The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday morning took back 12 people, including women and children, who had been stranded for three days at the zero line of the Pragpur border in Daulatpur, Kushtia. The handover occurred around 11 a.m. near pillar 148/3-S following a flag meeting between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF representatives. The meeting was confirmed by Lieutenant Colonel Rashed Kamal Roni, commander of BGB Battalion 47.

According to BGB sources, BSF had earlier pushed the 12 individuals into Bangladesh illegally. With local assistance, BGB identified and took them into custody before returning them to BSF after completing legal procedures. Previous flag meetings on Friday and Saturday failed to resolve the issue due to BSF’s non-cooperation and denial of involvement in the push-in. BSF later sought time to investigate after BGB lodged a formal protest.

The returned group included members of two families who claimed to be Bangladeshi citizens. BGB stated it remains on high alert to protect the border and national interests.

The political satire film 'The University of Chankharpul' was released last Friday and received an enthusiastic response from audiences on its opening day. Screenings at Star Cineplex in Bashundhara City and Lion Cinemas in Keraniganj saw notable attendance from university students as well as viewers from diverse backgrounds. After the afternoon show, the director, executive producer, and cast interacted directly with the audience, who praised the film’s bold political message, cinematic style, and portrayal of contemporary realities.

Viewers highlighted how the film captured campus life, hall culture, power politics, and the fading dreams of youth through humor and satire, while realistically exposing the darker sides of political leadership. Directed by Akash Haque and produced by Md. Hafizuddin Munna, the film is inspired by Rono Anwar’s short story 'Jhora Patar Dukh Bilash'. It has already won the FIPRESCI Award at the Dhaka International Film Festival and the Hiralal Sen Medal and Best Screenplay Award at the Amar Bhashar Film Festival.

The filmmakers plan to organize special screenings at around 50 universities with support from film clubs to make the film accessible to students at low cost.

Severe erosion of the Jamuna River has destroyed homes, farmland, and infrastructure in Mannia Char of Islampur upazila, Jamalpur district. Over the past few weeks, hundreds of families have lost their land and property as the river continues to engulf the area. Local residents report that no effective measures have been taken to prevent the erosion or to rehabilitate displaced families, leaving many homeless and fearful.

Mannia Char, a 70-year-old river island with around 30,000 residents, has long been a fertile agricultural zone producing rice, wheat, and maize. The erosion now threatens schools, a mosque, a market, a rural electricity office, and an eight-crore-taka solar power project. Locals have been trying to resist the river’s advance by placing bamboo and sandbags along the banks, but the destruction continues.

Officials from the Water Development Board and the district administration acknowledged the crisis, saying the issue is under consideration and that necessary measures will be taken to protect the area.

The link road on the Chilmarir side of the Maulana Bhasani Bridge in Kurigram has developed around 100 small and large holes, making it nearly unusable for traffic. Despite several extensions of the project deadline, the road improvement work remains incomplete. The project, worth Tk 10.33 crore, began in February 2024 and was supposed to be completed by February 2025. However, only about 70 percent of the work has been finished so far. Local residents and transport workers have expressed deep frustration over the poor condition of the road.

The contractor, Rashedul Islam from Roumari, obtained the work using the license of Mir Habibul Alam from Natore. The 5.23-kilometer road from Matikata Mor to Paachpir GC Road has been progressing slowly, with rain and delays worsening the situation. Large pits and soil collapses have made the route dangerous even for pedestrians. Attempts to contact the contractor were unsuccessful, while the Upazila Engineer, Zulfiqar Ali, confirmed that the project deadline had been extended and that the contractor had been instructed to complete the work quickly.

The damaged road has disrupted daily travel and transport in the area, increasing risks for vehicles and commuters until repairs are completed.

Prime Minister Tareq Rahman has ordered the relocation of Dhaka’s Sayedabad, Gulistan, and Mohakhali bus terminals as part of a broader plan to reduce the capital’s long-standing traffic congestion. The directive was issued on Monday during the third high-level meeting on traffic management modernization held at the Secretariat. Communication expert Md. Hadiuzzaman and administrators of Dhaka’s two city corporations briefed reporters after the meeting.

Hadiuzzaman stated that an interim depot for Mohakhali terminal buses has been designated in Purbachal to minimize congestion, with buses operating on fixed schedules. Alternative sites have also been identified for Sayedabad and Fulbaria terminals. A detailed proposal is expected within seven days, after which implementation will begin. Additionally, a modern traffic signal system will be tested in Shahbagh next week.

