RAB-11 conducted a combing operation in Deobhog Nur Mosque area of Fatullah, Narayanganj, on Tuesday evening, detaining 13 individuals with firearms, ammunition, drugs, and cash. The raid began around 6:30 p.m. and continued until midnight. Among the seized items were six rounds of pistol bullets, knives, Chinese axes, machetes, CCTV cameras, a drone, 1.164 million taka in cash, 235 kilograms of cannabis, and 11,000 yaba tablets. The detainees include men aged between 22 and 48.

RAB-11 Commander Lt. Col. H. M. Sajjad Hossain confirmed the operation at a press briefing on Wednesday morning. According to RAB, the raid followed complaints from locals and intelligence reports about criminal and drug-related activities in the area. Legal action will be taken against the detainees on charges of possessing illegal arms, narcotics, and obstructing government duties.

Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, three RAB-11 members were injured in a machete attack by criminals in the Masdair Boalia canal area of Fatullah, prompting heightened security operations in the region.

A Bangladeshi expatriate named Rubel Mondal, aged 21, from Dighalkandi area of Jorkhali Union in Madarganj, Jamalpur, has been missing in Saudi Arabia for 21 days. He went to Saudi Arabia on January 27 this year through a local broker and was employed at a private clinic in Mecca. His family last spoke with him on April 16 at around 4 p.m., after which all communication through Imo, Facebook, and Messenger stopped.

Rubel’s mother, Monowara Begum, expressed deep anguish, saying she had sent her youngest son abroad with great hopes and now has no idea of his whereabouts. She appealed to the government to help locate him. Madarganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Suman Chowdhury said he learned about the incident through social media and would inform higher authorities to ensure necessary assistance for the family.

The family remains in distress as the search continues, with local authorities pledging to escalate the matter for further action.

Australia has announced the creation of a national fuel reserve of 1 billion liters to address the global energy crisis triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that the government-owned stockpile will primarily ensure long-term supplies of diesel and aviation fuel. He emphasized that the main goal is to protect Australia from the negative impacts of the current crisis. Details of the plan are expected to be presented in next week’s national budget.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen noted that although Australia is one of the few members of the International Energy Agency, it previously had no national fuel reserve. He said the government is preparing for potential future shocks as global conditions become increasingly unstable. Australia currently has only two oil refineries, making it highly vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains.

The country relies heavily on the Strait of Hormuz for fuel imports, a route that has been nearly closed since February 28 following U.S. and Israeli attacks toward Iran, severely affecting global oil and gas transport.

Nepal has lodged a formal protest against India’s announcement to resume a pilgrimage route through the disputed Lipulekh pass in the Himalayas. The Indian government said on Thursday that pilgrimages to Tibet’s Kailash Mansarovar would restart this year via the Lipulekh corridor, which connects India, China, and Nepal. The route had been closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement issued Sunday, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani regions fall within Nepal’s territory under the 1816 Sugauli Treaty signed with the British colonial rulers. Kathmandu expressed strong objection to India’s decision, calling it a violation of Nepal’s sovereignty.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded that the Lipulekh route has been used by Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Bon pilgrims since 1954 and dismissed Nepal’s claim as baseless and historically unfounded. According to India’s plan, 500 Hindu pilgrims will travel through Uttarakhand to Tibet this year, while others will use a separate route via Sikkim.

A 23-member Pay Commission led by former finance secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan has submitted a comprehensive report recommending significant salary and allowance increases for Bangladesh’s government employees. The proposal, if implemented, could more than double current pay levels. The commission suggested raising the minimum basic salary from 8,250 taka to 20,000 taka and the maximum from 78,000 taka to 160,000 taka, with overall increases ranging from 100 to 140 percent.

The government currently spends 1.31 trillion taka annually on 1.4 million employees and 900,000 pensioners. Implementing the new structure could require an additional 1.06 trillion taka. Separate reports have also been prepared for the Judicial Service Pay Commission and the Armed Forces. A 10-member high-level committee led by the Cabinet Secretary has been formed to analyze all three reports and finalize a phased implementation plan.

