Former interim government adviser Farida Akhter has expressed grave concern over the growing number of child rape and murder cases in Bangladesh, linking the rise to delays in the judicial process. Writing in a commentary published on May 24, 2026, she cited the recent killing of eight-year-old Ramisa and the earlier 2025 case of seven-year-old Asiya, both victims of brutal sexual violence. In both incidents, family members of the perpetrators were accused of aiding the crimes.

Akhter noted that despite public outrage and legal reforms following Asiya’s case, including a 2025 amendment to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Ordinance, such crimes have not declined. Data from January 1 to May 20, 2026, show 118 children raped, 46 attempted rapes, and 14 murders following rape. She criticized the slow execution of verdicts, including the pending death sentence of Asiya’s killer, and questioned whether current laws adequately protect children.

She urged swift trials and enforcement of punishments, emphasizing that repeated delays undermine justice and embolden offenders. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has reportedly assured Ramisa’s family of prompt legal action.

The upcoming 2026–27 national budget of Bangladesh is expected to be presented in parliament on June 11 by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, marking the first budget of the BNP government. Based on published reports, the proposed budget size may reach about Tk 9.32 trillion, the largest since independence. The budget’s main goals include job creation and inflation control, with the government targeting 10 million new jobs within five years. The finance minister has emphasized reopening closed factories, ensuring power and gas supply, and supporting small and medium enterprises through loans and incentives.

The World Bank, IMF, and ADB project GDP growth below 5 percent for the current fiscal year, prompting calls for a stable business environment. Inflation reached 9.04 percent in April, straining household purchasing power. Experts suggest that monetary policy alone is insufficient to curb inflation and recommend supply-side measures. The article also highlights structural weaknesses such as a low tax-to-GDP ratio of 8–9 percent, urging progressive tax reforms, pension incentives for taxpayers, and raising the tax-free income threshold to Tk 500,000–800,000.

The budget is also expected to promote export diversification beyond the garment sector and increase allocations for education, health, and technical training to build skilled human resources and boost remittance income.

The newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal has imposed a complete ban on cow slaughter and sale, joining 19 other Indian states with similar restrictions. The decision, announced just before Eid al-Adha, has sparked widespread unrest across the state. Hindu farming families have taken to the streets in protest, accusing Chief Minister Suvendu of destroying their livelihoods. Many farmers claim they can no longer sustain their families without the income from selling cattle.

According to Indian media reports and expert analyses cited in the article, the ban has triggered a severe chain reaction across India’s rural economy. Farmers, unable to sell aging cows, face mounting debts and reduced income. The dairy sector has slowed as farmers stop raising new cattle, driving milk prices beyond the reach of ordinary consumers. The meat and leather industries have also collapsed due to raw material shortages, leaving millions unemployed. Stray cattle now roam freely, damaging crops and forcing the government to spend heavily on shelters.

Experts warn that the cumulative impact of these policies has placed immense pressure on India’s national budget and worsened rural poverty, creating a broad economic downturn linked to religiously motivated governance decisions.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast rain and thunderstorms with gusty or squally winds at speeds of 45 to 60 kilometers per hour over four districts. The warning, issued on Sunday, May 24, 2026, advised river ports in the affected areas to hoist cautionary signal number one. The districts under alert are Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Cumilla, and Sylhet, where storms and lightning may occur by 1 p.m.

The department also reported that moderate to heavy rainfall is likely in parts of Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions. Meanwhile, a mild heatwave continues over Dhaka, Faridpur, Madaripur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Sirajganj, Chandpur, Lakshmipur, and Patuakhali districts, as well as across the Khulna division. Day and night temperatures across the country are expected to remain nearly unchanged.

The forecast suggests a mix of storm activity in northern and northeastern regions and persistent heat in southern and central areas, indicating contrasting weather conditions across Bangladesh.

Israeli forces carried out new airstrikes in Lebanon, killing at least 20 people and injuring many others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry and state media. The attacks occurred on Saturday, May 24, 2026, targeting several areas including Al-Bakbuk near Tyre, where five people were killed and two injured. Rescue teams recovered four bodies, but one woman remained trapped under debris as continued strikes hindered rescue operations.

