Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized five gold bars worth approximately Tk 12.13 million during an operation in Dugdugi village of Damurhuda upazila, Chuadanga, on Sunday, May 24, 2026. The operation, conducted by BGB-6 Chuadanga Battalion based on secret information, also led to the detention of one suspect and the seizure of a motorcycle.

According to a statement from Lieutenant Colonel Md Nazmul Hasan, Director of BGB-6, a patrol team took position in the Dugdugi Colonypara area. When a man on a motorcycle ignored their signal to stop and attempted to flee, BGB members chased and detained him. The detainee, identified as Md Bappi, 27, from Darshana’s Puraton Bazar area, was found carrying five gold bars weighing about 600 grams in total.

BGB reported that the suspect admitted to transporting the gold for smuggling into India. The recovered gold has been deposited at the Chuadanga Treasury Office, while the suspect and the seized motorcycle are being handed over to Damurhuda Police Station for further legal action.

At a press conference held at the National Press Club ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, public health experts and anti-tobacco advocates called for strict legal measures to curb illegal tobacco promotion and the growing lure of new nicotine products among youth. Organized by the anti-tobacco group MANAS, the event was chaired by its founder, Professor Dr. Arup Ratan Chowdhury, who highlighted that tobacco-related health and environmental damage in Bangladesh costs 870 billion taka, far exceeding the 410 billion taka in revenue.

Speakers including actress Rumana Rashid Ishita, public health expert Syed Mahbubul Alam, and Unico Hospital CEO Adra Kurien urged the government to ban e-cigarettes, vapes, and nicotine pouches, enforce tobacco control laws in entertainment media, and pass OTT regulations. They also recommended higher taxes on tobacco, awareness programs in schools, and withdrawal of government stakes from tobacco companies.

Participants warned that tobacco companies are using colors, flavors, and online media to attract youth, violating national laws. They emphasized that stronger enforcement and public awareness are essential to protect future generations from tobacco addiction.

Ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha 2026, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority has implemented special traffic management and infrastructure improvements on the Elenga to Jamuna Bridge East Circle section under the SASEC Road Connectivity Project-2. The measures aim to ensure safe, smooth, and congestion-free travel for homebound passengers. The highway now effectively operates with four lanes by combining two newly built service lanes with the existing two main lanes, allowing vehicles to move without artificial congestion.

Bridge Division Secretary and Executive Director Mohammad Abdur Rouf stated that this section had previously been a major challenge for northern-bound travelers during Eid seasons. This year, coordinated improvements, including lane expansion, bus bays, and drainage systems, have been completed to prevent traffic jams. Reflective markers, concrete dividers, and round-the-clock monitoring teams have been deployed to enhance safety and traffic discipline.

Additional measures include trained toll collectors, nonstop ETC lanes, surveillance cameras, and emergency response teams at both Jamuna and Padma Bridge areas. Authorities expect that these initiatives will eliminate traffic bottlenecks and ensure uninterrupted vehicle movement during the Eid travel rush.

Professor Dr. Zubaidur Rahman has resigned as chairman of Islami Bank. On Sunday, he submitted his resignation to the bank’s board of directors and later to the governor of Bangladesh Bank, according to information from both the central bank and Islami Bank sources.

Following the fall of the Awami League government after a student and public uprising, Bangladesh Bank dissolved the Islami Bank board. The central bank then appointed Obaid Ullah Al Masud as an independent director, who later became chairman. After Masud’s resignation in July last year, Zubaidur Rahman joined the board as an independent director and took over as chairman. He has now stepped down after ten months in the role.

Zubaidur Rahman began his career in 1975 as a lecturer in finance at the University of Dhaka and later earned a PhD in finance from the University of Manchester. He has held academic and advisory positions in several international institutions and is the founding vice chancellor of ZNRF University of Management Sciences in Dhaka.

Police in Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari upazila recovered the body of a 48-year-old divorced woman, Swapna Begum, from a locked and empty house in South Tari village under Durgapur Union on Sunday, May 24, 2026. Locals discovered her body lying unclothed inside the house and informed police, who arrived at the scene, prepared an inquest report, and sent the body to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.

