United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed met with Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, during his official visit to the United Kingdom. According to a statement released on the UAE Foreign Ministry’s official X account, the meeting covered the latest regional developments and the impact of what the ministry described as Iran’s provocative terrorist attacks targeting the UAE.

The statement added that both sides also discussed the strategic relationship between the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting was part of the foreign minister’s broader visit to the UK, during which he also met with British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.

The report noted that Reform UK has recently gained significant ground in local elections, positioning Nigel Farage as one of the prominent contenders for the future post of UK prime minister.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman departed for Chandpur on Saturday morning, May 16, 2026. He left his residence in Gulshan by road around 8:45 a.m. to begin his official visit. According to the schedule, he will attend a roadside rally at Lakshmipur Bazar field in Barura, Cumilla, at 11:30 a.m. During the trip, he is set to inaugurate two canal re-excavation projects, distribute family cards, and participate in a district-level organizational meeting of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Later in the day, at 12:30 p.m., the Prime Minister will inaugurate the re-excavation work of Khordda Canal at Waruk Bazar area in Tamta Dakshin Union under Shahrasti upazila of Chandpur district. The visit includes multiple public engagements and development-related events across Cumilla and Chandpur districts.

The program highlights the government’s focus on local infrastructure improvement and organizational activities in the region, as reflected in the planned inaugurations and meetings.

President Md. Shahabuddin Chuppu of Bangladesh is currently in the United Kingdom for medical treatment. According to the report, he traveled to London with his family at government expense for a follow-up heart checkup. Initially staying at the Hilton Hotel, he later moved to the Bedford Lodge resort in Newmarket, Cambridge. After receiving treatment at Cambridge University Hospital, he returned to London on Thursday. A High Commission official said that on Friday, the president went shopping instead of attending Friday prayers, and several officials missed prayers while providing protocol.

The report states that seven luxury vehicles were rented by the Bangladesh High Commission for the president’s movements and that his entourage has been traveling freely. Questions have arisen about the scale of spending during a time when the government is implementing austerity measures, cutting projects, and reducing office hours to save costs. The president’s nine-day trip, accompanied by around two dozen people, has reportedly drawn concern within government circles.

President Shahabuddin Chuppu traveled to London on May 9 for his medical checkup and is expected to return home on Sunday.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei has criticized the United States by referring to it as a “decaying civilization.” He made the remark by quoting a passage from Martinican poet and political thinker Aimé Césaire’s renowned anti-colonial work, “Discourse on Colonialism.” The statement was reported on May 16, 2026. Césaire’s 1950 text sharply condemned European imperialism and the moral contradictions embedded within colonial civilization.

The quoted passage describes a civilization as decaying when it fails to solve its own problems, sick when it ignores its most pressing issues, and dying when it betrays its own principles. Baghaei’s use of this literary reference was aimed at framing his critique of the United States within a broader philosophical and moral context.

According to the report, Baghaei has previously drawn on literary figures to interpret geopolitical events. In an earlier opinion piece published by Al Jazeera, he invoked the 12th-century Persian poet Farid ud-Din Attar to explain a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.

Palestinian-American US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib issued a statement in Congress marking the anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. In her remarks, she called for justice and the assurance of Palestinians’ right to return to their homeland. The Nakba refers to the 1948 displacement and ethnic cleansing of approximately 750,000 Palestinians during the creation of the state of Israel.

Tlaib stated that the Nakba did not end in 1948 and continues today, citing ongoing violence and forced displacement of Palestinians by the Israeli government in Gaza. She paid tribute to all those killed since the beginning of the Nakba and emphasized that true peace must be founded on justice and the right of Palestinians to return to their land.

Her statement coincided with the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, which was also marked by demonstrations in New York, according to the source.

Lawyers representing former Columbia University student Mahmud Khalil have appealed to the US Board of Immigration Appeals to reopen and dismiss his deportation case. Khalil, who was targeted for deportation by the US government due to his pro-Palestinian activism, faces removal following a final deportation order issued one month earlier. The latest legal motion references new information, some of which has been reported in the media.

According to Khalil’s lawyers, the new evidence suggests that the Trump administration may have secretly influenced or arranged the outcome of his immigration case to make him an example. Khalil was first detained in March 2025 by immigration enforcement agents. He was among several student activists targeted after participating in pro-Palestinian and anti-Gaza war demonstrations that spread across US campuses the previous year.

