A Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) team from Faridpur arrested one person with 220 bottles of Phensedyl during an operation at Goaland Mor in Rajbari district headquarters on Tuesday morning. The detainee, identified as Shahinur, 25, is a resident of Daulatpur upazila in Kushtia district. RAB also seized a Nasimon vehicle allegedly used for transporting the drugs.

According to a press briefing, RAB stated that the arrested individual is a professional drug dealer who had been supplying Phensedyl and other narcotics from border areas to different parts of the country for a long time. Faridpur RAB-10 Assistant Director (Media) and Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Tapas Karmakar said the process of handing over the detainee to the concerned police station is underway.

RAB officials added that their operations against drugs, illegal arms, terrorism, and extortion will continue across the region.

Police in Chattogram recovered the body of a man named Noren Dhar, aged 38, from the premises of the Indian Assistant High Commission located in the city’s Khulshi area on Tuesday morning. The body was sent to Chattogram Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy after being found around 9:30 a.m. A senior officer from the city’s north zone police confirmed the recovery, noting that all procedures were followed as the incident occurred inside a foreign mission. The mission reportedly requested confidentiality regarding the matter.

Police suspect that Noren Dhar worked at the Indian Assistant High Commission, but the cause of his death remains unclear. Authorities have not disclosed whether any signs of injury, conflict, or suspicious evidence were found at the scene. The officer stated that the cause of death would be confirmed after receiving the autopsy report. Police have yet to gather detailed information about Dhar’s identity or occupation. Attempts to contact officials at the Indian Assistant High Commission for comment were unsuccessful.

Local witnesses said they saw police and an ambulance at the mission in the morning before the body was taken away.

Thakurgaon University will commence its academic activities from the 2026–2027 academic year, according to its first Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Israfil Shaheen. He made the announcement during a meeting with journalists at the Thakurgaon Press Club auditorium on Tuesday afternoon.

During the event, Professor Shaheen emphasized the vital role of the media in promoting education, research, cultural practice, and the development of a modern knowledge-based society. He stated that the university’s initial preparations have already been successfully completed.

The Vice-Chancellor sought cooperation from people across the district to help establish Thakurgaon University as an internationally recognized institution and to uphold the pride of the region. The meeting was organized by the Thakurgaon Press Club and attended by its acting president Lutfur Rahman Mithu, senior journalist Abdul Latif, and other local media representatives and dignitaries.

A three-day land service fair began in Jianagar upazila of Pirojpur on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. The event, held at the Upazila Land Office premises under the slogan “Protected Land, Prosperous Future,” featured a discussion on citizen-friendly automated land management, a student quiz competition, and a colorful rally. The fair was inaugurated by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Hasan Md. Hafizur Rahman.

Local leaders and representatives, including the Upazila BNP president, vice chairman, former member secretary, and press club officials, attended the opening ceremony along with land service seekers from various unions. In his speech, the UNO emphasized that the land office should serve as a center for public service and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to ensuring citizen access to land-related services.

The fair aims to promote awareness about digital and automated land services, aligning with government directives to improve transparency and efficiency in land administration.

Journalists at Jahangirnagar University were reportedly obstructed and harassed while performing their professional duties. The incident drew strong condemnation, deep concern, and protest from the university unit of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD). The statement was issued on Tuesday through a press release signed by the organization’s office secretary Abdullah Antor.

In a joint statement, JCD unit convener Zahir Uddin Mohammad Babor and member secretary Wasim Ahmed Anik emphasized that the media is a vital pillar of a democratic state. They stated that journalists play an important role in serving society and the state through truthful and objective reporting. The leaders described any obstruction to journalists’ freedom to gather and publish information on campus as alarming and contrary to freedom of expression.

The student leaders further urged all students, journalists, and related parties to act responsibly and maintain mutual respect to preserve a peaceful, democratic, and normal academic environment on campus.

A wounded participant of the July uprising, Md. Ruhul Amin, testified on Tuesday before International Crimes Tribunal-1 as the sixth witness in the case concerning the killing of 28 people in Rampura, Dhaka. The case names former Border Guard Bangladesh officer Lt. Col. Redwanul Islam and three others as accused. Ruhul Amin, now 55, described being shot near Meradia market on July 19, 2024, while observing a student protest, and said he was taken to Mugda Medical College Hospital after being injured.

He told the tribunal that on July 20, 2024, he was forcibly discharged from the hospital after alleged threats from local Awami League members to doctors, who were told to kill the wounded with injections. Ruhul Amin said he received no medical documents and was later threatened at home by party members. He continued treatment at a private hospital and later learned through social media that security personnel were involved in the shooting. He appealed for justice against the accused.

Two of the four accused, Lt. Col. Redwanul Islam and Maj. Md. Rafat Bin Alam Mun, were produced in court from prison, while two former police officers remain fugitives.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition in the National Parliament, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman MP, is scheduled to depart Dhaka for Saudi Arabia on Wednesday afternoon to perform the holy Hajj. According to the party’s central publicity department, he will return to Bangladesh on June 1 after completing the pilgrimage.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Jamaat’s central publicity wing. In a separate engagement, the opposition leader is expected to visit Dr. Nasir Islam, who is undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, at 9 p.m. on Tuesday night.