According to local residents and police sources, Swapna Begum had been living in Dhaka since her divorce about 20 years ago and had returned to her village four days earlier. She had been staying alone at her brother-in-law Nannu Sarkar’s walled, unoccupied house named “Swachchha Monjil.” Neighbors became suspicious when she did not respond on Sunday morning and later found the house gate open and her body inside.

Aditmari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nazmul Haque confirmed the incident, saying initial observations suggest it was a homicide. Police have begun investigating to identify those involved, and preparations are underway to file a murder case.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said the country's first budget was Tk 786 crore, while the upcoming one is set at Tk 9.38 trillion. Speaking at a discussion titled “National Budget Thoughts” in Dhaka’s Paltan area, he stated that despite the budget’s growth over 55 years, it has not reflected public aspirations or improved living standards. He cautioned that budgets have sometimes become tools for looting and called on the government to ensure the next budget avoids corruption.

Porwar emphasized Jamaat-e-Islami’s readiness to cooperate in revitalizing the economy and said both the government and opposition must play equal roles in national development. The event, chaired by Dr. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, featured a keynote by Professor Dr. AKM Waresul Karim of North South University and speeches from several political and media figures.

Dhaka South Jamaat leader Md. Nurul Islam Bulbul added that budget-making should move beyond traditional methods and focus on poverty reduction, agricultural growth, and domestic resource exploration to reduce dependence on foreign loans.

A Chittagong University student named Ali Ahsan Mujahid, reportedly affiliated with the campus unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, has been accused of making an obscene comment about a female student under a hidden identity. The incident occurred on Saturday night when Mujahid, using the anonymous ID 'ScenicLizard7729', replied with vulgar language to a post by student Shamsunnahar Rumi in the 'Chittagong University Family' Facebook group. After tracing the identity, Rumi confronted Mujahid, who admitted to making the comment and claimed he had been provoked to do so.

Following the revelation, Rumi publicly condemned the behavior on Facebook, expressing disappointment as Mujahid was someone she had previously known and trusted. The incident sparked outrage among students, with the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (ChakSU) female welfare secretary demanding strict disciplinary action, stressing that such language was unacceptable for any university student.

In response, the Chittagong University branch of Islami Chhatra Shibir stated that Mujahid was not an active member and promised to verify his affiliation. The organization said it would support any administrative action and urged the victim to file a formal complaint.

Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, Maulana Yusuf Ashraf, stated that half of Bangladesh’s development budget is lost to corruption and that effective implementation is possible only if corruption is eliminated. He made the remarks at a press briefing at the party’s central office in Purana Paltan, Dhaka, where the party presented its proposals for the 2026–27 national budget.

The written proposal, presented by Secretary General Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmad, described the proposed 9.3 trillion taka budget as one of the largest in the country’s history but warned that without just and effective planning, it would not improve living standards. The proposal identified inflation, unemployment, revenue shortfall, stagnant investment, and rising foreign debt as key economic challenges. It recommended reducing tariffs on essential goods, expanding OMS programs, providing direct subsidies to farmers, and promoting digital supply systems.

The party also called for interest-free financing through Islamic banking, AI-based education support, and the establishment of “Digital Skills Hubs” in each division. It proposed Sukuk bonds, waqf-based social development, and tax relief for zakat payers, alongside recognition and welfare for families of those killed in past movements.

Police in Rangamati’s Rajsthali upazila arrested former student leader Russell Mahmud, 26, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, for posting obscene and offensive remarks on Facebook about the family of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed. Mahmud, currently serving as assistant office secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam’s Rajsthali unit, was detained from the Shafipur area of Bangalhalia union with assistance from the army’s Kaptai Zone 38 Bir unit.

According to the report, Mahmud had posted indecent comments about the minister’s daughter on Friday, which quickly spread across social media and caused local uproar. Law enforcement took notice and acted under higher authority’s direction. Before his arrest, Mahmud deleted the post and released a video apology, expressing regret and asking forgiveness from the minister’s family.

Local sources said Mahmud previously served as president of the Bangalhalia Government College unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal during 2018–19. Police confirmed that he has been handed over to district authorities for further action.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has announced a 25 percent fare discount on single journey tickets for senior citizens and persons with disabilities or special needs. The discount will take effect from Monday, according to a press release issued on Sunday by Md. Mashiur Rahman, Executive Director (Additional Charge) of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA).

