Kushtia-3 Member of Parliament Amir Hamza has called for making the Lalon Shah shrine area in Kushtia free from drugs. He raised the demand during a supplementary question session in the National Parliament on Wednesday, asking Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury whether any initiative exists to declare the shrine a drug-free zone. Hamza expressed concern over unethical activities taking place during the annual birth and death anniversary events of Lalon Shah. In response, Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury said the government aims to make not only the Lalon Shah shrine area but the entire country drug-free under the leadership of the Prime Minister. He stated that the government has extensive plans to eliminate drugs and linked the effort to economic development, noting that drug eradication succeeds when economic activities increase in society. The minister added that the country had experienced a dark period over the past 18 years when drug abuse spread widely, even involving political figures. He said the current government is working to end that era and build a new Bangladesh through social and economic transformation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman announced that the government has decided to recruit 500,000 new government employees. Among these, recruitment for 2,879 vacant posts under the Ministry of Public Administration and its subordinate offices is already underway. He made the statement on Wednesday afternoon during the question-and-answer session in the National Parliament, responding to a query from BNP lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas of Pabna-5, whose question was presented by AKM Selim Reza Habib of Pabna-2. In response to a supplementary question from BNP lawmaker Abul Kalam of Comilla-9 regarding recruitment to vacant government posts, the Prime Minister said that many positions remain vacant across various government sectors. He emphasized that filling these posts is essential to make administration more dynamic and to deliver services more efficiently to citizens. The government is reviewing the matter seriously and aims to begin the recruitment process as soon as possible. The parliamentary session began at 3 p.m. under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, with the first 30 minutes allocated for the Prime Minister’s questions.

Authorities in the Rajshahi region have decided to end the long-standing 'Dholon' system in mango trading and introduce per-kilogram pricing. The decision was made on Tuesday at a meeting held at the office of the Divisional Commissioner, chaired by Dr. A. N. M. Bazlur Rashid. The new system aims to ensure fair prices for mango growers. Under the revised rule, wholesalers will receive a commission of three taka per kilogram. Officials explained that under the previous system, traders often took 44 to 54 kilograms of mangoes while paying for only 40 kilograms, causing financial losses for farmers. The meeting was attended by administrative officials from Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, and Chapainawabganj, along with mango growers, traders, and representatives from relevant departments. Participants expressed hope that implementing the new system would fulfill a long-standing demand of mango farmers and bring greater transparency to the regional mango trade.

A relief train derailed while attempting to rescue the Dhaka-bound Brahmaputra Express after one of its power car coaches went off the tracks in Mymensingh city’s Itakhola area on Wednesday morning. The incident caused a complete suspension of train movement on the Mymensingh–Dewanganj route for about five and a half hours before services were restored on the Dhaka–Mymensingh–Jamalpur line. According to railway officials, the relief train from Kewatkhali Locoshed also derailed near Baghmara rail crossing, complicating the rescue operation. A hydraulic tool van was later deployed to complete the recovery. After nearly five hours of effort, the derailed power car was retrieved, and damaged rail tracks and a culvert were repaired before train operations resumed around 2 p.m. Railway authorities have declared the accident site a “dead trap zone” as a precaution and formed a five-member investigation committee led by Traffic Inspector Mujibur Rahman. The committee has been instructed to submit its report within three working days.

Prime Minister Tareq Rahman has clarified why ruling party women members of parliament were assigned to oversee development activities in constituencies represented by opposition MPs. The explanation came during a parliamentary session on Wednesday when Jamaat MP Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem from Dhaka-14 raised a question about media reports suggesting that government party women MPs were given responsibility for monitoring development projects and issuing government order letters in opposition areas. In response, the Prime Minister stated that women MPs elected under the party’s quota system do not have specific constituencies under the constitution or law. Therefore, based on political and organizational structure, certain areas were designated for them to work. He emphasized that opposition MPs retain full rights to participate in development activities in their constituencies, while women MPs also have legitimate roles as elected representatives. The Prime Minister assured opposition MPs of direct cooperation if needed for development in their areas, noting that the government is proceeding according to established rules.

