Rashed Pradhan, vice president and spokesperson of the National Democratic Party (JAGPA), said that India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had sought Dhaka’s cooperation to repatriate Bangladeshis staying illegally in India. Speaking at an event at the National Press Club on Friday, Pradhan stated that his party was willing to help India, but first India should send back Sheikh Hasina, whom he described as a fascist responsible for mass killings.

The event was organized to welcome new members from various political and social organizations joining JAGPA. During his speech, Pradhan referred to Indian leader Suvendu Adhikari’s remarks about Hasina being the legitimate prime minister of Bangladesh and said she should be sent to Dhaka to face justice. He added that families of those killed in the July uprising and the general public were waiting to see her trial.

Pradhan also criticized the current BNP leadership, alleging that it was acting under Indian influence and warned that the government would face a mass movement if the July referendum mandate was not implemented.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will not step down despite early local election results showing significant losses for the ruling Labour Party. Preliminary counts indicate Labour is losing multiple council seats across the country, marking a major setback for the party. Starmer accepted responsibility for the disappointing outcome but stated that resigning would only create instability.

He described the results as very difficult and said they could not be taken lightly. Starmer added that the government would review the results carefully. Referring to Labour’s landslide victory in the July 2024 general election, he reminded that the party had been given a five-year mandate to transform the country.

Starmer said he would outline the next steps for the Labour Party in the coming days, signaling a focus on internal assessment and future strategy.

About 300 leaders and activists from different political parties and organizations have joined the National Citizens Party (NCP) Dhaka North unit. The announcement was made on Friday afternoon at a press conference held at the party’s temporary office in Banglamotor, Dhaka. NCP Senior Joint Convener and Dhaka North Convener Ariful Islam Adib welcomed the new members with flowers.

The event was attended by NCP Joint Member Secretary Shahreen Ira, Joint Chief Coordinator Rafid M Bhuiya, and Central Organizer Abdullah Al Monsur. Rafid M Bhuiya stated that around 100 garment workers from Uttara are also expected to join soon and will work with the party’s labor wing, Jatiya Sramik Shakti. Ariful Islam Adib said that the names of 35 key leaders among the new members would be announced as part of the party’s ongoing membership drive.

The newly joined 35 leaders include representatives from several political and social organizations, such as Dr. Ashiqur Rahman Shuvo of the July Revolutionary Alliance and Nakibur Rahman, former secretary of Up Bangladesh Dhaka North.

Preliminary results from the United Kingdom’s local elections indicate severe setbacks for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. Early counts show that many Labour candidates have been rejected by voters across England, with the party reportedly losing around 250 council seats. In contrast, Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist Reform UK Party has gained more than 300 seats out of roughly 5,000 contested positions nationwide.

Opinion polls in recent months had predicted a difficult outcome for Labour, reflecting declining public support for Starmer, described as one of the least popular British leaders in modern history. If the polling trends hold, Labour could lose up to 2,000 local council seats in England and risk its long-held dominance in Wales, where it has won every general election since 1922.

The preliminary results also show gains for the left-leaning Green Party and centrist Liberal Democrats, which have secured 26 and 35 council seats respectively. These developments have increased pressure on Starmer and further weakened the political influence of the Conservatives.

Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has sharply criticized the Trump administration for initiating war with Iran, claiming that Russia has been the biggest beneficiary of the conflict. Speaking at a Democratic event in Las Vegas, Harris said that the American people did not want the war and that Congress had not authorized any attack.

Harris argued that the war allowed Russia to profit from oil sales after sanctions were lifted, something she said would not have been possible without the conflict. She emphasized that the decision to start the war had strengthened Russia economically while undermining U.S. interests.

The former vice president also described Donald Trump as dangerous, rejecting the idea of dismissing him as merely foolish. Her remarks were reported by CNN and reflect ongoing Democratic criticism of Trump’s foreign policy decisions regarding Iran and Russia.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman stated that Bangladesh’s media institutions experienced unprecedented attacks during the one and a half years of the interim government. He made the remarks on Friday, May 8, at the opening of the two-day Bangladesh Journalism Conference held at the Radisson Blu Water Garden in Dhaka. He said that since August 2024, several incidents had occurred, including attacks on two established media houses, which he described as rare in global history.