Dhaka North and South City Corporation administrators confirmed joint cooperation in establishing the new depots and completing the Kanchpur inter-district terminal. The meeting also discussed the Bus Rapid Transit project’s future and plans to rehabilitate street vendors instead of eviction.

Jamaat-e-Islami central working committee member and Supreme Court lawyer Shishir Monir has said that former Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed could be brought back to Bangladesh from the United Arab Emirates if strong legal documentation, accurate information, and high-level diplomatic efforts are ensured. He made the observation in a Facebook post titled 'Legal and Diplomatic Process to Bring Benazir Ahmed Back to Bangladesh: A Summary' published on Monday.

According to Monir, although Bangladesh and the UAE do not have a bilateral extradition treaty, two agreements signed in 2014 on security cooperation and transfer of sentenced prisoners provide a legal basis for judicial collaboration. He cited the Extradition Act of 1974, which allows the government to pursue extradition through legal channels even without a formal treaty. He detailed that Bangladesh must submit a formal extradition request within 30 days of arrest, supported by arrest warrants, case documents, and evidence.

Monir noted that UAE courts would assess dual criminality, political motivation, and fairness of trial before approval. He referenced a past successful extradition from Dubai and concluded that Benazir’s return depends on flawless documentation, verified case details, and sustained diplomatic engagement.

RAB-8 has arrested Kamal Panchayet, the prime suspect in the widely discussed Namita Rani murder case in Jianagar upazila of Pirojpur. The arrest took place around 10 p.m. on Sunday in the Chhotokanuya area of Bhandaria upazila following a special operation based on secret intelligence. According to RAB, Kamal Panchayet, son of the late Abu Panchayet of Dakshin Chandipur village, had been in hiding since the murder and was under surveillance for a long time.

Police officials said multiple operations had been conducted to capture him, and he will be produced before court with a remand petition to uncover more details. The family of the victim, Namita Rani Pal, alleged that the murder stemmed from family disputes and alleged extramarital conflict. Police had earlier questioned the victim’s daughter-in-law and a relative for investigation purposes.

The murder occurred on May 28 in Chandipur Union, sparking local outrage and demands for arrests. Authorities believe the arrest marks progress in the investigation, though the exact motive and involvement of others remain under inquiry.

RAB-8 has arrested Kamal Panchayet, the prime suspect in the widely discussed Namita Rani murder case in Jianagar upazila of Pirojpur. The arrest took place around 10 p.m. on Sunday in the Chhotokanuya area of Bhandaria upazila following a special operation based on secret intelligence. According to RAB, Kamal Panchayet, son of the late Abu Panchayet of Dakshin Chandipur village, had been in hiding since the murder and was under surveillance for a long time.

Police officials said multiple operations had been conducted to capture him, and he will be produced before court with a remand petition to uncover more details. The family of the victim, Namita Rani Pal, alleged that the murder stemmed from family disputes and alleged extramarital conflict. Police had earlier questioned the victim’s daughter-in-law and a relative for investigation purposes.

The murder occurred on May 28 in Chandipur Union, sparking local outrage and demands for arrests. Authorities believe the arrest marks progress in the investigation, though the exact motive and involvement of others remain under inquiry.

Mahmudur Rahman, editor of Amar Desh and joint convener of the National Editors Council (NEC), said that collaborators of fascism in the media could return to the mainstream through self-purification, but those who justified or assisted in killings must face criminal prosecution. He made these remarks on Monday at a seminar titled “Media’s Failure in Confronting Fascism,” organized by the NEC at the DFP conference room in Dhaka’s Information Building, marking the June 16 Black Day of newspaper closures under BAKSAL rule.

The seminar was chaired by Mahmudur Rahman and conducted by Jugantor editor Abdul Hai Shikder, with Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan as chief guest. In his speech, Rahman criticized the Awami League’s history as one of authoritarianism and suppression of press freedom, citing past incidents and his own legal challenges. He emphasized the need for unity among editors to establish true media independence and to reform the state system.

Rahman added that while differing editorial policies are natural, editors should unite on fundamental issues like freedom of expression. He expressed hope that the current government would continue restoring media freedom initiated under Dr. Yunus’s administration.

In Lohagara upazila of Chattogram, parts of the approach road to a newly constructed bridge on the Chunati-Farenga road have collapsed before its official inauguration. Local residents allege that poor-quality materials and substandard construction caused the damage, which worsened after recent rainfall. The road is used daily by thousands of people, students, and vehicles, and its sudden deterioration has sparked anger and concern in the area.

