In Rangunia’s Lalanagar village of Chattogram, the bodies of four brothers who died in Oman were brought home early Wednesday morning. The four coffins arrived in separate ambulances, drawing a silent crowd of mourners. The brothers—Shahidul Islam, Sirajul Islam, Shahidul Islam, and Rashedul Islam—died from carbon monoxide poisoning emitted by an air conditioner inside a vehicle in Oman’s Al Muladda area of Al Batinah. Their coffins were placed in the yard of their family home before being taken to Hosanabad Lalanagar High School field for funeral prayers.

Thousands attended the joint funeral, which was led by their youngest brother, Md Enam. The four were later buried side by side in the family graveyard. Two of the deceased were married, while two others were preparing for marriage. Their mother has been informed of only two deaths so far and remains unaware that all four sons have passed away.

The bodies had arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday night and were received at Shahjalal International Airport by Chattogram-7 MP Hummam Quader Chowdhury.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed announced that law enforcement will take action against criminals irrespective of their political or social identity. Speaking at a 'Meet the Press' event at the DMP Media Centre on Wednesday morning, he said police will respond immediately wherever mob activity occurs. He emphasized that operations against extortionists, armed criminals, terrorists, drug dealers, online gamblers, and fraudsters are continuing under a zero-tolerance policy.

The commissioner reported that 206 listed extortionists have been arrested so far in special drives. He added that operations against juvenile gangs are ongoing, with gang leaders being brought under the law. Referring to top criminals, he noted that some individuals released on bail are re-engaging in crime and will also face legal action.

Addressing police officers, Ahmed directed that police stations must be citizen- and service-friendly, free from brokers, and that any officer found guilty of misconduct will face disciplinary measures. He also mentioned that controlling battery-powered rickshaws is difficult for police alone due to a syndicate formed during the previous government.

Cattle markets across Bangladesh have become active ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, though buyer turnout remains low. Bargaining between buyers and sellers is ongoing as customers seek affordable sacrificial animals. In Titas upazila of Cumilla, 12,165 animals have been prepared against a demand of 11,290, leaving an estimated surplus of 875. Farmers there are focusing on local breeds while also raising Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, and Friesian cattle for higher yields.

In Debiganj upazila of Panchagarh, 23,133 animals have been readied, exceeding the local demand of 17,220 by nearly 6,000. Local markets such as Bhaulaganj and Tepreeganj have started receiving animals, with expectations of supplying to nearby districts. The upazila administration has instructed banks to install counterfeit currency detectors and strengthened market security. In Lakhai upazila of Habiganj, 5,135 animals are prepared, surpassing demand, though rising feed prices are worrying farmers. The livestock office has launched a coordinated plan to ensure safe supply and animal health.

In Bera upazila of Pabna, despite large cattle inflows, sales remain slow due to fewer buyers. Traders attribute this to the growing trend of digital cattle trading in Dhaka, reducing in-person market competition.

Locals in Sonargaon, Narayanganj blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway on Wednesday morning to protest the killing of an autorickshaw driver. The protest began around 10 a.m. in the Darikandi area, causing a long traffic jam and significant public suffering due to slow vehicle movement. The demonstration lasted for about half an hour before the road was cleared.

According to reports, on May 17, an altercation over a queue at the Darikandi stand led to Shahin, 40, allegedly beating fellow driver Md. Momin, 45. Momin later died early Wednesday while receiving treatment at a hospital in Dhaka. In response, locals demanded justice and took to the highway in protest, blocking traffic from Jangal to Mograpara intersection.

Police officials from Kanchpur Highway and Sonargaon stations said the protesters left the highway following police advice, and traffic has since returned to normal.

Meteorologists in Bangladesh have described the current summer as highly unusual, noting that despite frequent rainfall, the country is experiencing intense humidity. According to weather experts A.K.M. Nazmul Haque and Shahinul Islam, in their 14 years of service they have not seen such a combination of heavy rain and persistent muggy heat during April and May. Although temperatures have not risen sharply, the high moisture in southern winds is causing discomfort across the country.

Data from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department show that the highest temperature this year was 40°C in Rajshahi on April 22, compared with 42°C and 43.7°C recorded in Chuadanga in 2023 and 2024 respectively. On Tuesday, the national maximum temperature dropped to 36.6°C from 38°C the previous day, while rainfall reached 86 millimeters in Rangamati and 16 millimeters in Dhaka. However, Rangpur and Mymensingh divisions saw no rain.

