Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that 26 ships safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz within the past 24 hours under its supervision. According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the vessels included oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships, all of which passed through the strait with official permission.

State broadcaster IRIB reported that at least five of the vessels were supertankers. The report added that ships from several countries, including China and South Korea, have requested permission to transit the strategic waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key maritime route for global energy shipments, and Iran’s control over transit permissions highlights its continuing influence over regional maritime traffic.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has strongly condemned recent comments made by BNP Secretary General and LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in Thakurgaon’s Ranishankoil, describing them as provocative, false, and politically motivated. In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said Fakhrul’s remarks were irresponsible and aimed at gaining cheap popularity by maligning a disciplined and people-oriented Islamic party.

Porwar rejected Fakhrul’s allegation that Jamaat engages in politics under the guise of religion, asserting that the party operates as a lawful, ideological, and transparent religious political organization. He accused the BNP of exploiting religious sentiments during elections, calling their approach hypocritical. Porwar also dismissed Fakhrul’s claim that Jamaat would never gain power, arguing that the party has long enjoyed popular support and representation in parliament.

He further stated that Jamaat has always defended the country’s sovereignty and independence and urged Fakhrul to withdraw his “false and provocative” remarks, emphasizing that sustainable politics must be based on truth, honesty, and public welfare.

Awami League-backed lawyers, who are barred from court activities, staged a public demonstration and march at the Chattogram court premises on Wednesday afternoon. Witnesses said the lawyers gathered in the courtyard, chanted slogans against Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and conducted a one-hour procession while police remained present but took no action.

Videos from the scene reportedly showed the lawyers promoting the Awami League and shouting various slogans against the Prime Minister. Observers described the event as alarming, recalling that the same political group had allegedly been involved in mass killings two years earlier. Several lawyers present expressed anger over what they saw as the administration’s silence during the demonstration.

Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Aftab Uddin stated that he was unaware of the rally and that no prior information had been received. He added that the police would investigate and take necessary measures.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has become the first official from President Donald Trump’s administration to publicly criticise Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. Huckabee’s remarks came after Ben-Gvir posted a video showing detained foreign activists from a Gaza-bound aid flotilla being taunted and mistreated. Several countries, including Italy, France, the Netherlands and Canada, summoned Israeli ambassadors in protest. Huckabee condemned Ben-Gvir’s behaviour as a betrayal of national dignity but his comments followed closely after the US Treasury sanctioned the flotilla’s organisers.

Analysts said the episode highlighted a double standard in US policy toward Israel and Palestinians. The sanctions targeted four organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which sought to break Gaza’s blockade and deliver aid. The US Treasury described the effort as supporting Hamas, while organisers rejected the accusation, calling the sanctions an act of complicity in genocide. Advocacy groups such as DAWN and the Quincy Institute argued that Washington’s actions reinforced Israeli impunity and showed the Trump administration’s unwillingness to meaningfully criticise Israel.

Observers said the incident underscored growing divergence between the US and other Western nations on international law and humanitarian principles.

Israeli forces carried out a series of airstrikes and gunfire attacks across at least eight towns in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. The operations included heavy machine-gun fire and a major ground assault in Khiam, along with air raids in the Tyre district’s Tair Debe area. Additional strikes were reported in Yatar, Sarbin, and Hadatha in the Bint Jbeil district, while Kfardounine, Fraoun, and Jibkin were also targeted.

The report stated that bombs were dropped from aircraft over Jibkin, but no casualties had been confirmed as of the latest updates. Local sources indicated that the intensity of attacks across southern Lebanon has been escalating. The information was attributed to Al Jazeera and Lebanon’s National News Agency.

The situation suggests a growing pattern of military escalation in the region, though the report did not specify any official responses or broader strategic context.

A Cox’s Bazar court has sentenced four people to death and nine others to life imprisonment for the 2024 murder of army officer Lieutenant Tanzim Sarwar Nirjon in Chakaria. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Mohammad Abul Monsur Siddique, Additional District and Sessions Judge (Fifth Court) of Cox’s Bazar. In a separate arms case linked to the same incident, 13 defendants were each sentenced to 17 years in prison. Five others were acquitted for lack of involvement.

