The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that American forces are maintaining their presence across the Middle East by air, land, and sea. A recently released CENTCOM photograph shows two fighter jets conducting what the command described as a routine patrol in the region. The update underscores continued US military activity in the area.

Earlier, CENTCOM had released additional images showing US personnel operating aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln stationed in the Arabian Sea. These visuals highlight the sustained deployment of American forces across key strategic locations in the Middle East.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, indicates that the US military remains on alert throughout the region, though no further operational details or specific reasons for the heightened vigilance were disclosed.

Khulna Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Rashidul Islam Khan was stand-released on Saturday after a video of his remarks at a public meeting went viral on social media. During the meeting at Mahirbari Khalpar in Khulna’s Labanchara area, he warned of public punishment for any police officer who leaked crime-related information provided by citizens. Following the incident, a police headquarters circular signed by Additional DIG (Personnel Management) Raihan Uddin Khan instructed Rashidul to report to Dhaka by Sunday.

The Bangladesh Police Association issued a statement expressing concern that such comments had caused resentment among police members. It emphasized that all officers should maintain professionalism, restraint, and institutional values in public statements to uphold the force’s dignity and discipline. Rashidul later told reporters he was on his way to Dhaka, expressing regret that his words had hurt colleagues and explaining that his comments were made spontaneously in response to public frustration.

The incident sparked debate on social media, with some citizens supporting Rashidul’s stance against alleged police misconduct in Khulna and others emphasizing the need for professionalism within the force.

A recently renovated road in Kaliganj municipality of Jhenaidah has collapsed again, rendering it unsafe for public use. The one-kilometer block road, built at a cost of nearly one crore taka from the front of the Kaliganj food warehouse to the hospital, was reconstructed under a World Bank-funded project. Residents report that the road, repaired with concrete blocks, began to deteriorate within months of completion.

According to local accounts, irregularities and substandard materials were used during the renovation. The contractor, Hannan-Mithu Enterprise of Jhenaidah, reportedly carried out the work between August 2023 and February 2024. Locals allege that a student leader with business ties to the Kaliganj mayor influenced the project and used low-quality materials. Despite repeated complaints, the contractor’s team ignored public concerns. The road had previously collapsed during heavy rains in February 2025 and is now deteriorating again.

Residents fear that the ongoing monsoon will worsen the damage, posing serious risks for those traveling to the hospital and nearby educational institutions.

A key road in the Damudya bus stand area of Shariatpur became unusable, causing severe hardship for residents. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Atikur Rahman Kabir led an initiative to repair the damaged section after local appeals. The road, connecting Damudya bus stand to Damudya port, had developed numerous potholes and large craters over the past six months, worsened by heavy rainfall.

Local residents said neither public representatives nor the upazila administration took notice of the problem. The collapse of the road made it impassable for vehicles, forcing passengers to cross the damaged section on foot. Responding to community requests, Atikur Rahman Kabir, the Jamaat-e-Islami amir of Damudya municipality, visited the site with a team and decided to repair it.

The repair work was completed last Friday night with funding from Jamaat-e-Islami, restoring the road to a usable condition. According to Kabir, the effort was part of the party’s ongoing welfare activities and was carried out through voluntary labor.

Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Center has warned that four northern districts—Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Rangpur—may face flooding within the next 72 hours due to continuous rainfall and water inflow from India. Rising water levels in the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers could cross danger marks, temporarily inundating low-lying areas. The center’s Sunday forecast noted that river levels in Rangpur Division have been rising and may continue to do so over the next three days.

The report added that while most major rivers remain below danger levels, several points in the Teesta, Surma, Kushiyara, and Someshwari rivers are flowing near warning levels. Heavy to very heavy rainfall has been recorded in parts of Chattogram, Rangpur, and Sylhet divisions, as well as in India’s Meghalaya, West Bengal, and Arunachal regions. Local Water Development Board officials in Kurigram confirmed gradual river level increases and warned of short-term flooding in lowlands.

In Sunamganj, continuous rain and upstream water have already flooded several areas, disrupting transport and damaging homes. Authorities have temporarily closed the Sadapathar tourist site in Sylhet’s Companiganj for safety until weather conditions improve.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) members in Thakurgaon are struggling to conduct patrols due to long-neglected unpaved and damaged roads across the district’s 370-kilometer border area. In Ranishankoil’s Dhamorgor border outpost, a six-kilometer stretch has become nearly impassable, especially during rain, disrupting patrols, anti-smuggling operations, and emergency responses.

