 lakh for ward member candidates in the gazette.

According to the Union Parishad Election Conduct Rules, candidates must submit deposits through treasury challans, pay orders or bank drafts. The commission will refund the deposit if a candidate secures at least 15 per cent of cast votes, while requiring cheque payments for expenses exceeding Tk 20,000.

Under amended Rule 80(a), individuals who threaten, intimidate or assault election officials, observers or authorised journalists face up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of Tk 10,000 or both. The same criminal penalties apply to anyone forcibly obstructing voters or preventing candidate nomination submissions.

The gazette empowers the election authority to direct returning officers to stage re-polls among leading contenders in the event of an equal vote tally. The commission may also suspend polling station results marred by electoral malpractice or intimidation before ordering formal inquiries or local re-elections.

Source: BSS

That concludes today’s briefing. Stay with Beyond Headlines for in-depth news and analysis, explainers, opinion pieces, long reads, and more.