The government of Bangladesh has announced new prices for sacrificial animal hides ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir informed reporters at the Secretariat on Wednesday afternoon that the price of salted cowhide in Dhaka has been set between Tk 62 and Tk 67 per square foot. Outside Dhaka, the rate will range from Tk 57 to Tk 62 per square foot. According to the minister, the price of salted goat hide has been fixed at Tk 25 to Tk 30 per square foot, while the price for she-goat hide has been set between Tk 22 and Tk 25. The announcement comes as part of the government’s annual price determination process for raw hides during the Eid-ul-Azha season, when large numbers of animals are sacrificed across the country. The new rates are expected to guide traders and tanners in the upcoming hide collection and processing period during the festival.

A gunfight broke out on Wednesday morning between forest guards and the Karim-Sharif bandit group in the Singartek area of the Sharankhola Range in the East Sundarbans. During the operation, forest officials rescued four fishermen who had been held hostage by the bandits. The Forest Department recovered a single-barrel gun, one cartridge, and two walkie-talkies from the scene. The incident was confirmed by Md. Shariful Islam, Assistant Forest Conservator of the Sharankhola Range. According to the Forest Department, members of the Shelarchar patrol outpost and the Smart Team were conducting a joint patrol when they detected the presence of the bandits. The bandits opened fire on the forest guards, prompting a retaliatory response. During the exchange, the bandits fled, leaving behind their trawler and the four hostages. The rescued fishermen were later taken to the Shelarchar patrol outpost. The Forest Department is preparing to take further legal action following the recovery of weapons and communication devices from the site.

TikTok has introduced its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and developer toolkit, allowing marketers to connect their own AI agents directly to the TikTok ads platform. Announced by global head of product marketing Jose Villalobos during TikTok World, the company’s sixth annual global ad product summit, the new system enables AI agents to plan, launch, and optimize ad campaigns without manual input. The MCP automates tasks such as setting up creatives, adjusting bids, and managing budgets, aiming to improve performance through a combination of automation and AI. The initiative continues TikTok’s broader 2024 strategy to automate advertising operations. Similar developments have been seen across the industry, with Google, Meta, and Amazon each launching their own MCP servers to let AI models interact directly with their ad systems. According to adtech expert Shirley Marschall, a major motivation behind these proprietary MCPs is data sovereignty, as platforms seek to retain control over how AI agents access and use their data. The announcement came alongside other product updates at TikTok World, which also marked leadership changes within the company’s marketing division following the resolution of its U.S.-China deal earlier in the year.

Kuwaiti authorities detained four individuals earlier this month for attempting to infiltrate the country by sea. According to a statement from Kuwait’s Interior Ministry, published by the state news agency KUNA, the detainees admitted to being members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The group included two navy colonels, a captain, and a lieutenant commander, who allegedly tried to enter Bubiyan Island on May 1 using a fishing boat hired for hostile activities against Kuwait. The ministry said a firefight occurred between Kuwaiti forces and the infiltrators, injuring one Kuwaiti soldier, while two IRGC members managed to escape. Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Tutunji, to deliver a protest note, calling the incident a hostile act and a clear attack on national sovereignty. Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations as baseless, claiming the officers had mistakenly entered Kuwaiti waters due to navigation errors. Kuwait has maintained a strict stance toward individuals and groups linked to Iran since the start of the ongoing regional conflict, according to the report.