Health experts report an increase in respiratory illnesses among children and the elderly due to fluctuating weather. Forecasts suggest that humidity and irregular rainfall may persist through June and July.

Armed bandit activity has again unsettled the Sundarbans and its coastal areas, with residents living in fear of abduction and ransom demands. Over the past year and a half, incidents of kidnapping, extortion, and armed robbery have increased across Shyamnagar in Satkhira, Koyra in Khulna, and surrounding forest zones. On May 14, eight forest workers were reportedly abducted at gunpoint from the Satkhira range of the western Sundarbans. Families claim the abductors identified themselves as members of several gangs and demanded 20,000 to 40,000 taka in ransom via mobile banking.

Local fishermen and honey collectors say they now face constant threats, with bandits monitoring their movements and demanding payments even from those with legal permits. Reports indicate that in early May, 20 to 22 people were abducted, with most released after paying around seven lakh taka. Several gangs, including Nanna Bhai/Don Bahini and Chhoto Jahangir Bahini, are said to be active again, some allegedly regrouping after earlier surrenders.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard stated that joint operations under “Operation Mangrove Shield” have detained over 60 bandits in the past 18 months. Authorities have increased patrols and urged forest workers to enter the forest only with valid permits and caution.

A case has been filed under the Cyber Security Act against six leaders of the Chattogram unit of the National Citizen Party (NCP), including city committee member secretary Arif Moinuddin. The complaint was lodged on Wednesday in the Chattogram Cyber Tribunal by Hujjatul Islam Saeed, an assistant organizational secretary of the party. The court accepted the case and directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to conduct an inquiry.

According to the petition, Saeed alleged that the accused shared defamatory and provocative content about him on social media, damaging his personal reputation and spreading confusion among the public. He submitted screenshots, links, and digital evidence to the court in support of his claim. The main accused, Arif Moinuddin, was recently appointed as the NCP city committee’s member secretary.

Saeed expressed hope for justice through a proper investigation, while attempts to reach the main accused by phone were unsuccessful, according to the report.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 has ordered the start of the trial against former Member of Parliament Abul Hasanat Abdullah and three others for alleged crimes against humanity. The charges relate to the killing of two men in a staged crossfire incident on February 20, 2015, in Agailjhara, Barishal. The tribunal issued the order on Wednesday and set June 17 for opening statements and the recording of the first witness testimony.

According to the case documents, the victims, Tipu Hawlader and Kabir Molla, were local leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and the Jatiyatabadi Samajik Sangskritik Sangstha, respectively. The prosecution alleges that Abdullah, unable to defeat his political rivals, abused state power to orchestrate their killings. It is claimed that he instructed the then Barishal Superintendent of Police, A.K.M. Ehsanullah, to execute the plan, which was carried out by ASI Mahbul Islam and ASI Jasim Uddin.

Both ASIs are currently in custody and were produced before the tribunal. The charges include joint criminal enterprise and superior command responsibility against Abdullah and Ehsanullah.

A man was killed and another injured after being beaten by locals during an alleged transformer theft attempt in Chandeshwar village under Kusumbi Union of Sherpur upazila, Bogura. The incident occurred late on Tuesday, May 20, when residents reportedly caught two individuals in the act. Around 2 a.m., angry villagers from Chandeshwar and Akrampur assaulted them, leaving one critically injured.

The deceased was identified as Fazle Rabbi, 24, son of Bulu Mia from Natabari village in Goshaibari Union of Dhunat upazila. He was taken to Sherpur Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. The injured man, Jahangir Hossain, 30, son of Idris Ali from the same area, is currently receiving treatment at the same hospital.

Sherpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge SM Moinuddin said the incident is under investigation and a murder case is being processed.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DEA) has withheld import permits for coconuts ahead of Eid al-Adha, citing that it is not the appropriate import season. Despite repeated meetings with the DEA’s Director General, small traders have not received approval for their import permit applications. As a result, truckloads of coconuts remain stranded at the Indian border near the Sonamasjid land port, increasing daily costs for importers.

DEA officials explained that import permissions are typically granted around Eid-ul-Fitr, winter, Nabanna, and major festivals when demand is higher. They argued that coconut demand is lower during Eid al-Adha, and unrestricted imports could harm local growers. However, traders warned that the decision could trigger an artificial shortage and push retail prices to Tk 100–150 per coconut. They also noted that the delay risks significant business losses and government revenue shortfalls.

