Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed praised the Fire Service and Civil Defence for their courage, professionalism, and sacrifice in disaster response, saying the force has earned the nation’s trust. He made the remarks on Tuesday at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Training Ground in Purbachal, Narayanganj, while inaugurating Fire Service and Civil Defence Week 2026, attending the passing-out parade, and awarding medals to 20 members for bravery and merit.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernize the force through improved training, technology, and equipment, as well as enhanced benefits for officers and staff. He noted that new fire stations and specialized training programs are being introduced to strengthen capacity. Senior Secretary Monjur Morshed Chowdhury and MP Mostafizur Rahman Bhuiyan Dipu attended as special guests, while Director General Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal presided over the event.

The weeklong observance will run from May 20 to 22 across the country with awareness programs. Officials emphasized collective public participation alongside government initiatives to improve disaster preparedness.

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shah Alam has announced that local government elections in Bangladesh are likely to begin in phases from September or October this year. He made the statement on Tuesday at his office after the formal joining of MR Islam Swadhin as the administrator of Bogura City Corporation.

The minister said the government plans to complete five types of elections within the next year, covering union councils, municipalities, upazilas, district councils, and city corporations. He added that the City Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2026, has already been passed in parliament, under which mayor and councillor elections will be held using non-partisan symbols. The election schedule for Bogura City Corporation will be announced along with 12 other city corporations.

Mir Shah Alam also stated that to strengthen the operations of new city corporations, an initial allocation of 30 to 35 crore taka will be provided in the current fiscal year, including funds for Bogura City Corporation.

The Bangladesh government has stated it will implement the court’s final verdict regarding Sheikh Hasina, who has been sentenced to death for genocide and crimes against humanity. Information Adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman said that if India hands over Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh, she will receive legal protection. He made the remarks at a press conference at the Department of Information in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon, attended by Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan and Chief Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmad.

The information minister said Sheikh Hasina’s downfall occurred during the July mass uprising due to her alleged oppressive and fascist actions. He emphasized that the current government aims to establish justice for all and will allow the law to proceed independently. The minister added that no extrajudicial actions will be taken for political reasons, contrasting this with the previous Awami League government.

Officials reiterated that the government’s approach will be guided strictly by the court’s decisions, ensuring due legal process if Sheikh Hasina is returned to Bangladesh.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan announced that the government will form a media commission to address what he described as disorder in the country's media management. Speaking at a press conference at the Department of Information on Tuesday, May 19, he said a committee will be established by June, and a related report will be submitted to the Prime Minister by July.

During the same briefing, the minister also discussed several other issues, including the spread of measles, which he attributed to the negligence of the previous government. He said the current administration has procured necessary vaccines and will soon begin distributing health cards. So far, 53,096 families have received family cards.

Swapan further stated that despite a sharp rise in global fuel prices, domestic prices have been kept at a tolerable level and that the country currently has adequate fuel reserves.

Around fifty thousand landless people are living in Urirchar, a coastal island under Noakhali district, without legal ownership of the land they inhabit. Despite having homes, roads, and markets, residents say they have no land registered in their names. Many claim they face constant threats, lawsuits, and attacks from land grabbers, leaving them in fear and uncertainty. The residents have urged the government to allocate land based on the survey conducted under the Char Development and Settlement Project (CDSP).

Local residents, including Rahima Akter, Belal Mia, and Abdur Rahman, described years of hardship, displacement by river erosion, and ongoing intimidation by influential groups allegedly using fake documents to seize land. They expressed determination to defend their homes, calling the island their only refuge. Landless leader Abu Bakkar Siddique Nasu Majhi appealed to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to intervene and ensure fair land distribution.

Noakhali Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shafiqul Islam stated that many landless families have already received land allocations and that the authorities are verifying the legitimacy of claims in Urirchar to provide land to genuine and vulnerable families soon.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed authorities to recover all illegally occupied government land and bring it under full state control without compromise. He issued the order to Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam while visiting various stalls at the 'Land Service Fair 2026' in Tejgaon on Tuesday. The prime minister also assured full government support to the Dhaka district administration in its land recovery efforts.

