The United States government has come under sharp criticism from immigration and human rights experts over visa complications and entry denials affecting athletes, officials, and fans attending the FIFA World Cup. The controversy intensified after Somali referee Omar Artan, who was set to officiate in the tournament, was denied entry at Miami airport despite holding a valid visa. The Department of Homeland Security cited “vetting concerns,” while the incident reignited debate about discrimination and immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Other affected participants include members of Iran’s football delegation, some of whom were denied visas and forced to base their team in Mexico, entering the US only for match days. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein and photographer Talal Salah faced lengthy detentions, while Haiti’s Woodensky Pierre received a delayed visa. Swiss forward Breel Embolo also faced a temporary travel block due to a prior conviction. UN human rights chief Volker Turk called for a “massive rethink” of US immigration policies, warning against racial profiling and surveillance.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the organization cannot override government decisions, emphasizing that FIFA remains a sports body focused on finding solutions within its limited authority.

The government has revived the process of leasing Chattogram Port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) to a foreign operator, DP World, after receiving a directive from the Ministry of Shipping. The port authority has sought approval to form a new seven-member committee to complete tender evaluation and negotiations under the public-private partnership model. This move comes three months after a major protest during the interim government period forced a suspension of the same process.

Previously, workers’ unions and port users had united under the Nationalist Workers Party and allied groups to halt port operations for six days, opposing the lease to a foreign company on national security grounds. However, despite the renewed process, those same groups have remained notably silent, prompting speculation among port stakeholders. A consortium involving companies owned by two BNP lawmakers has also submitted a new proposal offering better terms than DP World’s.

Civil society representatives have questioned why successive governments—Awami League, interim, and now BNP—have all supported foreign operation of the terminal. Labor leaders have warned that if the government ignores their concerns, protests could resume to protect national interests.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that at least 117.8 million people globally, or one in every 70 individuals, have been forcibly displaced. The report, released in 2026, noted that for the first time in a decade, the global rate of forced displacement declined. In 2025, the number of displaced people fell by about 4 percent, though this progress was offset by Lebanon’s worsening displacement crisis, where over one million people were uprooted due to Israeli attacks. Additionally, 3.2 million people were internally displaced within Iran.

According to the report, 68.6 million people remain internally displaced due to conflict or other crises, while 28.5 million refugees fall under UNHCR’s mandate. Another nine million are asylum seekers awaiting decisions, and 7.2 million people require international protection. Six million Palestinian refugees are under UNRWA’s mandate. Nearly 72 percent of all refugees come from just seven countries: Venezuela, Palestine, Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, and South Sudan.

The report also identified the top host countries for refugees: Colombia, Germany, Turkey, Uganda, Iran, Chad, and Pakistan, with most refugees in Iran and Pakistan originating from Afghanistan.

More than 4,400 current and former SpaceX employees are set to become millionaires as the company, founded by Elon Musk, prepares for its initial public offering this week at a share price of $135. The IPO marks the largest public debut ever by a private space company, valuing SpaceX at $1.77 trillion—five times the market capitalization of General Electric. Former launch engineer Trevor Heis, who joined SpaceX in 2011, holds over 100,000 shares now worth at least $13.5 million.

According to San Francisco-based investment platform Hill.com, around 400 of these employees will see their wealth exceed $100 million. Hill.com CEO Andrew Benson described this as an unusual outcome, noting that such wealth creation typically benefits only founders. The IPO is expected to transform the financial lives of thousands of SpaceX workers, both current and former.

Some early employees sold their shares years ago, doubting that SpaceX would ever go public. Others, like former supply manager Helvin Bacariza, plan to hold onto their shares even after the IPO, anticipating further growth.

The government of Bangladesh is set to allow individuals to legalize undeclared or black money in specific sectors without facing any questioning. According to the proposal for the 2026–27 fiscal year budget, taxpayers will be able to declare unreported funds used in real estate transactions—such as land, buildings, or flats—if the actual value exceeds the deed value. Both buyers and sellers will be eligible for this opportunity by paying regular income tax on the undeclared portion.

The Ministry of Finance has proposed adding a new clause to the Finance Bill to formalize this provision. If approved, taxpayers can voluntarily pay income tax at the applicable rate for individuals on the undeclared amount, and no authority will raise questions or take action regarding the source of that money, regardless of existing laws.

