British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure to announce his resignation as questions over his political future intensify. Cabinet colleague Peter Kyle confirmed that Starmer is reflecting on the 'political reality' following Andy Burnham’s by-election victory in Makerfield, which has emboldened calls within the Labour Party for a leadership change. Senior ministers and several Labour MPs have urged Starmer to set a timetable for stepping down, suggesting that Burnham’s win has opened the door for a new leadership contest.

The pressure increased after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticized Starmer’s immigration and energy policies, predicting his resignation. Despite the mounting calls, Starmer has vowed to fight any formal leadership challenge. Kyle stated that the prime minister is taking time to consider how the situation has evolved and will act in the country’s best interest. Some Labour figures, including MP Toby Perkins, warned that another leadership change could deepen political instability.

Reports in British newspapers suggest Starmer may soon announce his resignation schedule, while potential successors such as Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting prepare for a possible leadership race.

Bangladesh is signaling a return to an independent and self-respecting foreign policy under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Delhi-centered approach. Rahman’s first overseas visits to Malaysia and China mark efforts to strengthen ties with key Asian partners. The interim government led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus had earlier revived a sense of national dignity in foreign affairs after the political upheaval that ended Hasina’s rule.

Malaysia, a major labor market and influential Muslim nation, was chosen as Rahman’s first destination, reflecting both economic and diplomatic priorities. His subsequent trip to China aims to deepen cooperation in defense, river management, and infrastructure. The foreign secretary confirmed that two agreements, thirteen memoranda of understanding, and one action plan will be discussed, with emphasis on Chinese support for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.

Bangladesh seeks to enhance defense modernization and strategic balance through long-term collaboration with China, including potential joint production and technology transfer. The government maintains that these partnerships will prioritize national sovereignty and economic interests without aligning with any geopolitical bloc.

The banned Awami League is reportedly trying to reorganize in Rajshahi ahead of its 77th founding anniversary on June 23, 2026. Local sources said some leaders and supporters have begun restoring old networks and holding small meetings to discuss future programs. Videos of masked processions demanding the release of detained leaders and pledging continued political activity have circulated on social media, prompting renewed debate and concern in the city.

Law enforcement agencies have been placed on alert, with the police headquarters instructing all metropolitan commissioners and range DIGs to monitor possible rallies or flag-raising events. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police officials said they are prepared to act against any law violations. Opposition parties including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the National Citizens Party warned they would resist any attempt by the banned group to resume political activities.

Political analysts and local residents expressed concern that the anniversary could heighten tensions in Rajshahi. Authorities and political groups have been urged to act responsibly to prevent unrest and maintain public order.

Khulna Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Rashidul Islam Khan was stand-released on Saturday after a video of his remarks at a public meeting went viral on social media. During the meeting at Mahirbari Khalpar in Khulna’s Labanchara area, he warned of public punishment for any police officer who leaked crime-related information provided by citizens. Following the incident, a police headquarters circular signed by Additional DIG (Personnel Management) Raihan Uddin Khan instructed Rashidul to report to Dhaka by Sunday.

The Bangladesh Police Association issued a statement expressing concern that such comments had caused resentment among police members. It emphasized that all officers should maintain professionalism, restraint, and institutional values in public statements to uphold the force’s dignity and discipline. Rashidul later told reporters he was on his way to Dhaka, expressing regret that his words had hurt colleagues and explaining that his comments were made spontaneously in response to public frustration.

The incident sparked debate on social media, with some citizens supporting Rashidul’s stance against alleged police misconduct in Khulna and others emphasizing the need for professionalism within the force.

A key road in the Damudya bus stand area of Shariatpur became unusable, causing severe hardship for residents. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Atikur Rahman Kabir led an initiative to repair the damaged section after local appeals. The road, connecting Damudya bus stand to Damudya port, had developed numerous potholes and large craters over the past six months, worsened by heavy rainfall.

Local residents said neither public representatives nor the upazila administration took notice of the problem. The collapse of the road made it impassable for vehicles, forcing passengers to cross the damaged section on foot. Responding to community requests, Atikur Rahman Kabir, the Jamaat-e-Islami amir of Damudya municipality, visited the site with a team and decided to repair it.

