Police in Srimangal, Moulvibazar, have arrested a former leader of the Nationalist Cultural Social Organization (JASAS) in connection with a robbery involving cumin worth about Tk 2 million. According to police, the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when a covered van carrying cumin owned by Sylhet businessman Afzalur Rahman was stopped in the Puranbazar area by a group led by Zahed Ali. The attackers allegedly held the driver and helper hostage at knifepoint and fled with 160 sacks of cumin, Tk 20,000 in cash, two mobile phones, and the van itself.

Afzalur Rahman filed a case with Srimangal Police Station on Saturday after reviewing CCTV footage and identifying the suspects. The case named Zahed Ali and three to four unidentified individuals. Later that night, around 2:30 a.m., police led by Sub-Inspector Bablu Pal arrested Zahed Ali from the Shahibagh area. He is the son of the late Nayeb Ali and a former member secretary of the Srimangal municipal JASAS convening committee.

Local JASAS leaders stated that Zahed Ali had already been removed from his party position earlier for violating organizational discipline and engaging in extortion-related activities.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Boby Hajjaj announced that from 2028 onward, no untrained teacher will be allowed to teach in any primary classroom in Bangladesh. The policy will apply to all institutions, including government, private, kindergarten, and English-medium schools. He made the statement while addressing a national dialogue on Early Childhood Development Policy jointly organized by Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), and the Bangladesh ECD Network in Dhaka.

Hajjaj emphasized that true educational progress requires skilled teachers, modern curricula, and joyful learning environments centered on children. He said the government aims to complete curriculum restructuring within one year and pledged to ensure the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) can work independently and free from undue influence. He also stressed that improving teachers’ living standards is essential for raising education quality.

The minister added that the government plans to gradually convert all government primary schools into one-shift institutions, as the current two-shift system limits students’ time and attention.

Three establishments in Dinajpur were fined a total of Tk 300,000 under the Safe Food Act following a summary trial conducted by the Pure Food Court. The trial, led by Senior Judicial Magistrate Sohag Ali, took place on Sunday evening and continued until 9 p.m. at Dilshad Restaurant, Vhinno Swad, and Kacchi Bhai in Dinajpur town.

Officials from the Dinajpur District Safe Food Office, including Officer Gautam Kumar Saha, and members of the Bangladesh Police were present during the operation. The fines were imposed after authorities found various food items stored without proper labeling, production dates, or expiry dates. The items included yogurt, rasmalai, coffee, chanachur, meat, and spices. Each establishment was fined Tk 100,000, and the total amount was collected on the spot.

The Dinajpur District Safe Food Officer confirmed the enforcement action on Monday afternoon, emphasizing adherence to the Safe Food Act, 2013.

A BNP leader in Habiganj has been accused of involvement in illegal sand trading after a Facebook post highlighted the issue. The accused, Mominul Islam Momin, serves as the general secretary of the Rajiyura Union BNP. According to local sources, a group has been illegally extracting silica sand by boat from several areas, including near the Sutang Bridge in Shayestaganj and Joar Lalchan in Chunarughat. The sand is reportedly stockpiled at Chanpur playground in Rajiyura Union before being distributed across the district.

A Facebook page named “Jam Jam Enterprise” allegedly advertises the sand for sale, listing Mominul Islam Momin’s mobile number and sharing posts from his personal account. Local residents claim the illegal extraction is damaging the Sutang River’s flow and biodiversity, causing erosion that threatens farmland, homes, and the environment. Mominul denied owning the enterprise or being involved in the trade but failed to explain why his number and account were linked to the posts. The posts were later deleted, and the local UNO said he would investigate the matter.

A school campaign was organized in Dinajpur by the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) to raise awareness among students about the harmful effects of single-use plastics. The event took place on Monday morning at the conference hall of Dinajpur Jubilee High School, where participants discussed the environmental and public health risks associated with plastic pollution.

The session was presided over by acting head teacher Akram Hossain, with speeches from assistant teachers Sufia Begum and Jyotirmoyee Sarkar, as well as student representatives Ayesha Siddika and Rittika Pal. BELA network member Konkon Karmakar conducted the program. A total of 51 students attended the campaign.