The initiative is part of the upcoming national budget, which aims to provide relief to citizens within limited resources while addressing a large revenue collection target for the National Board of Revenue.

The Bangladesh government has set a revenue collection target of Tk 6.95 trillion for the upcoming fiscal year, assigning the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to collect Tk 6.04 trillion. This represents an increase of more than 21 percent from the current year, despite NBR facing a shortfall of over Tk 1 trillion in the first ten months. Officials and analysts doubt the feasibility of achieving the new target, citing a decade-long pattern of missed goals.

According to NBR sources, Tk 2.23 trillion is expected from VAT, income tax, and travel tax, accounting for 74 percent of total revenue, while Tk 2.57 trillion is projected from customs duties. Policy Exchange of Bangladesh Chairman Dr. M Masrur Reaz described the target as unrealistic, pointing to weak economic growth, widespread tax exemptions, and structural weaknesses in the tax system. Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury attributed current shortfalls to slow economic activity, political instability, high inflation, and import duty waivers.

The government aims to raise the tax-to-GDP ratio from 6.6 percent to 10 percent in the medium term and 15 percent by 2035. NBR is pursuing digitalization and compliance reforms, supported by a World Bank–funded project, to reduce tax evasion and expand the tax base.

Electricity consumers in Rajshahi have reported severe difficulties recharging their prepaid meters after receiving unusually long token numbers ranging from 220 to 252 digits. Previously, users could easily complete recharges using 20-digit tokens, but the new format has caused widespread frustration, especially among elderly and less tech-savvy customers. Many have shared their experiences on social media, describing repeated failed attempts and hours without power despite paying their bills.

According to the Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO), the lengthy tokens are part of a one-time update to integrate new electricity tariff rates into the meters following a government decision. The company clarified that customers should enter the tokens in 20-digit segments and that normal 20-digit tokens will resume after successful entry. However, consumers and rights advocates criticized the lack of prior communication, saying the sudden change caused confusion and unnecessary hardship.

Consumer rights groups emphasized that better public awareness through SMS, media, and social platforms could have prevented the disruption. The issue has sparked concern among prepaid meter users across multiple electricity distribution companies.

A CNG autorickshaw driver named Rafsan Hossain Hridoy, aged 24, was stabbed to death on Wednesday night in Dhorokra Bazar area of Chiura Union under Chauddagram upazila in Cumilla. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. when a dispute broke out following a motorcycle collision. Witnesses said that after the altercation, several men arrived on motorcycles and attacked locals, during which Hridoy was stabbed by one of the assailants. He was taken to a local clinic and later to Chauddagram Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead.

Family members said Hridoy was a CNG driver and alleged that drug dealers and members of a teenage gang were behind the killing. They recalled that his father, Hedayet Ullah Hedu, had also been murdered in a stabbing incident in 2006. Police confirmed the death and said investigations were underway to determine the motive and identify whether the suspects were involved in drug trade or gang activity.

Authorities have launched a manhunt to arrest the accused as the community demands justice for the killing.

The Sitakunda and Mirsarai sections of the Dhaka–Chattogram Highway have turned into deadly accident zones, with frequent collisions involving buses, trucks, container vans, and motorcycles. Despite being a vital economic corridor, the area lacks a modern trauma center, forcing severely injured victims to travel long distances to Chattogram Medical College Hospital. Many die before receiving treatment due to delays caused by traffic congestion and inadequate emergency facilities.

The Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex, built in 1962, suffers from structural weaknesses, staff shortages, and insufficient capacity. Although designated as a 50-bed hospital, it faces patient loads several times higher. Out of 33 doctor positions, several remain vacant, including the crucial surgery consultant post. The hospital also lacks a generator, disrupting operations during power outages. Between May last year and April this year, 1,173 road accident victims received treatment there.

Experts emphasize that timely trauma care within the “golden hour” could significantly reduce fatalities, but without a local trauma center, the death toll continues to rise along this critical highway.

A newly released United Nations report warns that the world’s oceans are under rapidly increasing pressure due to human activities. The report, titled the Third World Ocean Assessment, reveals that global sea levels have doubled over the past ten years. It attributes this to pollution, large-scale commercial fishing, and other human-induced factors. The assessment involved 600 scientists from 86 countries who monitored ocean conditions between 2021 and 2025, following an earlier study covering 2016 to 2021.

