Serious allegations of irregularities and corruption have surfaced in the re-excavation of seven canals across Feni district. The projects, located in Sadar, Daganbhuiyan, Phulgazi, Parshuram, and Sonagazi upazilas, were supposed to employ over 2,778 workers but are reportedly being executed using only a few excavators. This has deprived local laborers of employment opportunities and undermined the objectives of the government’s employment generation program. The total cost of the seven projects is about Tk 11.5 crore, but the required depth and width of the canals have not been maintained.

According to project sources, the initiative was launched in the 2025–26 fiscal year as part of the prime minister’s election pledge to boost agricultural production and reduce waterlogging. Twelve canals in six upazilas were proposed, of which seven were approved, covering a total length of 49 kilometers. Reports indicate that fake worker accounts and master rolls were created to embezzle project funds.

Feni Deputy Commissioner Monira Haque stated that both wage and non-wage work must comply with project conditions and that she would consult the relevant UNOs for details.

Indian media outlets have recently circulated claims that the Palestinian group Hamas has operational links in Bangladesh. The reports, amplified by some pro-Awami League journalists, originated from an article published on May 12 by the Hindutva-aligned Indian think tank Usanas Foundation. The article alleged that Hamas leaders Khaled Qaddoumi and Khaled Meshaal attended a religious event in Bangladesh in October 2024, alongside Pakistani cleric Maulana Fazlur Rahman. The claims were later echoed by Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, in an interview with NDTV, where he expressed concern over alleged Hamas-linked activities in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Usanas Foundation article also cited events such as funeral prayers in Bangladesh for slain Hamas leaders as evidence of growing Hamas influence. However, no verifiable record exists of any Hamas leader visiting Bangladesh. Analysts quoted in the report argue that the Indian and Israeli narratives, supported by Awami-leaning journalists, form part of a coordinated propaganda effort against Bangladesh.

The report suggests that these allegations could strain regional relations and fuel misinformation about Bangladesh’s internal affairs.

More than 300 leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have started preparing for the upcoming Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) election, even though no official schedule has been announced yet. The city’s 41 wards have been operating without councillors since the July uprising, but political activity is intensifying as BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami candidates begin groundwork. Among BNP hopefuls are current and former city committee members, ex-councillors, and leaders from affiliated wings such as Jubo Dal, Swechchhasebak Dal, and Chhatra Dal.

Two major BNP figures, current mayor and former city president Dr. Shahadat Hossain and city general secretary Nazimur Rahman, are leading contenders for the mayoral race. Shahadat, declared mayor by court in 2024 after disputing the 2021 election results, said he seeks a new mandate through a full council election. Jamaat-e-Islami has also named its city organizational secretary Shamsuzzaman Helali as mayoral candidate and plans to field women councillors for the first time.

Both parties are finalizing ward-level nominations, with BNP seeing five to twelve aspirants per ward. Local campaigning includes community meetings, social media outreach, and small-scale development initiatives.

Foreign investors are increasingly showing interest in operating existing container terminals at Chittagong Port, such as NCT, CCT, and JCB, instead of investing in new greenfield projects like Matarbari, Bay Terminal, and Laldia. Global operators including DP World and A.P. Moller-Maersk have submitted proposals to manage these ready terminals, creating a complex situation for the port authority and the ministry.

The shift in investor focus has slowed progress on major new port projects, delaying around six billion dollars in potential foreign investment. The Bay Terminal project, initiated in 2017, has seen little progress beyond design work, while Matarbari Deep Sea Port and other projects are advancing slowly despite secured funding. Meanwhile, Saudi firm Red Sea Gateway, which operates the Patenga Container Terminal, has also proposed to manage NCT despite underperforming at its current terminal.

Experts note that investors prefer ready terminals for quicker returns, while port officials maintain that each project will proceed on separate timelines. The Chittagong Port Authority has pledged to protect national interests in any future agreements.

Widespread extortion and gang violence have turned Dhaka’s Mohammadpur, Adabor, and surrounding areas into zones of fear, according to a June 20, 2026 report by Amar Desh. Residents, traders, and transport workers are being forced to pay extortion money in nearly every sector, from markets to construction. A recent killing of a political activist protesting extortion and repeated attacks on police have intensified public concern. Law enforcement agencies have set up temporary army camps and launched special drives, yet crime remains rampant.

Police data show 696 extortion cases were filed nationwide between January and May, with 236 in Dhaka alone. Experts cited political patronage and the release of underworld figures on bail as key drivers of renewed violence. Mohammadpur and Adabor now host over 50 active criminal groups, including several major gangs involved in drug trade, mugging, and contract violence.

