The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has concluded defense arguments in the war crimes case against Mahbubul Alam Hanif, joint general secretary of the suspended Awami League, and three others accused of involvement in six murders during the July uprising in Kushtia. The tribunal has kept the case awaiting verdict, meaning the judgment could be delivered at any time. The order was issued on Wednesday after defense lawyer Amir Hossain completed his arguments.

Earlier, on June 7, the prosecution concluded its arguments seeking the maximum punishment for all four accused. Prosecutor Mizanul Islam presented the case on behalf of the prosecution, with Prosecutor Faruk Ahmed and others in attendance. The accused include Kushtia District Awami League president Sadar Uddin Khan, general secretary Azgar Ali, and Kushtia City Awami League general secretary Ataur Rahman Ata.

All four accused are currently absconding, according to the tribunal proceedings.

Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman is scheduled to visit Malaysia later this month, marking his first foreign trip as head of government. The visit is expected to take place on June 21, and party members have begun preparations to ensure the trip proceeds smoothly. A festive atmosphere has been noted among supporters in anticipation of the visit.

To coordinate efforts, the Nationalist Youth Party (Jubo Dal) in Malaysia held an initial preparatory meeting on Sunday. In Dhaka, Malaysia BNP President Engineer Badlur Rahman Khan and General Secretary Md. Mosharraf Hossain Miazi also convened a meeting on the same topic, attended by party and affiliated organization leaders.

The Malaysia Jubo Dal meeting was attended by its President Md. Jasim Uddin, Vice Presidents Sheikh Md. Selim and Md. Nazmul Hasan, Joint General Secretary Sultan Bin Siraj, Organizational Secretary Md. Russel Rana, Assistant Organizational Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman Babu, Abdullah Noman, Ismail Akand, and Arian Sifat, among others.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local residents prevented an attempted push-in by India's Border Security Force (BSF) at the Ramrampur border in Bakshiganj upazila of Jamalpur early Wednesday. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. when BSF members from Nandirchar camp allegedly tried to push a man, approximately 60 years old, into Bangladesh territory.

Following the incident, a flag meeting was held at 10:30 a.m. between officials from Jamalpur 35 BGB and Nandirchar BSF camp. However, the BSF personnel did not take back the stateless man and left him at the zero line, where he has remained since. BGB officials confirmed that they, along with locals, resisted the push-in attempt and are maintaining heightened vigilance along the border.

Efforts to resolve the matter through discussions are ongoing, and BGB has stated it remains on maximum alert to prevent any further push-in attempts.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has announced that future peacekeeping missions will be modern and technology-driven. He made the statement on Wednesday morning at the International United Nations Peacekeepers Day event held at Senakunja in Dhaka Cantonment. The Prime Minister said the sacrifices of peacekeepers will remain a shining example in the nation’s history and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to global peace under the UN flag.

He paid deep tribute to Bangladeshi peacekeepers who have sacrificed their lives for world peace since 1988, noting that 175 members have been martyred and many others injured while serving in UN missions. Rahman expressed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls. He emphasized that the dedication of Bangladeshi peacekeepers demonstrates their resolve to defend not only national sovereignty but also global peace.

The Prime Minister added that the government remains committed to honoring the families of fallen and injured peacekeepers and to strengthening Bangladesh’s role in future UN peacekeeping operations through modernization and technology integration.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Liberation War Affairs has initiated investigations into 79,000 alleged fake freedom fighters, following widespread allegations of fraudulent certificates and misuse of state benefits. The National Freedom Fighters Council (JAMUKA) confirmed that hearings are underway against those accused of obtaining certificates through false information. The ministry previously canceled 6,476 certificates, including 2,111 for age discrepancies and 71 for proven forgery. The issue gained renewed attention after former secretary Molla Wahiduzzaman was found to have obtained a fake certificate and fled to India.

According to ministry data, the number of listed freedom fighters has increased over the decades despite natural demographic decline. The first official list in 1986 contained 102,458 names, while successive governments expanded the list, with the current total reaching nearly 198,889. JAMUKA reported that many applicants claimed refugee status during the war and some attached falsified photos. The government has pledged to ensure genuine veterans are not mistakenly excluded.

