Leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Students’ Union, Jahangirnagar University unit, staged a unique protest on Friday during the education minister’s visit to the campus. They displayed placards criticizing the university administration for alleged failures, academic stagnation, and harassment of students. The placards carried satirical messages addressing issues such as the university’s exclusion from global rankings, administrative inefficiency, and lack of research focus.

During the demonstration, Jahidul Islam Imon, president of the Jahangirnagar University branch of the Students’ Union, sharply criticized the current administration. He alleged that students face harassment and injustice at every stage, from admission to certificate collection, and argued that the institution no longer functions as a true university. Imon added that despite a change in vice-chancellor after a historic uprising, no meaningful academic or administrative reforms have occurred.

The protesters stated that their movement would continue until the university is run with students’ interests as the top priority.

An attempt by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) to push four individuals into Bangladesh through the Khalpara border area of Buripota Union in Meherpur Sadar upazila was foiled early Friday. Locals spotted the four people near international border pillar 116 on the Indian side of the zero line. Due to the strict stance of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), they were not allowed to enter Bangladesh.

According to local accounts, the group consisted of one man and three women who were seen standing suspiciously on the Indian side before disappearing from sight. Residents said the BGB’s strong presence prevented the push-in attempt. Villagers later joined BGB personnel to help monitor the border and pledged to work together to stop illegal crossings.

Lieutenant Colonel Md Nazmul Hasan, commanding officer of Chuadanga Battalion-6 of the BGB, confirmed that the attempt had been thwarted and that surveillance along the border had been intensified. However, no formal statement from the BGB had been issued as of the report’s publication.

Police have arrested Md. Rafin Talukdar, a member of the convening committee of the Babuganj Upazila Chhatra League in Barishal, and sent him to jail custody through the court. The arrest took place late Thursday night around 11:30 p.m. at his home in Chhatiya village under Madhabpasha Union, during a raid conducted by the Airport Police Station.

According to family sources, Rafin Talukdar is the son of Md. Sirajul Islam Talukdar of Chhatiya village in Ward No. 8 of Madhabpasha Union. He is a final-year degree student at Government Barishal College. The family claimed he had returned home after hearing about his mother’s illness.

Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mizanur Rahman confirmed the arrest and Rafin’s position in the Chhatra League but declined to disclose details about the specific case under which he was detained.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salauddin Tuku said the government is implementing infrastructure development projects across various regions as part of the Prime Minister’s announced development program. He stated that efforts are underway to ensure safe water for every citizen in urban and municipal areas. Tuku made these remarks on Friday while inaugurating the construction of a 680-cubic-meter capacity overhead water reservoir near the Eidgah field in Ward No. 6 of Tangail Municipality. The project is being implemented by the Department of Public Health Engineering under the Water Supply System Expansion and Development Project.

The minister said the government is working tirelessly to improve people’s living standards and that such projects will accelerate the pace of development. He added that once the overhead water tanks in Ward No. 6 and the Ashekpur Bypass area are completed, local residents will have access to safe and pure water, which will play a vital role in improving public health.

The event was attended by local officials, political leaders, and residents of the area.

Leaders of the National Labor Power, the labor wing of the National Citizens Party (NCP), have criticized the proposed 2026–2027 national budget as failing to meet the expectations of working people and being contrary to public interest. Speaking at a national seminar titled “Workers’ Expectations and Achievements in the 2026–2027 National Budget” held at the National Press Club on Friday, they said the allocation for the labor and employment sector has been reduced compared to the previous fiscal year, which they described as inconsistent with the development and welfare needs of the country’s large labor force.

Speakers noted that key issues such as workers’ healthcare, safe housing, education, pension systems, and unemployment support have long been neglected, and the budget lacks a clear plan to revive closed industries or restore employment. They urged the government to consult labor organizations before finalizing future budgets to ensure inclusion of worker-focused measures.

The seminar also presented specific demands, including establishing a national fund for skill and technological development, introducing a rationing system for low-income workers, building specialized hospitals and affordable housing in industrial areas, expanding social security and pension schemes, and ensuring fair minimum wage adjustments aligned with inflation.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon MP declared a strict stance against nepotism in the education sector during the orientation ceremony for first-year undergraduate students of Jahangirnagar University’s 2025–26 academic session. The event took place on Friday, June 19, at the Zahir Raihan Auditorium seminar room on the university campus.