The announcement states that citizens aged 65 years or above will receive the discount upon verification of age through their national identity card. Additionally, individuals with disabilities or special needs who hold a ‘Suborno’ identity card issued under the Ministry of Social Welfare will also be eligible for the same 25 percent discount on single journey tickets.

An official inauguration ceremony for the new fare benefit will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Monday at Farmgate Metro Station, to be inaugurated by Sheikh Robiul Alam.

A young man named Suman, aged 28, was allegedly beaten to death in Fatullah, Narayanganj, after protesting against drug use. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon at the Panchabati Methorkhola municipal truck terminal, where a drug user named Hatem, aged 30, attacked him. Suman succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Dhaka around 1 a.m. while under treatment. He was originally from Gokarna village in Brahmanbaria district.

According to terminal workers, both Suman and Hatem lived in adjacent rented rooms at Nuri Mia’s house near the terminal. Hatem frequently consumed drugs at home, and Suman had complained about it to the landlord. Witnesses said Hatem struck Suman repeatedly on the head and neck with a wooden piece near the terminal, causing him to collapse. Colleagues took him first to Narayanganj Victoria General Hospital and later to a private clinic in Dhaka.

Local drivers and workers detained Hatem and handed him over to police. Fatullah Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge Mahabub Alam confirmed the arrest and said police were investigating the murder.

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma paid a farewell call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday afternoon. The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division of the Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka. Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was also present during the meeting.

The farewell meeting marked the conclusion of Pranay Verma’s diplomatic tenure in Bangladesh. The discussion was held in a formal setting, reflecting the continuation of diplomatic engagement between Bangladesh and India. No further details about the content of the meeting were disclosed in the report.

The event underscores the routine diplomatic process of ambassadorial transitions between the two neighboring countries, maintaining continuity in bilateral relations.

Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB) has expanded export cargo screening capacity at the country’s airports. The authority confirmed that Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport regained approval to use the Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) method for screening cargo bound for the United Kingdom. This reinstatement, achieved through coordinated diplomatic and technical efforts, aligns Bangladesh’s cargo security system more closely with international standards.

CAAB spokesperson Kawsar Mahmud said the renewed EDD approval will strengthen and streamline security verification for UK-bound goods, reducing delays and costs for exporters. He added that the launch of a second Explosive Detection System (EDS) at Sylhet’s Osmani International Airport has significantly increased screening capacity, enabling faster and more efficient cargo processing.

According to CAAB, these developments will enhance direct cargo transport capabilities to the UK and European Union. The improvements are expected to boost exporter confidence, attract new airlines seeking validation, and support Bangladesh’s broader international trade expansion.

Former interim government cultural affairs adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki shared a message from Safat Siddiqui, the mother of July uprising martyr Shafik Uddin Ahmed Ahnaf, expressing deep sorrow and anger. She said no mother should again lose her child for the country. Farooki posted her words on Facebook, saying he is moved each time he reads them and condemning those who trivialize the July killings in media discussions.

Farooki compared denial of the July massacre to Holocaust denial, noting that in many European countries such denial is punishable by law. He urged Bangladesh to consider similar legislation to prevent social disorder and to include provisions against denying genocide during the Liberation War. He warned that normalizing fascist narratives would erase the memory of July and dishonor the martyrs.

He emphasized that Bangladesh is not a traitorous nation and honors its martyrs, but mocking their sacrifice deeply wounds bereaved families. He called on society to take such pain seriously.

The Ministry of Commerce has launched a control room to ensure proper preservation and management of raw hides from sacrificial animals ahead of Eid-ul-Azha 2026. The initiative aims to streamline collection, storage, and care of hides across the country. A special awareness campaign will also be broadcast on government and private television channels to educate the public on proper handling methods.

According to a ministry press release issued on Sunday, an inter-ministerial meeting was held on April 12 to review preparations for raw hide management during the festival. The meeting emphasized correct skinning techniques, adequate use of salt, and timely preservation after collection. It also decided to run awareness programs through various media outlets to inform the public about best practices.

The ministry stated that the control room will supervise hide management activities and provide related services. Citizens can contact the control room at 01617-338067 for information or assistance. Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in Bangladesh on May 28, and the government has taken early measures to prevent the recurring problem of hide spoilage due to poor preservation.