Officials said the current administration, led by Tarique Rahman, has prioritized completing the investigation and organizing public hearings to finalize the verification process.

U.S. Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders has sharply criticized a section of the American defense budget that would further integrate the U.S. and Israeli military forces. In a post on social media platform X, Sanders said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been lobbying for the provision, known as Section 224, which he claims would quietly expand U.S.-Israel military cooperation and weapons development with almost no oversight. Sanders asserted that the American people no longer want any U.S. military assistance to Israel and urged that Section 224 must be blocked.

Under Section 224, the U.S. Secretary of Defense would be required to appoint an executive agent to coordinate all aspects of military cooperation between the two countries. The coordination would include joint research and development, co-production of weapons, and integration of military systems and data networks. If passed, the bill would also expand collaboration in advanced warfare areas such as artificial intelligence, drones, and cyber operations.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, highlights growing debate over the scope and transparency of U.S.-Israel defense collaboration.

The United Kingdom unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) held a representative assembly in Birmingham on Monday evening, bringing together leaders and grassroots activists from 19 zonal committees under Zone-2. The event, chaired by UK BNP convener Azad Abul Kalam and conducted by member secretary Khosruzzaman Khosru, aimed to make the party’s organizational activities more dynamic and effective. Senior leaders, zonal representatives, and local activists attended the meeting, which focused on strengthening the party’s base across the UK.

In his opening remarks, Azad Abul Kalam emphasized that those who had worked tirelessly during the party’s difficult times would lead the UK BNP and its affiliated bodies in the future. He announced that the convening committee had already begun organizational tours across all zones and that new committees would be restructured based on grassroots input, combining experienced and new leadership. Speakers highlighted the importance of unity, discipline, and ideological commitment, while pledging to exclude anyone linked to anti-party activities.

Participants expressed optimism that the assembly marked a new phase in the UK BNP’s organizational renewal and reaffirmed their respect for late party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and deceased UK BNP leaders.

US Vice President JD Vance stated that a potential war involving Iran would not turn into a prolonged quagmire for Washington similar to Iraq or Afghanistan. In an interview with USA Today, he expressed strong confidence that the United States would not face renewed debates over deep involvement in Iran in the coming years.

Vance emphasized that he believes the US will succeed in its current approach. He added that even if ongoing diplomatic efforts fail, the President still has alternative options available. According to him, as long as the administration remains focused on preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the situation will not evolve into a long-term entanglement.

The remarks, reported by Al Jazeera, reflect the administration’s assurance that its Iran policy will remain controlled and limited in scope.

Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice President Sadiq Kayem has publicly questioned why the Home Ministry is intervening in the Islamic banking system instead of focusing on its official duties. In a Facebook post on Tuesday night, he described the move as an unwarranted interference and criticized the ministry for assuming authority over defining what qualifies as Islamic banking.

Kayem argued that the Islamic banking system is an internationally recognized and balanced economic model, supported by global Islamic scholars and economists. He accused the government of neglecting pressing national issues such as crime, rising fuel and gas prices, and extortion, while allegedly attempting to manipulate the banking sector and destabilize the economy.

The post reflects growing criticism from student leadership regarding government involvement in financial and religious economic matters, though no official response from the ministry was mentioned in the report.

A US federal court in Boston has struck down former President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications, ruling that the president lacked constitutional authority to levy such a charge. District Judge Leo Sorokin issued a 42-page decision declaring the fee illegal, stating that it functioned as a tax rather than a regulatory fee, and that only Congress has the power to impose taxes under the US Constitution. The ruling followed a lawsuit filed by 20 Democratic attorneys general after the Trump administration introduced the fee in September of the previous year.

The court found that the administration’s reliance on the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) did not grant authority to impose taxes. Judge Sorokin also referenced a 2026 Supreme Court precedent that questioned the legal basis of Trump’s earlier tariff policies. The Trump administration had justified the fee as a measure to protect American workers from foreign competition under the H-1B program.