According to local sources, soil erosion created pits and caused sections of the road to sink. Residents claim that the lack of slope protection, drainage, and soil retention measures made the road vulnerable even to light rain. The bridge was built under the Greater Chattogram Rural Infrastructure Development Project-3 during the 2023–24 fiscal year, with a budget of Tk 3.49 crore, implemented by Consultant Engineering Builders.

A representative of the contractor said they learned of the issue through a union parishad member and promised quick repairs. The upazila engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department stated that the damage was caused by rainwater and that repair work would begin once rainfall subsides.

Bangladesh has welcomed the finalization of a peace agreement between the United States and Iran. The announcement came through a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday afternoon. The ministry said Bangladesh has consistently called for resolving conflicts and reducing tensions through diplomacy. It praised the efforts of all parties and mediators involved in achieving this positive development and expressed hope that the agreement would be implemented in good faith and prove to be sustainable and long-lasting.

According to the statement, Bangladesh believes that peace and stability in the Middle East are essential for regional and global peace, security, and development. The country encouraged all parties to use this momentum to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and diplomacy. Bangladesh also expressed expectations for the swift restoration of regional peace, supply chains, and cooperation.

The peace deal between the United States and Iran aims to end ongoing hostilities, with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirming the mediation role. The agreement is set to be formally signed in Switzerland on June 19, 2026.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 has set June 28, 2026, for delivering its verdict in a case involving the shooting of Amir Hossain, who was hanging from a cornice in Rampura, and the killing of two others during the July Revolution in Dhaka. The three-member judicial panel, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Mojumdar, fixed the date on Monday after hearing closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defense.

The case names five accused, four of whom remain fugitives. The absconding defendants are former Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman, former ADC of Khilgaon region Md Rashedul Islam, former Rampura Police Officer-in-Charge Md Mashiur Rahman, and former Sub-Inspector Tarikul Islam Bhuiyan. The only arrested accused is former Assistant Sub-Inspector Chanchal Chandra Sarkar.

According to the case, the accused are charged with shooting Amir Hossain on July 19, 2024, and killing child Basit Khan Musa and his grandmother Maya Islam, as well as another man named Md Nadim during the same incident.

At Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet, construction of a two‑storey garage is underway by filling the aesthetic 'Shaheed Rudra Sen Lake'. The project, which also involves cutting part of a nearby hill, has sparked negative reactions among students. The lake, excavated recently at a cost of about Tk 7.5 crore, had become a major attraction for students and visitors, symbolizing the memory of Shaheed Rudra Sen. Despite earlier suspension of work following media reports, construction has resumed.

The planned garage will accommodate only 22 vehicles, while the university’s transport pool currently holds 42 and continues to expand. Critics within the university argue that the project wastes money and damages the campus environment, as sufficient open space already exists nearby for parking. An administrative officer, requesting anonymity, questioned the necessity of spending Tk 7 crore for such limited capacity.

When approached for comment, the university’s chief engineer, Zainal Ahmed Chowdhury, reacted angrily and refused to answer questions about the lake project.

CPD Fellow Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya stated that while subsidies in the energy sector are necessary, the method of providing them remains unclear. He made the remarks on Monday morning in Dhaka during a discussion titled “National Budget 2026–27: What Is There for the Disadvantaged?” organized by the Citizen Platform.

He emphasized that GDP growth alone cannot be the sole indicator of economic success. Instead, development should be measured by improvements in people’s living standards and the extent to which economic benefits reach the population. Bhattacharya warned that without sufficient job creation in agriculture, small and medium enterprises, the ready-made garment industry, and modern service sectors, the benefits of growth will not reach ordinary citizens.

He also noted that real incomes are declining while living costs are rising. The marginal tax rate will increase by 5 percent for monthly incomes between 31,250 and 37,500 taka, potentially raising the tax burden for some within this income range.

Police have arrested the prime suspect in the murder of a mother and daughter in Anwara upazila of Chattogram. According to Additional Superintendent of Police (Industrial Area and DB) Md. Russel, the suspect, Limon Barua alias Tejapriya Barua, was detained from Patiya on Sunday night. Authorities are investigating the motive behind the killings and whether others were involved.

The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on June 13 in Chenamati Barua Para of Paraikora Union, where Ani Barua, aged 40, and her 16-year-old daughter Priyanti Barua were killed. Ani was the wife of Sujan Barua, who alleged that a financial dispute existed between him and the suspect. He suggested that the attack might have been linked to documents related to that transaction. Before her death, Ani reportedly mentioned Tejapriya Barua’s name.

Police continue to examine evidence to uncover the full circumstances of the double murder and determine if additional suspects were involved.