In his address as chief guest, the minister emphasized that there would be no room for favoritism or political influence in academic appointments, asserting that merit should guide advancement in education. He criticized previous administrations for allowing politically affiliated individuals to secure teaching positions easily and pledged that such practices would no longer be tolerated. He urged students to remember their parents’ aspirations and to focus on developing knowledge, values, leadership, and humanity.

The minister encouraged students to cultivate patriotism, ethics, and responsibility, highlighting merit, honesty, and hard work as the foundation of success. The event was attended by university officials including the vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellors, and treasurer.

Two individuals, including Feni District Tantidal joint convener Md. Mamun, were arrested during an anti-drug operation in Feni on Friday, June 19. The operation, led by Sub-Inspector Ishtiaq Hossain of the Department of Narcotics Control, took place near the Five Star Hotel in the Daudpul area. Mamun, aged 61, and his associate Md. Abul Hossain, aged 46, were detained with 450 yaba pills. Authorities also seized a motorcycle and two mobile phones during the raid.

According to Assistant Director Mohammad Abdul Hamid of the Department of Narcotics Control, the yaba pills were recovered from Mamun during a search. Following the arrest, Sub-Inspector Ishtiaq Hossain filed a case at Feni Model Police Station. Mamun is the son of Abul Hashem from Darbarpur Union in Phulgazi, while Abul Hossain is from Jagannath Dighi Union in Chauddagram.

Feni District Tantidal convener Sarwar Jahan Shrabon stated that Mamun had submitted his nomination form for the joint convener post, which remains pending.

A groom named Jafar Munshi, a Dubai expatriate from Lakharn Anandabazar village in Tongibari upazila of Munshiganj, died in a motorcycle accident on his wedding day. His sister Khadija also lost her life in the same crash. The accident occurred on June 15 when Jafar was traveling to Munshiganj Sadar with his sister, sister-in-law Farzana Akter, and a young child to shop for the wedding. Their motorcycle collided with an autorickshaw in the Madinabazar area, leaving all four seriously injured.

Khadija, aged 15, died on June 16 at a hospital in Shyamoli, Dhaka, while Jafar, who had been on life support, passed away on June 19 at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Jafar had returned to Bangladesh about a year earlier after working in Dubai and had planned to return there following his marriage. His cousin Jamal Munshi said all four victims suffered broken legs and multiple injuries. The burial is scheduled for Saturday.

The incident has cast deep sorrow over the family and community, ending what was meant to be a day of celebration in tragedy.

Rezanur Islam, acting editor of the newspaper Dainik Agragatra Protidin, was arrested by Bogura Detective Branch police on Thursday night, June 18, from the Board Bazar area of Gazipur’s Gacha upazila. He was sent to Bogura jail on Friday, June 19, following a court order, confirmed by Bogura Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) Ataur Rahman.

The arrest followed a defamation case filed on June 15 by Tanvir Alam Rimon, treasurer of the Bogura Press Club and northern correspondent of The New Nation, against six people including the paper’s editor and publisher. The case alleged that the accused published false and misleading information about Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and Member of Parliament for Bogura-2 (Shibganj), damaging his personal and political reputation.

The court directed Bogura Sadar police to record the case under the Cyber Security Act 2026. Detective Branch officer SI Rahmatullah Manik is leading the investigation, and police said operations to arrest the remaining accused are ongoing.

Police in Rajshahi have arrested three students of Rajshahi Nursing College for allegedly beating a man to death on suspicion of theft. The incident occurred on Thursday evening in front of Charu Mamar Canteen near Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, causing widespread commotion in the area. The victim, Rakibul Hasan Rocky, aged 32, was a resident of Hetemkha Karigorpara in the city.

According to police and local sources, several students detained Rakibul on suspicion of theft and assaulted him with a stamp, inflicting severe injuries on his arms, legs, and back. He was taken to the emergency department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital around 8:30 p.m., where doctors declared him dead. Police from Rajpara Station arrived at the scene and began an investigation. The victim’s sister later filed a murder case against unidentified persons.

As part of the investigation, police arrested three nursing students—Atik, Soyeb, and Fahim—on Friday morning. Rajpara Police Station’s officer-in-charge Abul Kalam Azad said further involvement of others is being examined, and Rajshahi Metropolitan Police will later provide official updates.

