A man named Shafiqul Islam Chan, aged 60, died after being bitten by a venomous snake in Nilakhia Union of Bakshiganj upazila, Jamalpur. The incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Puran Bashkanda village while he was cutting grass for his cattle. Shafiqul Islam Chan was known to be a rural medical practitioner.

According to family and local sources, the snake bit him around 11 a.m. while he was working in a jute field near his home. He returned home after the bite, and his family took him to Bakshiganj Upazila Health Complex. As his condition worsened, he was referred to Jamalpur General Hospital, where he died later in the afternoon. The acting chairman of Nilakhia Union Parishad, Hamidur Rahman Forsa, confirmed awareness of the incident.

Local authorities have been informed, but no further details about the type of snake or official investigation were reported in the source.

Bangladeshi intelligence agencies have reportedly uncovered a plan by the banned Awami League to create unrest across the country ahead of its June 23 founding anniversary. According to the report, the group intends to stage sudden processions, detonate crude bombs, and vandalize vehicles in Dhaka and other key cities to spread panic and disrupt public order. Security sources said recent small-scale explosions in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Meherpur were seen as rehearsals for larger coordinated actions.

The report claims that 16 former leaders from affiliated organizations are coordinating the plan, with a Dhaka city councillor allegedly financing the operations. Police headquarters have warned that the group may attempt to raise flags and hold rallies, potentially clashing with other political groups. A parallel campaign involving a controversial “Ram temple” issue in Gaibandha is also being linked to efforts to inflame religious sentiment.

Police officials stated that strict security measures, including checkpoints and additional forces at sensitive points, have been deployed to prevent any banned organization from taking to the streets.

The BNP-led government has initiated a major plan to make Bangladesh’s agricultural irrigation fully solar-powered. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, a policy decision is being prepared to convert all diesel and electricity-driven irrigation pumps to solar energy. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) has been instructed to implement the plan, which includes a proposed five-year project from July 2025 to June 2030 to install 50,900 solar irrigation units across the country at a cost of about Tk 6,996 crore.

Field-level farmers have welcomed the initiative but raised concerns about technical challenges. Some reported that earlier solar pumps failed to provide sufficient water during cloudy weather or at night, forcing them to rely on deep tube wells. Experts and economists have supported the solar transition, noting potential savings in fuel imports, reduced carbon emissions, and long-term cost benefits for farmers.

If implemented effectively, the project could save hundreds of crores of taka in diesel costs annually and add around 150 megawatts of electricity to the national grid through net metering, easing pressure on Bangladesh’s energy supply.

Iran’s National Security Committee chief Ebrahim Azizi has warned that the United States will have to pay a price if it fails to honor the commitments made under a memorandum of understanding with Tehran. He stated that the Trump administration did not uphold the first clause of the agreement, which required both sides to immediately and permanently halt military operations on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon.

In a post on social media platform X, Azizi said that Washington’s failure to adhere to the first clause demonstrates that the United States still lacks the goodwill necessary to gain the trust of the Iranian nation. He added that if this situation continues, the U.S. will face significant consequences.

Azizi further noted that the first response to the violation of the agreement’s commitments would be an intelligent and deterrent reaction from Iran. The comments were reported by Al Jazeera, according to the source.

Two young sisters drowned while bathing in a pond in Mohanganj upazila of Netrokona district on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred in Pabai village under Barkashia-Birampur Union during a family wedding. The victims were Niha Akter, aged 7, and Noha Akter, aged 3, daughters of local hand trolley driver Nizam Uddin. They were the couple’s only children.

According to Mohanganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizul Islam Harun, the children’s mother was busy with wedding activities while their father was also engaged in related tasks. Taking advantage of the moment, the two sisters went to bathe in the pond near their house and drowned. Locals noticed one child floating and raised an alarm, after which both were rescued and taken to Mohanganj Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead.

Neighbor Mizanur Rahman said the deaths cast a shadow of grief over the family and the entire area.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will embark on his first bilateral visit to China from June 22 to 26, following a stop in Malaysia. The visit, which includes meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, aims to establish a new foundation for Dhaka–Beijing political and strategic relations. More than ten memoranda of understanding and three agreements are expected to be signed, covering cooperation in education, human resource development, agriculture, trade, investment, artificial intelligence, media, communication, and development assistance.