Residents have staged protests demanding increased police presence, CCTV surveillance, and stronger patrols. Police officials claim regular operations are underway but note that offenders often secure bail, limiting enforcement impact.

A man named Shafiqul Islam Chan, aged 60, died after being bitten by a venomous snake in Nilakhia Union of Bakshiganj upazila, Jamalpur. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Puran Bashkanda village while he was cutting grass for his cattle. Shafiqul Islam Chan was known to be a rural medical practitioner.

According to family and local sources, the snake bit him around 11 a.m. while he was working in a jute field near his home. He returned home after the bite, and his family took him to Bakshiganj Upazila Health Complex. As his condition worsened, he was referred to Jamalpur General Hospital, where he died later in the afternoon. The acting chairman of Nilakhia Union Parishad, Hamidur Rahman Forsa, confirmed awareness of the incident.

Local authorities have been informed, but no further details about the type of snake or official investigation were reported in the source.

Bangladeshi intelligence agencies have reportedly uncovered a plan by the banned Awami League to create unrest across the country ahead of its June 23 founding anniversary. According to the report, the group intends to stage sudden processions, detonate crude bombs, and vandalize vehicles in Dhaka and other key cities to spread panic and disrupt public order. Security sources said recent small-scale explosions in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Meherpur were seen as rehearsals for larger coordinated actions.

The report claims that 16 former leaders from affiliated organizations are coordinating the plan, with a Dhaka city councillor allegedly financing the operations. Police headquarters have warned that the group may attempt to raise flags and hold rallies, potentially clashing with other political groups. A parallel campaign involving a controversial “Ram temple” issue in Gaibandha is also being linked to efforts to inflame religious sentiment.

Police officials stated that strict security measures, including checkpoints and additional forces at sensitive points, have been deployed to prevent any banned organization from taking to the streets.

The BNP-led government has initiated a major plan to make Bangladesh’s agricultural irrigation fully solar-powered. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a policy decision is being prepared to convert all diesel and electricity-driven irrigation pumps to solar energy. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) has been instructed to implement the plan, which includes a proposed five-year project from July 2025 to June 2030 to install 50,900 solar irrigation units across the country at a cost of about Tk 6,996 crore.

Field-level farmers have welcomed the initiative but raised concerns about technical challenges. Some reported that earlier solar pumps failed to provide sufficient water during cloudy weather or at night, forcing them to rely on deep tube wells. Experts and economists have supported the solar transition, noting potential savings in fuel imports, reduced carbon emissions, and long-term cost benefits for farmers.

If implemented effectively, the project could save hundreds of crores of taka in diesel costs annually and add around 150 megawatts of electricity to the national grid through net metering, easing pressure on Bangladesh’s energy supply.

Two young sisters drowned while bathing in a pond in Mohanganj upazila of Netrokona district on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred in Pabai village under Barkashia-Birampur Union during a family wedding. The victims were Niha Akter, aged 7, and Noha Akter, aged 3, daughters of local hand trolley driver Nizam Uddin. They were the couple’s only children.

According to Mohanganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizul Islam Harun, the children’s mother was busy with wedding activities while their father was also engaged in related tasks. Taking advantage of the moment, the two sisters went to bathe in the pond near their house and drowned. Locals noticed one child floating and raised an alarm, after which both were rescued and taken to Mohanganj Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead.

Neighbor Mizanur Rahman said the deaths cast a shadow of grief over the family and the entire area.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will embark on his first bilateral visit to China from June 22 to 26, following a stop in Malaysia. The visit, which includes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, aims to establish a new foundation for Dhaka–Beijing political and strategic relations. More than ten memoranda of understanding and three agreements are expected to be signed, covering cooperation in education, human resource development, agriculture, trade, investment, artificial intelligence, media, communication, and development assistance.

Senior diplomats and analysts describe the trip as highly significant amid ongoing tensions in Dhaka–Delhi relations and debates over a recent trade deal with the United States. Bangladesh is expected to express support for China’s position on Taiwan and may announce participation in the Global Development Initiative. Discussions could also include Bangladesh’s interest in joining RCEP, BRICS, and the SCO, as well as cooperation on the Teesta River project.

Preparations for the visit are ongoing, with multiple meetings held between the Chinese embassy and Bangladesh’s foreign ministry. Observers view the trip as both a strategic and economic opportunity for Bangladesh to secure political backing and potential financial support from China.