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan stated that the government remains fully committed to implementing the July Charter as declared by the Prime Minister. He said a certain group is spreading confusion about the charter despite the government’s clear stance. The minister made these remarks on Tuesday while visiting July uprising fighters receiving treatment in Thailand, accompanied by Bangladesh’s ambassador there. Khan said the ministry is monitoring the treatment of injured July fighters in Thailand through the Bangladesh Embassy and covering all medical and related expenses. Similar support is being provided to those under treatment in Russia, Singapore, and Turkey. He added that the ministry has established the Directorate of July Uprising to preserve the ideals and history of the movement and ensure the welfare of fighters and martyrs’ families. According to the minister, 14,369 July fighters and 844 martyrs are registered under the MIS system. Families of martyrs receive savings certificates worth 3 million taka and monthly allowances, while injured fighters receive varying financial support based on injury severity. Rehabilitation efforts include training and employment initiatives for 1,937 applicants through the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Liberation War Affairs Minister Ahmed Azam Khan stated that the government is fully committed to implementing the July Charter as declared by the Prime Minister. He made the remarks on Tuesday while visiting July uprising fighters undergoing treatment in Thailand. The minister was accompanied by Bangladesh’s ambassador to Thailand and inquired about the progress of the injured fighters’ treatment, wishing them a speedy recovery. According to the minister, the Liberation War Affairs Ministry is monitoring the treatment of injured July fighters in Thailand through the Bangladesh Embassy in Bangkok and covering all related expenses. Similar support is being provided to those receiving treatment in Russia, Singapore, and Turkey. He said the ministry has established the Directorate of July Uprising to preserve the ideals and history of the movement and to ensure the welfare of July fighters and families of martyrs. The directorate is verifying and listing genuine fighters and martyrs, with 14,369 fighters and 844 martyrs currently registered. The minister added that families of July martyrs receive a one-time savings certificate of 3 million taka and a monthly honorarium of 20,000 taka, while injured fighters receive varying benefits based on injury type. Rehabilitation efforts are ongoing through training and employment programs for eligible applicants.

Local residents in Manikkandi village of Titas upazila, Comilla, detained a man named Md. Rajib, 20, for alleged involvement in the murder of Abdul Latif Bhuiya, 45, and handed him over to Titas police on Wednesday morning. The arrest was confirmed by Titas Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Momirul Haque. According to local sources, Rajib was directly involved in the killing, and the victim’s relatives believe further questioning could reveal the names of other suspects. No formal case has been filed yet. Police have deployed additional forces in Manikkandi to maintain law and order following the incident. Abdul Latif Bhuiya, son of the late Dhonu Bhuiya, was attacked with sharp weapons by rivals on Monday night and later died at Dhaka Orthopedic Hospital. He was previously an accused in the murder case of Jubo League leader Zahir Molla, son of former chairman Abul Hossain Molla of Vitikandi Union. Authorities are continuing investigations while the area remains under heightened security.

A Khulna court has ordered the imprisonment of Dr. Sheikh Baharul Alam, president of the Bangladesh Medical Association’s Khulna unit and former joint general secretary of the district Awami League, in a case involving embezzlement and fraud. The order was issued on Wednesday afternoon by Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Fariduzzaman of the Sonadanga Amli Court after a hearing in which Dr. Bahar was present. According to court sources, the case was filed in 2025 under sections 406 and 420 of the Penal Code by Messrs. Lubna Jahan. The plaintiff’s lawyer, Advocate Jalal Uddin, stated that Dr. Bahar had been granted bail on April 9 on the condition of a settlement, but he failed to follow through. When the issue was raised again during the hearing, the court deemed his inaction as contempt and ordered his detention. The complaint alleges that a large sum of money was misappropriated through financial transactions, and the victim was subjected to threats. Lubna Jahan’s husband, retired Lieutenant Colonel Md. Jahangir, claimed that several other cases involving fraud, financial irregularities, and family disputes are also pending against Dr. Bahar.

A national workshop titled “Transformation of Higher Education in Bangladesh: Roadmap for Sustainable Excellence,” organized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), concluded in Dhaka with a set of key recommendations to strengthen research, innovation, and skills development in universities. The event, held at Dhaka University’s Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, brought together academics, researchers, industry representatives, policymakers, and civil society members. The recommendations include establishing career support centers, innovation hubs, and startup incubators, increasing budget allocations for education and research infrastructure, and making soft skills and ethics education mandatory. Speakers emphasized the need to enhance research funding, expand PhD and postdoctoral opportunities, and create industry-financed research funds. They also called for improved teacher training, outcome-based education, and stronger university-industry collaboration. The workshop further proposed setting up technology transfer offices, international joint degree programs, and alumni-supported research funds to boost innovation. The UGC chairman stated that the recommendations would serve as an effective roadmap for improving the quality, governance, and global competitiveness of Bangladesh’s higher education system.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast that global oil supply will decline by 3.9 million barrels per day throughout 2026 due to disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In its latest report, the agency said the stalemate in the region, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, has led to a rapid depletion of global oil inventories. According to the IEA, global oil demand is also expected to fall by 420,000 barrels per day this year. The agency noted that more than ten weeks after the start of the Middle East conflict, the continuing supply shortfall through the Hormuz Strait is driving inventories down at a record rate. The report added that the ongoing deadlock and fast-declining reserves could signal a potential rise in oil prices in the near future.

