Agriculture Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid stated that the BNP government has deep faith in farmers and is committed to their economic prosperity. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon while visiting Medi Haor in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria. The minister noted that 75 percent of the country's population is involved in agriculture and that losing crops after hard labor is a painful experience. Later in the day, he was scheduled to inaugurate a relief program distributing 30 kilograms of rice to affected farmers.

He added that paddy procurement quotas have been set at the district level and that in the future, paddy will be purchased directly from farmers at the union level through public announcements to ensure fair prices. Regarding the Kishoreganj all-weather road, he said a high-level committee is investigating whether it obstructs water flow and will take necessary measures if problems are found.

According to the agriculture department, 11,000 hectares of Boro paddy were cultivated in Nasirnagar this season, of which 305 hectares worth about Tk 13 crore were submerged by floodwaters.

Police in Kamalnagar upazila of Lakshmipur arrested Md. Milon, 25, a local youth leader, on Friday night from Koraitala Bazar in connection with an extortion case filed by a BNP leader. Milon, son of the late Abul Kashem of Char Lawrence Union, claims to be the general secretary of the union’s Jubo Dal. The case was filed on April 20 by Md. Morshed, general secretary of Char Lawrence Union BNP, naming Milon and four others as accused, along with 15 to 20 unidentified individuals.

According to the case and local sources, Milon allegedly engaged in extortion, illegal occupation of government land, and gambling activities in the Koraitala area after the fall of the Hasina government. Morshed stated that he filed the case under instructions from Whip and MP ABM Ashraf Uddin. However, Upazila Jubo Dal convener Yusuf Patwari denied Milon’s affiliation with the organization, calling his claim of being general secretary false.

Kamalnagar Police Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Faridul Alam confirmed Milon’s arrest and said he had been sent to jail, while efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects continue.

Commerce, Industry and Textile Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said that every industrial plant is deeply connected to the emotions and livelihoods of local people. He made the remarks on Saturday after visiting Panchagarh Sugar Mills Limited and holding discussions with sugarcane farmers.

The minister stated that when a mill operates, it generates employment, increases government revenue, and keeps the local economy active while enabling repayment of existing debts. He emphasized that the government aims to reopen all closed industrial plants across the country. Out of 15 sugar mills, six are currently closed, and initiatives have been taken to revive several state-owned enterprises.

Muktadir added that Panchagarh Sugar Mill requires extensive renovation of its infrastructure and machinery due to long-term closure. Experts are reviewing all possible aspects before decisions are made. Local officials, including the area’s Member of Parliament, the Industry Secretary, and representatives of workers and farmers, were present during the visit.

A group of activists from the banned Chhatra League staged a flash procession on the Ramganj-Dhaka highway in Lakshmipur’s Ramganj on Friday night. The participants demanded the unconditional release of Awami League leaders and activists. Police later arrested one participant, identified as Nazmul Islam Mohon, from Udaypur village in Bholakot Union the same night.

Ramganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Firoz Uddin Chowdhury confirmed the arrest on Saturday afternoon. The report did not mention any further details about the procession’s duration, the number of participants, or whether additional arrests were made.

Authorities have not disclosed what actions will follow the arrest or whether further investigations are underway.

In Tangail’s Basail upazila, cracks have developed on the approach road of a bridge costing Tk 4.55 crore before its inauguration. The bridge, located at Saidampur Bazar in Kanchanpur Union, was built under the supervision of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). On-site observation showed that the cracks are worsening with rainfall, raising fears that the road could collapse if heavy rain continues.

According to LGED sources, contractor firm Bashed Engineering was assigned to construct the 70-meter RCC girder bridge on the Saidampur Bazar–Kuratali via Primary School road. Construction began on April 13, 2021, and was initially scheduled for completion by April 12, 2022, but the deadline was extended. Local residents blamed poor soil compaction and weak carpeting for the damage, while the contractor’s manager attributed the cracks to heavy rainfall and traffic load. The upazila engineer confirmed that some blocks were not installed and that the contractor has been asked to repair the damaged sections.