Senior diplomats and analysts describe the trip as highly significant amid ongoing tensions in Dhaka–Delhi relations and debates over a recent trade deal with the United States. Bangladesh is expected to express support for China’s position on Taiwan and may announce participation in the Global Development Initiative. Discussions could also include Bangladesh’s interest in joining RCEP, BRICS, and the SCO, as well as cooperation on the Teesta River project.

Preparations for the visit are ongoing, with multiple meetings held between the Chinese embassy and Bangladesh’s foreign ministry. Observers view the trip as both a strategic and economic opportunity for Bangladesh to secure political backing and potential financial support from China.

At least 25 of Bangladesh’s 59 public universities have seen new vice-chancellors appointed since the BNP government took office, with reports indicating that political considerations have outweighed academic merit. The appointments began within a month of the new administration’s formation, replacing many who were appointed by the post-uprising interim government. Critics claim that the government is prioritizing party loyalty over qualifications, with several new vice-chancellors linked to BNP-affiliated teacher organizations such as Zia Parishad and the Sada Dal.

The Education Ministry’s search committee, reconstituted in April, is formally responsible for recommending candidates, but its procedures have reportedly not been consistently followed. Protests and controversies have erupted at several universities, including Begum Rokeya and Jamalpur Science and Technology, where appointments were quickly reversed. Opposition parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have condemned the mass replacements as politically motivated.

The BNP’s election manifesto had pledged merit-based recruitment in public institutions, but the recent wave of politically aligned appointments has raised doubts about that commitment. Education experts have urged adherence to ethical and legal standards in university leadership selection.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has said the current situation in the United States is worse than it was before the start of the Iran war. In an interview with NBC News ahead of the inauguration of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Friday, he expressed concern over the heavy costs of the conflict, including billions of dollars spent, pressure on the military, and loss of lives, while achieving no tangible results.

Obama criticized the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, arguing that it allowed Iran to expand its nuclear capabilities. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance claimed that the peace plan has weakened Iran’s conventional military power and reduced fuel prices, though his postponed trip to Switzerland has created uncertainty over new talks. Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Tehran’s red lines must be respected in any future negotiations.

Oil transport disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have raised global market concerns, with ExxonMobil’s senior vice president Neil Chapman warning that prices could rise to $150–160 per barrel if strategic reserves fall critically low.

Iran and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding that reopened the Hormuz Strait after months of closure. Despite this development, analysts warn that the global oil crisis is far from over. Data from analytics firm Kpler show that about 1.15 billion barrels of oil have been lost from global supply during the conflict, leaving the market fragile and near collapse.

The International Energy Agency reports that global oil reserves are now at their lowest since 1990, while U.S. emergency reserves have hit a 43-year low. At the G7 summit in Versailles, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that American reserves could run out within four weeks if the strait had remained closed. Although oil prices have dropped below 80 dollars per barrel from a wartime high of 126.41 dollars, experts caution that prices may rise again as supply recovery will be slow.

According to the IEA, even with an additional daily output of five million barrels, it could take nearly a year to restore lost supply. Some analysts, however, believe OPEC Plus members are eager to boost production, suggesting the crisis may ease within weeks.

A 14-year-old school student named Md. Mahim Sheikh died after being electrocuted while putting up a Brazil flag in Gafargaon, Mymensingh. The incident occurred on Friday evening in Dakshin Harina village under Paikbag Union of the upazila’s Pagla Police Station area. Mahim was the son of Md. Nayon Sheikh and a student of class eight at Paikbag Islamia High School.

According to police and family sources, Mahim had earlier erected a bamboo pole to hoist the Brazil flag. A few days later, the pole tilted, and while he was trying to straighten it on Friday, it came into contact with a nearby 33 kV power line. He was electrocuted and collapsed on the ground. Locals rescued him and took him first to Gafargaon Upazila Health Complex and later to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The report did not mention any further investigation or official statement regarding the incident.

Intelligence agencies have reported that the banned Awami League is allegedly planning nationwide unrest and sabotage on June 23, coinciding with its founding anniversary. The group is accused of preparing flash processions, cocktail explosions, and attacks in Dhaka, Savar, and Chattogram to create panic and disrupt public order. Security sources said at least 15 key points in Dhaka, including Motijheel, Dhanmondi, and Mirpur, have been identified for coordinated disturbances.

