The first Hajj flight from Chattogram for the 2026 pilgrimage season was inaugurated by State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin on Sunday evening at Shah Amanat International Airport. The flight, operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carried 371 pilgrims and departed for Jeddah at 6:30 p.m., officially launching this year’s Hajj operations from the port city.

During the inauguration, the state minister said the government is working to provide the best possible services for Hajj pilgrims and to improve air travel facilities. He noted that the Prime Minister had earlier inaugurated the Hajj flights in Dhaka and personally reviewed pilgrims’ concerns. The event was attended by airport officials, including Director Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun and Biman’s Chattogram District Manager Al Mamun Faruk.

Officials stated that all preparations for smooth Hajj operations from Chattogram have been completed. A total of 16 special Hajj flights are planned this year, including 12 direct flights, to be operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi private carrier Flynas.

New Delhi has decided to appoint veteran politician and former Union Minister Dinesh Trivedi as India’s next High Commissioner to Bangladesh, replacing current envoy Pranay Verma. The move, seen as a significant diplomatic shift, comes amid changing political dynamics across the Padma River and is viewed as a strategic step in South Asian geopolitics.

Trivedi, originally from a Gujarati family but raised in Bengal, is fluent in Bengali and well-versed in its culture. His political experience and linguistic familiarity are expected to help him build stronger connections in Dhaka. Analysts cited in the report suggest that India’s decision reflects a need for political sensitivity, not just administrative skill, to navigate the evolving challenges in post–Sheikh Hasina Bangladesh.

The report adds that the Modi government’s choice also carries domestic political undertones, as West Bengal approaches its state elections. While the official announcement may come after the polls, preparations indicate Delhi’s renewed focus on restoring emotional and strategic ties with Bangladesh.

Officials and employees of the 'Madhyanagar Ruposhi Bangla Savings and Loan Cooperative Society Limited' in Sunamganj’s Madhyanagar upazila have gone into hiding after allegedly embezzling around Tk 6 crore. The cooperative, registered in 2022, was run by Rafiqul Islam of Netrokona and Amiya Bhushan Kar (Montu) of Madhyanagar. They attracted locals with promises of unusually high profits through savings and DPS schemes. About two months ago, both owners disappeared, leaving more than five hundred depositors unable to recover their money.

Victims, including small traders, teachers, and workers, have reported losing their life savings. Some alleged they were threatened when demanding refunds. On Sunday afternoon, defrauded customers held a human chain protest, urging authorities to recover their money. Local business leaders confirmed widespread losses and said they would seek administrative action. The Madhyanagar cooperative officer stated that the society’s registration had been canceled in November 2025 for operational irregularities, but it continued activities secretly afterward.

Local leaders also warned that another NGO in the area, 'Pollibondhu,' faces similar allegations, calling for stricter oversight of such organizations.

In Mymensingh’s Fulbaria upazila, heavy vehicles continue to cross a bridge over the Kolmodoria River at Keshorganj Bazar despite an official ban. The upazila administration had declared the bridge extremely risky and prohibited all heavy vehicle movement, installing warning signs and iron barricades on both sides. However, trucks, tractors, and other heavy carriers are reportedly breaking the barricades and using the bridge daily.

Local residents allege that illegal lorries and tractors carrying bricks, sand, and timber are worsening the condition of the already expired bridge, raising fears of a major accident. Upazila Engineer Zobayer Hossain confirmed that the bridge is highly risky and said the matter has been reported to higher authorities, with a new bridge construction process underway. Acting Upazila Executive Officer Sheikh Taki Tajwar stated that the administration is investigating the violation and will take legal action against those responsible.

Residents have urged immediate and effective measures to stop heavy vehicle movement across the dangerous bridge to prevent potential disasters.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized a large consignment of narcotic syrup from an Indian truck loaded with stones at the Sonamasjid land port in Shibganj, Chapainawabganj. The seizure was confirmed on Sunday afternoon by Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria, commander of the 59 BGB Battalion. Acting on a tip-off, a patrol team led by Assistant Director Sheikh Monowarul Islam conducted the operation on Saturday night.