According to DEA data, Bangladesh produces about 478,000 tons of coconuts annually, mainly in Bhola, Bagerhat, Noakhali, Barishal, and Jashore, but still imports 600–700 tons from India each year to stabilize the market.

The Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) has begun a two-day public hearing on proposals from electricity generation and distribution companies to raise power tariffs. The hearing started on Wednesday at the Krishibid Institution auditorium in Dhaka, chaired by BERC Chairman Jalal Ahmed. Representatives from universities, consumer groups, business associations, and government agencies attended the session.

Consumers voiced strong opposition to the proposed price increase, demanding that the hearing be halted and the proposal withdrawn. They warned that higher electricity prices would severely burden citizens and create a dire situation in the country. Participants also called for an end to corruption and irregularities in the power sector.

According to BERC and distribution company sources, the proposals include raising wholesale prices by 17 to 21 percent and consumer-level prices by 14.21 to 17.76 percent. BERC is reviewing submissions from several major power entities, including PDB, PGCB, Palli Bidyut Board, DESCO, DPDC, WZPDCO, and NESCO.

Senior lawyer Advocate Muhammad Shishir Monir has accused the government of committing serious contempt of court by dissolving the Supreme Court Secretariat and transferring its officials. He made the remarks on Wednesday while speaking to journalists in front of the Supreme Court’s annex building. Monir stated that the Secretariat was established under the directive of the highest court and that the matter remains under judicial consideration. He announced plans to file a contempt petition against those responsible on the following day.

The controversy follows a government order issued on Tuesday that dissolved the Supreme Court Secretariat and reassigned its senior secretary and 15 other officials to the Ministry of Law. The order, issued by the Law and Justice Division under presidential authority, stated that the officials were attached to the ministry until further notice. The Secretariat had been inaugurated on December 11, 2025, by then Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed in the Supreme Court’s Administrative Building-4, in the presence of interim government legal adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul.

A group of students from Jagannath University in Bangladesh has launched an initiative called 'Project Lifeline for Gaza' to support civilians affected by ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip. The project, organized under the Jagannath University Human Rights Society, collected around three lakh taka from students and delivered relief supplies to approximately 200 families in Gaza. The aid packages were distributed mainly in the southwestern region, including families displaced from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza.

Eight students from different departments participated in the project, led by Naushin Nawar Joya, the International Affairs Secretary of the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JAKSU). Joya described the initiative as a humanitarian effort to express solidarity with Gaza’s oppressed people and emphasized the importance of compassion and human values in times of crisis.

The organizers expressed plans to expand their humanitarian activities for Gaza in the future. Their efforts have reportedly earned appreciation and support from people in Bangladesh.

Shamima Nasrin, a senior staff nurse at the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital in Mohakhali, shared her 32-year journey in nursing, driven by a desire to serve humanity. She began her career at Bagerhat Sadar Hospital after completing her studies at Bagerhat Nursing Institute, inspired by her brother. Reflecting on her early days, she described the overwhelming number of patients and the pride she felt in helping them.

Nasrin recounted deeply emotional moments from her career, including being unable to see her father’s body after his death in 2016 because she was on night duty. She also recalled the death of a wounded student during the July movement, which left a lasting impact on her. Balancing professional and family responsibilities, she credited her husband’s support for helping her manage both.

She expressed frustration that nurses in Bangladesh are not properly valued, despite their frontline roles during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Nasrin urged policymakers to ensure fair recognition, risk allowances, and improved working conditions for nurses across the country.

Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 78 runs in the Sylhet Test, completing a historic series whitewash on home soil. This is the first time Bangladesh have swept Pakistan in a home Test series, and the second consecutive series they have whitewashed the same opponent. Liton Das and Taijul Islam were the key performers, with Liton scoring a century in the first innings and Taijul taking six wickets in the final innings to seal the victory.

Following this win, Bangladesh climbed to fifth place in the ICC World Test Championship standings, overtaking India. Bangladesh now hold a win percentage of 58.33, while India dropped to sixth with 48.15 percent after nine matches. Bangladesh have played four matches in the 2025–27 Test Championship cycle, winning two, losing one, and drawing one.

Australia lead the standings with an 87.50 percent win rate, followed by New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka in second to fourth positions respectively. The Sylhet victory further strengthens Bangladesh’s position in the ongoing Test Championship race.