Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossain stated that the government aims to make persons with disabilities self-reliant and integrate them into mainstream society through education, skill development, and rehabilitation. He made the remarks on Wednesday after visiting the National Foundation for the Development of the Disabled in Dhaka.

The minister said the foundation operates colleges and separate schools for children with hearing, visual, and neurodevelopmental disabilities, with residential facilities for both men and women. He emphasized that the government is working to expand such institutions beyond Dhaka to ensure inclusive education and services nationwide. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, he added, the government is committed to building a humane Bangladesh by empowering marginalized communities.

According to the minister, there are about 14 to 16 million persons with disabilities in the country, and 103 centers are currently providing services at district and upazila levels. The goal is to extend disability services to every upazila, offering therapies and training to help transform this population into a productive national resource.

Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Rokeya Begum has called for justice for all unresolved murder cases, including the Pilkhana massacre, the Sagar-Runi killings, and the deaths of Osman Hadi and July. She made the demand in the Bangladesh Parliament on Wednesday, urging authorities to accelerate the judicial process for these cases. Rokeya Begum is the mother of Jabir Ibrahim, a child who was killed during a student protest.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, addressing a separate event at the Parliament Secretariat’s oath room, stated that the national budget represents not only the state’s income and expenditure but also the people’s aspirations, development priorities, and future economic direction. He inaugurated the Budget Helpdesk 2026, which aims to provide research-based data and information to assist lawmakers in their parliamentary duties.

Jabir Ibrahim, known as the July martyr, was a young boy who lost his life during an anti-discrimination student movement in July-August 2024, shot by police in front of his family.

BNP Member of Parliament Abdul Moin Khan has been appointed as the chair of the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Planning. The committee was formed on Wednesday in the National Parliament. Other members include State Minister for Planning Junaid Saki, Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Kazi Rafiqul Islam, Mainul Islam Khan, Fakhrul Islam, Shawkatul Islam, Farida Yasmin, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Saiful Alam, and Rashedul Islam.

The proposal to form the committee was placed by Chief Whip Nurul Islam on behalf of Leader of the House Tareq Rahman, and it was later passed by voice vote. The formation marks a new parliamentary arrangement concerning oversight of the Planning Ministry’s activities.

The development reflects the ongoing structuring of parliamentary committees following the latest session, ensuring representation from multiple political parties within the legislative oversight framework.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase has approved a proposal to buy 212 double-cabin pickup vans for the Bangladesh Police at a total cost of Tk 182.32 crore. The decision was made at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury at the Secretariat. The vehicles will be supplied by state-owned Pragoti Industries Limited under the direct purchase method during the 2025–26 fiscal year.

According to the proposal, the pickups are being procured to strengthen the police’s operational capacity across the country. The vehicles will support law enforcement, patrol duties, crime prevention, and emergency operations. The Finance Division has already given its consent to the purchase.

Officials expect that the addition of these new vehicles will enhance police mobility and make field operations more efficient, particularly in maintaining law and order in different regions.

Sarjis Alam, chief organizer of the National Citizen Party (NCP), has praised the bravery of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for their actions at the border. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, he emphasized that relations should be based on equality and dignity, asserting that there should be no compromise on independence, sovereignty, and national honor.

The remarks came after tension erupted at the Ramrampur border in Bakshiganj upazila of Jamalpur district, where an attempt to push in a stateless person led to a confrontation between BGB and India’s Border Security Force (BSF). A 30-minute flag meeting failed to resolve the issue, prompting both BGB and local residents to take positions along the border. A video of the incident went viral on social media, showing a verbal altercation between the two forces.

During the exchange, BGB members reportedly pushed the individual back toward Indian territory after BSF attempted to push him into Bangladesh. When a BSF member mentioned firing, BGB personnel responded with a warning, asserting their readiness to defend if provoked.

Kushtia-3 Member of Parliament Amir Hamza has called for making the Lalon Shah shrine area in Kushtia free from drugs. He raised the demand during a supplementary question session in the National Parliament on Wednesday, asking Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury whether any initiative exists to declare the shrine a drug-free zone. Hamza expressed concern over unethical activities taking place during the annual birth and death anniversary events of Lalon Shah.