The appeal seeks to suspend the deportation process while the new claims are reviewed by the immigration appeals court.

A celebratory rally organized by the newly formed Chattogram South District unit of the BNP’s student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, was disrupted on Friday evening after clashes broke out between two internal factions. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. at Shantirhat on the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar Highway, leaving four activists injured. Police intervened to bring the situation under control.

According to local and party sources, the central Chhatra Dal announced a 72-member committee for the district on May 13, including 12 members from Patiya upazila. However, a large group of activists who were denied positions expressed anger, leading to tensions. Most new appointees were followers of district convener Robiul Hossain Robi, while the excluded members were aligned with joint convener S.M. Nayon. When Robi’s supporters gathered for the rally, Nayon’s followers reportedly obstructed it, triggering a scuffle.

Police confirmed that the situation was later calmed and no formal complaints were filed. The injured activists received treatment at a local hospital.

A new directive issued by the West Bengal government ahead of Eid al-Adha has triggered widespread fear and controversy across the state. The Home Department’s order imposes strict conditions on animal sacrifice, requiring a joint fitness certificate from local authorities and a government veterinarian before slaughtering cows, buffaloes, or bulls. Only animals over 14 years old or those permanently unfit for work may be slaughtered, with violations punishable by six months’ imprisonment and fines. The directive has reportedly intensified the activities of self-proclaimed cow protection groups, especially in Muslim-majority areas, creating a tense atmosphere.

Many Muslims view the order as a deliberate attempt to restrict their religious practices and marginalize their community socially and economically. Analysts argue that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s BJP-led government is using the directive to deepen communal polarization. Economists warn that the restrictions could severely disrupt the livestock and meat trade, affecting thousands of livelihoods and damaging the rural economy and leather exports.

Experts caution that such policies, driven by sectarian motives, could inflict lasting harm on West Bengal’s economy and social harmony.

Local Government Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has described the Farakka Barrage as a death trap, saying it continues to operate and harm Bangladesh. In a statement issued on Friday marking the 16 May ‘Historic Farakka Day,’ he recalled the 1976 long march led by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, when thousands protested to demand Bangladesh’s fair share of Ganges water under international law.

Fakhrul said India began unilaterally withdrawing water from the Ganges after constructing the barrage at Farakka, turning Bangladesh’s northwestern region into near desert conditions and causing severe ecological imbalance. He accused the then Awami League government of allowing India to operate the barrage despite public opposition, which he said deprived Bangladeshis of their rightful water share.

He added that India’s continued construction of dams on 54 shared rivers without regard for international conventions poses a grave threat to Bangladesh’s existence. Fakhrul expressed hope for the success of all programs organized to mark Farakka Day.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has strongly condemned what it described as systematic state oppression and post-election violence against minority Muslims in India, as well as recent restrictions by the newly formed West Bengal government that effectively ban cow slaughter. In a joint statement issued on Friday, the organization’s central president Nurul Islam and secretary general Sibgatullah denounced these actions as discriminatory and harmful to the religious and economic rights of Muslims, particularly ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha festival.

The statement alleged that following the West Bengal assembly election results, more than 34 incidents of planned violence targeted Muslims in several districts, including Cooch Behar, North and South 24 Parganas, and Kolkata. It cited an APCR report claiming widespread destruction of Muslim homes, businesses, and mosques. The leaders also referred to a broader pattern of persecution, mentioning the NRC and CAA laws in Assam, the revocation of Article 370 in Kashmir, and the demolition of the Babri Mosque.

Chhatra Shibir urged immediate cessation of violence in West Bengal, withdrawal of the discriminatory slaughter ban, and called on the UN, OIC, Arab League, and global human rights bodies to take effective action against the ongoing oppression of Muslims in India.

Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh organized a protest march and rally in Sylhet on Friday, denouncing alleged persecution of Muslims in West Bengal and criticizing the silence of India’s central government. The demonstration began after Friday prayers at Bandar Bazar Jame Mosque and concluded with a rally at Chowhatta Point, led by the organization’s Sylhet metropolitan branch.

