The Bangladesh Law Commission, formed in 1996 under the Awami League government, has produced numerous reform proposals over three decades, but only a small fraction have been implemented. According to official sources, out of 169 recommendations aimed at modernizing outdated laws, only eight have been adopted. Despite months or years of research and millions of taka in expenses, most reports remain shelved. The commission continues to review colonial-era laws even as global legal systems advance with the aid of artificial intelligence.

Former commission members and legal experts told the newspaper that political appointments and lack of institutional independence have undermined the body’s effectiveness. They noted that the commission’s work on issues such as witness protection, judicial appointments, and the abolition of corporal punishment has rarely influenced policy. Law Minister Md. Anisul Huq acknowledged that over 1.5 billion taka had been spent in two decades with limited results.

Experts argue that bureaucratic inertia, absence of legal obligation, and weak political will are the main barriers. They suggest amending the Law Commission Act to require parliamentary consideration or implementation of recommendations within a fixed timeframe.

A recent intelligence report sent to Bangladesh’s Home, Labour, and Commerce ministries warns that political groups may attempt to exploit growing worker unrest caused by rising production costs and energy shortages. The report states that fuel supply disruptions, worsened by the Iran–US conflict and the shutdown of Eastern Refinery Limited on April 13, have severely affected industrial operations. Production in the garment sector has dropped by about 30 percent, with many small and medium factories facing losses, layoffs, and delayed wage payments.

The report highlights that Bangladesh’s annual fuel demand stands at 8–8.5 million tons, with diesel making up nearly three-quarters of daily consumption. Disruptions in crude oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have intensified the crisis. Additionally, international price hikes for cotton and yarn have raised local production costs, further straining the textile industry.

To mitigate the crisis, the report recommends limited work-from-home policies, reduced energy use after 8 p.m., alternate-day school operations, vehicle rationing, and prioritizing fuel supply for essential industries and transport. It also suggests financial support for small and medium enterprises.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has been unable to expand its international destinations due to a shortage of aircraft and pilots. The state-owned carrier currently operates 19 aircraft across 20 international and seven domestic routes, despite having air service agreements with 70 countries. The airline’s regular operations have also been affected during Hajj seasons, forcing temporary route suspensions.

To address growing passenger demand, Biman signed a deal with Boeing on April 30 to purchase 14 new-generation aircraft worth about Tk 40,000 crore. The order includes eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9 Dreamliners, and four 737-8 Max jets, aimed at expanding long-haul and high-demand routes. The government plans to make Bangladesh an aviation hub, with new routes to Sydney and New York under consideration.

Biman targets launching flights to Malé, Yangon, and New York by the 2026–27 fiscal year, followed by Kunming and Bahrain in 2028, and Sydney, Jakarta, and Seoul in 2029. Route selection is based on passenger demand, with specific focus on business, labor, and tourism markets.

President Md. Shahabuddin left Dhaka for London on the morning of May 9, 2026, to undergo follow-up medical treatment and health examinations. His flight, Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ regular commercial service BG-201, departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 7:45 a.m. Senior officials, including the Law Minister Md. Anisul Huq, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Yusuf S.Y. Ramadan, and British High Commissioner Sarah Cook, were present at the airport to see him off.

The President is accompanied by members of his family, his medical team, a staff nurse, and officials from Bangabhaban. According to the report, Shahabuddin had previously undergone cardiac bypass surgery in Singapore in October 2023. Following medical advice, he will now complete necessary health tests at a specialized hospital in the United Kingdom.

The President is expected to return to Bangladesh on May 18, 2026, after the completion of his medical procedures.

A series of targeted killings in Chattogram city over the past 20 months has left at least 30 people dead, with police accused of failing to take preventive action despite prior warnings. Victims often received threats and even filed general diaries (GDs) at local police stations, yet no protective measures were taken. The latest incident occurred in Bayezid Bostami area, where 24-year-old Hasan Raju was shot dead by masked assailants, and a 12-year-old girl was injured.

Families of victims and local residents allege a recurring pattern: threats, complaints, police inaction, and subsequent murders. Lawyers and human rights activists say GDs are routinely filed away without investigation or follow-up. Police officials, however, claim they act according to procedure. In Rauzan upazila alone, 17 killings have occurred in less than two years, mostly linked to political rivalries.

Security analysts and former police officers argue that political patronage and lack of preventive policing have allowed armed groups and youth gangs to operate freely. Experts recommend a special task force under the Home Ministry, regular arms recovery drives, and mandatory investigation of threat reports within 48 hours to curb the violence.