According to the report, the rate of sea level rise accelerated from two millimeters per year in 2015 to 4.3 millimeters in 2023. Since 1955, ocean temperatures have risen by an average of 16 percent globally, with the Atlantic Ocean warming the most, followed by the Indian and southern Pacific Oceans. Each year, about 52.1 million tons of plastic enter the oceans, affecting the habitats of over 4,000 marine species.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that oceans can no longer be considered limitless and called for urgent global cooperation to protect marine ecosystems through science-based and law-governed international partnerships.

In Narsingdi’s Baburhat, illegal shops are being built on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, reportedly under a multimillion-taka land trade scheme. The report says a group involving local land officials and market committee leaders is collecting three to four lakh taka per plot for temporary shop foundations. This activity is narrowing the river and damaging the heritage of Baburhat, the country’s largest wholesale fabric market.

According to the source, the initiative is allegedly coordinated by the Shilmandi Union land officer and the Baburhat traders’ association president, who is also a local political leader. Despite previous eviction drives and warning signs from the district administration, new tin-shed and even multi-storey structures are being erected without approval. Victimized traders claim they are forced to pay for illegal plots while officials deny wrongdoing.

Narsingdi Deputy Commissioner Israt Jahan Keya stated that the administration, along with the river protection committee and the Department of Environment, is taking action against illegal encroachment and will investigate the Baburhat case further.

An elderly man who had been stranded for 24 hours in the no-man’s land near the Ramrampur border of Bakshiganj upazila in Jamalpur has been identified and is now in police custody. The man, named Shashti Chandra Barman, aged 68, is the son of Babu Chandra Barman and a resident of Chandlai village in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) rescued him around 7 a.m. on Thursday from the area near international pillar number 1082 and brought him to Bakshiganj police station. BGB officials said he would be handed over to his family once they arrive.

The previous morning, tension had arisen at the Ramrampur border when attempts were made to bring the man into Bangladesh, leading to a standoff involving local residents, BGB, and India’s Border Security Force (BSF). His photos later went viral on television and social media, helping his family contact BGB to confirm his identity.

Authorities reported that the man remains at the police station while arrangements are made for his family to take him home.

Iran has carried out attacks on 18 United States military installations located in Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The targeted sites reportedly include Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem and Ahmad Al Jaber bases, as well as Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa base. In Jordan, Iran launched 12 ballistic missiles at the Al-Azraq airbase, striking the control center and key facilities used by US forces.

The IRGC stated that the strikes also targeted American F-35, F-15, and F-16 fighter aircraft. Additionally, the US Fifth Fleet’s Patriot system and communication facilities in Bahrain were attacked on Wednesday. The report was sourced from TRT World.

The incident marks a significant escalation in regional tensions, with multiple US military assets in the Middle East coming under direct Iranian attack, though the report did not mention any casualties or US response.

A column published on June 11, 2026, in the newspaper Amar Desh claims that the Awami League has lost its ability to recover politically after losing power. The writer, Minar Rashid, argues that the party’s earlier capacity to regain influence, described as political buoyancy, has eroded due to loss of ideological foundation, public trust, and moral legitimacy. The article criticizes Sheikh Hasina and her associates, alleging that their actions and alignment with foreign interests have permanently damaged the party’s credibility.

The piece contrasts the Awami League’s current state with its earlier revival in 1996, suggesting that the social and media environment of 2026 makes such a comeback impossible. It further discusses how the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami retain political buoyancy through their ideological bases—nationalism and religious values—and argues that cooperation between these two parties could strengthen opposition politics.

The column concludes that sustainable political strength in Bangladesh depends on maintaining ideological integrity and public connection rather than relying on state power or external influence.

Australia won the toss and chose to bat first in the second match of the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, held on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Australian captain Josh Inglis opted to set a target after losing the first match, where Bangladesh had taken a 1–0 lead in the series.

Bangladesh’s bowlers had dominated the opening game with disciplined bowling, putting pressure on Australia’s batting lineup. To stay alive in the series, Australia must win this match, while a victory for Bangladesh would secure the series with one game remaining. The visitors aim for a big total, but the Mirpur pitch and Bangladesh’s recent bowling form could make scoring difficult.

Bangladesh made one change to their lineup, bringing back Soumya Sarkar in place of Saif Hasan. Australia fielded the same eleven that played the first match. The outcome of this game could determine the fate of the series.