June 18, 2026

বাংলা

Bangladesh

2023: Year in photos

Amid violent protests leading up to the election and the worst dengue outbreak on record, the inauguration of the Padma Bridge rail link and Karnaphuli Tunnel brought immense happiness to Bangladeshis in 2023. The year also witnessed the first train journey to the beach city of Cox’s Bazar.

Mostafigur Rahman

Mostafigur Rahman

Published : 31 Dec 2023, 11:43 PM

Updated : 31 Dec 2023, 11:43 PM

Jan 1: For students, textbook festivals at schools marked the beginning of the year. Children of Nikli in Kishoreganj return home with the smell and touch of new textbooks.

Jan 4: A cold snap gripped Bangladesh in mid-winter. In Dhaka, rickshawpullers try to ward off the winter chill by lighting a fire in the Nilkhet intersection.

Jan 5: ‘Swarnakamal’, the infamous house of top criminal Ershad Shikder in Khulna, is tore down.

Jan 6: The overcrowded stage of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s 75th anniversary programme at Dhaka University collapses during Awami League General Secretary Obadul Quader’s speech.

Jan 9: BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is freed on bail after a month in jail.

Jan 13: Biswa Ijtema was held after a two-year break over the coronavirus pandemic. Muslims gather on the streets for Jumma prayers because of a lack of space on the main congregation ground.

Jan 25: The BNP holds an antigovernment rally outside its Naya Paltan headquarters. The party continued such protests throughout the year.

Feb 1: The Amar Ekushey Book Fair begins on the first day of February. The fair was delayed in the past three years over the COVID-19 pandemic. Book lovers crowded the fair after its inauguration by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Feb 2: Save the Nature of Bangladesh, an organisation of animal lovers, organised a different kind of demonstration in Shahbagh, demanding an end to cruelty towards animals and their commercial use. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Feb 6: A woman plucks flowers as production increases amid favourable weather in Jashore’s Jhikargachha.

Feb 8: Students celebrate the publication of HSC results in Dhaka.

Feb 8: A woman at Shankharibazar in Dhaka pulls water from a well, a rare site in the capital. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Feb 12: President Mohammed Shahabuddin visits the Election Commission to submit his nomination as a candidate of the ruling Awami League.

Feb 15: Students installed a statue of Rabindranath Tagore with its mouth taped and a copy of Gitanjali nailed at Dhaka University as part of protests against the Digital Security Act and censorship. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Feb 16: A banner reads “Rabindranath has been subjected to enforced disappearance” in place of a temporary statue of Rabindranath Tagore at Dhaka University.

Feb 17: Dulal Hall, a movie theatre established in Feni in 1952, is tore down.

Feb 18: Demonstrators put together broken pieces of a statue of Rabindranath Tagore amid protests against censorship and the Digital Security Act. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Feb 19: A woman jumps off a 12-storey residential building to escape a devastating fire in Dhaka’s Gulshan.

Feb 24: Animal lovers gather for a Cat Ramp Show in Dhaka’s Jamuna Future Park. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Mar 1: Passengers crowd the help desk at Kamalapur Railway Station in Dhaka on the first day of a new system to sell train tickets after registration with NID cards or birth certificates.

Mar 4: An explosion at Sheema Group’s oxygen plant at Sitakunda in Chattogram leaves at least five dead and 25 injured.

Mar 5: Parts of a building on Mirpur Road near Dhaka College collapse after an explosion, killing at least three people. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Mar 6: A plastic banner is used in a National Jute Day campaign of the textiles and jute ministry. People also questioned if the image used in the banner is of a jute leaf. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Mar 7: At least 18 people are killed and more than 100 others injured in a powerful explosion in a building in Old Dhaka’s Siddique Bazar. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Mar 7: The victims of an explosion in a powerful explosion in a building in Old Dhaka’s Siddique Bazar are brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Photo: Tawhiduzzaman Tapu

Mar 15: Police assault journalists during clashes between lawyers loyal to the Awami League and the BNP.

Mar 17: Elephants are used in different parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, for extortion. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Mar 19: At least 19 people are killed as a bus falls into a ditch after hitting the railings of Bangabandhu Expressway in Madaripur’s Shibchar.