In the Bangladesh Parliament on Wednesday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stood up to answer on behalf of the Minister of Religious Affairs during the question-and-answer session. His action prompted enthusiastic reactions from opposition lawmakers. Salahuddin remarked that he was responding for the sake of goodwill and added that it would be good if the opposition occasionally showed such appreciation. Earlier in the same session, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman explained the government’s decision to assign ruling party female MPs to oversee development activities in constituencies held by opposition members. The explanation came after Jamaat MP Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem from Dhaka-14 raised a question citing media reports that ruling party female MPs were being given responsibility for monitoring development work and issuing geo letters in opposition constituencies. The Prime Minister clarified that female MPs elected from reserved seats do not have specific constituencies under the constitution or law, implying that their oversight roles were not meant to undermine opposition MPs’ authority.

Housing and Public Works Minister Zakaria Taher announced that necessary measures are being taken to enable people to start building houses in the Jhilmil Project area within one year. He made the statement while visiting the Rajuk-implemented Jhilmil Residential Project in Keraniganj, Dhaka. The minister noted that the project had not progressed as expected for many years but is now moving forward with several ongoing developments. According to the minister, construction of a police station, school, hospital, and effluent treatment plant (ETP) center is underway within the project area. He added that work on apartment complexes will begin soon, while street lights and CCTV cameras are being installed to ensure lighting and security. During the visit, he inspected the under-construction facilities and was accompanied by the state minister for housing, ministry officials, and Rajuk representatives. At the project site office, Project Director Md. Aminur Rahman presented the project’s progress, and representatives from the Jhilmil Society also spoke on behalf of residents and stakeholders.

Two Awami League leaders, including Abul Hasnat, the assistant private secretary to former Planning Minister M A Mannan, have been sent to jail following court orders in Sunamganj. The leaders are Shantiganj Upazila Awami League General Secretary Md Hasnat Hossain and Jagannathpur Upazila Awami League General Secretary Rezaul Karim Riju. They appeared separately before the Speedy Trial Court of Judge Nurul Haque in Sunamganj and the cognizance court of Judge Md Emdad Hossain in Jagannathpur on Wednesday, seeking bail. Both judges rejected their bail pleas and ordered them to be sent to jail. According to the report, a case was filed on September 2, 2024, under the Speedy Trial Act against 99 individuals, including former Planning Minister M A Mannan and three former members of parliament. Three former police officers from Sunamganj were also named in the case, in which Hasnat was listed as an accused. The court proceedings mark a continuation of legal actions stemming from the 2024 case, though further details on the charges or next steps were not provided in the report.

A Bangladeshi court has authorized the exhumation of popular film actor Salman Shah’s body to uncover the mystery surrounding his death. The Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana issued the order on May 24, directing that the body be exhumed in the presence of an executive magistrate for examination, preparation of a report, and autopsy. The decision followed a petition filed on May 20 by CID Inspector Ziaul Morshed, who stated that re-examining the remains was necessary to determine the true cause of death. After the court approved the request, officials said the exhumation and autopsy would proceed once administrative procedures were completed. According to case records, Salman Shah was found unconscious at his New Eskaton Road residence on September 6, 1996, and later declared dead at a hospital. An unnatural death case was filed at Ramna Police Station, and he was buried at the Shahjalal shrine premises in Sylhet. The new court directive has revived public debate and stirred renewed attention in the film industry.

Three individuals were sentenced to imprisonment and fined by a mobile court in Chirirbandar upazila of Dinajpur. The sentencing took place on Tuesday evening around 7 p.m., led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Fateha Tuz Johra. The convicts, identified as Tanvir Islam Piyal (28), Farizul Islam (24), and Pallab Roy, were arrested during a special anti-narcotics operation conducted by police in the Mohila College Mor and Viayil Union areas. Following their arrest, the executive magistrate conducted the mobile court on-site and sentenced each of the three under the Narcotics Control Act to six months of imprisonment without labor and a fine of 200 taka. Chirirbandar Police Officer-in-Charge Mahamudun-Nabi stated that police operations against drugs will continue to build a drug-free society and that strict legal action will be taken against both drug dealers and users. Local residents praised the anti-drug operation and urged the administration to continue such initiatives to prevent the spread of drugs. Law enforcement authorities reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against narcotics.