According to the case details, Lieutenant Tanzim was fatally stabbed by an armed robbery gang on September 23, 2024, during a joint operation in Dulahazara union to prevent a robbery. Following the incident, two separate cases were filed—one for murder and robbery preparation, and another under the Arms Act. The charge sheet was submitted on January 19, 2025. Among the four sentenced to death, one convict, Morshed Alam, remains absconding.

Prosecution lawyers said the verdict followed extensive hearings and evidence review. The plaintiff’s counsel noted that the ruling marked a significant step toward justice.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. At the start of their meeting, Xi warned that the world risked returning to a 'law of the jungle' situation, implying a global order dominated by power rather than rules. He described China-Russia relations as a major force for global stability. The meeting took place just days after Xi hosted U.S. President Donald Trump, highlighting Beijing’s active diplomatic engagements with major powers.

Before the bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People, Putin received a red-carpet welcome with full state honors. A military band played both national anthems, Chinese troops presented a guard of honor, and children waved Chinese and Russian flags while shouting greetings in Chinese. The ceremony mirrored the recent reception for Trump’s visit, which included discussions on trade, investment, and regional issues such as Iran and Taiwan.

The meeting underscored China’s effort to balance relations with both Russia and the United States amid shifting global dynamics.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir stated that the people of Bangladesh will never bring Jamaat-e-Islami to power. He made the remark on Wednesday at a public reception organized by the Thakurgaon district BNP at the abandoned airport grounds in Shibganj, Thakurgaon. Fakhrul accused Jamaat-e-Islami of opposing the 1971 Liberation War, killing freedom fighters, and committing atrocities against women, asserting that such actions make them unacceptable to the nation.

During his speech, Fakhrul criticized politics conducted in the name of religion and said that truth must be the foundation of politics. When he asked the crowd to name the party that uses religion for politics, attendees responded by shouting “Jamaat-e-Islami.”

Fakhrul also inspected the abandoned Thakurgaon airport and mentioned that plans to reopen it are progressing. He said the project has been included in the planning department’s agenda and that, if feasibility and renovation work begin soon, the airport could reopen within two years.

The National Citizens Party (NCP) has strongly criticized the government’s recent decision to withdraw judicial officers assigned to the Supreme Court Secretariat and to effectively nullify its operations. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the party’s law secretary, Advocate Zahirul Islam Musa, the NCP said the move contradicts the principles of judicial independence, separation of powers, and the democratic spirit of the state. The party demanded that the decision be immediately reconsidered and presented four specific demands to safeguard judicial autonomy.

According to the statement, the establishment of a separate Supreme Court Secretariat was intended to ensure constitutional balance by freeing the judiciary from executive influence in matters such as supervision, appointments, promotions, transfers, and discipline. The NCP warned that depriving the judiciary of its administrative structure and decision-making authority would reduce the constitutional promise of an independent judiciary to a mere declaration. It argued that administrative control by the executive undermines justice, the rule of law, and citizens’ rights.

The NCP reaffirmed its commitment to defending judicial independence and announced that it would continue political, legal, and democratic protests against any direct or indirect interference with the judiciary.

An emergency discussion meeting was held at the Kaptai Karnaphuli Range under the South Forest Division of the Chittagong Hill Tracts to address the ongoing human-elephant conflict. The meeting took place at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and included members of the Elephant Response Team (ERT). Organized by the Karnaphuli Range, the session focused on elephant movement, protection, and maintaining active elephant corridors.

Officials present included Jamal Hossain Talukder, Assistant Conservator of Forests for the South Forest Division, Abu Kawsar, Assistant Conservator of Forests for the Karnaphuli Range, Abu Nayeem Shahidul Alam, Range Officer, and Mostafizur Rahman, Beat Officer of Karnaphuli Sadar Beat. Staff members of the Karnaphuli Range and 20 ERT members from Teams 1 and 2 also attended.

The meeting emphasized regular attendance and duty performance by ERT members to ensure effective management of elephant movements and to reduce conflicts between humans and elephants in the region.