The proposed pay scale aims to reduce the salary ratio between the highest and lowest grades from 1:9.4 to 1:8 while keeping the existing 20-grade structure. Special pay steps have been recommended for top administrative positions, to be announced later by official notification.

After years of heightened tensions, the United States and Iran are reportedly close to finalizing a historic memorandum aimed at ending their conflict. According to a Pakistani source involved in mediation, the proposed agreement is a one-page document covering several key issues. It marks the most advanced stage of negotiation between the two nations since the start of hostilities.

Preliminary details suggest the memorandum may include limits on Iran’s nuclear program, partial easing of U.S. economic sanctions, measures to reduce tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, and a framework for broader discussions in the coming weeks. Pakistan has played a significant diplomatic role in facilitating communication and ensuring progress between the two sides.

Some complexities remain, particularly regarding the timeline of Iran’s nuclear activities. Nonetheless, recent diplomatic momentum indicates that the long-standing conflict may be closer to resolution than ever before.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) now control about 60 percent of Gaza’s territory and are reportedly preparing for a new offensive, according to a report by Israel Army Radio on Sunday. The report cited military officials saying that they consider this the right time to eliminate Hamas fighters. The IDF has completed operational planning and is awaiting final approval from Israel’s political leadership. To strengthen positions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, the IDF has reduced troop deployment in southern Lebanon.

Despite a ceasefire brokered by the United States in October last year, Israeli forces have violated it at least 832 times in the past seven months. Humanitarian aid deliveries also remain severely restricted, with fewer than 200 of the expected 600 daily relief trucks entering Gaza due to Israeli barriers.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, two people were killed and eleven injured in the past 24 hours. Since the ceasefire began, 834 people have been killed and 2,365 injured, while total casualties from over two years of conflict have reached 72,615 dead and 172,468 wounded.

Iran’s nuclear program has suffered only minimal damage despite recent US and Israeli military strikes, according to a Reuters report citing three US intelligence sources. The report states that Iran would still need roughly the same amount of time to produce a nuclear bomb as it did last summer, contradicting earlier claims that the June 2025 attacks had delayed the program by at least a year. The joint offensive, launched on February 28, targeted military and industrial sites, while Israel struck several key nuclear facilities. However, Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains untouched.

Intelligence officials indicated that neutralizing Iran’s nuclear capability would require destroying or relocating this uranium stockpile. Although a ceasefire agreement was signed on April 7, tensions remain high due to deep political rifts and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for about 20 percent of global oil shipments. US Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth said Washington’s main goal is to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has not verified the location of Iran’s 440 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium, believed to be partly hidden in a secure underground tunnel in Isfahan, where inspections are currently suspended.

Political discussions have intensified across Bogura over who will be appointed as the administrator of the newly formed Bogura City Corporation. Supporters of various Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders have put up posters and banners in the city, while party offices are abuzz with speculation. Several senior and youth leaders of the BNP are reportedly lobbying for the position, though no official announcement has yet been made.

Names under discussion include city BNP president Hamidul Haque Chowdhury Hiru, former mayor and lawyer Mahbubur Rahman, organizational secretary KM Khairul Bashar, and district Jubo Dal president Jahangir Alam. Former district BNP president VP Saiful Islam, former general secretary Zainal Abedin Chan, and Sadar upazila BNP president Maftun Ahmed Khan Rubel are also being mentioned. Social media discussions highlight candidates with long-standing grassroots involvement and leadership qualities.

Local residents have expressed hopes for a competent and honest administrator to ensure better civic services, infrastructure development, and good governance. Observers note that the appointment carries significant political weight and could shape the district’s political landscape in the coming days.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir organized a human chain in Patiya, Chattogram, demanding justice for the killings at Shapla Chattar. The demonstration took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Patiya Thana intersection, where leaders and activists from different levels of the organization participated.

