A joint operation by RAB-7, the district administration, and the Food Department in Sitakunda’s Kadamrasul area of Chattogram has uncovered a large-scale misappropriation of government food grains. During the raid at a warehouse of Saleh Carpet Factory, authorities seized about 578 tons of rice bearing official monograms and supply codes from government food programs. Officials said the warehouse had no valid documents or food grain license, and the rice was allegedly being repackaged and sold commercially.

Investigators suspect the seized rice was originally allocated under government programs such as Food-Friendly, Kabikha, TR, and VGF, meant for low-income families. Preliminary findings indicate that an organized syndicate had been collecting and marketing the rice illegally for a long time. Several individuals have already been questioned, and documents from the warehouse have been confiscated.

Authorities are preparing to file cases under the Special Powers Act and Food Control Act. Local residents expressed concern over how such large-scale diversion of food aid went unnoticed, while civic groups urged that all members of the syndicate, including dealers and influential backers, be brought to justice.

National Citizens Party (NCP) chief coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari sharply criticized the government’s policies and services, warning that if all government 'cards' or promises fail, citizens will show a 'red card'. He made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon at the NCP central office in Banglamotor, Dhaka, during a seminar organized by the party’s Agriculture Cell titled 'Farmers’ distress during paddy procurement season: crisis and solutions'. Patwari questioned whether farmers are truly benefiting from the government’s various card-based schemes and urged authorities to ensure service quality and effectiveness for marginalized communities.

Expressing concern over border and regional politics, Patwari alleged that the new government in West Bengal, India, is attempting to incite communal unrest along the Bangladesh border. He urged the Bangladeshi government to remain vigilant and take timely action to prevent any provocations, emphasizing that border security and communal harmony have become major challenges.

At the same event, agricultural economist Professor Dr. Jahangir Alam highlighted that 5–7 percent of Boro paddy was damaged this season due to natural disasters, warning of possible food shortages and inflation. He recommended allocating at least 10 percent of the national budget to agriculture and forming an independent price commission to ensure fair prices for farmers.

Police in Araihazar, Narayanganj arrested two men during an attempted robbery on the Dhaka–Araihazar highway on Wednesday afternoon. The suspects allegedly tried to stop a moving private car and hold its passengers hostage near the Palla area of Duptara Union. When the passengers shouted for help, local residents rushed to the scene, prompting the robbers to flee. Police and locals jointly captured two suspects, identified as Badsha Dewan, 40, and Faruk, 50, both from Haimchar in Chandpur.

According to police, Badsha Dewan is known as the leader of a robbery gang, while Faruk is his associate. Other accomplices managed to escape during the incident. Police said the two detainees are being interrogated, and operations are underway to identify and arrest the remaining suspects.

Araihazar Police Station’s investigation officer Ripon Kumar stated that legal action is being taken against the arrested individuals following the attempted robbery.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Parliament and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman is scheduled to visit Rangpur on Friday. According to a press release issued Wednesday by Jamaat’s central publicity department, he will attend several local events as the chief guest during his visit.

The statement said Dr. Rahman will address the Upazila and Thana Ameer Conference at Rangpur Model College auditorium in the morning, organized by the Rangpur-Dinajpur regional unit. He will then hold discussions with regional team members, district and city leaders, and later meet with leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Rangpur Metropolitan, Begum Rokeya University, and district branches. In the second part of the visit, a special gathering organized by Rangpur Metropolitan Jamaat will take place at the local Shilpakala Academy auditorium at 4:30 p.m., where he will also speak as chief guest.

He will be accompanied by party Nayeb-e-Ameer ATM Azharul Islam MP, Assistant Secretary General and Rangpur-Dinajpur regional director Maulana Abdul Halim, and invited local Members of Parliament.

A Bangladeshi man named Vaishnavbihari Mondal, aged 30, was injured by rubber bullets fired by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) near the Maheshpur border in Jhenaidah early Tuesday night. The incident occurred around 2 a.m., and the injured man is currently receiving treatment at Jessore General Hospital.

According to the report, Vaishnavbihari Mondal is the son of Gopalchandra Mondal from Gobindapur village in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira. He had traveled to India 23 days earlier for medical treatment and was returning to Bangladesh when BSF personnel allegedly opened fire, causing multiple injuries. His companions rescued him and took him to the hospital.