During the visit, Rahman praised the district administration for successfully reclaiming about one acre of government land in Lalbagh that had been under illegal occupation for over 20 years. The operation, led by Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam on May 13, drew widespread local attention and was described by residents as a bold and unprecedented move. The prime minister also commended the launch of the 'Hello DC' service aimed at simplifying public access to administrative services.

At the inauguration of the fair, compensation checks totaling Tk 366.78 million were distributed among 88 individuals for land acquisition. Dhaka district currently leads the country in e-mutation applications and disposals, with 23,063 of 30,000 applications resolved in the past month.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and former MP Mia Golam Porwar held a meeting with Tuan Abdul Hadi Awang MP, President of Malaysia’s largest political party, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). The exchange took place during Porwar’s visit to Malaysia on Tuesday. Barrister Najibur Rahman Momen MP and PAS Assistant Secretary General Saheer Sulaiman MP were also present at the meeting.

During the discussion, both sides addressed topics of mutual interest, contemporary challenges facing the Muslim ummah, and ways to strengthen the longstanding fraternal ties between the peoples of Bangladesh and Malaysia. The meeting emphasized cooperation and understanding between the two nations’ political and social communities.

Earlier, Mia Golam Porwar also paid a courtesy call on Nurul Izzah Anwar, Vice President of Malaysia’s ruling Justice Party and daughter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, accompanied by Barrister Najibur Rahman Momen MP.

Nasiruddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP), strongly condemned the ongoing killings along the Bangladesh-India border and criticized the government’s silence on the issue. Speaking on Tuesday afternoon at the Uttar Amjhol border in Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat, after visiting the family of Khadimul, who was reportedly shot dead by India’s Border Security Force (BSF), Patwari said the home minister should resign if he fails to stop border killings.

Patwari accused India of committing atrocities against Bangladeshi citizens and deliberately supplying drugs across the border to destroy the youth. He alleged that the government remains silent despite repeated incidents, including four recent killings in Kasba. He also claimed that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) press release on Khadimul’s death echoed the BSF’s version of events and demanded stronger border protection.

Patwari further urged the government to compensate families of all those killed at the border and pledged that if his party came to power, it would build houses for every such family.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a planned military strike on Iran, originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, has been temporarily suspended. He stated that the decision was made due to important ongoing discussions and at the request of several allied Middle Eastern leaders. Trump emphasized that the U.S. military remains ready to launch a major operation against Iran if negotiations fail to produce an acceptable agreement.

Trump expressed optimism about reaching what he described as a “very acceptable” deal ensuring Iran would not possess nuclear weapons. Speaking to reporters, he called the development a positive step and said he would prefer a diplomatic resolution over large-scale bombing. However, he cautioned that the outcome of the talks remains uncertain.

He also hinted that Iran might be offered a proposal to suspend its nuclear program for 20 years, signaling a possible softening of the U.S. stance from its previous demand for total dismantlement. Earlier this year, on February 28, Israeli and U.S. forces carried out extensive airstrikes in Iran.

Bangladesh’s Ambassador to South Korea, Toufiqul Islam Shatil, held a courtesy meeting with Mohammad Kamal Hossain, Member of Parliament for Dhaka-5 and Assistant Secretary of Dhaka South Jamaat. The meeting took place on Monday at 11 a.m. local time at the Bangladesh Embassy in South Korea during the MP’s personal visit.

Discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere on issues concerning expatriate Bangladeshis and matters of national interest. A key topic was the process of repatriating the bodies of Bangladeshi expatriate workers, including students, at government expense. Mohammad Kamal Hossain pledged to discuss the legal aspects of this issue with the Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment upon his return to Bangladesh.

The meeting also covered ways to enhance trade and investment between South Korea and Bangladesh. Embassy officials, including Counselor Tarajul Islam, Commercial Counselor Md Nazmul Haque, and Bangladesh–South Korea Unity Council member and businessman M I Choton, were present.

