According to Indian media, the Government of Bangladesh has cancelled a ₹180 crore contract with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), a defense ministry-owned enterprise based in Kolkata. The cancellation reportedly follows India’s recent restriction on transporting Bangladeshi goods, including garments, through its land ports. In response, Bangladesh has decided to revoke the order for tugboats that were intended for its Navy.

Rural Electrification Board (REB) employees continued their sit-in protest at Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar for the third consecutive day, pressing for seven key demands. These include: removal of the REB chairman, unification or restructuring of REB and PBS under a single employment policy, regularization of contractual workers, withdrawal of false and harassing cases, cancellation of punitive transfers, resolution of staffing shortages in emergency services, and formation of an interim board to oversee PBS operations until full reforms are implemented.

Joe Lopez, a firmware engineer at Microsoft, was fired after interrupting CEO Satya Nadella’s speech at the company’s annual developer conference. Lopez shouted, “Satya, show us how Microsoft is helping kill Palestinians. Show us Azure’s role in Israel’s war crimes.” Security promptly escorted him out of the event, and Microsoft later terminated his employment.

Malaysian immigration authorities have detained 597 undocumented migrants—including Bangladeshis—in Selangor. The large-scale operation involved 390 officers and checked documents of 1,597 individuals. Those detained include 472 men and 125 women from countries including Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand.

Adviser Asif Mahmud issued a stark warning on Thursday: “The crocodile you’re summoning through the BAL-North-Delhi alliance will eventually turn on you. You’re not one of them—just temporarily co-opted.” He added, “We fear neither death nor loss. The only sorrow is that neither democratic reform nor public welfare will see a positive path. The pain of shattered dreams may be our nation’s fate.”

In a pointed critique, Farhad Mazhar argued that Dr. Yunus made a mistake by expressing his willingness to resign. “Resignation would signify failure—a self-inflicted wound. He must respect the will of the people, not succumb to pressure from any party or group,” Mazhar wrote. He urged Yunus to ensure justice for past killings, draft a new constitution, and resist global corporate dominance by introducing people-friendly investment policies. He emphasized the need to build a strong army capable of defending against adversaries like India and Myanmar and facilitating the Rohingya repatriation. “The people want an end to misunderstandings between the Chief Adviser and the military,” he added, warning that undue military pressure is part of a greater conspiracy.

Adviser Rizwana Hasan reiterated that the Chief Adviser has committed to holding elections between December and June, and there is no room for deviation. On the matter of his potential resignation, she remarked, “There are serious responsibilities at hand—some of which are bound by timelines. On both elections and governance, the Chief Adviser will speak for himself.” Addressing the public’s rising expectations, she added, “The real pressure is whether we can deliver. Roadblocks between meetings—from Secretariat to Jamuna—hamper our work. Why are roads being closed? These are solvable issues through dialogue.” She also announced agreements with the World Bank and ADB to clean up four rivers in Dhaka.

In a recent statement, Faez Ahmad Tayeb affirmed that the Chief Adviser will not step down. He emphasized that while Dr. Yunus does not seek power, his presence is essential for Bangladesh’s peaceful democratic transition. Tayeb urged the cabinet to become more dynamic and functional, with advisers taking on greater responsibilities and showcasing visible progress to the public. He called for more intensive dialogue with political parties and insisted that the military must stay out of politics. Referring to a recent statement by the Army Chief about holding elections by December, Tayeb criticized the lack of jurisdictional propriety. However, he added that the military must still be respected and kept in confidence. Tayeb expressed hope that national elections would be held by April-May, before the first anniversary of the mass uprising, and that the initial verdict against "killer Hasina" would be delivered by then.
Note: Tayeb later clarified on social media that these comments reflect his personal opinion, not an official statement.

Umama Fatema commented, “There is no political unity in the country anymore. It fell apart around last September or October.” She suggested that if all parties had shown some maturity and compromise out of respect for the martyrs, the country could have remained stable until elections. “Various internal forces are actively destabilizing the nation,” she wrote, warning that revolutionary factions are now consumed by power struggles. She criticized current displays of concern for Dr. Yunus as hypocritical, given past failures to support consensus politics.

The UK’s National Crime Agency has ordered the seizure of two properties belonging to Ahmed Shayan, son of Bangladeshi MP and business magnate Salman F Rahman. One is a luxury apartment at 17 Grosvenor Square, purchased for £6.5 million in 2010. The other is a property in Gresham Gardens, North London, bought for £1.2 million in 2011. According to UK electoral data, Sheikh Rehana once resided at the Gresham Gardens property, though her current residency status is unclear.

After meeting with Chief Adviser Nahid Islam, political figure Nahid said, “Given the ongoing turmoil and rumors of the adviser's resignation, we sought clarity.” The Chief Adviser expressed frustration over being constrained despite being appointed to lead reforms following a national uprising. “I was brought in to bring change, but the way I am being cornered, I can’t continue working like this,” he reportedly said. A draft speech addressing his possible resignation has been prepared for the nation, but no final decision has yet been made.

In a dramatic move, the Trump administration has revoked Harvard University’s certification under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, effective immediately. This decision bars the university from admitting international students. The administration accused Harvard of repeatedly ignoring government directives, tolerating antisemitic sentiments on campus, and fostering divisive policies sympathetic to Hamas. According to Harvard, nearly 27% of its 2024–25 student body consists of international students—now left in limbo.

Tech advocate Fayez Ahmed Tayyab has revealed that a special taskforce has begun implementing digital signature systems in government offices to prevent forgery and inefficiency. He criticized the continued use of manual paperwork and warned that without mandatory digital verification, foreign institutions may begin rejecting Bangladeshi certificates. Tayyab also noted resistance from senior bureaucrats who view digital transformation as costly, even though the long-term benefits to Bangladesh’s digital economy are significant.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that Pakistan will no longer receive water from rivers controlled by India. This statement comes after India suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, which allowed water from three Indian rivers to flow into Pakistan—supporting nearly 80% of its agricultural land. On April 22, India officially halted the agreement. Modi warned that Pakistan would pay a heavy price for every terrorist attack—through its military and its economy. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar added, “If terrorists operate from Pakistani soil, we will strike them there.”

Jagannath University has formed a probe committee to investigate irregularities in recruitment spanning the past 15 years. The committee is chaired by Professor Dr. Md. Rois Uddin, General Secretary of the Teachers’ Association. Members of the public and university community have welcomed the move as a step toward greater transparency and accountability. The committee has been asked to submit findings by June 30.