The government has appointed M R Islam Swadhin as the first full-time administrator of Bogura City Corporation. The appointment was formalized through a notification issued on Monday by the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. On Tuesday, Swadhin officially assumed his duties from Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and State Minister Mir Shah Alam.

According to the government notification, the appointed administrator will perform the responsibilities of the city mayor under Section 25 (Ka), Subsection (3) of the Local Government (City Corporation) (Amendment) Ordinance 2024. He will receive allowances as per the prescribed rules.

The appointment marks the beginning of a new administrative phase for Bogura City Corporation, as it transitions to management under a full-time administrator for the first time.

The Border Security Force (BSF) of India reportedly opened fire near the Sonarhat border area in Goainghat upazila of Sylhet on Monday afternoon. In response, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) returned fire immediately. According to a BGB press release issued on Tuesday, no casualties were reported, and the situation along the border has since remained calm and normal.

The BGB stated that its Sylhet Battalion (48 BGB) acted promptly and professionally to bring the situation under control. Following the incident, BGB increased patrols and surveillance across the border area to prevent further escalation. The force emphasized that it remains on high alert to respond to any provocative or unwanted incidents along the frontier.

BGB reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Bangladesh’s sovereignty and border security with professionalism and firmness, ensuring stability in the affected region.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that the government aims to eliminate corruption and harassment in land services. He made the statement on Tuesday morning at the inauguration of the 'Land Service Fair 2026' held at the Land Building in Tejgaon, Dhaka. The fair will run nationwide for three days, from May 19 to May 21.

Rahman highlighted that with the country’s growing population, per capita land availability is decreasing, leading to rising land value and disputes. These conflicts, he said, disrupt family peace and hinder national development. To address this, the government is prioritizing planned land use, accurate record-keeping, and efficient management.

He added that the Land Ministry is using advanced technology to conduct surveys and prepare precise land records. The government considers the fair part of fulfilling its election pledges, aiming to modernize land management and make services more accessible through digital platforms.

The article discusses how Bangladesh’s border security and bilateral relations with India are increasingly influenced by political developments in West Bengal. It notes that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent victory in the state has introduced new uncertainties for Bangladesh, given the state’s long shared border and the BJP’s stance on citizenship and identity politics. The piece highlights that earlier political eras under the Congress, Left Front, and Trinamool Congress did not treat citizenship and religious identity as major electoral issues.

The analysis traces the evolution of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), explaining how these policies have intensified religious polarization and raised fears among Muslim communities. It argues that the NRC and CAA, while presented as measures for national security, have largely become tools of political division, particularly affecting Bengali Muslims in border regions.

The author concludes that Bangladesh must adopt strategic policies to reduce dependency on India, diversify trade and energy partnerships, and strengthen its diplomatic position in regional negotiations, especially regarding border management and water-sharing agreements.

Ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha 2026, the Highway Police have implemented special security measures on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway, particularly in the Iliotganj police station area of Cumilla. Under the direction of Cumilla Region Highway Police Superintendent Mohammad Shahinur Alam Khan, an additional range reserve force has been deployed to prevent traffic congestion, theft, robbery, and snatching incidents. The additional police personnel, brought from Chattogram, will remain on duty from Tuesday until the end of the Eid period.

According to Highway Police sources, continuous patrols, traffic control, and increased monitoring of suspicious vehicles have been arranged to ensure a smooth and safe journey for homebound travelers within the Cumilla region. Iliotganj Highway Police Officer-in-Charge Zakir Shikder confirmed that the force is on high alert to minimize public suffering and maintain order on the highway.

The measures are part of a broader effort to ensure that the large number of people traveling home for Eid can do so safely and without major disruptions.

India is seeking to open a new chapter in its relationship with Bangladesh by giving Prime Minister Tarique Rahman the benefit of the doubt. During a discussion with a visiting Bangladeshi media delegation in Delhi, former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh and NatStrat chief Pankaj Saran said India hopes the new government in Dhaka will act wisely to strengthen bilateral relations and avoid the tensions that marked 2001–2006, when Delhi’s security concerns were ignored.