Police in Mirsarai, Chattogram, have rescued three teenagers who had been missing since June 7 and returned them to their families. The boys, all aged 14, disappeared from their homes in the Jorarganj area, prompting their families to contact local authorities. Using information technology, Sub-Inspector (unarmed) Md. Zishan Ahmed led the investigation that traced the teenagers to the Patenga area of Chattogram city, where they were found on the night of June 10. The rescued boys were identified as Morsalin, Meheraj Hossain, and Md. Raisul, all from different villages in Mirsarai. During questioning, they told police they had left home due to family-related mental stress and had planned to find jobs in the city. After completing legal formalities, police handed them over to their guardians. Jorarganj Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Abdul Halim expressed satisfaction over the safe return of the boys and urged parents to be more attentive to their children. He also noted that regular police operations continue to curb theft, drugs, and other crimes in the area.

Health Minister Sakhawat Hossain informed the National Parliament on Wednesday that 9,407 of the 41,806 approved doctor positions in Bangladesh’s government hospitals remain vacant. He also said 5,032 nursing posts and 8,784 other health staff positions are unfilled. The information was provided in response to questions from lawmakers during a parliamentary question session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. The minister detailed that at upazila health complexes, 5,782 doctor posts are vacant out of 13,211, while 1,663 nursing posts and 1,066 other staff positions remain open. At union sub-health centers, 670 doctor posts and 466 midwife posts are vacant. Across the country, 14,460 community clinics are currently operational, each receiving an annual medicine supply worth 247,900 taka. Hossain also warned that poultry and fish feed made from tannery waste pose serious health risks, including cancer and liver disease, due to toxic chromium compounds. He said the government has relocated tanneries from Hazaribagh to Savar’s leather industrial park to reduce public health hazards.

A journalist in Pabna’s Bhangura upazila has been sued for alleged extortion after publishing a report about a BNP leader accused of fraud. The case was filed on Tuesday in the Pabna Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court by Shikha Khatun, wife of the accused BNP leader Sohel Rana. The journalist, Masud Rana, is the joint general secretary of Bhangura Press Club and a correspondent for the daily Kaler Kantho. Earlier, on Friday night, Sohel Rana was beaten and tied up by locals who accused him of defrauding them of large sums of money by promising government benefits such as VGD cards, tube wells, latrines, and houses. The next day, 35 victims filed a fraud case against him at Bhangura Police Station. Sohel Rana, a ward-level BNP vice president from Rangalia village, was later sent to jail after seeking bail in court. Following the lawsuit against Masud Rana, Bhangura Press Club leaders and local journalists expressed deep concern, condemning the case as false and demanding its withdrawal.

A child named Tamim went missing in the Meghna River on Tuesday afternoon while delivering lunch to his fisherman father in Sonadia Union’s Paschim Charchenga village under Hatiya upazila of Noakhali. According to local sources, Tamim, the only son of fisherman Shahadat Hossain, accidentally fell into the river while playing with a cousin after his father had finished eating. Family members and locals searched for hours but failed to locate the child. Fire Service and Coast Guard personnel later arrived at the scene, but the rescue operation could not begin immediately as Hatiya lacks a diving team. The absence of divers sparked frustration among residents. Local official Abdul Mannan Rana said no effective rescue effort was visible for a long time. The Coast Guard announced that a diving team from Bhola would arrive the following morning to start a full-scale search. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Russell Iqbal confirmed that the Coast Guard is maintaining surveillance at the site until the divers arrive.

The health department has formed a three-member investigation committee following the rape of a child patient’s mother at Natore Modern Sadar Hospital. The committee has been instructed to submit its report within five working days. Civil Surgeon Dr. Mohammad Moshior Rahman confirmed the formation of the committee on Wednesday but declined to disclose the members’ names for the sake of the investigation. He stated that two members are officials from outside the health department and one is from the hospital. According to reports, the incident occurred on Sunday night when a hospital cleaner named Amit allegedly lured the mother of a two-year-old patient to the lift area under the pretext of giving medicine and raped her. Two other cleaners, Anil and Prangan, reportedly recorded the assault and later tried to coerce her again using the video. Security personnel detained the suspects after reviewing CCTV footage, though allegations emerged that authorities initially released them. Police have since arrested the three accused and recorded the victim’s statement. The case is being treated with high priority, and CCTV footage has been seized as evidence.