The Sylhet district administration has installed a donation box at the shrine of Hazrat Shah Paran (R.A.) following a similar initiative at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R.A.). On Friday, before the Jumma prayer, Deputy Commissioner Md. Sarwar Alam visited the Shah Paran shrine, delivered a speech at the mosque, and issued directives to ensure transparency in income and expenditure as well as to prevent gatherings involving alcohol or drugs at the shrine premises.

The Deputy Commissioner emphasized the need for a master plan for shrine development, including a medical center, prayer facilities for women, and enhanced security. He stated that donors expect transparency and accountability in the use of their contributions and warned that any misuse of funds or illegal activities would face strict action. He also clarified that the government would not take any share of the shrine’s income, but donations must be collected only through the official boxes.

Earlier, on Thursday, a new donation box was installed at the Shahjalal shrine, and three traditional donation pots were sealed. The administration said the move aims to make the donation process more organized and secure, though some devotees expressed dissatisfaction with the initiative.

Leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Students’ Union, Jahangirnagar University unit, staged a unique protest on Friday during the education minister’s visit to the campus. They displayed placards criticizing the university administration for alleged failures, academic stagnation, and harassment of students. The placards carried satirical messages addressing issues such as the university’s exclusion from global rankings, administrative inefficiency, and lack of research focus.

During the demonstration, Jahidul Islam Imon, president of the Jahangirnagar University branch of the Students’ Union, sharply criticized the current administration. He alleged that students face harassment and injustice at every stage, from admission to certificate collection, and argued that the institution no longer functions as a true university. Imon added that despite a change in vice-chancellor after a historic uprising, no meaningful academic or administrative reforms have occurred.

The protesters stated that their movement would continue until the university is run with students’ interests as the top priority.

Iran has accused French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot of hypocrisy following his recent comments about the situation in Iran. The accusation was made by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei in a post on social media platform X, where he criticized Barrot for remaining silent when Iranian cities were bombed and civilians were killed, and even alleged that Barrot was complicit in those events.

Baghaei’s remarks came in response to a video statement by Barrot, in which the French minister said that the Iranian people had been defeated in war and were caught between repression and bombings. The Iranian spokesperson argued that Barrot’s sudden concern for human rights appeared only when it served France’s political interests, accusing him of selective morality.

The exchange highlights growing diplomatic tension between Tehran and Paris, as both sides publicly challenge each other’s positions on human rights and regional conflicts.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon MP declared a strict stance against nepotism in the education sector during the orientation ceremony for first-year undergraduate students of Jahangirnagar University’s 2025–26 academic session. The event took place on Friday, June 19, at the Zahir Raihan Auditorium seminar room on the university campus.

In his address as chief guest, the minister emphasized that there would be no room for favoritism or political influence in academic appointments, asserting that merit should guide advancement in education. He criticized previous administrations for allowing politically affiliated individuals to secure teaching positions easily and pledged that such practices would no longer be tolerated. He urged students to remember their parents’ aspirations and to focus on developing knowledge, values, leadership, and humanity.

The minister encouraged students to cultivate patriotism, ethics, and responsibility, highlighting merit, honesty, and hard work as the foundation of success. The event was attended by university officials including the vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellors, and treasurer.

Rezanur Islam, acting editor of the newspaper Dainik Agragatra Protidin, was arrested by Bogura Detective Branch police on Thursday night, June 18, from the Board Bazar area of Gazipur’s Gacha upazila. He was sent to Bogura jail on Friday, June 19, following a court order, confirmed by Bogura Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Ataur Rahman.

The arrest followed a defamation case filed on June 15 by Tanvir Alam Rimon, treasurer of the Bogura Press Club and northern correspondent of The New Nation, against six people including the paper’s editor and publisher. The case alleged that the accused published false and misleading information about Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and Member of Parliament for Bogura-2 (Shibganj), damaging his personal and political reputation.

The court directed Bogura Sadar police to record the case under the Cyber Security Act 2026. Detective Branch officer SI Rahmatullah Manik is leading the investigation, and police said operations to arrest the remaining accused are ongoing.