Local residents report severe difficulties in movement during the monsoon, with vehicles and even motorcycles facing danger on muddy roads. They expressed frustration that the force responsible for national border security must operate under such poor conditions. Residents and BGB officials alike have called for immediate paving of the connecting roads to ensure smoother patrols and better community access.

According to Thakurgaon’s executive engineer, a proposal to upgrade the 370 kilometers of unpaved border roads has been submitted under the Border Road Development Project. The initiative aims to strengthen border security, curb smuggling, and improve local livelihoods and agricultural transport once implemented.

Police in Barlekha upazila of Moulvibazar arrested Jamaat-e-Islami leader Khizir Ahmed on Friday night from Alveen Restaurant in Barlekha Bazar. Authorities said he was wanted in a murder case filed during the previous Awami League government. The case dates back to February 28, 2013, when violence erupted after Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee was sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Crimes Tribunal. One Jamaat activist, Lokman Ahmed, was killed in the clashes, and police later filed a murder case naming Khizir Ahmed and others.

Khizir’s brother, Tarek Ahmed, claimed the arrest was based on a politically motivated case, saying his brother had been living in Qatar for years and regularly visited Bangladesh. Former Barlekha upazila Jamaat chief Emadul Islam also criticized the arrest, calling it harassment and expressing disappointment that police acted on a 13-year-old warrant. Several locals echoed similar sentiments, describing the arrest as unjust.

Barlekha police officer-in-charge Moniruzzaman Khan confirmed the arrest, stating that Khizir Ahmed was sent to jail under a court-issued warrant in case number GR 62/2013.

Two murders within two months in South Gobindarkhil area of Patiya, Chattogram, have triggered widespread fear among residents. The killings of businessman Abul Kashem and child Jahan have raised serious concerns about law and order. While police have solved the child murder case, the main suspect in Kashem’s murder remains at large, leaving the victim’s family anxious. Over the past three months, incidents of murder, robbery, theft, drug trade, and abduction have reportedly increased across Patiya.

Local residents have expressed alarm over the deteriorating security situation and urged authorities to take urgent action. Several violent incidents occurred in June, including the discovery of an unidentified body, public assaults, and the killing of Pankaj Shil. A journalist was also attacked in front of police, and a shrine’s donation box was stolen, further heightening public concern.

Patiya Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Ziaul Haque stated that multiple teams are working to maintain order and combat drugs. He said community and beat policing will be strengthened soon, and arrests have been made in the Pankaj Shil and Jahan murder cases.

Water levels in the Teesta River continued to rise on Sunday due to heavy upstream flow from India, causing anxiety among residents along the riverbanks in Lalmonirhat. At noon, the river was flowing 15 centimeters below the danger level at the Teesta Barrage point, and authorities warned that it could cross the threshold at any time. To manage the situation, 44 sluice gates of the barrage have been opened, and officials are monitoring the water flow continuously.

According to the Water Development Board, both the Teesta and Dharla rivers are still below danger levels, but preparations are in place for any emergency. The control room reported that within the next 72 hours, Teesta’s water might flow above the danger mark, potentially causing short-term flooding in low-lying areas. Heavy rainfall in India’s Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts has worsened the situation, even though there has been little rain in Bangladesh’s Teesta basin.

Earlier, the Water Resources Minister had assured that the Teesta Master Plan was progressing toward implementation, but the current water rise has renewed public concern in the region.

In Shariatpur, a new controversy has emerged following several flash processions by Awami League activists. Leaders and members of the party’s affiliated organizations, including Jubo League and Chhatra League, have been accused of putting up posters and festoons across various areas of Sadar upazila ahead of the party’s 77th founding anniversary. A video showing the poster campaign went viral on social media, drawing widespread local attention.

According to local sources, the posters were placed in Angaria Union to mark the anniversary on June 23 and to demand the release of detained party activists. The video reportedly shows local Jubo League leader Saiful Islam Molla leading the campaign, with participation from members of the banned Chhatra League. Posters were allegedly placed on public buildings, including the Angaria police outpost and the union council office, prompting administrative discussions.

Police said they are investigating the matter after seeing the video online. The officer in charge of Palong Model Police Station stated that the person named in the posters is currently abroad, while the individual seen posting them is not a resident of the district. Authorities have pledged legal action if wrongdoing is confirmed.