At least 25 of Bangladesh’s 59 public universities have seen new vice-chancellors appointed since the BNP government took office, with reports indicating that political considerations have outweighed academic merit. The appointments began within a month of the new administration’s formation, replacing many who were appointed by the post-uprising interim government. Critics claim that the government is prioritizing party loyalty over qualifications, with several new vice-chancellors linked to BNP-affiliated teacher organizations such as Zia Parishad and the Sada Dal.

The Education Ministry’s search committee, reconstituted in April, is formally responsible for recommending candidates, but its procedures have reportedly not been consistently followed. Protests and controversies have erupted at several universities, including Begum Rokeya and Jamalpur Science and Technology, where appointments were quickly reversed. Opposition parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have condemned the mass replacements as politically motivated.

The BNP’s election manifesto had pledged merit-based recruitment in public institutions, but the recent wave of politically aligned appointments has raised doubts about that commitment. Education experts have urged adherence to ethical and legal standards in university leadership selection.

A 14-year-old school student named Md. Mahim Sheikh died after being electrocuted while putting up a Brazil flag in Gafargaon, Mymensingh. The incident occurred on Friday evening in Dakshin Harina village under Paikbag Union of the upazila’s Pagla Police Station area. Mahim was the son of Md. Nayon Sheikh and a student of class eight at Paikbag Islamia High School.

According to police and family sources, Mahim had earlier erected a bamboo pole to hoist the Brazil flag. A few days later, the pole tilted, and while he was trying to straighten it on Friday, it came into contact with a nearby 33 kV power line. He was electrocuted and collapsed on the ground. Locals rescued him and took him first to Gafargaon Upazila Health Complex and later to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The report did not mention any further investigation or official statement regarding the incident.

Intelligence agencies have reported that the banned Awami League is allegedly planning nationwide unrest and sabotage on June 23, coinciding with its founding anniversary. The group is accused of preparing flash processions, cocktail explosions, and attacks in Dhaka, Savar, and Chattogram to create panic and disrupt public order. Security sources said at least 15 key points in Dhaka, including Motijheel, Dhanmondi, and Mirpur, have been identified for coordinated disturbances.

According to the report, 16 individuals, including former leaders of affiliated organizations such as the Chhatra League, Jubo League, and Krishak League, are coordinating the plan, with a Dhaka city councillor named as a main financier. Recent small-scale explosions in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Meherpur are described as trial runs. A parallel attempt to stir religious tension through a Ram Mandir issue in Gaibandha’s Palashbari has also been linked to the alleged plan.

Police officials stated that strict security measures are in place, with checkpoints and additional forces deployed across the capital. Law enforcement has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to prevent any banned organization from taking to the streets.

The Bangladesh Azad Party organized a peaceful torch procession in Dhaka on Friday, June 19, protesting what it described as India’s continued anti-Bangladesh activities. The march began at 7:30 p.m. in front of the RAOWA Convention Hall in Mohakhali and proceeded along Felani Avenue toward the Indian High Commission. Participants included the party’s central leaders, representatives from various political, social, and professional organizations, and a large number of citizens.

Speakers at the rally included Hasinur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Azad Party; Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmed, president of the Liberal Democratic Party; Rashed Pradhan, spokesperson of JAGPA; Major Akhtaruzzaman; Barrister Shahriar Kabir; A.B. Zobayer; and DAKSU representatives. They declared that the people of Bangladesh would not accept any form of foreign dominance or interference in the country’s sovereignty and called for national unity to safeguard national interests.

The speakers emphasized the need to implement the Azad Party’s declared 11-point demands and urged patriotic citizens to actively participate in future programs aimed at establishing an independent and dignified Bangladesh.

ATM Azharul Islam, central committee member and Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, alleged that government ministers are spreading false information in the national parliament. Speaking on Friday night at a gathering organized by the Lohani Para Union Jamaat in Badarganj, Rangpur, he said ministers often present untrue statements and defend them with misleading arguments. He warned that such actions could erode public trust in elected representatives and urged all lawmakers to speak truthfully both inside and outside parliament.

Azharul Islam also criticized the government’s handling of Islami Bank, claiming that previous and current administrations attempted to take control of the bank and misuse its funds. He accused a minister of presenting false information in parliament regarding the bank’s loans. Additionally, he alleged election manipulation by the Election Commission, failure to meet promises made to the July Movement, and widespread extortion by ruling party activists that he said was driving up commodity prices.

He further urged parents to monitor their children’s activities and called for stronger action against drug syndicates allegedly linked to ruling party figures.