The West Bengal government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari launched a demolition drive in Kolkata’s Tiljala area on Wednesday, following a deadly fire at an illegal leather factory in Topsia the previous day. Acting on Adhikari’s directive, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and KMDA jointly began demolishing unauthorized buildings, citing the state’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy against corruption. A large police, RAF, and central force presence was deployed to maintain order during the operation. The fire at the four-storey building in Topsia had claimed two lives and injured five others. Investigations revealed that the building lacked a valid plan and basic fire safety measures. The chief minister’s office received the report on Wednesday morning and ordered the demolition within 24 hours. Two individuals, including the factory owner, were arrested in connection with the incident. Adhikari warned that any building without a valid plan would face disconnection of electricity and water supply. The Tiljala operation is being viewed as a strong warning to illegal builders across the city.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on May 13, 2026, approved nine development projects with a total estimated cost of Tk 36,695.72 crore. Of this amount, Tk 36,490.93 crore will come from government funds and Tk 204.79 crore from the implementing agencies’ own resources. The meeting, held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, was chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman. The approved projects include three new, five revised, and one extended project. Among them are initiatives under the ministries of culture, health, ICT, social welfare, defense, housing and public works, water resources, and power, energy and mineral resources. Notable projects include the Padma Barrage (Phase 1), Chattogram City Outer Ring Road (5th revision), and infrastructure for Hi-Tech City-2. Senior ministers and government officials attended the meeting. The meeting was also informed about two additional projects costing less than Tk 50 crore that had already been approved by the planning minister, including infrastructure development at Mymensingh Zilla School and construction of an airmen barrack complex at Kurmitola Air Base.

Delegations from China and the United States have begun trade discussions in South Korea, according to Chinese state media reports released on Wednesday. The meeting is taking place near Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to Beijing. No further details about the discussions have been disclosed. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier confirmed plans to meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, both of whom have previously led multiple rounds of trade negotiations. The talks are believed to be final preparations for potential announcements expected during an upcoming summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Last year, Washington and Beijing imposed reciprocal tariffs exceeding 100 percent on each other’s goods, but in October they agreed in South Korea to suspend the trade war for one year. Bessent stated that economic security is national security and announced he would travel to Beijing for the Trump-Xi summit, accompanied by more than a dozen business executives, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

A joint convener of the Gafargaon upazila unit of Jubo Dal, Saleh Akram Khan Taslim, has been accused of forcibly taking over a commercial fish farm, attacking workers, looting fish, and issuing death threats in Mymensingh. The allegations were made at a press conference at the Mymensingh Press Club by freedom fighter Moin Khan and Tushar Khan, joint general secretary of the Gafargaon Government College unit of Chhatra Dal. The victims said they had leased land in Sholposhapila village under Pagla police station in January 2025 to establish the farm. According to Moin Khan, Taslim had previously leased the same land but failed to pay rent from 2020 to 2023, including dues to a local mosque’s waqf property. After landowners canceled his lease, they signed a new agreement with Moin Khan. He alleged that Taslim later attacked the farm in September 2025, injuring Moin’s brother, and repeatedly looted fish worth about Tk 750,000 from February 2026 onward. A case has been filed with Pagla police station and is under court trial. Moin Khan demanded recovery of the farm, compensation for losses, family security, and legal action against the accused. Taslim acknowledged a dispute over 22 kathas of land, saying the matter is before the court.

At the International Crimes Tribunal-1 in Dhaka, Arisha Afroz, mother of slain school student Shahid Ashikul Islam, gave her testimony as the fifth witness in the case concerning the killing of 28 people during the July Revolution in Rampura. The hearing took place before a three-member judicial panel led by Chairman Golam Mortuza Majumdar, with Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud and retired judge Mohitul Haque Enam Chowdhury as members. In her statement, Arisha Afroz described how her 14-year-old son, a ninth-grade student at Bonoshree Nibrash Madrasa, joined demonstrators after Friday prayers on July 19, 2024. She recounted seeing protesters shot as security forces opened fire, and later identified her son’s body at a hospital, where doctors confirmed he had died from a gunshot wound to the head. She alleged that several officials, including a Border Guard Bangladesh officer, were involved in the shooting and demanded justice for her son’s death. The tribunal proceedings are part of an ongoing case against four accused officers, including Lieutenant Colonel Redwanul Islam, over the Rampura killings.