At the end of the event, participants were urged to become more conscious about environmental protection and to take active roles in building a plastic pollution-free, safe, and sustainable future.

Leaders and activists of the Jubo Dal organized a motorcycle rally in Tongi, Gazipur, on Monday afternoon to counter what they described as unrest, sabotage, and disorder by the banned Awami League group. The rally, led by Tongi West Thana Jubo Dal president Sheikh Mohammad Suman and general secretary Azizur Rahman Tipu, moved through key roads including Millgate, Station Road, Cherag Ali, College Gate, Hossain Market, Ershadnagar, Gazipura, and Khapara before concluding with a brief gathering at Tongi Government College Gate.

During the event, Jubo Dal leaders stated that the banned group was attempting to disrupt the country’s peaceful environment and that they would not allow control of Tongi’s streets to fall into their hands. They emphasized that Jubo Dal members were alert at every intersection and ready to prevent any acts of sabotage or disorder.

The demonstration reflected Jubo Dal’s intent to maintain control over local streets and resist activities they consider destabilizing in the Tongi area.

A Dhaka court has ordered the new arrests of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) president and former minister Hasanul Haq Inu and Bangladesh Workers Party president and former minister Rashed Khan Menon in connection with an attempted murder case filed over the July uprising. The order was issued on Monday afternoon by Metropolitan Magistrate Nazmin Akter. State lawyer Harun-or-Rashid confirmed the development.

According to the case, during the anti-discrimination movement on August 5, the complainant, Md Mokhlesin, was shot while participating in a procession at Chankharpul intersection on Nazimuddin Road. Locals later took him to Mitford Hospital in an injured condition. The case was filed by Mokhlesin on January 1 of the previous year.

The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Md Ashraf Hossain of Bangshal Police Station, presented the accused before the court and sought their formal arrest in the case. After hearing arguments from both sides, the magistrate granted the request.

The Singra Upazila administration in Natore conducted a drive on Monday afternoon at Sarkarpara area of Singra municipality, seizing and destroying illegal Chinese fishing nets worth over Tk 2 million. The operation was carried out based on intelligence provided by the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and led by Executive Magistrate and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdullah Al Rifat.

During the mobile court operation, three individuals were penalized for using and selling the illegal nets. Ekabbar Hossain was fined Tk 20,000, Shahidul Sardar received a two-month jail term and a Tk 5,000 fine, and a regular case was filed against Rajib Hossain. The confiscated nets were later burned in the presence of local officials, including the senior fisheries and agriculture officers, police, and NSI members.

According to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, the operation aimed to protect fish resources and biodiversity in the Chalan Beel area, and similar enforcement actions will continue.

A five-day training program titled 'Entrepreneurship and Development' has begun at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) with the goal of transforming young people from job seekers into job creators. The program was inaugurated on Monday at the Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. Organized by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) Training Institute in collaboration with the faculty, the training includes 30 university students.

The inauguration ceremony was presided over by BSCIC Director (Skill and Technology) Md. Shahiduzzaman, with BAU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A. K. Fazlul Hoque Bhuiyan as the chief guest. Speakers emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship training amid limited job opportunities for graduates. They highlighted BSCIC’s contribution to national economic development through its 191 offices, 83 industrial estates, and employment for over 800,000 people.

Participants will receive hands-on instruction in business planning, market analysis, financial management, startup operations, and innovation. Certificates will be awarded upon completion of the training.

Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam of the International Crimes Tribunal has alleged that defense lawyers are deliberately delaying the trial of retired Major General Ziaul Ahsan, accused of crimes against humanity involving numerous abductions and killings. Speaking to journalists on Monday at his office conference room, he said the defense team, which includes Ahsan’s sister Nazneen Nahar, repeatedly seeks adjournments on various pretexts such as illness, death of lawyers, or requests for documents.

According to Aminul Islam, the tribunal recorded the testimony of a key witness on Sunday, June 21, and cross-examination was scheduled for the following day. However, Nazneen Nahar submitted multiple petitions, only one of which—seeking to meet the accused—was accepted by the tribunal. The prosecutor described the remaining petitions as irrelevant and intended to stall proceedings.