The repair work was completed last Friday night with funding from Jamaat-e-Islami, restoring the road to a usable condition. According to Kabir, the effort was part of the party’s ongoing welfare activities and was carried out through voluntary labor.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members in Thakurgaon are struggling to conduct patrols due to long-neglected unpaved and damaged roads across the district’s 370-kilometer border area. In Ranishankoil’s Dhamorgor border outpost, a six-kilometer stretch has become nearly impassable, especially during rain, disrupting patrols, anti-smuggling operations, and emergency responses.

Local residents report severe difficulties in movement during the monsoon, with vehicles and even motorcycles facing danger on muddy roads. They expressed frustration that the force responsible for national border security must operate under such poor conditions. Residents and BGB officials alike have called for immediate paving of the connecting roads to ensure smoother patrols and better community access.

According to Thakurgaon’s executive engineer, a proposal to upgrade the 370 kilometers of unpaved border roads has been submitted under the Border Road Development Project. The initiative aims to strengthen border security, curb smuggling, and improve local livelihoods and agricultural transport once implemented.

Police in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar arrested Jamaat-e-Islami leader Khizir Ahmed on Friday night from Alveen Restaurant in Barlekha Bazar. Authorities said he was wanted in a murder case filed during the previous Awami League government. The case dates back to February 28, 2013, when violence erupted after Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee was sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Crimes Tribunal. One Jamaat activist, Lokman Ahmed, was killed in the clashes, and police later filed a murder case naming Khizir Ahmed and others.

Khizir’s brother, Tarek Ahmed, claimed the arrest was based on a politically motivated case, saying his brother had been living in Qatar for years and regularly visited Bangladesh. Former Barlekha upazila Jamaat chief Emadul Islam also criticized the arrest, calling it harassment and expressing disappointment that police acted on a 13-year-old warrant. Several locals echoed similar sentiments, describing the arrest as unjust.

Barlekha police officer-in-charge Moniruzzaman Khan confirmed the arrest, stating that Khizir Ahmed was sent to jail under a court-issued warrant in case number GR 62/2013.

In Shariatpur, a new controversy has emerged following several flash processions by Awami League activists. Leaders and members of the party’s affiliated organizations, including Jubo League and Chhatra League, have been accused of putting up posters and festoons across various areas of Sadar upazila ahead of the party’s 77th founding anniversary. A video showing the poster campaign went viral on social media, drawing widespread local attention.

According to local sources, the posters were placed in Angaria Union to mark the anniversary on June 23 and to demand the release of detained party activists. The video reportedly shows local Jubo League leader Saiful Islam Molla leading the campaign, with participation from members of the banned Chhatra League. Posters were allegedly placed on public buildings, including the Angaria police outpost and the union council office, prompting administrative discussions.

Police said they are investigating the matter after seeing the video online. The officer in charge of Palong Model Police Station stated that the person named in the posters is currently abroad, while the individual seen posting them is not a resident of the district. Authorities have pledged legal action if wrongdoing is confirmed.

Residents of Jamalpur’s Bakshiganj and Dewanganj border areas are spending sleepless nights guarding the frontier to prevent any push-in incidents. Groups of young men stand watch at night with flashlights and bamboo sticks, exchanging information via mobile phones. Even during the day, they remain on alert as tension along the border with India’s Meghalaya and Assam continues. The atmosphere in these villages resembles a state of constant vigilance, with hundreds gathering within minutes whenever rumors or signs of unusual activity appear.

Most locals depend on farming, day labor, fishing, or small businesses, but their livelihoods are being disrupted by the need to patrol the border. Many report physical and mental exhaustion from balancing work and night watch duties. Families, especially women and children, are living in anxiety as men spend nights guarding and rush to the border during the day when alerts arise.

Local youths are voluntarily collecting and sharing information with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) when they notice suspicious movements. The prolonged tension has reduced productivity and affected normal life across the border villages.

Islami Chhatra Shibir’s central president Nurul Islam warned that if the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) does not immediately abandon what he called a 'politics of murder,' the people will drive them out of the country as they did with the Awami League. He made the remarks on Sunday night at a protest rally in Dhaka organized by Shibir’s city unit, following the killing of union president Saifullah in Gaibandha. The rally began at the Central Shaheed Minar and ended at Shahbagh.