The Prime Minister has directed the renaming of the newly formed ‘Simanto’ and ‘Digonto’ unions in Mokamtola upazila of Bogura. District Commissioner Taufiqur Rahman confirmed the instruction, according to information released by the BNP media cell on Friday. The district administration has begun the necessary process to implement the directive, including organizing new public hearings to select names that reflect local opinion, history, and geography.

According to district sources, once the new names are finalized, administrative and legal procedures will be completed before publication in the official gazette. Earlier, on June 11, the Bogura district administration restructured the administrative framework of five unions in Shibganj and eight in the newly formed Mokamtola upazila, creating four new unions including Simanto, Digonto, Swarnogram, and Mirbari.

The naming of these unions sparked controversy, with locals alleging that the names were derived from the family members of State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah Alam. The issue was also discussed in the national parliament, though the minister claimed the names were chosen through public hearings. Administrators have already been appointed to the new unions under the Union Parishad Act, 2009.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Amir Maulana Mamunul Haque has warned that failure to implement the July Charter could allow fascism to return. Speaking as the chief guest at a citizens’ rally organized by the party’s Paltan Zone at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Friday, he said that even if other political parties withdraw from the demand, his party will go door to door to ensure the implementation of the referendum verdict. The rally protested rising fuel, gas, and electricity prices and the deteriorating law and order situation.

Haque said the July uprising was the result of a decade-long struggle that began with the 2013 Shapla Chattar movement. He accused a section of the BNP and the interim government of deceit during the signing of the July Charter by secretly adding a new clause. According to him, all parties had agreed on forming a constitutional reform council and holding a referendum to implement the people’s verdict.

He further alleged that after forming the government, its representatives denied the consensus reached earlier, undermining the unity achieved through the July movement.

Maulana Abdul Halim, Central Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Director for Rangpur-Dinajpur region, called on the youth to take the lead in building a new Bangladesh with discipline, honesty, and patience. He made the remarks on Friday while addressing a leadership education meeting organized by the district youth and sports department at Boro Rangpur Alia Madrasa.

During his speech, Abdul Halim emphasized that young people should organize themselves through acquiring knowledge, developing skills, and engaging in dawah activities. He encouraged them to move forward with the slogan “We want Justice.” Other speakers at the event highlighted that an organized and idealistic youth community plays a vital role in shaping a nation’s future and urged them to work for social change through morality, discipline, and ideological practice.

The meeting was presided over by Maulana Mostak Ahmed, president of the Rangpur district youth and sports department, and attended by local Jamaat leaders and youth representatives from various upazilas and unions of Rangpur district.

The Bangladesh Police has introduced major changes to its uniform design through an amendment to the 'Police Dress Rules, 2025'. A new notification was issued on June 18, 2026, by Inspector General of Police Md. Ali Hossain Fakir under Section 12 of the Police Act, 1861. The revision brings clear color distinctions between district and metropolitan police uniforms. District and other unit members will now wear dark blue shirts made of TC fabric, while metropolitan police officers will wear light olive shirts. All units will use khaki-colored trousers instead of the previous coffee shade.

Winter uniforms have also been updated. Dark blue jackets, jerseys, cardigans, and pullovers will replace the earlier iron-colored ones, with metropolitan police jackets matching their light olive shirts. Female officers’ uniforms have been refined as well, featuring dark blue sarees and blouses for district units and dark blue sarees with light olive blouses for metropolitan police. Approved dark blue head covers are now mandatory.

The revised rules maintain seasonal sleeve requirements and allow pregnant officers, with prior approval, to wear civilian dress while on duty.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran, not Washington, was in a desperate position during discussions over an interim agreement between the two countries. In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said that the United States did not sit for talks out of desperation, but Iran did, describing Tehran as being in a state of despair. He added that the United States would monitor the situation for the full 60-day negotiation period mentioned in the memorandum of understanding.

Trump also made it clear that Iran would not receive any financial assistance from the United States. He wrote that Iran would not get any money, not even a cent. The remarks came amid ongoing scrutiny of the interim deal process and the conditions attached to it.