According to the report, 16 individuals, including former leaders of affiliated organizations such as the Chhatra League, Jubo League, and Krishak League, are coordinating the plan, with a Dhaka city councillor named as a main financier. Recent small-scale explosions in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Meherpur are described as trial runs. A parallel attempt to stir religious tension through a Ram Mandir issue in Gaibandha’s Palashbari has also been linked to the alleged plan.

Police officials stated that strict security measures are in place, with checkpoints and additional forces deployed across the capital. Law enforcement has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to prevent any banned organization from taking to the streets.

The Bangladesh Azad Party organized a peaceful torch procession in Dhaka on Friday, June 19, protesting what it described as India’s continued anti-Bangladesh activities. The march began at 7:30 p.m. in front of the RAOWA Convention Hall in Mohakhali and proceeded along Felani Avenue toward the Indian High Commission. Participants included the party’s central leaders, representatives from various political, social, and professional organizations, and a large number of citizens.

Speakers at the rally included Hasinur Rahman, president of the Bangladesh Azad Party; Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmed, president of the Liberal Democratic Party; Rashed Pradhan, spokesperson of JAGPA; Major Akhtaruzzaman; Barrister Shahriar Kabir; A.B. Zobayer; and DAKSU representatives. They declared that the people of Bangladesh would not accept any form of foreign dominance or interference in the country’s sovereignty and called for national unity to safeguard national interests.

The speakers emphasized the need to implement the Azad Party’s declared 11-point demands and urged patriotic citizens to actively participate in future programs aimed at establishing an independent and dignified Bangladesh.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has canceled his planned visit to the United States following remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Tajani described Trump’s comments as insulting and withdrew from a scheduled meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meeting was intended to strengthen cooperation on economic security and critical minerals. Meloni also rejected Trump’s claims, calling them completely fabricated and expressing surprise at his behavior toward allies.

The diplomatic tension arose after Trump told Italy’s La7 TV that Meloni had pleaded with him for a photo during the recent G7 summit in France. Meloni responded in a video message posted on social media, saying that neither she nor Italy ever begs anyone. She criticized Trump for showing leniency toward adversaries while being harsh on Western allies.

This dispute follows earlier public disagreements between the two right-wing leaders over international issues, including the Iran conflict, which had already strained their once-close relationship.

Norwegian football star Erling Braut Haaland was spotted roaming the streets of New York in disguise after his team’s emphatic 4–1 win over Iraq in their first World Cup match. The 25-year-old striker, known for his trademark long blond hair, hid his identity with a light-colored baseball cap and dark sunglasses while visiting Times Square and Katz’s Deli with his girlfriend, Isabel Haugseng Johansen. Few recognized the Manchester City forward as he blended in among tourists and locals.

Following Norway’s return to the World Cup after 28 years, coach Ståle Solbakken granted players two days off to relieve mental pressure before their next match against Senegal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Haaland shared photos of his disguised outing on Snapchat, joking that hiding his hair worked best. Solbakken viewed the relaxed mood of his players positively, emphasizing the importance of short breaks for mental refreshment.

Fans have responded with delight to Haaland’s playful adventure, which added a lighthearted moment to Norway’s promising World Cup campaign.

ATM Azharul Islam, central committee member and Nayeb-e-Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, alleged that government ministers are spreading false information in the national parliament. Speaking on Friday night at a gathering organized by the Lohani Para Union Jamaat in Badarganj, Rangpur, he said ministers often present untrue statements and defend them with misleading arguments. He warned that such actions could erode public trust in elected representatives and urged all lawmakers to speak truthfully both inside and outside parliament.

Azharul Islam also criticized the government’s handling of Islami Bank, claiming that previous and current administrations attempted to take control of the bank and misuse its funds. He accused a minister of presenting false information in parliament regarding the bank’s loans. Additionally, he alleged election manipulation by the Election Commission, failure to meet promises made to the July Movement, and widespread extortion by ruling party activists that he said was driving up commodity prices.

He further urged parents to monitor their children’s activities and called for stronger action against drug syndicates allegedly linked to ruling party figures.