Doctors in Cumilla held a human chain and protest rally demanding safety at workplaces following an attack on Dr. Zubair. The demonstration, organized by the Bangladesh Private Medical Practitioners Association (BPMPA) Cumilla branch, took place on Saturday in front of the Cumilla Press Club. Over two hundred doctors from various government and private hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers participated, condemning repeated incidents of assault and harassment against medical professionals.

Speakers at the event included BPMPA Cumilla branch president Dr. Nazrul Islam Shahin, general secretary Dr. Russel Ahmed Chowdhury, and several senior medical leaders from local institutions. They called for a fair investigation into the attack on Dr. Zubair, immediate identification and prosecution of those involved, and effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Participants emphasized the urgent need for legal and administrative steps to ensure doctors’ security and a safe professional environment across the district.

Residents of Jamalpur’s Bakshiganj and Dewanganj border areas are spending sleepless nights guarding the frontier to prevent any push-in incidents. Groups of young men stand watch at night with flashlights and bamboo sticks, exchanging information via mobile phones. Even during the day, they remain on alert as tension along the border with India’s Meghalaya and Assam continues. The atmosphere in these villages resembles a state of constant vigilance, with hundreds gathering within minutes whenever rumors or signs of unusual activity appear.

Most locals depend on farming, day labor, fishing, or small businesses, but their livelihoods are being disrupted by the need to patrol the border. Many report physical and mental exhaustion from balancing work and night watch duties. Families, especially women and children, are living in anxiety as men spend nights guarding and rush to the border during the day when alerts arise.

Local youths are voluntarily collecting and sharing information with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) when they notice suspicious movements. The prolonged tension has reduced productivity and affected normal life across the border villages.

Islami Chhatra Shibir’s central president Nurul Islam warned that if the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) does not immediately abandon what he called a 'politics of murder,' the people will drive them out of the country as they did with the Awami League. He made the remarks on Sunday night at a protest rally in Dhaka organized by Shibir’s city unit, following the killing of union president Saifullah in Gaibandha. The rally began at the Central Shaheed Minar and ended at Shahbagh.

During his speech, Nurul Islam condemned the killing, accusing BNP and its youth wing of carrying out a cowardly and brutal attack. He demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those responsible, warning that students would launch a strong movement if justice was not served. Other Shibir leaders, including central office secretary Azizur Rahman Azad, also criticized BNP and the administration, alleging widespread corruption and violence.

Speakers at the rally expressed condolences for Saifullah’s death and urged the government to ensure justice for the killing.

The market for polao rice in Bangladesh has become highly unstable, with prices rising sharply over the past month. Despite adequate supply, the price of various types of polao rice has increased by up to Tk 30 per kilogram and Tk 900 to Tk 2,000 per sack. Retailers and consumers have expressed frustration, blaming corporate groups and mill owners for creating an artificial crisis to raise prices. Traders reported that transportation and utility cost hikes have also contributed to the surge.

Corporate company owners have denied the allegations, attributing the price increase to reduced production caused by crop disease and higher fuel and electricity costs. Nabil Group’s managing director said some traders are exporting polao rice, suggesting that exports should be halted to stabilize the domestic market. Market visits in Dhaka revealed that both wholesale and retail prices have risen significantly, with branded rice reaching up to Tk 190 per kilogram.

Consumer rights advocates described the price hike as abnormal and criticized weak market monitoring. They noted that despite government tax reductions on essentials, consumers have not benefited, leaving middle- and lower-income groups under severe pressure.

Leaders and activists of the banned Awami League organized a flash procession in Barishal city on Sunday afternoon to mark the party’s 77th founding anniversary. The event took place in the Bogura Road area under the banner of the Barishal Metropolitan Awami League and moved through several city streets. Participants carried banners featuring former Barishal City Corporation mayor and the party’s metropolitan general secretary Sadiq Abdullah, chanting slogans celebrating the anniversary and expressing support for Sheikh Hasina.

According to the report, there was no visible police patrol during the procession, allowing the participants to disperse quickly after the march. Soon after the event, police from Kotwali Police Station launched a large-scale operation across the city. Similar drives were also initiated in the areas under Kaunia, Airport, and Bandar police stations, as confirmed by local police sources.

The incident reflects renewed attempts by the banned Awami League to organize publicly despite restrictions, prompting immediate law enforcement action in Barishal.