During the search, the team found 20 sacks wrapped in tarpaulin hidden inside the stones of the truck parked at the Alom Traders stone yard. The sacks contained 5,935 bottles of Indian narcotic syrup, including 3,897 bottles of Scap Dix and 2,038 bottles of Fire Deal, both used as alternatives to phensedyl. No one was arrested during the operation, but the truck was seized on charges of drug transportation.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Abdullah Al Mamun of Shibganj Police Station stated that the seized drugs and truck were handed over to the police, and necessary legal action has been taken.

Despite an increase in fuel prices, petrol pumps across Barishal city saw long queues of vehicles on Sunday morning. Most pumps were either closed or running out of fuel, forcing drivers to wait for hours to collect limited quantities. Only a few stations were reportedly open, distributing fuel under a rationing system that allowed motorcycles to buy fuel worth 300 taka, Mahindra vehicles 500 taka, and private cars 1,000 taka.

According to the report, the retail prices of octane, petrol, and diesel in Barishal rose by 20, 19, and 15 taka per liter respectively, now selling at 140, 135, and 115 taka. Drivers expressed frustration over the rising costs and continued shortages, saying they still had to queue despite the price hike. Public transport drivers also noted that fares had not yet been increased to offset the higher fuel costs.

The situation indicates ongoing supply constraints and growing pressure on transport operators in Barishal following the latest fuel price adjustment.

A spotted deer that entered Khuriyakhali village in Sharankhola upazila of Bagerhat after being chased by a tiger was rescued and released back into the Sundarbans on Sunday morning. The deer swam across a river and entered the house of a local resident, Jamal Mia, around 8 a.m. Forest officials, members of the Wild Team, the Village Tiger Response Team, and local villagers worked together to safely capture the animal.

According to the Sharankhola field facilitator of the Wild Team, the deer was wet when it entered the house and was later handed over to the Forest Department. The Sharankhola Station Officer of the East Sundarbans confirmed that the rescued female deer weighed about 25 kilograms and was released near the range office around 10 a.m. He added that deer are generally timid animals and can die from shock, but the trained rescue team ensured its safe recovery.

The incident highlights the close proximity of human settlements to wildlife habitats in the Sundarbans and the importance of coordinated rescue efforts to protect both animals and residents.

Police in Shyamnagar, Satkhira, arrested a father and son during a special anti-drug operation late Saturday night in the Nawabeki Bazar area. The detainees were identified as Farukul Islam Bulbul, aged 33, and his father Shahanur Molya, aged 56, both residents of Paschim Biralakhmi in Atulia Union. Officers recovered 250 grams of cannabis and 45 yaba tablets from Farukul, and an additional 150 grams of cannabis were seized from a nearby shop based on his information.

According to police sources, the operation was launched following a tip-off. The suspects attempted to flee when officers arrived at a tea shop near the Nawabeki Bazar management committee office but were captured after a chase. Local sources reported that the pair had been running a drug business under the cover of the tea shop and supplying narcotics to local youths.

Shyamnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khalekuzzaman said a case was filed under the Narcotics Control Act, 2018, and the suspects were being processed for court custody. He added that anti-drug operations have been intensified to curb such crimes.

A police constable was hospitalized after being assaulted by suspected drug dealers during a search operation in Tongi Bazar, Gazipur, on Saturday night. The injured officer, Rahat, serves at Tongi East Police Station and is currently receiving treatment at Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. while a police patrol team was conducting body searches of suspicious individuals on the Dhaka–Mymensingh Highway.

According to eyewitnesses, several drug dealers suddenly attacked Constable Rahat, beating him with fists and sticks, leaving him seriously injured. Fellow officers rescued him and took him to the hospital for treatment. The attack took place while the police were performing their regular patrol duties in the area.

Tongi East Police Station’s officer-in-charge Mehedi Hasan stated that a case was filed on Sunday afternoon against 10 to 12 unidentified individuals. Police are working to identify and arrest those involved in the assault.

Police in Naogaon’s Porsha upazila arrested an alleged drug dealer named Shamim Chowdhury with 1,000 Tapentadol tablets on Saturday night. The arrest took place around 8 p.m. in the Baliyachanda area along the Saraigachi–Sapahar regional highway. Shamim, son of the late Dulal Chowdhury from Chandura Babupur village in Sapahar upazila, was detained during a special operation led by Porsha Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ziaur Rahman under the direction of Naogaon Superintendent of Police Md. Tarikul Islam.