A businessman named Alimuddin, aged 55, was killed in Chuadanga’s Dingedah area on Friday night, May 8, 2026, during a clash that erupted before an arbitration meeting over unpaid dues could start. The incident occurred in front of the house of Shankarchandra Union Parishad Chairman Mohibul Alam Sujon. Locals detained a man named Liakat and handed him over to the police following the attack.

According to the chairman, Alimuddin, a trader from Shankarchandra village, was owed 1.3 million taka by Liakat, with whom he had previously run a business. When both parties arrived for the arbitration, Liakat’s son Alamin, aged 26, allegedly attacked Alimuddin with bricks and punches, causing him to collapse. He was taken to Chuadanga Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police confirmed that the killing stemmed from a dispute over money and said the body would be sent for autopsy.

Police stated that the cause of death would be confirmed after the post-mortem examination. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Bangladesh’s only state-owned oil refinery, Eastern Refinery Limited, has resumed full-scale operations after a 24-day closure due to a shortage of crude oil. The main plant restarted production on Friday morning following the arrival of a crude oil shipment from Saudi Arabia. Initially, the refinery will process 4,000 tons of fuel oil daily, with plans to increase capacity to 4,500 tons by Saturday afternoon. The shutdown began on April 14 when crude supplies were disrupted by restrictions on ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz amid conflict in the Middle East.

During the closure, a small unit continued limited production using remaining stock, supplying 120 tons of diesel and 100 tons of petrol daily. The government arranged alternative shipping routes to import crude oil via Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port, leading to the arrival of the MT Ninemiya tanker carrying 100,000 tons of crude. Maintenance was performed on machinery during the downtime, allowing for a smoother restart.

Energy experts have urged the government to diversify crude sources and expand storage capacity from the current 600,000 tons to 1.6 million tons to strengthen energy security.

Residents of northern Bangladesh remain frustrated as the long-promised Teesta River Master Plan continues to face delays despite repeated political commitments. The river, vital to the livelihoods of millions across eight northern districts, has suffered from erosion, water scarcity, and seasonal flooding due to India’s upstream control and dam operations. Although successive governments pledged to implement the Teesta project, none have delivered tangible progress, leaving local communities disillusioned.

The previous interim government initiated renewed discussions with China to implement a 12,000-crore-taka, ten-year project, with partial funding expected from Chinese loans. However, bureaucratic hurdles and slow loan disbursement have stalled progress. Local residents, losing faith in official assurances, launched the “Jago Bahe Teesta Bachai” movement demanding immediate action. The movement later gained political traction under the current government, which again promised implementation.

As monsoon season approaches, fears of flooding intensify due to rising water pressure at India’s Gajoldoba Barrage. While Bangladesh’s Water Development Board reports no immediate flood risk, residents remain anxious, hoping the long-delayed project will finally begin to secure their livelihoods.

The Bangladesh Army has issued a recruitment notice for the position of MODC soldier, with applications open until May 31, 2026. Only male candidates are eligible to apply, and the selection process will take place at Rajendrapur Cantonment (MODC Center and Records). Applicants can apply for General Duty (GD) and Clerk (CLK) trades, while children of MODC members may also apply under the MS category. Applications must be submitted online and via SMS, with a total fee of 300 taka.

Candidates must be Bangladeshi citizens, unmarried, and aged between 17 and 25 years as of July 1, 2026. Minimum educational qualifications include GPA 2.00 in SSC or equivalent for GD and GPA 3.00 for CLK. Physical requirements include a height of 5 feet 6 inches, weight of 49.90 kg, and normal vision. Applicants must pass medical, physical, written, and interview tests, and be able to swim at least 35 meters.

Selected candidates will undergo six months of basic military training. During training, they will receive a monthly salary of 8,800 taka, with further pay and benefits as per Joint Services Instructions after completion.

The National Citizens Party (NCP), formed by young leaders of the July uprising, has rapidly emerged as a key political force in Bangladesh. Within a year of its founding, the party has joined the opposition alliance and attracted leaders from various political and social sectors. On Friday, about 300 activists from different parties and organizations joined the NCP’s Dhaka North branch at a press conference in Banglamotor, where senior joint convener Ariful Islam Adib welcomed them. The event followed a series of mass joinings in Dhaka and Chattogram earlier in the month.

Party sources said the NCP is strengthening its structure from the central to grassroots levels, forming committees and preparing to establish an advisory council of 25–30 senior figures, including academics, businesspeople, and former military officers. The party is also expanding its affiliated bodies such as youth, student, women, and labor wings, and has launched new groups for marginalized communities and expatriates.