The Prime Minister has directed the renaming of the newly formed ‘Simanto’ and ‘Digonto’ unions in Mokamtola upazila of Bogura. District Commissioner Taufiqur Rahman confirmed the instruction, according to information released by the BNP media cell on Friday. The district administration has begun the necessary process to implement the directive, including organizing new public hearings to select names that reflect local opinion, history, and geography.

According to district sources, once the new names are finalized, administrative and legal procedures will be completed before publication in the official gazette. Earlier, on June 11, the Bogura district administration restructured the administrative framework of five unions in Shibganj and eight in the newly formed Mokamtola upazila, creating four new unions including Simanto, Digonto, Swarnogram, and Mirbari.

The naming of these unions sparked controversy, with locals alleging that the names were derived from the family members of State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah Alam. The issue was also discussed in the national parliament, though the minister claimed the names were chosen through public hearings. Administrators have already been appointed to the new unions under the Union Parishad Act, 2009.

Three journalists and two RAKSU leaders were allegedly assaulted at Rajshahi University on Thursday evening while filming a suspected ragging incident in front of the Rabindra Bhaban. The victims claimed the attack occurred in the presence of the university proctor and the head of the Marketing Department. The assaulted individuals include journalists from The Daily Campus, Dhaka Post, and Dainik Manabkantha, along with two RAKSU leaders. The accused are several students from different academic sessions of the Marketing Department.

According to eyewitnesses, junior students had complained to journalists that seniors were forcing them to stand in lines under the guise of a “meet-up.” When the journalists recorded the scene, senior students became angry, denied the ragging allegations, and demanded deletion of the video. The situation escalated into verbal abuse and physical assault as more journalists and RAKSU leaders arrived. The proctor later intervened and transported some victims to safety.

University authorities, including the proctor and assistant proctor, condemned the incident as a serious breach of discipline and promised an investigation and punishment for those involved.

Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Amir Maulana Mamunul Haque has warned that failure to implement the July Charter could allow fascism to return. Speaking as the chief guest at a citizens’ rally organized by the party’s Paltan Zone at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Friday, he said that even if other political parties withdraw from the demand, his party will go door to door to ensure the implementation of the referendum verdict. The rally protested rising fuel, gas, and electricity prices and the deteriorating law and order situation.

Haque said the July uprising was the result of a decade-long struggle that began with the 2013 Shapla Chattar movement. He accused a section of the BNP and the interim government of deceit during the signing of the July Charter by secretly adding a new clause. According to him, all parties had agreed on forming a constitutional reform council and holding a referendum to implement the people’s verdict.

He further alleged that after forming the government, its representatives denied the consensus reached earlier, undermining the unity achieved through the July movement.

Maulana Abdul Halim, Central Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Director for Rangpur-Dinajpur region, called on the youth to take the lead in building a new Bangladesh with discipline, honesty, and patience. He made the remarks on Friday while addressing a leadership education meeting organized by the district youth and sports department at Boro Rangpur Alia Madrasa.

During his speech, Abdul Halim emphasized that young people should organize themselves through acquiring knowledge, developing skills, and engaging in dawah activities. He encouraged them to move forward with the slogan “We want Justice.” Other speakers at the event highlighted that an organized and idealistic youth community plays a vital role in shaping a nation’s future and urged them to work for social change through morality, discipline, and ideological practice.

The meeting was presided over by Maulana Mostak Ahmed, president of the Rangpur district youth and sports department, and attended by local Jamaat leaders and youth representatives from various upazilas and unions of Rangpur district.

Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Kutubdia in Cox’s Bazar, led the Friday prayers and delivered the sermon at a mosque beside the South Dhurung Union Parishad on June 19, 2026. Local worshippers joined the prayer under his leadership, and his sermon reportedly drew their full attention.

According to South Dhurung Union Parishad Chairman Alaudin Al Azad, the newly appointed UNO presented a timely and relevant sermon that impressed the congregation. Worshippers later performed the prayer under his imamate. Mizanur Rahman, originally from Mirzapur in Tangail, took charge in Kutubdia last month.

Earlier, he was praised for organizing a unified Eid congregation at the Eidgah field during the last Eid-ul-Azha, replacing the previous practice of holding separate mosque-based prayers in the upazila.