Mar 30: The seven-kilometre long Shuvadda canal, once a source of water in Dhaka’s Keraniganj, is filled with wastes, especially plastics, to the brim. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Mar 30: The seven-kilometre long Shuvadda canal, once a source of water in Dhaka’s Keraniganj, is filled with wastes, especially plastics, to the brim. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Apr 3: Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams is released from jail on bail in a Digital Security Act case.

Apr 3: Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams is released from jail on bail in a Digital Security Act case.

Apr 4: Bangabazar, the largest marketplace of readymade garments, is completely burnt in a blaze during the Eid-ul-Fitr shopping season.

Apr 4: Bangabazar, the largest marketplace of readymade garments, is completely burnt in a blaze during the Eid-ul-Fitr shopping season.

Apr 5: People collect half-burnt clothes, tin sheets and pieces of metal after a devastating blaze at Bangabazar. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Apr 5: People collect half-burnt clothes, tin sheets and pieces of metal after a devastating blaze at Bangabazar. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Apr 7: Police recover the bodies of eight people killed in a gunfight between armed groups in Bandarban’s Rowangchhari.

Apr 11: Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam inaugurates colourful graffiti on the flyover in Moghbazar.

Apr 12: The traders of Bangabazar set up makeshift shops before Eid-ul-Fitr after a devastating blaze. Photo: Tawhiduzzaman Tapu

Apr 13: People pay their last respects to freedom fighter and Gonoshasthaya Kendra’s founder Zafrullah Chowdhury at the Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: Asif Mahmud Ove

Apr 15: Members of the army, air force, navy, Border Guard Bangladesh and police join the Fire Service and Civil Defence to bring under control a blaze at New Super Market in Dhaka.

Apr 19: Motorcyclists crowd Shimulia ferry pier in Munshiganj on the last day of a ban on motorbikes on the Padma Bridge.

Apr 20: Motorcyclists que up to cross the Padma Bridge after a ban on motorbikes on the bridge is lifted. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Apr 24: President Abdul Hamid leaves the Bangabhaban in a ceremonial event after a record 10 years as the head of the state.

Apr 26: President Mohammed Shahabuddin and his wife enjoy a view of the river from the Padma Bridge on their way to Gopalganj to pay respects to Bangabandhu.

Apr 29: A worker puts hyacinths on a railway track as part of efforts to keep the tracks from bending amid extreme heat in Brahmanbaria.

May 7: A woman collects cooking oil from a trashed bottle in Kamrangirchar as prices skyrocket. Photo: asif mahmud ove

May 8: Bangladeshis stranded in Sudan amid a coflict return home via Jeddah. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ove

May 9: Expelled Awami League leader Zahangir Alam’s mother Jayeda Khaton contests Gazipur mayoral polls victoriously in place of her son.

May 11: Scrapped cine film reels are pictured at Hatirjheel lake. Cine films are no longer in use in the digital era. Authorities are also reluctant to preserve the old reels. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

May 14: Cyclone Mocha devastates Myanmar, and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.

May 14: Cyclone Mocha leaves a trail of destruction at St Martin’s Island in Cox’s Bazar.

May 16: People pay their last respects to actor-turned-politician Akbar Hossain Pathan Farooque at the Central Shaheed Minar. Photo: asif mahmud ove

May 25: Gazipur mayor-elect Jayeda Khaton and her son expelled Awami League leader Zahangir Alam flash the victory sign after the announcement of results.

May 31: Mugda Medical College Hospital struggles to handle a wave of dengue patients amid the worst outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease. Photo: Tawhiduzzaman Tapu

Jun 1: Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presents the budget for 2023-24 fiscal year in parliament.

Jun 2: Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal faces the media after presenting the budget for 2023-24 fiscal year in parliament.

Jun 4: A group of people with disabilities demonstrate at Shahbagh demanding a rise in allocation for them in the new budget. Photo: Tawhiduzzaman Tapu

Jun 7: At least 14 people are killed in a collision between a goods-laden truck and a pickup van transporting labourers on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway.

Jun 8: Rohingya refugees rally in the camps of Cox’s Bazar demanding safe and dignified return to Myanmar.