Newly elected West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that his appointment has caused greater discomfort among Jamaat supporters in Bangladesh than among Indian opposition parties. He made the remarks on Monday evening at a thanksgiving event in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur and Camac Street, where he also issued stern warnings regarding border security and law and order.

Adhikari pledged to secure the border, expel non-Indians, and send back infiltrators to Bangladesh through the same routes they entered. He described himself as a common man’s brother who would not bow to pressure and promised to fulfill the commitments made by the Bharatiya Janata Party. He stated that protecting the nation is his government’s top priority, noting that names of infiltrators have already been removed from voter lists and that their deportation process will follow. He also reiterated his earlier decision to provide land for border fencing within 45 days.

Addressing recent violence in Kolkata’s Park Circus, Adhikari warned that attacks on police, vandalism, and extortion will face zero tolerance. He added that those responsible for damaging a police outpost in Asansol will be arrested and made to pay full compensation.

A three-day land fair has been inaugurated in Goaland upazila of Rajbari under the theme 'Citizen-friendly automated land management, secured land, prosperous future'. The event began on Tuesday, May 19, at 10:30 a.m. at the upazila land office premises, organized by the upazila administration and land office with support from the Ministry of Land. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sathi Das attended as the chief guest and formally opened the fair.

Before the inauguration, a colorful rally was held from the upazila premises, ending at the upazila parishad conference room, where a discussion meeting and awareness seminar on Land Service Week took place. The sessions were presided over by Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md. Muntasir Hasan Khan and attended by officials from various departments, political leaders, and local dignitaries.

According to the organizers, the fair aims to inform the public about different land-related services and raise awareness about easy access to land services through various activities over the three days.

A new poll conducted jointly by The New York Times and Siena University indicates that American public support for a war against Iran and for providing military assistance to Israel has significantly declined. The survey, which included 1,507 registered voters, found that only 30 percent supported a US war against Iran, while about 64 percent opposed it. Additionally, 57 percent of respondents opposed US military aid to Israel, compared to 37 percent who supported it.

The findings mark a notable shift from a November 2023 Quinnipiac University poll, conducted a month after Israel’s war in Gaza began, when more than 51 percent of American voters supported sending additional military aid to Israel. The new results suggest a substantial drop in public backing for Israel’s military assistance.

The poll results highlight changing attitudes among US voters toward Middle East conflicts and Washington’s role in them, reflecting growing reluctance to engage militarily or provide arms support abroad.

In Manikganj, 26 candidates have been finally selected for the post of police constable through a transparent and merit-based recruitment process, each paying only 120 taka as the application fee. The recruitment examination took place at the Manikganj District Police Lines, where 1,329 applicants initially applied for 26 vacant posts. Among them, 960 candidates participated in the physical test, 265 qualified for the written exam, and 45 passed it. After oral tests and verification, 26 were appointed.

The selected candidates expressed satisfaction, saying that the corruption-free process has encouraged young people from ordinary families to dream of government service. District police officials stated that the Bangladesh Police recruitment system is now fully transparent and technology-driven, leaving no room for bribery or political influence.

Superintendent of Police Mohammad Sarwar Alam said that only qualified and meritorious candidates were chosen, and that the transparent process is helping to build an honest and efficient police force. The event has drawn wide attention in Manikganj as a model of integrity in public recruitment.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar visited BNP Standing Committee member and Dhaka-8 lawmaker Mirza Abbas at Prince Court Hospital in Malaysia. The visit took place on Tuesday, where Porwar inquired about Abbas’s current medical condition and prayed for his quick and complete recovery.

Barrister Najibur Rahman Momen accompanied the Jamaat leader during the hospital visit. The report did not specify details about Mirza Abbas’s illness or treatment progress.

The visit highlights a gesture of goodwill between political figures from Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), though no further political context or statements were mentioned in the report.