According to the report, the statement was sourced from Al Jazeera and reflects Trump’s firm stance on maintaining pressure on Iran during the negotiation period.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the party has lost a guardian-like leader with the death of former state minister and BNP Vice Chairman Advocate Harun-al-Rashid. He made the remarks on Friday while attending the second funeral prayer of Harun-al-Rashid in front of the BNP central office at Naya Paltan in Dhaka. Harun-al-Rashid passed away on Thursday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the capital.

Rizvi described Harun-al-Rashid as a nationally respected and wise politician who served with honesty and dedication as a whip in parliament, chairman of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, and as a state minister. He noted that Harun-al-Rashid had been involved in nationalist politics since his student life and remained steadfast in his principles until his death. BNP leaders and activists, including senior figures and local leaders from Brahmanbaria, attended the funeral.

Harun-al-Rashid was elected five times as a Member of Parliament from Brahmanbaria-3 constituency and held key positions in the BNP, including vice chairman and joint secretary general. He was widely regarded as a guardian figure among party members for his long-standing contributions to democracy and organizational activities.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and opposition leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman stated that stopping extortion across Bangladesh would restore one-third of the people’s peace. He made the comment on Friday afternoon at the party’s annual member conference in Munshiganj district. Rahman emphasized that any political party unable to restrain its own activists from social misconduct has no right to govern the country, adding that only disciplined parties can ensure good governance.

He further said that Jamaat’s goal is not to amass wealth but to ensure the well-being of citizens. Rahman noted that if the current parliament loses legitimacy, his party would not remain in it, as parliament must serve the people’s needs. He urged the ruling party to demonstrate good governance by ending extortion and said the opposition is willing to give the government time, but not indefinitely.

Referring to the newly announced national budget, Rahman criticized that despite tax reductions, prices of essential goods have not fallen due to syndicates linked to political parties, which survive under political patronage.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu announced that the BNP government is committed to implementing the long-awaited Teesta Master Plan for the people of Rangpur’s Teesta basin. Speaking at a public rally after inspecting the Teesta Bridge area in Kaunia upazila on Friday, he said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had already made a clear declaration on the issue, and the government is working to fulfill its promise to the people. Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad, senior officials, and local leaders were present.

Dulu recalled that on February 18 of the previous year, Tarique Rahman expressed solidarity with the Teesta residents during the “Jago Bahe Teesta Bachai” movement. He said the government’s current activities are a continuation of that commitment. Speakers at the rally emphasized the urgent approval and implementation of the Teesta Master Plan, highlighting its potential to control river erosion, expand irrigation, boost agricultural production, and improve livelihoods in the Teesta basin.

Local residents reiterated their demand for swift implementation, noting that the project could bring positive economic, agricultural, and environmental changes to northern Bangladesh.

State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad announced that the Teesta Master Plan will soon be submitted to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval after receiving opinions from local and foreign experts. He made the statement on Friday during a visit to the Teesta River in Lalmonirhat, where he met with local residents. Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu and Water Resources Minister Md. Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie were also present.

Minister Annie said the government is working to secure quick approval of the Teesta Master Plan to ensure maximum benefits for people in the Teesta basin. He added that final technical, economic, and environmental assessments are underway to guarantee the project’s effectiveness. The government, he noted, has the capacity to implement the project with domestic funding if necessary.

Local residents urged the government to approve and implement the project quickly, expressing hope that it would help control river erosion, improve irrigation, prevent floods, and enhance the overall economic condition of the Teesta region.

Bangladesh Khilafat Chhatra Majlis organized a protest rally in Dhaka on Friday, June 19, 2026, condemning the Speaker of the National Parliament’s remarks about Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis Amir Allama Mamunul Haque. The demonstration took place after Friday prayers at the north gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, followed by a procession that circled Dainik Bangla intersection and ended at the mosque’s east gate.

The rally was presided over by Muhammad Aminul Islam, president of the organization’s Dhaka Metropolitan East unit, with central president Mohammad Abdul Aziz attending as chief guest. Aziz criticized the Speaker’s comments as politically motivated and disrespectful to a popular religious leader, demanding a public apology. He described the remarks as a continuation of authoritarian behavior and accused the Speaker of ignoring a settled court verdict.

Other speakers, including Maulana Rakibul Islam and several city leaders, called for legal accountability for the Speaker’s alleged indecent comments. The event drew participation from various levels of the organization’s Dhaka leadership.