NCP leaders stated that the party aims to become a centrist alternative political force by uniting the July movement’s supporters and building a strong organizational foundation ahead of upcoming local elections.

Two Bangladeshi nationals were shot dead by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the Pathariadwar border in Gopinathpur Union of Kasba upazila, Brahmanbaria, late Friday night. The deceased were identified as Morsalin, a second-year HSC student from Dhajanagar village, and Nabi Hossain, aged 40, from Madhupur village. Their bodies were reportedly taken to GB Hospital in Agartala. Several other Bangladeshi youths were injured and taken to Comilla for treatment.

According to family and local sources, a group of smugglers had taken Morsalin to the border area, where BSF opened fire, killing him instantly. Nabi Hossain, who was also present, was injured and later died at the hospital. Local residents confirmed hearing about the deaths and said BSF took the bodies across the border. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local administration officials said they had received reports of at least one death and were investigating the incident.

Authorities stated that the border situation remains normal while further details are being verified.

The body of Nahida Sultana Brishti, a Bangladeshi PhD student at the University of South Florida who was killed in the United States, arrived in Dhaka on Saturday morning, May 9, 2026. Her remains reached Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport via an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai at around 9:15 a.m. The body had been sent from Orlando International Airport on Thursday night local time on Emirates flight EK-0220 and transferred through Dubai on flight EK-0582.

Earlier, Brishti’s first funeral prayer took place in Tampa on Wednesday local time. In the same incident, fellow Bangladeshi PhD student Jamil Ahmed Limon’s body had arrived in Bangladesh on May 4. Both were students at the University of South Florida and had gone missing on April 16. The following day, a friend reported their disappearance to the university authorities.

Police arrested Limon’s roommate, American citizen Hisham Abughurbeh, on suspicion of involvement. On April 24, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office recovered Limon’s mutilated body from a black garbage bag near Florida’s Howard Frankland Bridge.

A report by Amar Desh on May 9, 2026, reveals that 361 students of Dhaka University were subjected to torture by members of the banned Chhatra League between 2009 and 2023. Victims include Monir Uddin, a student of the Arabic Department, and Ehsan Rafiq, a student of Disaster Science, both of whom suffered severe physical and psychological harm. The incidents occurred in various halls, often in so-called 'guest rooms' or 'torture cells,' with victims later handed over to police instead of being hospitalized.

Data compiled from organizations such as the Justice Foundation, Campus Nipeeron-Protirodh Shomaj, and Students Against Torture (SAT) indicate that over 2,000 Chhatra League leaders were involved in these acts. Despite repeated appeals, most victims have not received justice, and many perpetrators reportedly hold government or administrative positions. University authorities and law enforcement agencies have been accused of negligence and reluctance to register cases.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor A.B.M. Obaidul Islam stated that the administration is aware of past abuses and will take humanitarian steps to help affected students complete their education.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Tamim Iqbal has revealed multiple instances of misinformation and irregularities in the last two Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) seasons, the 11th and 12th editions. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Tamim said that previous BCB administrations under Faruk Ahmed and Aminul Islam Bulbul made false claims about player payments, profits, and franchise bank guarantees. He stated that only two teams—Rangpur Riders and Dhaka Capitals—submitted proper bank guarantees, while others used pay orders or checks, which do not qualify as guarantees.

Tamim further noted that the 11th BPL season was marred by match-fixing allegations against Durbar Rajshahi and unpaid player wages, leading to boycotts and disputes. Former president Faruk Ahmed later admitted that the board had failed to properly assess franchise financial capacity. The BCB also suffered heavy financial losses over the last three tournaments, totaling around 40 crore taka, despite earlier claims of profit.

Tamim’s disclosures have reignited scrutiny over BPL’s governance and financial transparency, raising expectations for stricter oversight in future tournaments.

The article discusses the return of divisive and accusatory politics in Bangladesh’s new parliament, only two months after the post-uprising government took office. Expectations of a tolerant and constructive political culture have faded as parliamentary debates have again turned into partisan disputes, wasting valuable legislative time. The author observes that the old political culture remains unchanged, with only new faces and seating arrangements in parliament.

The piece traces the roots of this division to the post-independence period, when political groups used the rhetoric of pro- and anti-liberation forces to discredit opponents. It highlights how successive governments have manipulated the legacy of the 1971 Liberation War for political gain, including controversies over lists of collaborators and freedom fighters. The author argues that such tactics have deepened national disunity and hindered social progress.

The commentary concludes by urging all political sides to abandon the self-destructive politics of labeling and division, and instead foster tolerance and mutual respect to achieve sustainable national unity and development.