Salahuddin Ammar, General Secretary of the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Ruqsu), has been accused of harassing Nurul Islam Shahid, General Secretary of Nawab Abdul Latif Hall Students’ Union. Shahid made the allegation in a Facebook post on Wednesday night, claiming the incident occurred while watching the Argentina–Algeria World Cup football match at Habibur Rahman Hall field.

According to Shahid, he was invited by Ruqsu Vice President Mustakur Rahman Zahid and Habibur Rahman Hall GS Ashiq Shikdar to sit near them. Shortly after, Ammar and Assistant Sports Secretary Abu Sayeed Sami arrived, and Ammar allegedly pulled Shahid by his shirt collar and forced him out of the restricted area. Shahid said he later expressed unwillingness to participate in future Ruqsu activities.

Ammar denied the allegations, stating that he did not touch Shahid and only asked him to move to maintain order and visibility for female students. Assistant Sports Secretary Abu Sayeed Noon said he was present but could not clearly hear what happened.

The United Nations has reported that Israeli military operations remain extensive in southern Lebanon, even though the intensity of clashes has slightly decreased. Citing observations from the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL, Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in New York that Israeli forces continue widespread activities, including the movement of armored vehicles, large-scale engineering and demolition work, and sustained logistical transport across the area.

According to UN data, between midnight and 4 p.m. local time on Wednesday, UNIFIL recorded 26 airspace violations and one airstrike in Lebanon. The peacekeeping mission also reported that two Israeli naval vessels breached Lebanon’s maritime boundary about 600 meters off the coast of Naqoura. Despite recent efforts to ease border tensions, the UN’s latest observations have raised renewed concern about the situation.

UNIFIL stated that it continues to closely monitor developments in southern Lebanon as Israeli military presence and activity remain visibly significant on the ground.

Police in Savar arrested Taisir Khan, the joint organizational secretary of the Savar Sadar Union unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), after finding him in possession of yaba tablets. The arrest took place around midnight on Tuesday during a police operation in the Chapain area under Savar Sadar Union. A video showing Taisir Khan allegedly consuming yaba with an associate spread rapidly across social media, drawing wide attention in the area.

According to police and local sources, officers from Savar Model Police Station detained him with two yaba tablets. The station’s investigation officer confirmed the arrest and said legal action had been taken, with the accused sent to court through proper procedures. Following the incident, the JCD expelled Taisir Khan from his organizational post for violating party discipline.

The viral video and subsequent expulsion have stirred local discussion, while authorities continue legal proceedings against the detained leader.

A BNP activist died of a heart attack while greeting a party leader in Chapainawabganj on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred in front of the district jail gate as supporters gathered to welcome Gomostapur Union BNP president Abdullah Al Raihan, who had just been released on bail. The deceased, identified as Mithu Ali, suddenly fell ill during the reception and was taken to the 250-bed district hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

According to local BNP members, Abdullah Al Raihan had been arrested on May 9 in connection with an assault case involving a police officer from Nachol Police Station. His release prompted hundreds of party activists to assemble outside the jail with flowers to celebrate his freedom. District hospital physician Dr. Isharul Islam Tushar said preliminary findings suggest the cause of death was a heart attack.

Chapainawabganj Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ekramul Hossain confirmed that the body was handed over to the family after completing legal formalities.

Train operations in Kurigram’s Rajarhat area were temporarily suspended on Thursday morning after a sand-laden truck lost control and overturned on the railway track near a petrol pump. The incident blocked the line, disrupting the movement of the Romna Mail and Kurigram Express trains. Passengers bound for Dhaka and Chilmari faced severe difficulties as scheduled departures were canceled.

Many Dhaka-bound travelers, arriving at Kurigram station on time, were forced to seek alternative transport to Teesta Railway Station amid adverse weather conditions, often paying extra fares. Railway authorities, local administration, and rescue teams reached the site to remove the truck and restore train operations. Kurigram Railway Station’s in-charge Konika confirmed that efforts were underway to clear the line but could not specify when normal service would resume.

According to railway sources, the Kurigram Express, which usually departs for Dhaka at 7:10 a.m., could not leave the station due to the accident. Authorities said they were working to reopen the route as quickly as possible.