During his speech, Nurul Islam condemned the killing, accusing BNP and its youth wing of carrying out a cowardly and brutal attack. He demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those responsible, warning that students would launch a strong movement if justice was not served. Other Shibir leaders, including central office secretary Azizur Rahman Azad, also criticized BNP and the administration, alleging widespread corruption and violence.

Speakers at the rally expressed condolences for Saifullah’s death and urged the government to ensure justice for the killing.

Leaders and activists of the banned Awami League organized a flash procession in Barishal city on Sunday afternoon to mark the party’s 77th founding anniversary. The event took place in the Bogura Road area under the banner of the Barishal Metropolitan Awami League and moved through several city streets. Participants carried banners featuring former Barishal City Corporation mayor and the party’s metropolitan general secretary Sadiq Abdullah, chanting slogans celebrating the anniversary and expressing support for Sheikh Hasina.

According to the report, there was no visible police patrol during the procession, allowing the participants to disperse quickly after the march. Soon after the event, police from Kotwali Police Station launched a large-scale operation across the city. Similar drives were also initiated in the areas under Kaunia, Airport, and Bandar police stations, as confirmed by local police sources.

The incident reflects renewed attempts by the banned Awami League to organize publicly despite restrictions, prompting immediate law enforcement action in Barishal.

The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), student wing of the BNP, organized a rally in Dhaka on Sunday evening to welcome Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s first foreign trip. The procession was led by JCD central vice president Manjurul Alam Riad and joint general secretary Faruk Hossain. Leaders, activists, and supporters from various units of the organization joined the event.

Participants chanted slogans expressing support for BNP chairperson and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and called for the success of his foreign visit. They also voiced warnings against what they described as conspiracies by the banned Awami League and its student wing. The rally began at the BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan and concluded in front of the National Press Club.

The event reflected the JCD’s public show of support for the new prime minister’s international engagement and its continued opposition stance toward rival political groups.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that he will discuss the release of Bangladeshi citizens detained in Malaysian prisons with the Malaysian government. He made the statement on Sunday, June 21, during a meeting with expatriate Bangladeshis in Malaysia, marking his first official visit to the country as prime minister. He was accompanied by his wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman.

Rahman emphasized that the government is prioritizing modern training and language education to enhance the skills of overseas workers. He said steps are being taken to modernize technical and vocational institutions in Bangladesh to prepare workers for global labor market competition. The government is also planning to identify countries where demand for Bangladeshi workers may increase over the next decade.

During the visit, discussions are expected to cover issues faced by Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, opportunities for new labor recruitment, and potential cooperation in trade, investment, and technology. The foreign secretary earlier indicated that a memorandum of understanding on a free trade agreement and cultural cooperation may be signed during the trip.

Sarjis Alam, the chief organizer of the National Citizens Party (NCP) for the northern region, criticized the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament in a Facebook post on Sunday. He said their tone when saying 'this is not Shahbagh' diminishes the significance of the July street movement that began at Dhaka University and spread across Bangladesh. Alam argued that such remarks belittle the movement that enabled the current political leadership to return to power and hold key positions.

In his post, Alam reminded the Speaker that the public had previously lost trust in major political parties due to election controversies and failures to sustain street movements. He emphasized that the July movement was driven by students and citizens seeking change, not by partisan politics. He urged the parliamentary leaders to correct any procedural violations according to rules rather than mock the Shahbagh or July movements.

Alam concluded by expressing hope that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker would refrain from disparaging the July movement in the future, calling it the epicenter of change in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s Nayeb-e-Ameer and Member of Parliament for Rangpur-2 (Badarganj-Taraganj) ATM Azharul Islam visited the Fire Service and Civil Defence Station in Badarganj on Sunday morning. Upon arrival at around 8:30 a.m., he was welcomed by members of the Fire Service. During the inspection, he observed various firefighting and rescue equipment and urged personnel to ensure prompt and effective service delivery to accident victims.

Following the inspection, the MP signed the station’s visitor book and held discussions with officials about existing operational challenges and requirements. He assured them that necessary steps would be taken to address these issues. The visit was attended by Badarganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Anjuman Sultana, local Jamaat leaders including Maulana Kamruzzaman Kabir, Shah Muhammad Rustam Ali, and Maulana Minhajul Islam, along with other community representatives.

The visit highlighted the MP’s engagement with local emergency services and his commitment to improving their operational capacity through responsive measures.