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized the interim government for failing to act effectively during the assaults, noting that law enforcement and military personnel were present but did not intervene. He added that some lawyers, activists, and even media professionals appeared to celebrate the attacks, which he found deeply concerning. He emphasized the need to discuss both internal and external challenges facing the media.

Citing global data, he said over 500 journalists had been killed worldwide in the past decade, including 26 in Bangladesh. The conference gathered journalists and experts from ten countries for more than twelve sessions, with 61 journalists receiving fellowships.

Results from five Indian state assembly elections have reignited debate over Muslim representation in national politics. Out of 723 total seats, only 104 Muslim legislators were elected, and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not field or elect a single Muslim candidate. Analysts argue this reflects a deliberate political strategy to marginalize Muslims, particularly in states like West Bengal and Assam, where the BJP focused on consolidating Hindu votes through communal narratives.

In West Bengal, 39 Muslim legislators were elected, 34 of them from the Trinamool Congress, while the BJP had none. Assam’s Muslim-majority constituencies fell from 35 to 22 after boundary changes, which opposition parties claim reduced Muslim political influence. Kerala and Tamil Nadu showed similar trends, with limited Muslim representation despite significant populations. Puducherry elected no Muslim legislators.

According to The India Forum, even opposition parties are becoming more conservative in nominating Muslim candidates. Analysts warn that declining proportional representation and the exclusion of Muslims from major parties threaten the democratic inclusivity of India’s political system.

In Tamil Nadu, actor-turned-politician Vijay has urged Governor R.N. Ravi to allow his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), to form the government after emerging as the single largest party in the state assembly elections. However, the governor has not given any assurance. Vijay warned that if TVK is not invited to form the government, all 107 of his party’s elected legislators will resign.

The 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly requires 118 seats for a majority, but no party or alliance has reached that mark. TVK won 108 seats, though Vijay’s dual victories reduce the party’s legislative strength to 107. The DMK-Congress-Left alliance secured 74 seats, while the AIADMK-BJP alliance won 53. Outgoing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lost his seat, and the Congress has already declared support for Vijay. Governor Ravi has stated that he will not invite TVK to form the government without written support from 118 legislators.

Political speculation has grown that the DMK and AIADMK could unite to block Vijay’s path to power, leaving the state’s government formation uncertain.

India’s Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to meet the 207 winning Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in West Bengal on Friday to select the state’s next chief minister. The meeting will determine who will lead the new government, which is set to take oath on Saturday at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata.

The BJP has not yet clarified who will be chosen as chief minister, and speculation continues within the party. Some believe that Suvendu Adhikari, who twice defeated Mamata Banerjee in elections, could be named for the post. The meeting will also be attended by state BJP president Shamik Bhattacharya, Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar, BJP central observer Sunil Bansal, and state general secretary Amitabh Chakraborty. After consulting the elected members, the party will decide its legislative leader, who will become the next chief minister.

According to reports, the selected leader will visit the Raj Bhavan in the evening with the newly elected legislators to seek the governor’s approval to form the government, completing the process before the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday.

A major dispute over proportional representation (PR) has become the central obstacle in Bangladesh’s ongoing constitutional reform process. Since the start of the 13th Parliament, the ruling and opposition parties have remained sharply divided on implementing the July Charter and the referendum verdict. The disagreement intensified after the February 12 election, with opposition members accusing the government of delaying or undermining the reform agenda. The government’s position on the July Charter’s full implementation has created further uncertainty, prompting Jamaat-e-Islami and an 11-party alliance to strengthen their protest programs.

According to the July Charter’s Article 18, the proposed upper house would be formed through proportional representation based on votes received in the lower house election. While 24 parties, including Jamaat and BNP, signed the charter, seven parties expressed dissent, arguing that the upper house should reflect seat proportions instead. The ruling BNP’s refusal to take the constitutional reform council oath and its proposal for a special amendment committee have deepened mistrust. Opposition leaders accuse the government of political maneuvering and demand full implementation of the referendum’s mandate.

The dispute over PR and the July Charter’s interpretation has stalled progress, leaving the timeline and mechanism for constitutional reform uncertain.