Police said the operation was part of a nationwide anti-narcotics drive. During the search, officers found 1,000 Tapentadol tablets in a shopping bag carried by Shamim, with an estimated market value of about three lakh taka. His Suzuki Gixxer motorcycle was also seized during the operation.

A case has been filed against the detainee under the Narcotics Control Act, and he was sent to jail through the court on Sunday. Police stated that anti-drug operations will continue and that they remain firm in combating such crimes.

On Saturday in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga district, women were seen standing in long queues at local fuel pumps to collect diesel. The move came as families sought to reduce the workload of male members who were spending entire days waiting for fuel, disrupting their agricultural and other daily activities. At the Angan Filling Station in Santoshpur, women waited with diesel cards and bottles alongside men.

Several women explained that their husbands’ time at the pumps prevented them from working in the fields or operating vehicles used for transporting agricultural goods. By taking their place in line, the women aimed to ensure that household and farming activities continued without interruption. One woman said her husband could now focus on fieldwork while she waited for fuel.

According to the station manager, both men and women were being served, with a system that provided fuel to one woman after every five men. Similar scenes of women’s participation were reported at other pumps in the upazila.

A painter named Taiyab Ali, aged 40, died after being electrocuted while painting a building in Jhenaidah town’s Post Office Mor area on Sunday afternoon. According to police, he was working on the second floor of a four-storey building under construction above Akhtar Pharmacy when he came into contact with a main power transmission line running close to the structure. He died instantly at the scene.

The deceased was a resident of Haripur village in Maharajpur Union under Jhenaidah Sadar upazila. Jhenaidah Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shamsul Arefin confirmed the incident and stated that the body would be handed over to the family after completion of legal procedures.

Authorities have not provided further details about the safety conditions at the site or any investigation into the incident.

Bangladesh’s Central Land Allocation Committee has approved several land acquisition proposals for key national development projects. The approvals were granted during the committee’s 155th meeting held in Dhaka on Sunday, chaired by Land Minister Md. Mizanur Rahman Minu. Among the approved projects are the establishment of 20 Fire Service and Civil Defence stations, including one acre of land for the Pubail Fire Station in Gazipur. Additional approvals include 12.1471 acres for the Dhaka (Kanchpur)-Sylhet-Tamabil Highway expansion and 13.4448 acres for the fourth phase of the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway.

During the meeting, the minister emphasized that while land acquisition is vital for national development, it must be carried out in compliance with existing laws and with minimal public hardship. He also instructed officials to remain vigilant about preserving agricultural land.

The meeting also reviewed district-level recommendations for land acquisitions exceeding 50 bighas, including proposals in Sylhet’s Beanibazar and Jaintapur upazilas under the Sylhet-Charkhai-Sheola Highway project, and in Chandpur’s Matlab North upazila under the Daudkandi-Goalmari-Sreeramchar-Matlab North Highway project.

A man died after being electrocuted while cutting a bamboo that had fallen on an electric wire in Chakdadpur village under Dhubil Union of Raiganj upazila in Sirajganj. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Faridul Islam, 35, son of Md. Gaziur Rahman Gazi of the same village.

According to local sources, Faridul attempted to remove the bamboo from the electric wire using a machete when he accidentally came into contact with electricity and was severely injured. Locals rescued him and took him to Raiganj Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. The news spread quickly, casting a pall of grief over the area as relatives mourned his death.

Officer-in-Charge of Salanga Police Station Md. Aslam said police visited the scene and filed an unnatural death (UD) case regarding the incident.

Shipping Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam stated that the government will not undertake any project that undermines national interests. He made the remarks on Sunday afternoon after inspecting operational activities at Chattogram port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT). The minister said global terminal operator DP World has submitted a proposal to manage the NCT, which the government is currently reviewing. He emphasized that any decision will prioritize the interests of the country and port workers.

Alam described the NCT as a fully functional terminal that has progressed with time, noting that the government is analyzing whether to expand its capacity independently or through a foreign operator. He said the evaluation focuses on how national and workers’ interests can be safeguarded if foreign operators are involved. Referring to past protests over foreign operator appointments, he added that if national interests outweigh other concerns, the government will coordinate with workers to reach consensus.

The minister also said that all procurement methods, including open tender, G2G, and DPM, are valid, and DP World’s proposal is under review through the G2G process. If national interests are not protected, the government will switch to open tender and announce a decision soon.