Speakers at the event called for a proper investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible for the Shapla Chattar killings. They expressed frustration that even after 13 years, no judicial process had begun regarding the incident, which they said had caused public resentment. The president of the Patiya Thana branch, Mahbub Ullah, delivered a speech at the event, while branch secretary Abu Siddiq and other members were also present.

The program reflected the organization’s continued demand for accountability and justice related to the Shapla Chattar incident.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that no force can make the Iranian nation surrender, responding to a U.S. call for concessions in peace talks. In a post on social media platform X, he said followers of the Shia ideology cannot be forced to bow down. Pezeshkian also mentioned speaking with Iraq’s prime minister and urged the United States to remove military threats from the Middle East.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced a new security plan around the Strait of Hormuz aimed at preventing weapons and supplies from reaching U.S. military bases through the area. The strait has become a central point of contention in ongoing U.S.-Iran discussions intended to halt regional conflict.

The statements highlight Iran’s firm stance against external pressure and its intent to assert control over strategic waterways, which remain a key obstacle in current diplomatic efforts between Tehran and Washington.

High-level talks between China and Iran began in Beijing, focusing on two key issues: maintaining a ceasefire and reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. China has long voiced concern over these matters, criticizing the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports as dangerous while also expressing growing dissatisfaction with Iran for keeping the waterway closed.

During the meeting, Beijing is expected to deliver a clear message to Tehran that continued closure of the strait could affect future Chinese support. This discussion is particularly significant as Iran faces potential new sanctions, where Chinese backing at the United Nations would be crucial. Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister seeks clarity on whether China might make concessions to Washington during an upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

China has also asked Iran to refrain from any retaliatory or sudden actions before the talks. Observers view the Beijing meeting as critical not only for bilateral relations but also for Middle Eastern stability and global energy security.

The Bangladesh government spent Tk 71,253 crore on interest payments for domestic and foreign loans during the first six months of the current fiscal year (July–December), marking a 22 percent increase from the same period last year, according to the Finance Ministry’s latest quarterly debt bulletin. In the previous fiscal year’s first half, interest payments totaled Tk 58,392 crore.

The bulletin shows that domestic debt accounted for the largest share, with Tk 61,866 crore paid in interest—25 percent higher than the previous year—while foreign loan interest rose by 5 percent to Tk 9,387 crore. The report attributes the rising debt servicing burden to lower-than-targeted revenue collection, which has forced the government to rely more heavily on borrowing, particularly from domestic banks. Revenue shortfall in the first nine months reached nearly Tk 1 trillion, a record level.

The bulletin notes a strategic shift toward domestic borrowing to reduce currency risk and stabilize liquidity. As of December, total government debt stood at Tk 22.06 trillion, up from Tk 21.44 trillion in June 2025.

A man named Mohammad Anis allegedly set fire to his own house in Puthia, Rajshahi, on Monday night after his wife refused to give him money for drugs. The fire quickly spread to nearby houses, destroying a total of five dwellings and causing losses estimated at over one million taka. The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m., and by the time the fire service arrived, all the houses had been reduced to ashes. Local residents became agitated, prompting police intervention to restore order.

Puthia Police Station Officer-in-Charge Faridul Islam said an investigation is underway and legal action will follow if the affected families file complaints. On Tuesday morning, local Member of Parliament Professor Nazrul Islam Mondal, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Liakat Salman, and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Shibu Das visited the site and provided initial assistance to the victims. Anis’s wife, Sohagi Khatun, stated that her husband had wasted money on drugs and mobile gambling and set the fire out of anger when she refused to give him more.

Authorities are continuing the investigation to determine the full extent of the damage and responsibility.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on Iran to surrender, saying the situation was under American control. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said Iran should raise the 'white flag of surrender.' He added that although Tehran was issuing threats of war, it was secretly interested in reaching an agreement.

Trump claimed Iran’s military strength had been exhausted and that the country was only pretending to resist while actually seeking a deal. He praised the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, describing it as strong and effective, and said no one would dare to break it.

The remarks, reported by Reuters, come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with Trump asserting that the blockade was working efficiently and that Iran’s leadership was under pressure to negotiate.