No further details were provided regarding his travel arrangements or official duties during his stay in Saudi Arabia.

Stone extraction at the Madhyapara hard rock mine in Parbatipur, Dinajpur, has been suspended since Tuesday morning because of a shortage of explosives. The mine’s General Manager (Administration and Services), Syed Rafizul Islam, confirmed that the imported ammonium nitrate stock has run out, forcing a temporary halt in production. He said the explosives are expected to arrive within 15 days, and maintenance work will continue in the meantime.

Officials from the contracting company Germania Trust Consortium (GTC), responsible for extraction and maintenance, stated that while extraction is paused, maintenance operations remain active. The mine, operated by Madhyapara Granite Mining Company Limited (MGMCL), began commercial production in May 2007 and employs about 700 underground workers across three shifts. MGMCL renewed a six-year contract with GTC in September 2021, under which the company extracts an average of 5,500 metric tons of rock daily.

The mine has faced similar shutdowns in previous years due to explosive shortages, including in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022, and 2025, highlighting recurring supply challenges.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-11 has arrested the prime suspect in the killing of a third-gender person who was burned alive in Comilla’s Burichang area. The arrest took place late Monday night in a joint operation by RAB-11 and RAB-6 in the Bhomra area of Satkhira district. The detainee, identified as Zahid Islam alias Apon alias Zahid Hijra, aged 46, is a resident of Burichang. The incident occurred on May 13 when Enamul Haque Shishir alias Mahi, aged 29, was tied up, doused with petrol, and set on fire inside a tin-shed house near the Muktijoddha Complex in Burichang Bazar. He later died on May 17 while under treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.

According to RAB, both the victim and the suspect belonged to the third-gender community and had been living together for a long time. Law enforcement officials reported that they were involved in drug trading, and a dispute over money led to the killing. The victim’s father filed a murder case with Burichang Police Station, and the incident sparked widespread attention on social media across the country.

RAB stated that the arrested suspect has initially confessed to his involvement in the murder, and legal proceedings are underway.

Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Affairs Adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman announced that a separate law is being prepared for the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and its name may also be changed. He made the statement on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Department of Information marking three months of the current government’s tenure. Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan was also present at the event.

Rahman explained that RAB had so far operated under the Armed Police Battalion, but the new law will define its structure and functions more clearly. He noted that while the opposition BNP had called for RAB’s dissolution, the force will continue under a new legal identity. He added that the Home Minister had mentioned the possibility of a name change while working on the legislation.

Rahman emphasized that an elite force is necessary for the state, highlighting RAB’s success in combating terrorism and crime. He said that with better equipment and training, the restructured force will move away from its previous controversial image.

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.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of income tax records belonging to Md. Abdus Sobhan, a cartographer in the Air Traffic Management division of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), and his wife, Mrs. Salma. The order was issued on Tuesday, March 19, 2026, by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md. Sabbir Faiz following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

According to the petition filed by ACC Assistant Director Md. Mahbub Morshed, the couple allegedly acquired and possessed assets worth Tk 46,50,387 beyond their known sources of income and concealed information about assets worth Tk 19,32,000 in their tax filings. The ACC had filed a case against them in November 2023 under sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004.

The investigator stated that under section 309(3)(a)(i)(ii) of the Income Tax Act, 2023, tax records cannot be seized without a court order. The court granted the request to seize the documents to ensure proper investigation.

Small and marginal traders across Bangladesh have erupted in anger after the government sharply increased market periphery lease fees from 260 taka to 6,000 taka, a 23-fold jump. The new rates were set under the “Hat o Bazar Sthapan o Byabosthapona Bidhimala-2025,” issued by the Ministry of Land on October 6, 2025. Traders described the move as a threat to their survival and warned of nationwide protests if the decision is not withdrawn.

According to the report, traders have submitted multiple written appeals to the land minister but claim no effective action has been taken. Many argue that the sudden and steep increase is unjustified, noting that previous adjustments between 1990 and 2023 ranged only from 5 to 20 percent. Local officials in Uzirpur said they are bound to implement the central policy and cannot alter it.

Trader associations are preparing for larger demonstrations, including rallies and human chains, demanding a revision of the new fee structure. Experts warn that such a drastic rise could severely disrupt rural markets and damage the grassroots economy.

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.

Textiles and Jute Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir announced that the government aims to transform Bangladesh’s jute sector from its current export earnings of about $1 billion into a $5–7 billion industry. He made the statement on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Jute Diversification Promotion Center’s Multifarious Jute Products Fair 2026 in Dhaka. The event was chaired by the ministry’s secretary, Abdun Naser Khan, with State Minister for Textiles and Jute Md. Shariful Alam attending as a special guest.

The minister highlighted that in 1972–73, jute and jute goods accounted for nearly 90 percent of Bangladesh’s export income, but the sector’s share has since declined. To revive its potential, the government has adopted time-bound plans focusing on quality seed production, technological advancement, and product diversification. He emphasized achieving self-sufficiency in jute seed production, reducing import dependence, and promoting high-value product design and innovation.

Muktadir added that collaboration with leading Chinese universities is planned to enhance productivity, seed development, and market-oriented design. A coordinated roadmap involving the Jute Diversification Promotion Center and private partners is being prepared, while state-owned jute mills are set to be operated under private management for modernization and profitability.