The decision is viewed as a relief for the US technology sector, which depends heavily on skilled foreign workers. Companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta had secured thousands of H-1B visas in early 2025, underscoring the program’s importance to the industry.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister’s Defense Adviser A.K.M. Shamsul Islam on Tuesday at the Armed Forces Division office in Dhaka Cantonment. The meeting was attended by a three-member delegation, according to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) release issued the same day.

During the discussion, both sides reviewed the existing strong bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. They focused particularly on enhancing military cooperation, sharing experiences, and expanding training programs between the two countries.

The Defense Adviser recalled the long-standing friendship between Bangladesh and the United States and expressed optimism that defense cooperation would further strengthen in the coming days. The US Ambassador praised the professionalism of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and their contributions to peacekeeping missions.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has dismissed the home minister’s remarks about its recent report titled “100 Days of the 13th National Parliament: Monitoring the Government’s Commitments on Good Governance and Anti-Corruption.” In a press release issued on Tuesday, TIB said the minister’s claim that the report was based only on newspaper clippings was baseless. The organization clarified that it is not an investigative agency but a research-based body focused on governance and anti-corruption.

TIB explained that it collects data from both direct and indirect sources using recognized qualitative and quantitative research methods. For the section on law and order, the organization said its sources included the Bangladesh Police and three well-known human rights organizations, which were clearly cited in the report. TIB emphasized that while it uses media reports as part of its data collection, all information is verified through a multi-layered process before analysis.

The organization further argued that dismissing media-based information is unreasonable, noting that government institutions and public representatives also rely on media reports for decision-making and communication.

Senior lawyer Mohammad Siddiq Ullah Mia has issued a legal notice demanding the immediate activation of a Tk 400 crore power distribution project in Bhola to alleviate severe electricity shortages affecting residents. The notice calls for uninterrupted power supply, particularly in remote areas such as Charfassion and Monpura upazilas, where outages have been most acute.

The notice names as respondents the secretary of the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the chairman of the Rural Electrification Board, the general manager of Bhola Palli Bidyut Samiti, and the managing director of the West Zone Power Distribution Company. It states that despite Bhola being a major producer of natural gas and electricity, the district is suffering from extreme and unequal power disruptions, leaving much of the area without electricity for most of the day. This has severely affected public health, education, and local businesses.

If no satisfactory response or visible action is taken within seven days, the lawyer intends to file a public interest writ petition with the High Court under Article 102 of the Constitution to protect citizens’ fundamental rights.

A local BNP leader named Shafi Sikder was detained by residents in Mirzapur, Tangail, after being found in a compromising situation at the house of his lover, Sabina Akter, around midnight on Monday. Locals surrounded the house in Sonalia village and caught the pair, later subjecting Shafi to a public beating. Following the incident, the two agreed to marry, and the marriage was completed with a dowry of five lakh taka in the presence of local leaders and police.

The incident quickly spread on social media, prompting the Mirzapur upazila BNP to expel Shafi Sikder from the party the next day. The expulsion was confirmed through a letter signed by the upazila BNP office secretary, Harun-or-Rashid. Shafi, a joint general secretary of the Bashhtoil Union BNP, is a resident of Kotamara village.

Police and local political figures intervened to resolve the situation. Shafi’s previous wife and children later assaulted him at the scene, after which he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The Bangladesh Student Rights Council has warned that it will organize a long march toward the border or surround the Indian High Commission in Dhaka if illegal push-ins from India into Bangladesh are not stopped. The warning came from the organization’s central president, Nazmul Hasan, during a press conference held on June 9 at Dhaka University’s Madhur Canteen. He also expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation and the activities of the banned Awami League and Chhatra League.

During the event, Hasan alleged that despite being banned, these groups continue to engage in rallies, attacks, and violence in various areas. He accused a vested group within the administration of supporting the Awami League’s agenda. The council also demanded justice for victims of past movements and criticized the lack of progress in related tribunal cases.

The organization presented four demands, including stricter law enforcement against banned political activities, increased budget allocations for education and health, removal of pro-Awami League officials from the administration, and diplomatic action to stop illegal push-ins from India.