Saran emphasized that national security remains India’s top priority in relations with its neighbors and that India wants close ties with Bangladesh, distinct from its strained relationship with Pakistan. He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi promptly congratulated Rahman after the election, and Rahman responded the next day, signaling goodwill. Saran also confirmed that veteran politician Dinesh Trivedi has been appointed India’s new High Commissioner to Bangladesh, reflecting Modi’s personal trust.

He discussed issues including border killings, water sharing, Sheikh Hasina’s asylum in Delhi, and regional geopolitics, stressing that both countries must cooperate on security and border management to prevent extremism and strengthen mutual trust.

Democrats in the United States Senate have announced a forced vote this week on the War Powers Resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war against Iran. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement on social media platform X, stating that this will be the eighth such vote by Senate Democrats. He urged Republican senators to support the resolution, end the conflict, and withdraw American troops from hostilities with Iran.

The War Powers Resolution seeks to ensure that only Congress, not the president, can declare war, as stipulated by the U.S. Constitution. The renewed push reflects ongoing Democratic efforts to reassert congressional control over military engagements and prevent unilateral executive action in foreign conflicts.

The outcome of the upcoming vote will determine whether bipartisan support exists to limit presidential war powers and potentially shift U.S. military policy toward Iran.

NCP’s South Region chief organizer and Cumilla-4 Member of Parliament Hasnat Abdullah cautioned police officers against aligning with any political party, saying such actions would lead to negative consequences. Speaking as the chief guest at a roadside rally in Brahmanpara Sadar, Cumilla, on Monday, May 18, he urged law enforcement to serve as the people’s police rather than as enforcers for any political group.

In his speech, Abdullah criticized the Chattogram mayor and condemned recent police actions against students, recalling their role in the July Movement. He accused the mayor of hypocrisy for labeling past elections under Hasina as illegal while defending his own, and denounced the use of police against students. Referring to attempts to erase July Movement graffiti, he questioned the authorities’ fear of such symbols.

Abdullah emphasized ensuring police professionalism and independence, warning against repeating past abuses of power. He also dismissed the relevance of a former ruling party that fled the country, asserting that its return would endanger students’ safety.

A new analysis by the Brookings Institution has found that more than 100,000 children were separated from their parents during the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement in the United States. The report estimates that around 205,000 children experienced some form of separation, with about 145,000 of them being U.S.-born citizens. Researchers said official figures understate the scale of the issue because authorities often fail to record data about detainees’ children or families conceal information out of fear.

Analysts noted that the current situation surpasses the 2018 “zero tolerance” policy, when about 5,500 children were separated at the southern border. The report includes personal accounts, such as that of a detained mother in Texas who has been separated from her two-year-old U.S.-born son since last year. The Department of Homeland Security stated that detained parents can either leave the country with their children or assign guardianship, but researchers found many children remain in uncertain care arrangements.

Child welfare experts warned that most separated children live with relatives or acquaintances lacking legal authority or financial stability. Advocacy groups reported rising requests for custody planning assistance, while experts cautioned that intensified immigration raids could further increase family separations and harm children’s mental and social well-being.

The United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Bangladesh, Abdullah Ali Al Hamoudi, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister’s Defense Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) A K M Shamsul Islam on Monday at the Defense Adviser’s Office in Dhaka Cantonment. The meeting focused on enhancing existing bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the UAE, particularly in the field of defense cooperation.

During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on expanding defense and security collaboration, training, capacity building, professional skill development, and mutual communication. They emphasized the importance of deepening the long-standing friendly ties between the two nations and identified opportunities to broaden cooperation based on mutual trust and shared interests.

The meeting also addressed regional and global security contexts, with both parties stressing the need for constructive engagement to maintain peace, stability, and security. The Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) confirmed the meeting in a press release issued on Monday.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah has cancelled scheduled meetings with several senior foreign diplomats, including India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and the US Special Representative, sparking new discussions in South Asian diplomatic circles. Misri’s planned visit to Kathmandu on May 11–12, intended to discuss bilateral relations and the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage route, was called off at the last moment by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Indian media reported that Shah prefers to meet counterparts of equal rank, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rather than senior officials. Analysts suggest the cancellations reflect both a nationalist stance and pressure from ongoing border disputes, particularly over the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani regions. Nepal’s 2020 map revision claiming these areas as its own intensified tensions with India.