Officials stated that payment for the approach road work has not yet been made and that the contractor will fix the affected areas before final handover.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stated that one battle has ended and another has begun, referring to the effort to fulfill promises made to the people. He made the remarks on Saturday, May 9, at a meeting with grassroots leaders and activists of the BNP and its affiliated organizations at the Krishibid Institute auditorium in Dhaka.

Rahman emphasized that the government cannot succeed without the support and coordination of the party. He called on party members to engage in a “new struggle” to implement all commitments made before the election. Referring to the February 12 election, he said that 52 percent of voters supported the BNP’s manifesto, which has now become the manifesto of the government and the people of Bangladesh.

He reiterated the government’s pledge to ensure good governance, quality education, and public safety. The meeting was attended by senior BNP leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other members of the party’s standing committee.

A court in Chapainawabganj has ordered BNP leader Abdullah Al Raihan to be sent to jail in connection with a case over assaulting a police officer. He was produced before the court on Saturday afternoon, where the judge denied his bail and issued the jail order. Raihan had been arrested the previous night from Dhaka’s Uttara area based on a tip-off while he was in hiding.

According to Gomostapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nure Alam, the incident occurred on April 26 at Raihan Filling Station in Khairabad area of Gomostapur upazila. Constable Shawkat Hossain from Nachol Police Station had gone there to collect engine oil for a vehicle under repair when Raihan, the station owner, allegedly assaulted him. Following the incident, Shawkat filed a case with Gomostapur Police Station, after which Raihan went into hiding.

Raihan is the former president of Gomostapur Union BNP and the son of former Gomostapur Upazila Parishad chairman Ashraf Hossain.

Authorities in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna recovered 600 liters of adulterated milk from the residence of Abdul Momin, the organizational secretary of the Bilchalon Union Krishak Dal. The operation was conducted around 9 a.m. on Saturday under the leadership of Lutfor Kabir, deputy director of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) in Pabna. Law enforcement also seized equipment used for milk production and detained a man named Azizul Pramanik, while Abdul Momin and another suspect, Al Amin, fled before the raid began.

Chatmohar police officer-in-charge Golam Mostafa confirmed that a case has been filed and further legal action is underway. According to Liton Biswas, president of the upazila Krishak Dal, Momin had previously been served a show-cause notice over a similar adulteration incident. The organization now plans to permanently expel him for violating party discipline.

The seizure highlights ongoing efforts by local authorities to curb food adulteration and enforce accountability among political figures involved in such illegal activities.

Four passengers were killed and 15 others injured in a head-on collision between two buses in Lohagara upazila of Chattogram on Saturday morning. The accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. in front of Four Season Restaurant and Resort on the Chattogram–Cox’s Bazar highway. One passenger, Rehena Begum, 66, from Patiya upazila, died on the spot, while three others succumbed to their injuries later at Lohagara Trauma Centre.

According to a passenger, the driver of a Chattogram-bound Marsa Paribahan bus lost his temper after an argument with another driver in Harbang area of Cox’s Bazar, leading to the collision with another Marsa Paribahan bus heading toward Cox’s Bazar. Fire service leader Firoz Khan said one body was recovered from the scene and the injured were taken to local hospitals, with several in critical condition.

Officer-in-Charge Salah Uddin Chowdhury of Dohazari Highway Police Station said a team was sent to the site, and the bodies and damaged buses were brought to the station for legal procedures before handing over to families.

Eleven fishermen returned home on Friday evening after being held hostage for seven days by forest bandits in the Sundarbans and released upon payment of a ransom totaling 700,000 taka. The group had been abducted on the night of May 3 from the Alorkol area of the eastern Sundarbans by the Jahangir gang. Three days later, another bandit group, the Sharif gang, took control of the captives after an armed clash and held them in an undisclosed location.

According to Rubel Hawlader, one of the freed fishermen from Uttar Rajapur village in Sharankhola, the Jahangir gang initially chained them and subjected them to abuse. After receiving the ransom, the Sharif gang released the fishermen early Friday morning near the Aruar River estuary in the Dhansagar area, from where they walked several kilometers to reach home. A local fish trader, requesting anonymity, said the bandits initially demanded 100,000 taka per person but later settled for 70,000 each, totaling 700,000 taka.

Sharankhola Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Shaminul Haque stated that the police had not received any formal complaint regarding the ransom payment but would take legal action if one is filed.

Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan said that modernization of the education system is essential for national development. Speaking as chief guest at the ‘China-Bangladesh Education Cooperation Forum 2026’ held at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka on Saturday, he emphasized that the government has prioritized education and plans to allocate 5 percent of GDP to the sector. He also announced initiatives to revise syllabuses, curricula, and academic calendars to improve quality.

The minister highlighted that teacher development is key to raising educational standards and mentioned a joint initiative with China to train general and technical educators. He said education would serve as the main bridge strengthening Bangladesh-China relations. Several memorandums of understanding were signed between institutions from both countries to enhance cooperation in education.

The event, chaired by Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen, was attended by senior Bangladeshi education officials, including the Prime Minister’s Education Adviser Mahdi Amin and UGC Chairman Dr. Mamun Ahmed. Guests also inaugurated an education and technology exhibition following the forum.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has accused the government of showing discrimination both in respecting the referendum outcome and in implementing development projects. Speaking at Saidpur Airport on Saturday morning, he said the government supported the 'yes' vote before the election but is now ignoring the referendum’s verdict while claiming to implement the July Charter. He criticized the concentration of multiple major projects—such as a city corporation, new upazila, university, and international airport—in a single area instead of distributing them based on broader national importance.

Porwar stated that Jamaat does not oppose development initiatives but rejects favoritism toward ruling party lawmakers in project allocation. He also alleged that the government is suppressing media freedom and targeting journalists critical of its actions. Regarding the proposed internationalization of Saidpur Airport, he said it is vital for the socio-economic progress of the northern region and reflects a long-standing public demand.

He warned that ignoring such regional aspirations could harm national welfare and criticized the BNP for mishandling public interest issues, which he said could backfire politically.

Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman held a meeting with district and metropolitan presidents and general secretaries of the party’s three affiliated organizations—Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, and Swechchhasebak Dal—on Saturday, May 9, at the Krishibid Institute auditorium in Dhaka. The meeting began at 10 a.m., and Rahman joined virtually at 11 a.m. Party sources said this was his first major organizational meeting with grassroots leaders since assuming the office of Prime Minister.

Leaders from various districts and metropolitan units of the three organizations attended the event. The discussions were expected to focus on maintaining party discipline, strengthening organizational activities, resolving internal conflicts at the local level, and reestablishing the chain of command. Party sources indicated that Rahman would call on grassroots leaders to work more actively and in unity to implement upcoming political programs.

Ahead of the meeting, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and the Prime Minister’s political adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi inspected the venue on Friday and told reporters that Rahman would outline plans to enhance the party’s organizational dynamism.

The Boro paddy harvest has begun in Dhunat upazila of Bogura, where farmers are expressing frustration over low market prices. Despite good yields this season, they report that the price of one maund of paddy, selling for only 850 to 950 taka, is not enough to hire even one laborer, whose daily wage now ranges from 1,000 to 1,100 taka. Many farmers say their hard-earned crops are bringing little return as costs continue to rise.

Local sources note that while fields are full of ripe paddy, concerns are growing over possible storm and rain damage, especially in low-lying areas. The sudden surge in demand for harvest laborers has nearly doubled wages. Farmers report that production costs, including plowing, irrigation, and pesticides, have increased sharply in recent years, but market prices have not kept pace, leaving them worried about repaying debts.

According to the Dhunat Upazila Agriculture Officer, about 16,485 hectares of land have been cultivated with high-yield and local paddy varieties. He advised farmers to harvest when 80 percent of the crop is ripe to avoid losses from hail or early flooding.

A member of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF) was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the Shuknachhara area of Sajek Union under Baghaichhari upazila in Rangamati district early Saturday. The incident occurred in the 10 No. Para of Shuknachhara, where the victim, identified as Hegera Chakma alias Lettbap, was attacked and killed by gunfire.

According to Sajek Police Station Officer-in-Charge Tofazzal Hossain, police were heading to the scene after receiving reports of the shooting. The deceased was known to be affiliated with the Prasit faction of the UPDF. Attempts to contact several UPDF leaders for comment were unsuccessful, and no immediate statement was available from the group.

Further details about the motive or those responsible for the attack were not disclosed in the initial report, and an investigation was reportedly underway.