Jun 10: A group of jobseekers demonstrate at Shahbagh demanding that the age ceiling for entry to government jobs be raised to 35.

Jul 2: Green chilli prices go through the roof. In Motijheel, traders charge Tk 600 per kg.

Jul 12: The BNP holds an antigovernment rally in Naya Paltan. Photo: Mahmaud Zaman Ove

Jul 12: The Awami League organises a rally near Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in a counter-demonstration against the BNP’s antigovernment protests. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Jul 13: Mitford Hospital grapples with a record number of dengue patients amid the deadliest outbreak of the disease. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Jul 17: A group of youths attack social media star Ashraful Alom aka Hero Alom, an independent candidate for Dhaka-17 in a by-election.

Jul 29: BNP activists clash with Awami League workers and police in Dhaka’s Matuail during a sit-in protest by the opposition party.

Jul 29: Protesters set a bus ablaze on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Matuail amid clashes with police during a sit-in protest by the opposition BNP.

Aug 7: Parts of hilly Bandarban town go under water after days of heavy rain.

Aug 8: Parts of the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar Highway are submerged after days of heavy rain. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Aug 13: The under-construction Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar railway is damaged by floods.

Aug 13: Floods snap road connection to hilly Bandarban. Photo: U She Thowai Marma

Aug 15: Activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir torch motorcycles outside Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University after the death of war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayedee.

Sept 2: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the Kaola-Tejgaon section of Dhaka Elevated Expressway. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Sept 7: A train crosses the Padma Bridge for the first time in a trial run. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Sept 14: A blaze devastates hundreds of shops at Mohammadpur Krishi Market in Dhaka. Photo: Twhiduzzaman Tapu

Oct 5: Russia transfers first shipment of uranium to Bangladesh for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in a ceremony attended virtually by President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Oct 5: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates the third terminal of Shahjalal International Airport for work on a trial basis. Photo: Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman

Oct 10: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates Padma Bridge rail link.

Oct 15: The vaccination of girls against the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer, begins. Photo taken at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College. Photo: Twhiduzzaman Tapu

Oct 24: Cyclone Hamoon hits the Cox’s Bazar coast of Bangladesh.

A fire breaks out at Khawaja Tower, a 14-storey commercial building in Mohakhali, caught fire on Thursday afternoon, Oct 26, 2023. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Oct 28: BNP activists clash with police at Kakrail during their rally at Naya Paltan. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Oct 28: The street from Kakrail to Shantinagar looks like a battleground during clashes between BNP activists and police. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Oct 28: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli river in Chatttogram.

Oct 29: Arsonists torch buses during the BNP’s hartal, or shutdown, after clashes during their Oct 28 rally. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Oct 31: Workers of readymade garment factories demonstrate in Gazipur for a pay rise. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Nov 2: The first train from Dhaka to cross the Padma Bridge departs Kamalapur Railway Station. Photo: Twhiduzzaman Tapu

Nov 4: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opens the Agargaon-Motijheel section of Dhaka Metro Rail. Photo: Twhiduzzaman Tapu

Nov 9: Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus appears in a labour court for hearing in a case over labour law violation.

Nov 11: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurates Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar rail link. Photo: PID

Nov 12: Relatives cry at Dhaka Medical College Hospital after the death of Jalal Uddin, a worker who was injured in clashes with police during protests for a pay rise. Photo: Twhiduzzaman Tapu

Nov 15: The Election Commission announces the schedule for the 12th parliamentary polls.

Nov 26: General Secretary Obaidul Quader announces the names of Awami League candidates in the general election.

Dec 1: The Cox’s Bazar Express behind its commercial journey.

Dec 4: Beef prices fall suddenly in Dhaka. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Dec 9: Onion prices rise in Dhaka as India announces an export ban. Photo: Tawhiduzzaman Tapu

Dec 14: Seven coaches of Mohanganj Express derail in Gazipur as saboteurs cut off the tracks amid the BNP’s protests.

Dec 19: Arsonists set ablaze a coach of Mohanganj Express in Dhaka’s Tejgaon.

Dec 29: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announces the Awami League’s election manifesto at a hotel in Dhaka.

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