Kathmandu stated that Shah is currently focused on administrative reforms and will meet only heads of state or foreign ministers. The government also emphasized a “balanced diplomacy” approach among India, the United States, and China, though observers are debating whether China’s growing influence in Nepal is shaping this policy direction.

Maulana Muhammad Mamunul Haque stated that the people of Bangladesh have been freed from a severe form of fascism through the sacrifices made during the July uprising. He made the remarks while addressing families of martyrs and the injured at a cash distribution event organized by the Taghlibe Deen Foundation in Mohammadpur, Dhaka, on Monday.

As the chief guest and main patron of the foundation, Mamunul Haque expressed gratitude to the victims’ families, acknowledging their sacrifices. He said that as a nation, Bangladesh has failed to provide the respect, dignity, and assistance that the families of martyrs and the injured deserve, and that the state has also not fulfilled its responsibilities. The foundation arranged the event as a modest effort to fill that gap.

During the program, which was chaired by Maulana Abul Hasanat Jalali, the foundation distributed over seven lakh taka among twelve families of martyrs and injured individuals from the July uprising who were deprived of government grants and recognition.

Nasiruddin Patwari, the chief coordinator of the National Citizens Party (NCP), is set to visit the Lalmonirhat border area in protest against the killing of a Bangladeshi national. According to the NCP, Patwari will lead a party delegation to Hatibandha on Tuesday to meet affected families and review the current border situation.

The delegation will include party organizers Miyaz Mehrab Talukdar, M M Shoaib, Mostak Ahmed Shishir, and Russell Ahmed, along with other central and local leaders. Their schedule includes arriving in Hatibandha at 10 a.m., visiting the home of the deceased, identified as border martyr Md Khadimul Islam, meeting injured and bereaved family members at 11:30 a.m., offering prayers at the victim’s grave at noon, and holding a press conference at the Hatibandha Press Club at 1 p.m.

The NCP stated that the visit aims to express solidarity with the victims’ families and to assess the situation following the reported shooting by India’s Border Security Force (BSF).

India, the world’s most populous country with about 1.42 billion people, is witnessing a new campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political allies and Hindu nationalist organizations encouraging citizens to have more children. They argue that declining birth rates could lead to demographic imbalance and future economic strain. According to UN projections, India’s population may continue to grow for nearly four decades, reaching around 1.7 billion.

India’s total fertility rate fell to 2.0 during 2019–21 from 3.4 in 1992–93, largely due to women’s education and wider use of contraception. The government considers a rate of 2.1 necessary for population stability. In this context, the Andhra Pradesh government, run by a coalition including Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, announced incentives of 30,000 rupees for a third child and 40,000 rupees for a fourth, though implementation details remain unclear. Sikkim has also introduced benefits such as extended parental leave and IVF support.

RSS, the ideological parent of the BJP, has voiced concern over falling fertility, warning of demographic imbalance. Meanwhile, official data show youth unemployment at 9.9 percent in 2025, highlighting economic challenges amid calls for larger families.

The new West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has decided to discontinue all religion-based allowances in the state. The decision was taken during the second cabinet meeting held on Monday at Nabanna. Minister Agnimitra Paul announced that allowances and aid programs under the Information and Culture Department and the Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department, which were based on religious identity, will be stopped. Beneficiaries will receive payments for the current month, but the scheme will cease from next month.

The government clarified that scholarships and educational grants for students will continue unaffected. Only financial assistance provided on the basis of religious identity is being withdrawn. Paul added that a detailed government notification on the matter will be issued soon.

The cabinet also approved several other measures, including the formation of a Seventh Pay Commission to review government employees’ pay structure, the launch of the Annapurna Yojana, and free travel for women on all state-run buses starting June 1.