Severe racist violence has erupted in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, where homes and cars were set ablaze along Newtownards Road in East Belfast. The unrest, concentrated in loyalist Protestant areas, has continued for nearly a week. It began after local man Stephen Ogilvie was stabbed, leading to attempted murder charges against Sudanese national Hadi Alodid. During the riots, attackers circulated immigrants’ addresses on social media, prompting arson attacks that displaced families from Ukraine, Poland, and Romania.

Members of loyalist paramilitary groups such as the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA) were reportedly involved, continuing to wield influence despite the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Online incitement amplified the violence, with far-right agitator Tommy Robinson calling for protests and Elon Musk promoting them on his platform X. Politicians including Jim Allister and Nigel Farage also made anti-immigrant remarks that heightened tensions.

Experts and residents described the violence as part of an organized racist campaign. They cited housing shortages and economic frustration as underlying causes, with landlords allegedly evicting locals to rent to state-supported migrants. Thousands have since marched in Belfast demanding peace and solidarity.

Police in Patiya, Chattogram recovered the body of a missing child, Md. Zayhan, 36 hours after his disappearance. The body, found inside a sack at a garbage dump in Dakshin Gobindarkhil village, was recovered early Thursday through a joint operation by the Detective Branch and local police. Five suspects—Saiful, Shahanur, Niha, Nihan, and Wasifa—were arrested in connection with the case. The body was discovered behind the suspects’ residence.

According to Zayhan’s father, the child was abducted on Tuesday afternoon, and a handwritten ransom note demanding three lakh taka and an unlocked mobile phone was found in their home. Family members initially believed the boy had drowned in a nearby pond, but after failing to locate him, they filed a general diary with Patiya police. Police collected the ransom note as evidence and launched an operation.

Relatives alleged that neighbors abducted the child for ransom and later killed him with a hammer before dumping the body. Police sent the body to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for autopsy, while local residents expressed outrage and demanded exemplary punishment for those involved.

The Louvre Museum, the world’s most visited art institution, is struggling to secure funds for urgent infrastructure and facility repairs. During a recent Senate hearing, its new director, Christophe Leribault, acknowledged the museum’s deteriorating condition and financial distress. The crisis follows a daring theft of royal jewelry worth about 100 million dollars, which exposed internal weaknesses and led to the resignation of the previous director.

Leribault, an art historian specializing in eighteenth-century art, took charge in February after the October theft incident. He stated that the museum’s equipment and infrastructure have reached the end of their functional life, and pressing building issues are accumulating. Located on the banks of the Seine in central Paris, the Louvre attracts around nine million visitors annually and houses Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

The museum is also facing revenue losses from repeated strikes, a ticket fraud case involving about 10 million euros, water leakage, and maintenance complications, deepening its financial and operational challenges.

The Jordanian government has announced a general amnesty for undocumented Bangladeshi expatriates living in the country. According to a special notice issued by the Bangladesh Embassy in Jordan on Wednesday, the amnesty allows undocumented workers to either regularize their status or return to Bangladesh without paying fines. The embassy also published the announcement on its official Facebook page.

Under the amnesty, any undocumented worker may return home without penalty or continue working in Jordan under certain conditions. Workers are also permitted to change employers if they wish. Domestic workers can transfer to new employers, and individuals who entered Jordan on travel visas may apply for work permits. The embassy has urged all eligible Bangladeshis to contact it for assistance in availing the benefits of the amnesty.

The initiative aims to help undocumented Bangladeshi workers resolve their legal status and reduce the risks associated with irregular employment in Jordan.

More than a hundred workers at the Palli Rani Dressman garment factory in Chandra Trimor, Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur, fell ill after drinking water on Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 10 a.m., when workers began to feel unwell shortly after consuming water at the factory. They were immediately taken to Kaliakoir Upazila Health Complex and other nearby medical centers for treatment.

According to a worker admitted to the health complex, she experienced stomach pain and nausea after drinking a glass of water and later lost consciousness. Another worker said the water had tasted bad for several days, but no action had been taken by the factory authorities. Duty doctor Nowrin Ahmed confirmed that over a hundred patients were admitted, with six in critical condition referred to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital.

Factory Assistant General Manager Atikul Islam stated that around 30 to 35 workers were hospitalized and suggested that rainwater contamination might have caused the problem. The factory has been temporarily closed to ensure proper treatment for the affected workers.