He warned that from the next hearing date, any further attempts by the defense to delay the trial through improper applications would face stronger objections from the prosecution.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced that the army has been deployed in six districts following intelligence reports about subversive activities by the banned Awami League. He made the statement on Monday while speaking to journalists at the Secretariat. The minister emphasized that the deployment was precautionary and based on intelligence assessments.

Ahmed stated that the overall law and order situation in the country has not deteriorated and remains better than before. He added that the government remains vigilant and that opposition parties have the democratic right to hold meetings and rallies, which he said contribute to the development of democracy. The minister also noted that the strength of law enforcement agencies is increased when necessary.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs had sent a letter to the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division requesting army deployment in connection with the banned Awami League’s founding anniversary activities.

A 60-year-old schoolteacher named Rezaul Karim was killed in Rajshahi city on Monday morning after being beaten by his son during a family dispute. The incident occurred in the Meherchandi Bera Mosque area. The accused, 27-year-old Rakibul Karim, is a postgraduate student in the Department of Social Work at Rajshahi University. Witnesses said an argument among family members escalated when Rakibul struck his father on the head with a piece of wood, causing fatal injuries.

After realizing his father had died from excessive bleeding, Rakibul fled the scene. Locals informed the police, who arrived shortly afterward and recovered the body. The body was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. Police from Chandrima Police Station said preparations were underway to file a murder case in connection with the incident.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the suspect has been apprehended, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Former minister and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD) president Hasanul Haq Inu has been accused of threatening a judge and a state lawyer while standing in the dock at a Dhaka court on Monday, June 22, 2026. Inu and Workers Party leader Rashed Khan Menon were produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Nazmin Akter in connection with a 2024 attempted murder case filed over an incident during the July movement. The investigating officer sought to show them arrested in the case, which the court later approved.

During the hearing, Inu expressed anger over being kept in the court lockup for four hours and claimed he had been documenting the actions of judges and legal officers in two notebooks while in prison. He also alleged that the judiciary was functioning as a branch of the Home Ministry. When the state prosecutor tried to stop him, a verbal altercation ensued.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Harunur Rashid confirmed that he accused Inu of contempt of court and requested action. The court said a decision on the contempt allegation would be taken later.

A dispute has emerged in Austagram, Kishoreganj, where a local Jubo Dal leader alleged that his shop was forcibly taken over and rented out to a Jubo League leader by two senior BNP and Swechchhasebak Dal leaders. The allegation was made by Mahbub Alam Kismat, general secretary of the 2 No. Kastul Union Jubo Dal, during a press conference at Kishoreganj Press Club on Monday.

According to Mahbub Alam’s written statement, he had purchased a tea shop located on government land between Austagram Upazila Health Complex and the central mosque on July 30, after paying a security deposit to the mosque committee. He claimed that after starting renovation work, BNP’s Austagram upazila organizing secretary S M Shahin and Swechchhasebak Dal’s member secretary Jubayer Hasan Yamin took the shop keys, evicted him, and later rented the shop to local Jubo League leader Nazmul. Mahbub Alam has appealed to the district BNP and Swechchhasebak Dal leadership for an investigation and organizational action against those responsible.

The incident has drawn attention within local political circles, highlighting internal tensions among opposition party members in the area.

Bangladesh’s Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid announced that the government aims to enhance hilsa export capacity through long-term, science-based planning. Speaking at the closing workshop of the project titled “Hilsa Resource Development and Management (2nd Revised)” held at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council auditorium, he emphasized the need to preserve hilsa resources, increase production, and expand international markets.

The minister stressed ensuring natural river flow and water quality for safe breeding and movement of hilsa, alongside coordinated efforts among ministries to stop industrial waste discharge. He said the government remains strict against illegal fishing practices such as jatka catching, mother hilsa harvesting, and the use of current nets. He also highlighted initiatives to support fishermen through alternative employment, training, and financial empowerment. A special advisory team of researchers and experts is under consideration to guide future policy.

State Minister Sultan Salauddin Tuku noted that Bangladesh produces 70–80 percent of the world’s hilsa and called for sustainable management to protect this national resource. He added that about 2.4 billion taka in assistance was provided to fishermen in FY 2025–26, with plans to expand support further.