In response, Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury said the government aims to make not only the Lalon Shah shrine area but the entire country drug-free under the leadership of the Prime Minister. He stated that the government has extensive plans to eliminate drugs and linked the effort to economic development, noting that drug eradication succeeds when economic activities increase in society.

The minister added that the country had experienced a dark period over the past 18 years when drug abuse spread widely, even involving political figures. He said the current government is working to end that era and build a new Bangladesh through social and economic transformation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that the government has decided to recruit 500,000 new government employees. Among these, recruitment for 2,879 vacant posts under the Ministry of Public Administration and its subordinate offices is already underway. He made the statement on Wednesday afternoon during the question-and-answer session in the National Parliament, responding to a query from BNP lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas of Pabna-5, whose question was presented by AKM Selim Reza Habib of Pabna-2.

In response to a supplementary question from BNP lawmaker Abul Kalam of Comilla-9 regarding recruitment to vacant government posts, the Prime Minister said that many positions remain vacant across various government sectors. He emphasized that filling these posts is essential to make administration more dynamic and to deliver services more efficiently to citizens. The government is reviewing the matter seriously and aims to begin the recruitment process as soon as possible.

The parliamentary session began at 3 p.m. under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, with the first 30 minutes allocated for the Prime Minister’s questions.

Prime Minister Tareq Rahman has clarified why ruling party women members of parliament were assigned to oversee development activities in constituencies represented by opposition MPs. The explanation came during a parliamentary session on Wednesday when Jamaat MP Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem from Dhaka-14 raised a question about media reports suggesting that government party women MPs were given responsibility for monitoring development projects and issuing government order letters in opposition areas.

In response, the Prime Minister stated that women MPs elected under the party’s quota system do not have specific constituencies under the constitution or law. Therefore, based on political and organizational structure, certain areas were designated for them to work. He emphasized that opposition MPs retain full rights to participate in development activities in their constituencies, while women MPs also have legitimate roles as elected representatives.

The Prime Minister assured opposition MPs of direct cooperation if needed for development in their areas, noting that the government is proceeding according to established rules.

In the Bangladesh Parliament on Wednesday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stood up to answer on behalf of the Minister of Religious Affairs during the question-and-answer session. His action prompted enthusiastic reactions from opposition lawmakers. Salahuddin remarked that he was responding for the sake of goodwill and added that it would be good if the opposition occasionally showed such appreciation.

Earlier in the same session, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman explained the government’s decision to assign ruling party female MPs to oversee development activities in constituencies held by opposition members. The explanation came after Jamaat MP Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem from Dhaka-14 raised a question citing media reports that ruling party female MPs were being given responsibility for monitoring development work and issuing geo letters in opposition constituencies.

The Prime Minister clarified that female MPs elected from reserved seats do not have specific constituencies under the constitution or law, implying that their oversight roles were not meant to undermine opposition MPs’ authority.

Two Awami League leaders, including Abul Hasnat, the assistant private secretary to former Planning Minister M A Mannan, have been sent to jail following court orders in Sunamganj. The leaders are Shantiganj Upazila Awami League General Secretary Md Hasnat Hossain and Jagannathpur Upazila Awami League General Secretary Rezaul Karim Riju. They appeared separately before the Speedy Trial Court of Judge Nurul Haque in Sunamganj and the cognizance court of Judge Md Emdad Hossain in Jagannathpur on Wednesday, seeking bail. Both judges rejected their bail pleas and ordered them to be sent to jail.

According to the report, a case was filed on September 2, 2024, under the Speedy Trial Act against 99 individuals, including former Planning Minister M A Mannan and three former members of parliament. Three former police officers from Sunamganj were also named in the case, in which Hasnat was listed as an accused.

The court proceedings mark a continuation of legal actions stemming from the 2024 case, though further details on the charges or next steps were not provided in the report.

Tension erupted along the Ramrampur border in Bakshiganj upazila of Jamalpur after members of India’s Nandirchar BSF camp allegedly tried to push an elderly man into Bangladesh early Wednesday morning. Members of Bangladesh’s 35 BGB battalion and local residents resisted the attempt, forcing the 60-year-old man to remain in the no man’s land area. A flag meeting between BGB and BSF was held for 30 minutes but failed to resolve the issue.

