Professor Dr. Mohammad Toufiq Alam of Rajshahi University’s Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering has been appointed as the acting Vice Chancellor of Barishal University. According to a circular from the Ministry of Education, Dr. Alam will serve in the interim role until a permanent appointment is made. He will receive salary and benefits equivalent to his current position and will be entitled to all associated privileges as per university regulations.

Facing unrelenting student protests for 29 consecutive days, the Ministry of Education announced late Tuesday night that Dr. Sucharita Sharmin has been relieved of her duties as Vice Chancellor of Barishal University and returned to her previous post. The official notification will be published on the ministry’s website shortly. Additionally, 11 faculty members have resigned from their administrative positions. Earlier in the day, students blocked the Barishal-Kuakata Highway adjacent to the campus from 4:30 PM to 9:00 PM as part of their protest program demanding the VC's removal. A hunger strike was also underway during the demonstration.

Five students of Barishal University have fallen seriously ill during a hunger strike demanding the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Suchita Sharmin. As the protest enters its 29th day, students have also blocked the highway and initiated an academic and administrative shutdown, bringing campus operations to a halt. Eleven students began the indefinite hunger strike on the ground floor of the university on Monday night. Faculty, staff, and other employees have since expressed solidarity with the movement.

India has expressed concern over the imposition of sanctions on Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League without following proper procedures. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that such actions are troubling, particularly as they appear to curtail democratic freedoms and shrink political space. He reaffirmed India’s strong support for holding free, fair, and inclusive elections in Bangladesh at the earliest possible time.

The scheduled foreign secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and Japan, originally set for May 15, has been postponed, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussion will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient time. The ministry has requested the Japanese Embassy to communicate the matter to the appropriate authorities. Notably, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus is expected to visit Japan later this month to attend the Nikkei Conference and hold a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Students of Barisal University have begun an indefinite hunger strike demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Sucharita Sharmin. Student leader Sujoy Shuvo declared the VC “unwanted” on campus, claiming she has been absent throughout 28 days of protests and only appeared on Facebook Live at the last moment. “We don’t want a fascist VC like her,” Shuvo stated. Although exams in 25 departments were held throughout the day, no classes took place. Faculty members have also expressed solidarity through statements and press conferences.

Though the sound of gunfire and drones has ceased, fear continues to haunt residents of Azad Kashmir and Jammu’s border areas even after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Many families remain in temporary shelters on the hillsides, uncertain about returning home. “Should we return or not?” is the daily debate in refugee camps. In Azad Kashmir alone, 1,146 families remain displaced. An emergency police directive in Jammu on Sunday urged frontline village residents not to return just yet.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has allegedly pushed 78 individuals—including 75 Bangladeshis and 3 Indian citizens—into Bangladesh through the Mandarbaria forest in the Sundarbans. They have been handed over to the police. Although the three Indians were born in India, they claim ancestral ties to Bangladesh. The Coast Guard has filed a case against them with Shyamnagar Police Station. Among those detained, 67 are from Narail, six from Khulna, two from Jashore, and one each from Barishal and Satkhira.

A deadly airstrike by Myanmar's ruling junta has killed 17 students and injured at least 20 more at a school, amid ongoing conflict following the 2021 coup. Since the military takeover, the junta has faced strong resistance from ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces aligned with the National Unity Government (NUG). The military continues to lose territorial control and is struggling to maintain governance. Just last week, the junta extended its ceasefire, initially declared after a recent earthquake, through May 31.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has once again installed LED lights and camera sensors along the Sunamganj border. In light of recent India-Pakistan tensions, the 28th BGB Battalion in Sylhet has intensified day and night patrols across the 90-kilometer stretch of the Sunamganj border under its jurisdiction. Local residents report that BSF has increased its manpower and replaced older red halogen lights aimed at Bangladesh with newly installed LED lights and sensor-equipped cameras on each electric post over the past two days.

A group of 78 people left behind by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) at Mandarbaria Char in Satkhira are being transported to Shyamnagar Police Station, confirmed BGB Commander Lt. Commander Syed Abdur Rouf. Among them, 4 are Indian nationals, while the rest are Bangladeshis, mostly from Barishal, Narail, and Khulna districts. The group was moved from Mongla towards residential areas by the Coast Guard around 2 PM on Sunday.

The Teachers-Employees Unity Council has submitted an 11-point charter of demands, calling for the nationalization of the education system. The demands include allocating 6% of the GDP to the education sector, full Eid-ul-Adha festival bonuses, housing and medical allowances, upgrading head teachers in private schools to Grade-6 pay scale, implementing a universal transfer system for MPO-listed teachers and staff, introducing pension benefits, raising the retirement age to 65, forming a teacher recruitment commission, abolishing managing committees/governing bodies, forming an education reform commission, and bringing all recognized private institutions under MPO coverage.

According to a Ministry of Education circular, all government primary schools will remain closed from June 3 to June 23 for Eid-ul-Azha and summer vacation. Additionally, June 11 and 12 (Wednesday and Thursday) have been declared public holidays by executive order. To compensate, offices will remain open on May 17 and May 24, both Saturdays.

Education Adviser Dr. Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar revealed that the government is considering reintroducing scholarship exams in primary schools. He said any decision would involve consultation with all stakeholders. Abrar also acknowledged the government's failure to provide adequate remuneration to teachers but noted efforts are underway to rectify this. “Our responsibility is to nurture today's youth for tomorrow’s challenges, and that’s what we are striving to do,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy pointed out that over 32,000 primary schools currently lack headteachers. He also criticized the filing of baseless cases against educators, which disrupt school operations. As part of Education Week, 150 individuals and institutions across 14 categories were honored for their contributions.

India has blocked six Bangladeshi television channels on YouTube, citing national security concerns. According to Fayez Ahmad Tayyab, special assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and IT, the Bangladeshi government will seek an explanation from YouTube. “If we don’t receive a clear justification, retaliatory steps will be considered,” he warned. Disinfo Lab reported that channels including Jamuna TV, Ekattor TV, Banglavision, Mohona TV, Somoy TV, and DBC News are currently inaccessible from India.