The body of Bangladeshi fisherman Md. Ismail Haque, who went missing while fishing in the Purnobhaba River in Biral, Dinajpur, was returned from India after 19 days. Haque, aged 65, disappeared on April 30 while fishing near Chandamari Puranghat in Kamdevpur village. Despite extensive searches by locals and fire service divers, he could not be found. On May 3, Indian authorities recovered an unidentified body from the Yadabbati Batulpur River ghat under Gangarampur police station, which was later identified as Haque through photos shared on social media.

Following official procedures between Bangladesh and India, and with assistance from the Bangladesh Embassy in Kolkata, the body was repatriated through the Hili checkpoint on Wednesday. After receiving the body, the family held funeral prayers and buried him in the family graveyard. Haque’s eldest son, Haidar Ali, expressed relief after the long wait and thanked the authorities and embassy for their cooperation.

The repatriation marks the end of a cross-border process that involved coordination between local administrations and diplomatic channels.

France has summoned Israel’s ambassador following allegations of mistreatment of international activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the decision in a post on X, calling the behavior of Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir toward the flotilla workers unacceptable. He said France demanded an explanation and emphasized that ensuring the safety of French citizens remains a government priority.

Barrot added that while France does not support the flotilla’s strategy, Israel must treat detained French participants with respect and release them promptly. The move follows a similar diplomatic step by Italy, which earlier summoned the Israeli ambassador over the same incident.

A video circulating on social media showing alleged mistreatment of the flotilla workers has sparked widespread criticism internationally. Analysts noted that the episode has intensified diplomatic pressure on Israel from European countries amid ongoing tensions surrounding Gaza.

A joint eviction drive by police and city corporation officials in Dhaka’s Mirpur Bauniyabandh area turned violent on Wednesday afternoon when local residents resisted the demolition of thousands of houses built on government land. Witnesses said the situation escalated quickly as residents, angered by the sudden operation, threw bricks at law enforcement officers, forcing police to retreat to avoid further clashes. Videos circulating on social media showed officers running for safety while being chased by crowds.

Authorities claimed the land had been illegally occupied for years and that residents had been repeatedly asked to vacate. However, locals alleged that no prior notice or rehabilitation plan was provided before the eviction began, leaving many low-income families, including rickshaw pullers and garment workers, at risk of homelessness. The incident sparked widespread debate online, with opinions divided between humanitarian concerns and the need to free public land.

Police sources confirmed that several officers were injured, though no details were released. Additional forces were deployed later in the day, and experts warned that such unplanned evictions without resettlement measures often lead to recurring social and humanitarian crises in Dhaka.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan announced that all previous discussions, recommendations, and documents related to the proposed Media Commission will serve as key inputs for future actions. Speaking on Wednesday at a seminar in Dhaka organized by UK International Development and BBC Media Action, he said a consultative committee will be formed to prepare final recommendations for the government based on its findings.

The minister noted that the issue had also been discussed recently in a meeting between the head of government, media owners, and editors. He emphasized that the consultative committee will engage with all relevant stakeholders again to ensure an acceptable and effective framework. Swapan described the media as a vital pillar of modern governance, highlighting its role in ensuring accountability of other state institutions.

He added that the government will act both as a partner and as a coordinator in the process, expressing hope that domestic and international development partners, media organizations, and other stakeholders will support the initiative.

Two officials from the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection were allegedly confined and harassed for nearly two hours while conducting an inspection near the Chittagong University campus on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred at the university’s Gate No. 2 area, where the officials, accompanied by representatives from Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (ChakSU) and CU Cable Network (CUCAB), were jointly inspecting local shops.

Assistant Directors Md. Anisur Rahman and Mahmuda Akter led the operation, which fined two pharmacies and four hotels a total of about 40,000 taka for irregularities. Tension arose when shop owner Solaiman Chowdhury was fined 10,000 taka and engaged in an argument with the officials. Although he later paid the fine, he and several locals allegedly blocked the officials’ vehicle and confined the team, including ChakSU and CUCAB members.

University authorities later intervened to rescue the officials and restore order. Witnesses claimed police remained inactive despite prior notification, while officials said the operation followed proper procedures and accused others of politicizing the incident.