Dr. Shafiqul Rahman from the hospital’s surgery ward confirmed that the patient sustained several wounds and is receiving necessary medical care. Maheshpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mehedi Hasan said police are investigating the matter.

Bangladesh Railway has advised passengers to purchase advance train tickets for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha exclusively through its official 'Rail Sheba' mobile application to avoid fraud and harassment. The advisory, issued by the Ministry of Railways’ public relations officer Rezaul Karim Siddiqui, warned that fraudulent individuals are deceiving passengers on social media by promising to collect tickets on their behalf and then disappearing after receiving payments through mobile banking services.

According to the railway authority, tickets can only be purchased online using a registered ID through the designated app, with a maximum of four tickets per journey. Passengers must carry the registered mobile phone and photo ID during travel. The authority emphasized that buying tickets from any other source is illegal and may lead to punishment. Complaints about fraudulent activities can be reported to railway officials, law enforcement, or the hotline number 131.

Advance ticket sales for westbound trains began online at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, drawing around six million hits within half an hour. A total of 43 trains with 31,240 seats are operating for Eid travel, and additional special trains will run to accommodate passengers.

Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre has warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall could worsen flood conditions in the country’s northeastern haor region, despite recent improvements. The alert, issued on Wednesday evening, noted that rising water levels in rivers across Netrokona, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Sunamganj districts could lead to renewed flooding, particularly in the Meghna basin.

According to the center’s latest bulletin, water levels in the Brahmaputra River have risen while the Jamuna’s have fallen, both remaining below danger levels and expected to continue for the next five days. The Ganges-Padma rivers are also stable and below danger levels. However, heavy rainfall has been recorded in Rangpur, Sylhet, and Mymensingh divisions, as well as in India’s Meghalaya and Sikkim regions, with forecasts of continued heavy rain over the next three days.

The center added that water levels in several rivers, including the Surma-Kushiyara, Dhanua-Baulai, and Bhugai-Kangsa, may rise in the coming days, potentially worsening conditions in low-lying haor areas.

An Iranian official has stated that around 80 percent of war-damaged areas in Tehran have been repaired. The information was reported by the state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), quoting Tehran’s Deputy Governor Yed Kamaluddin Mirzafarian. According to the report, more than 60,000 residential and commercial units in Tehran province were damaged during what Iran calls the “third imposed war,” involving U.S.-Israeli attacks.

The IRIB report added that since the conflict began on February 28, Iran’s direct and indirect losses are estimated at about 270 billion dollars. The war also caused extensive damage to key infrastructure, including bridges, ports, rail networks, universities, research centers, power plants, and water treatment facilities. Many hospitals, educational institutions, and homes were either partially or completely destroyed.

Iranian authorities said reconstruction efforts are progressing rapidly, and normal conditions have been restored in most parts of the capital, according to the report.

Two farmers were killed by lightning strikes within a span of ninety minutes in Chatmohar upazila of Pabna district on Wednesday. The second victim, identified as Auwal Farazi Torab, aged 55, from Bongram Paschim Chakpara village under Parshadangha Union, died on the spot when lightning struck him around 4 p.m. while returning home from Dikshibil with harvested paddy. The incident was confirmed by former union chairman Robiul Karim Tarek.

Earlier the same day, around 2:30 p.m., another farmer named Robban Ali from Maheshpur village in Mulgram Union died in a separate lightning strike. Both incidents occurred during a nor'wester storm that swept through the area, causing sudden weather changes and fatalities among local farmers.

The consecutive lightning deaths highlight the recurring danger faced by rural agricultural workers during seasonal storms in the region.

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria district branch organized a protest march and rally on Wednesday in response to reported attacks and persecution of Muslims in West Bengal, India. The demonstration began at the municipal open stage in Brahmanbaria town and proceeded through major streets before concluding at Kautoli Square, where a brief rally was held.

Speakers at the rally condemned the alleged violence and religious oppression against Muslims in West Bengal. They urged the Indian government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure the safety and security of minority Muslims. The speakers also called on the international community to raise its voice against religious incitement and communal violence and to unite in protest against oppression of the Muslim community.

Local Hefazat leaders including Maulana Sajidur Rahman, Mufti Ali Azam, Mufti Kamal Uddin Kasemi, and Mufti Tanvir Siraji addressed the gathering, which was attended by party members from district and upazila levels.