The situation escalated when a BSF subedar reportedly ordered his troops to open fire, prompting BGB personnel to warn that they would not remain idle and were ready to respond. Local residents also joined the protest, shouting and brandishing sticks in support of BGB. The elderly man remains stranded in no man’s land as both sides maintain heightened alert.

Lieutenant Colonel Hasanur Rahman, commanding officer of Jamalpur 35 BGB, confirmed that the force, along with locals, resisted the push-in attempt and that efforts to resolve the matter through discussion are ongoing. BGB remains on maximum alert to prevent further incidents.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has emphasized the need to ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability in administrative operations. He made the remarks on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session in the 13th National Parliament’s second and first budget session, responding to a query from Comilla-9 Member of Parliament Abul Kalam. The session, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram, began at 3 p.m.

In his response, the Prime Minister said that during the inauguration of the 2026 Deputy Commissioners’ Conference, several directives were issued to district commissioners and divisional commissioners. These included adopting a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, avoiding unnecessary bureaucratic delays, and ensuring integrity, merit, and competence in recruitment, transfer, and posting. He also called for reform initiatives to strengthen administrative effectiveness and accountability.

The Prime Minister further stressed accelerating digital transformation to make service delivery timely, efficient, and transparent. He directed immediate action against law violations, effective control of law and order, and strict monitoring to ensure that public services remain free from harassment, delay, and corruption.

Mohammad Selim Uddin, central executive council member of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Dhaka North city unit chief, and DNCC mayoral candidate, praised journalists for their contribution in addressing national crises. Speaking at a meeting with print media journalists at a restaurant in Karwan Bazar, Dhaka, he said that objective reporting helps expose irregularities and plays a vital role in urban development.

The meeting was organized by the publicity and media division of Dhaka North Jamaat and presided over by Dr. Muhammad Rezaul Karim, a central executive council member and secretary. Selim Uddin highlighted Jamaat’s support for students during the July movement and its assistance to families of those killed or injured. He criticized the government for inaction over border push-in attempts and instability in the financial sector, particularly concerning Islamic Bank. He asserted that public deposit institutions should not be handed over to corrupt interests.

Rezaul Karim expressed confidence that Selim Uddin would gain strong public support in the upcoming Dhaka North City Corporation election and provide capable leadership to meet citizens’ expectations.

A fire was set at the July Memorial in Moktarpara area of Netrakona town late Tuesday night, reportedly by individuals chanting slogans in support of Sheikh Hasina. Police suspect kerosene was used to ignite the fire at the steel-made structure near the Mogra River bridge. The incident caused minimal damage, and a 25-second video of the event circulated on social media the following day, showing three young men leaving the site while shouting political slogans.

Fahim Rahman Khan Pathan, a central member of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and resident of Netrakona Sadar, alleged that members of the banned Chhatra League were involved. He suggested the act was intended to demonstrate political activity ahead of a possible reformation of the district committee. Pathan described the memorial as an emotional site linked to the July Movement and accused the banned group of trying to create unrest.

Officer-in-Charge Md Al Mamun Sarkar confirmed that senior police officials visited the scene and are analyzing CCTV and video footage to identify those responsible.

An eleven-party alliance in Bangladesh has announced protest rallies across all border districts and points on Friday to denounce alleged push-ins and border killings. The coalition also declared a nationwide protest in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area on June 15 against what it described as rising incidents of murder, rape, and deteriorating law and order. The announcements were made at a press conference organized at the central office of Jamaat-e-Islami.

At the event, Dr. A.H.M. Hamidur Rahman Azad, assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami and coordinator of the alliance, accused the government of authoritarian governance and failing to act against border violence. He claimed that India attempted more than 50 push-ins in the past three months and that 19 Bangladeshis were killed by Indian forces in the last 100 days. He criticized the home minister’s recent comments on border killings as contradictory to national policy and called for a stronger foreign stance.

Nasir Uddin Patowary of the NCP added that the government’s role in border areas was inadequate and urged strengthening the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).