Republican Congressman Tom Barrett from Michigan has introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives seeking to restrict and eventually end ongoing American military operations in Iran. The bill, presented last Thursday, authorizes limited military actions only until July 30 and imposes strict conditions on their scope. It effectively challenges President Donald Trump’s earlier claim that the 'Iran war is over.' Barrett, a former military officer, said the proposal aims to uphold Congress’s constitutional authority and ensure transparency in the conflict.

The bill prohibits any large-scale ground operations in Iran, allowing force only to destroy nuclear facilities, counter imminent threats to US forces, maintain naval blockades at ports, and secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Barrett emphasized that while the president holds command authority, Congress must define the war’s objectives and timeline. Despite Trump’s assertion that the conflict ended with an April 7 ceasefire, thousands of US troops remain deployed in the region, and recent skirmishes have occurred.

Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has also announced plans to draft a similar measure, reflecting growing unease among Republicans over the prolonged military engagement in Iran.

National Citizens Party (NCP) convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam said that if the July Charter issue is not resolved in Parliament, the movement could shift to the streets. He made the remarks on Thursday night at the Chittagong University Journalists Association office while responding to reporters. Nahid Islam emphasized that despite the tense international situation, energy crisis, and measles outbreak, he does not want political instability.

He criticized the BNP for not providing a clear stance on holding a referendum for constitutional reform while calling for the implementation of the July Charter. He noted that the opposition has acted responsibly in Parliament and has not rendered it ineffective. Nahid Islam added that the BNP’s two-thirds majority in Parliament has narrowed the opposition’s political space, and the next steps depend largely on BNP’s position.

Regarding local government elections, he said the NCP remains in an electoral alliance and may contest jointly or independently depending on the situation. He also met with Chittagong University’s vice-chancellor and student leaders during his visit.

The Bangladesh government has announced a continuous seven-day public holiday for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting held on Thursday at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. According to a Cabinet Division press release, the holiday will run from May 25 to May 31, 2026. To accommodate the extended break, government offices will remain open on May 23 and 24, including Saturday, which is normally a weekly holiday.

In the same meeting, the cabinet approved the draft of the National Public Toilet Policy 2026, initiated by the Local Government Division. The policy aims to raise public awareness about the use, maintenance, and cleanliness of public toilets, ensuring hygienic and accessible facilities across the country. It emphasizes user-friendly toilets for women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and marginalized groups.

The policy also includes measures for effective management, financing, and long-term sustainability of public toilet systems, along with monitoring, evaluation, and timely reform. It mandates separate toilets for women in infrastructure projects and requires safety tanks to prevent waste from polluting water bodies.

Nahid Islam, convenor of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and opposition chief whip, said that post-election violence against Muslims and other communities in West Bengal could have repercussions in Bangladesh. Speaking on Thursday in Chattogram at a ceremony where over a thousand leaders and activists from various political parties joined the NCP, he urged all citizens to act responsibly and ensure the safety of people of all faiths in Bangladesh.

Nahid emphasized that while West Bengal’s election is an internal matter for India, reports of disenfranchisement of several hundred thousand citizens, mostly Muslims and members of the Matua community, were concerning. He said Bangladesh must demonstrate that it remains the safest country in South Asia for minorities. He also called on the government to be more vigilant in preventing measles outbreaks and to hold those responsible accountable.

Calling for unity to resolve current national crises, Nahid urged political forces to work together both in parliament and on the streets to achieve reforms and justice, and to create a safe environment for women in politics.

The Governor of West Bengal, R.N. Ravi, has dissolved the state assembly, formally ending Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year tenure as Chief Minister. The decision follows the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) sweeping victory in the recent state elections, where it won over 200 seats, paving the way for its first government in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, who had led the state since 2011 through three consecutive terms, reportedly showed reluctance to submit her resignation to the Governor, raising concerns about a potential constitutional impasse.

Following the announcement of election results on May 4, widespread violence erupted across the state. Police reports confirm at least four deaths and 433 arrests, with more than 200 cases filed. Clashes between supporters of the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have been reported in several districts, including Kolkata. Both parties are blaming each other for the unrest.

The situation intensified after the shooting death of Chandranath Rath, a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. The BJP has called it a planned political killing, while the Trinamool Congress accuses BJP-backed groups of inciting violence. The state now faces both political transition and deep instability.