In Nabatieh district’s Sier al-Gharbiya city, a separate strike on a residential building killed nine and injured six. Additional attacks were reported in Rachaya al-Wadi’s Al-Rafid, where one person died and another was injured, and in Al-Shahabiya, where several casualties occurred. A drone strike in Al-Housh near Tyre killed one person, while overnight attacks in Deir Kanoun al-Nahr destroyed a house and killed four more.

The Lebanese National News Agency reported that Israeli bombardments were ongoing, complicating rescue efforts across the affected regions.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that Islamabad is hopeful about organizing the next round of talks between the United States and Iran in the near future. He stated that Pakistan continues its mediation efforts between the two countries and remains committed to promoting peace. In a post on social media platform X, Sharif emphasized that Pakistan will pursue its peace initiatives with utmost sincerity and expects to host the upcoming meeting soon.

According to the report, Pakistan has played a central role in facilitating diplomatic communication between Washington and Tehran, as both sides seek a negotiated resolution to their ongoing conflict. Earlier, U.S. President Trump said that Washington and Tehran were very close to finalizing an agreement, which would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The development highlights Islamabad’s continued engagement in regional diplomacy, aiming to ease tensions between the two long-standing adversaries through dialogue and mediation.

Former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of humiliating Israel. Speaking on Channel 12, Lieberman criticized Netanyahu’s approach to halting the war with Iran and warned that any agreement allowing Iran’s current leadership to remain in power would be disastrous for Israel.

He also objected to reported terms of a potential deal, including the release of frozen Iranian assets and the possible lifting of restrictions on Iran’s oil and gas exports. Lieberman further claimed that former U.S. President Donald Trump humiliated Israel with Netanyahu’s blessing.

The remarks, reported by Middle East Eye and aired on Israeli television, highlight internal divisions within Israel’s political leadership over how to handle Iran and its regional influence.

Serbia witnessed large-scale anti-government protests on Saturday as thousands of people, led by university students, gathered in the capital Belgrade demanding early elections. Demonstrators chanted slogans against President Aleksandar Vucic, accusing him of authoritarian rule. The rally, which began peacefully at a central square, later turned tense when a group of young protesters clashed with riot police. Stones and bottles were thrown at police barricades, prompting officers to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Authorities reported that 23 people were detained following the confrontation.

The protests come amid growing discontent with Vucic’s government, which has faced criticism for its strict control over the Balkan nation. Demonstrations initially began in November 2024 after a tragic train station accident in northern Serbia sparked demands for accountability. More than a year later, the renewed mass turnout in Belgrade indicates that public frustration remains strong.

The continued unrest suggests that political tensions in Serbia are unlikely to subside soon, as citizens persist in calling for greater transparency and democratic reforms.

Six police officers were attacked by Awami League activists in Alokbali Union of Narsingdi Sadar upazila on Thursday while attempting to arrest a suspect. The incident occurred in Bakhnanagar Birgaon and Satpara areas when police entered the locality by speedboat for an investigation. Following the attack, police filed a case for obstructing government work and arrested four individuals.

According to police and local sources, the officers were confronted by local Awami League members who questioned their presence. The situation escalated, and under the leadership of Alokbali Union Awami League joint general secretary Habib Rahman Habib, over a hundred people allegedly chased and assaulted the police. Later, a combined force of police, RAB, and a magistrate conducted an operation in the area, detaining two women and two men.

Five injured officers received treatment at Narsingdi Sadar Hospital. Police officials stated that operations to arrest the remaining suspects are ongoing, while the district superintendent denied reports of police being assaulted, confirming only that a case for obstruction of duty had been filed.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has alleged that new conspiracies are being plotted against his government and called on citizens to remain alert. Speaking at a public gathering in Trishal, Mymensingh, on Saturday, he accused opposition groups of secretly renewing ties with those ousted on August 5 and attempting to create unrest similar to past political turmoil. The event marked the inauguration of the re-excavation of the four-kilometer Dhara Canal, which he said would benefit over 4,300 farmers and improve the livelihoods of around 20,000 people.

Rahman emphasized that the government’s development initiatives, including canal restoration, rural education support, and technical training for youth employment, are aimed at strengthening the rural economy. He warned that attempts to spread chaos could disrupt these programs. Referring to the recent killing of a child named Ramisa, he vowed that the perpetrator would face the death penalty within a month and condemned efforts to exploit the tragedy for political unrest.

At a separate state event marking the 127th birth anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Rahman highlighted the poet’s role in national identity and proposed evaluating Trishal’s potential designation as “Nazrul Smriti City.”