Speakers at the rally, including acting president Maulana Nizam Uddin and central joint secretary general Maulana Abdul Malek Chowdhury, claimed that Muslim homes, businesses, mosques, and madrasas in West Bengal had been attacked following the state elections. They described these incidents as crimes against humanity and urged international intervention. The speakers also emphasized the historical contributions of Muslims in the subcontinent and called for interfaith harmony and tolerance among all communities.

In addition to condemning the alleged violence, the speakers criticized a trade agreement with the United States, calling it contrary to national interests and demanding its cancellation.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahid Uddin Swapan announced that the government will continue to follow an equal rights-based state policy, as stated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman after his return to the country. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon at the CHT Welfare Society’s reunion discussion on Biju, Baisuk, Sangrai, Bishu, and Changkran festivals held at the Chittagong Hill Tracts Complex in Dhaka.

The minister emphasized that Bangladesh’s linguistic, religious, gender, and ethnic diversity should be transformed into a national asset rather than a source of division. He recalled that former President Ziaur Rahman had resolved post-independence identity confusion through the concept of “Bangladeshi nationalism,” ensuring equal dignity for all citizens. Swapan also called for special facilities and quota systems to integrate marginalized ethnic groups into the mainstream, noting that such measures are essential for national unity.

Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan expressed gratitude to the hill people for electing BNP-nominated candidates in all three constituencies and pledged to work under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership for lasting peace and development in the region.

Saiful Haque, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, stated that the judiciary must remain free from political interference to ensure a genuine democratic transition. Speaking on Friday, May 15, 2026, at a representative meeting of the Democratic Lawyers’ Solidarity in Segunbagicha, Dhaka, he emphasized that the best governments are those that guarantee full judicial independence. He warned that without a balanced relationship among the executive, parliament, and judiciary, a liberal democratic system cannot function effectively.

Haque identified political influence in judicial appointments as a major problem, noting that such practices often create psychological pressure on judges and hinder fair justice. He called for freeing judges from such pressures and ensuring that the judiciary operates independently of political, social, and economic forces. He added that public trust in the judiciary depends on whether marginalized people receive justice. Haque also expressed hope that the newly elected government would soon take steps to reform the judicial system in line with the July Charter and public expectations.

The meeting, chaired by senior lawyer Advocate Mahbubul Karim Tipu, also formed a 21-member convening committee for the Democratic Lawyers’ Solidarity and approved its draft declaration and constitution.

Saiful Alam Khan Milon, a central executive member of Jamaat-e-Islami and Member of Parliament for Dhaka-12, visited injured July fighters undergoing treatment at Vejthani International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Milon, who was in Thailand on personal business, met the patients on Friday to check their physical and overall condition and wished them a speedy recovery. He stated that around 57 injured July fighters are receiving treatment there, many of whom were shot in Mirpur, Jatrabari, Rangpur, and other areas of Dhaka. Several have undergone up to 15 or 16 surgeries, with some suffering paralysis in limbs or waist.

Milon noted that the hospital is providing adequate treatment but that a large amount of medical expenses remains unpaid. He added that the families of the injured are in severe distress, as the government’s assistance of 20,000 taka per person is insufficient. He urged the government to take humanitarian steps for their rehabilitation and continued treatment. The injured fighters reportedly expressed frustration over the non-implementation of the July Charter and referendum verdict.

Earlier, on May 9, opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman also visited the same hospital and called for ensuring the best possible medical care for the injured.

Mujibur Rahman Manju, chairman of the Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), said that if the growing distance between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami turns into open conflict, it would politically benefit the ruling Awami League. He made the remarks on Friday, May 15, in Chattogram while addressing a city-level AB Party organizers’ gathering as the chief guest.

Manju recalled that the BNP had formed a government in 1991 with Jamaat’s support, but later their relations deteriorated over student organization influence in educational institutions, leading to violent clashes. He noted that although the two parties reunited in 2001 to share power and political movements, they now appear to be heading toward confrontation again. He warned that escalating tensions, along with internal disputes within the ruling BNP, could worsen law and order across the country.

The AB Party chairman also expressed concern that the past practice of using police as a partisan force might return. He urged the government to strengthen the judiciary and the Anti-Corruption Commission, warning that failure to do so could create more complex political challenges ahead.