All levels of educational institutions across Bangladesh will go on an extended holiday from May 24, 2026, marking Eid-ul-Azha and the summer vacation. According to the official holiday schedule and academic calendar, government primary schools, government and private secondary schools, colleges, technical institutes, and madrasas will begin their break simultaneously. Students will effectively attend their last classes on May 21, as May 22 and 23 fall on the weekend.

The vacation for primary, secondary, and technical institutions will continue until June 4, with classes resuming on June 7 after the weekend of June 5–6. This gives students a total of 16 consecutive days off, including weekends. Madrasa students, however, will enjoy a longer break, from May 24 to June 11, reopening on June 14 after the weekend, totaling 23 days of vacation.

Separately, the government has declared a seven-day national holiday for Eid-ul-Azha from May 25 to May 31, with offices remaining open on May 23 and 24 before the official break begins.

Influential American neoconservative thinker and longtime pro-Israel strategist Robert Kagan has warned that the United States is heading toward a 'total defeat' in its ongoing conflict with Iran. Writing in The Atlantic, Kagan argued that the war has inflicted irreparable damage on Washington’s global standing and that no decisive American victory can reverse the losses. He described the conflict as both a military and strategic setback for the US.

Kagan, co-founder of the Project for the New American Century and a key advocate of US military interventionism, drew parallels between the current situation and past crises such as Pearl Harbor and the Vietnam War. He said the balance of power over the Strait of Hormuz has shifted, turning Iran from a regional into a global power. According to him, the war has exposed an unreliable America unable to finish what it starts.

He further warned that the Trump administration now faces limited options, with diminished leverage to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or maintain pressure on Tehran. Kagan also cautioned that the conflict could prove disastrous for Israel, potentially reducing US and Israeli influence across the Middle East.

The Dhaka district administration has demolished illegal structures built by Haji Selim’s Madina Group on government land in the capital’s Lalbagh area. The eviction drive took place on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, under the leadership of Dhaka Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Farida Khanom. According to district sources, the group had occupied land listed under Lalbagh Mouza’s No. 1 khas khatian for over two decades. Following a legal process, the High Court’s previous stay order was lifted by the Chamber Judge Court on May 12, paving the way for the eviction.

During the operation, heavy machinery was used to demolish the illegal structures and reclaim the government property. Law enforcement personnel, executive magistrates, and relevant officials were present at the site. Farida Khanom stated that the administration would continue such drives to protect public property and ensure no one occupies government land illegally.

Local residents welcomed the initiative, describing it as bold and timely. They expressed relief that the long-occupied government land was finally recovered and hoped continued enforcement would reduce illegal land grabbing.

German coach Bernd Storck has become the frontrunner to take charge of the Bangladesh national football team, surpassing Brazil’s Rosario Mikel and former Wales coach Chris Coleman. The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) is leaning toward Storck due to his lower salary demand and extensive coaching experience. Storck, 63, has previously coached Hungary to the Euro 2016 knockout stage and managed Kazakhstan’s national team for nearly two years, along with club stints in Belgium and Slovakia.

BFF’s National Teams Committee interviewed Storck last Tuesday, discussing salary and benefits. While Mikel and Coleman demanded $30,000 and $26,000 respectively, Storck’s expected pay is closer to that of outgoing coach Javier Cabrera. The federation is expected to announce the new coach by Friday. BFF President Tabith Awal will make the final decision, which may depend on whether government financial support is secured to afford a higher-profile coach.

The coaching position became vacant after Cabrera’s contract expired in April. A record 300 local and foreign coaches applied, later narrowed down to six finalists based on experience, salary expectations, and professional licenses.

Bangladesh Bank has imposed new restrictions on its officials and employees regarding participation in training, seminars, and workshops both at home and abroad. According to an office order issued on Wednesday, officials are now prohibited from attending any such events funded by government or private banks, financial institutions, or any organization that receives services from or supplies goods and services to the central bank. The directive takes immediate effect.

The order further states that Bangladesh Bank officials cannot act as trainers or examiners in programs financed by banks or financial institutions. Participation as speakers or trainers in domestic seminars is allowed only with prior approval from the Human Resources Department-2, and no honorarium may be accepted from the organizing institution. The central bank said the move aims to prevent conflicts of interest and maintain neutrality in its operations.

The decision follows reports that some officials had traveled abroad at the invitation of supplier companies, with allegations that certain departments provided undue advantages to those firms in procurement processes.