A shooting occurred near the White House on Saturday evening when an armed individual opened fire at a Secret Service security booth. The incident took place around 6 p.m. local time at the intersection of 176th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Secret Service officers returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. One passerby was also shot, though authorities have not confirmed whether the injury resulted from the suspect’s gunfire or the exchange of shots.

The U.S. Secret Service confirmed the incident in a statement, saying preliminary findings indicated the suspect had concealed a weapon in a bag and drew it at a checkpoint. No Secret Service personnel were injured. At the time of the shooting, President Donald Trump was inside the White House, which was immediately placed under lockdown as a security precaution.

Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives posted on social media confirming the president’s safety. House Republican leader Steve Scalise expressed concern, noting that the nation was living in dangerous times. The event follows another shooting incident in Washington, D.C., less than a month earlier.

Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the European Union, the country’s largest export destination, declined sharply in early 2026. According to Eurostat data, export earnings from the EU fell by 19.26 percent in January and February compared with the same period in 2025, dropping from 3.57 billion euros to 2.88 billion euros. In February alone, exports decreased by 12.39 percent to 1.45 billion euros. The fall was driven by both lower export volumes and reduced average prices.

The EU’s overall apparel imports also declined by 11.27 percent during the same period, reflecting weaker consumer demand across Europe. Industry representatives attributed the downturn to global trade shifts, increased competition from China, India, and Vietnam, and reduced purchasing power in Europe due to high living costs and interest rates. Buyers have become more cautious and are negotiating lower prices, putting pressure on suppliers.

Experts warned that if the EU market slump continues, it could negatively affect Bangladesh’s broader economy, as nearly half of the country’s export earnings come from this region. They recommended diversifying products, improving value addition, and strengthening trade diplomacy to sustain export growth.

Youth Shakti leader Ayon Rahman Khan was reportedly taken away by Detective Branch (DB) police in connection with a case filed by Chhatra Dal in Jhenaidah. The case was lodged after an attack on Nasiruddin Patwari, chief coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP), allegedly by activists of BNP, Chhatra Dal, and Jubo Dal. Ayon was named as an accused in that case. According to his sister Jerin Akhi, he was picked up around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday from beside his ailing father’s bed at Jonota Clinic in Jashore by individuals identifying themselves as DB officers.

NCP joint member secretary Tarek Reza stated that Ayon was being taken away under a false case while no arrests had been made in their own complaint. He accused the current government of behaving like the previous “fascist Awami government.”

The report did not mention any official police statement or confirmation regarding the detention.

A student of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) was allegedly attacked on Saturday night in Khulna’s Fulbarigate area over his political writings on Facebook. The victim, Zahidur Rahman, a third-year student of the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering, sustained serious injuries. He claimed that after buying a bus ticket, several individuals led by former student leader Shuvo surrounded him, seized his phone, and checked his Facebook posts. Later, local youth leader Masum Khan allegedly beat him with a wooden stick, leaving him bloodied and injured.

Zahidur said about 20 people took part in the assault, angered by his social media posts. He fled to Shiromoni for safety and did not return to campus. KUET’s Director of Student Welfare, Professor Dr. Md. Hasan Ali, stated that the university learned of the incident later and is trying to contact Zahidur to provide assistance. The attack has sparked concern among students, who demanded a fair investigation and punishment for those responsible.

According to party sources, the accused are not currently holding any organizational positions, though they were previously affiliated with local political groups.

An investigative report by Amar Desh claims that Bangladesh’s recent fuel crisis, triggered by Middle East tensions, was worsened by a powerful domestic syndicate allegedly tied to former Awami League leaders and officials. Despite nearly doubling fuel imports between March and May 2026, the shortage persisted until the government raised fuel prices on April 19, after which the crisis abruptly ended. Customs data show that 97 ships brought over 2.7 million tons of fuel in 70 days, yet supply disruptions continued.

The report alleges that a large portion of the fuel market operates outside the state distribution system through smuggled supplies controlled by politically connected groups. Many tankers used for illegal fuel transport are reportedly owned by former ministers, MPs, and bureaucrats linked to the Awami League. Experts cited in the report describe this parallel market as an “open secret” that undermines the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation’s capacity.

Analysts warn that without stricter monitoring and transparency, similar crises could recur. The BPC acknowledged the sudden resolution of the shortage after the price hike but offered no explanation.