Tales of July began its journey on July 31, 2024, with the publication of a literary anthology. Initially conceived as a single publication, the initiative has since expanded into a multifaceted platform dedicated to research, archiving, publishing, and memory preservation related to the July Revolution. To date, it has published seven books exploring various aspects of the revolution, including personal stories, experiences, and historical narratives.

At the 2026 Amar Ekushey Book Fair, the platform released two major works: “Julaiyer Phool,” a 600-page volume chronicling the lives of 111 child martyrs, and a commemorative book on martyr Osman Hadi. Previous publications include collections of poems and memorial issues dedicated to other martyrs. Tales of July is run by a 13-member governing body led by founder and executive head poet Israfil Akand Rudra and executive director Tahsin Ahmed, with all members being university students.

The organization maintains contact with injured individuals and families of martyrs, documenting their memories and experiences. It also collaborates with researchers and institutions to collect and analyze data on the July uprising, aiming to keep history alive through continuous study and documentation.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Aminur Rashid announced that Bangladesh has launched an initiative to revive extinct native fruit species by encouraging farmers to produce them. He made the statement on June 18, 2026, while briefing journalists at the inauguration of the three-day National Fruit Fair at the Bangladesh Agricultural Institute premises in Khamarbari. The minister toured the fair, met with entrepreneurs, and assured them of full government support.

Rashid said the annual fruit fair has sparked a revolution in fruit production across the country. He noted that the government is also introducing genetic material from imported fruit varieties to promote domestic cultivation and reduce import dependency. Using dragon fruit as an example, he said locally grown varieties are tastier and farmers are being encouraged to innovate in fruit production.

The minister further stated that the agriculture budget has increased by 10 percent compared to the previous year, while development and incentive allocations have risen by 59 percent, rejecting claims that the agriculture budget has been reduced.

For the first time in history, Bangladesh’s banking sector has collectively reported a net loss, amounting to Tk 1.36 trillion in 2025. The loss, revealed in Bangladesh Bank’s Financial Stability Report 2025, stemmed from record-high provisions against non-performing loans. Despite generating Tk 134,815 crore in interest income, banks faced higher interest expenses of Tk 147,352 crore, resulting in a negative interest margin. Operating profits before provisions stood at Tk 19,571 crore, but provisioning surged to Tk 143,855 crore, turning overall profits into deep losses.

The report shows that most banks suffered losses, including First Security Islami Bank, Exim Bank, and Social Islami Bank, while a few such as Standard Chartered, BRAC Bank, and City Bank managed to stay profitable. Sector-wide net profit dropped by Tk 148,824 crore compared to 2024, marking a 1,224 percent negative growth. Bank executives attributed the losses to long-accumulated bad loans and stressed assets totaling Tk 11 trillion.

Experts warned that with 60 percent of loans under stress and a 35 percent default rate, the sector’s financial stability remains at risk, and the crisis may deepen in the coming years.

The government of Bangladesh has planned to install underground fiber lines to deliver dynamic internet services to 87,000 villages and enhance digital access for marginalized communities. The initiative, originally launched as the ‘Tiger Project’ in 2022 and later renamed ‘D-Star’ or ‘Digital Star,’ received an initial allocation of 300 million US dollars. The Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission began groundwork to implement the project aimed at strengthening rural connectivity.

Progress has stalled due to disputes between mobile operators and fiber network businesses. Mobile operators have urged the government to expand spectrum coverage instead of direct fiber connections, while fiber providers argue that underground fiber connectivity at the union level would ensure better quality and resilience. The project remains pending at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council as both sides lobby for control.

Telecom experts have supported the underground approach, citing reduced risk of cable damage during natural disasters and less infrastructure clutter. The government has reportedly decided in principle to route fiber lines underground to improve reliability and minimize corruption risks.

A 24-year-old man named Rajib Mia died after being struck by lightning early Thursday morning in Ganesh Haor under Kaitail Union of Madan upazila, Netrakona. According to local and family sources, Rajib, a brick kiln worker from Joypasha village, had gone fishing near his home when the lightning strike occurred, killing him on the spot.

The incident has cast a shadow of grief over his family and the local community. Rajib’s wife is four months pregnant, and his family of eight has lost its only earning member, leaving them in a vulnerable situation. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nadir Hossain Shamim expressed condolences to the bereaved family and assured that the administration would provide possible government assistance.

Local authorities are expected to extend support to the affected family as part of standard disaster response measures following lightning-related fatalities.