A new report by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry has accused Israel of deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza, describing the ongoing actions as part of a continuing genocide. Released on Tuesday, the report found that about 30 percent of those killed in Israeli attacks since the start of the Gaza war were children. It said that even after a ceasefire in October 2025, Israeli forces continued to target and kill children, demonstrating what the commission called a genocidal intent to destroy Palestinians in whole or in part.

Commission chair Srinivasan Murlidhar stated that evidence clearly showed Israeli security forces intentionally targeted and killed Palestinian children. The report also documented heavy use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas, widespread displacement, and blockades that created famine-like conditions. Attacks on hospitals and maternity wards reduced newborn survival rates and increased miscarriages, leaving nearly all children in Gaza in need of urgent mental health support.

Israel’s mission in Geneva rejected the UN report as false and fabricated, while human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have echoed concerns about systematic destruction of Palestinian life.

A historic drop in onion prices has plunged farmers in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi into deep financial distress. Prices have fallen far below production costs, forcing thousands of growers to bear heavy losses. Farmers report that where onions previously sold for Tk 2,500–3,000 per maund at this time of year, prices have now dropped to Tk 800–1,000 depending on the variety. Storage losses, weight reduction, and oversupply have worsened the crisis.

Local farmers complain that prolonged storage has caused onions to dry out and rot, while irregularities in weighing have further reduced their returns. Abdul Momin, a farmer at Baneshwar market, expressed frustration, saying that the current price barely covers basic household needs. Traders attribute the price collapse to excessive supply, noting that high production and limited storage capacity have forced farmers to sell quickly.

Upazila agriculture officer Smriti Rani Sarkar confirmed that oversupply has driven prices down but expressed hope for a rebound soon. Farmers are urging the government to improve market regulation, expand storage facilities, and ensure fair prices to prevent future production and market crises.

District and sub-registrars in Bangladesh, responsible for both land registration and valuation, are facing allegations of long-term revenue fraud. Reports suggest that a network of officials and land grabbers has been manipulating land classifications to register high-value plots as low-value categories such as ‘nal’ land, depriving the government of millions in revenue. The issue has placed the registrars under scrutiny for allegedly aiding fraudulent land reclassification.

According to the Land Ministry, the government is planning to overhaul the traditional valuation process by expanding the valuation committees and including representatives from other ministries. Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu and Senior Secretary Saleh Ahmed confirmed that the ministry is working to bring all land-related services under one administrative framework to curb irregularities. Data from areas like Gulshan and Tejgaon show drastic differences in registration fees between land categories, highlighting the scale of potential revenue loss.

Experts and officials note that outdated land records and unlinked digital systems allow such discrepancies to persist. They suggest integrating land use data with registration systems to minimize tax evasion and improve transparency in land administration.

The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) is preparing a 25-year master plan to transform the port city into a sustainable, disaster-resilient, and environmentally friendly satellite city. The draft final report has been sent to the ministry for gazette publication ahead of a 60-day public hearing, with the plan expected to be released in December. The initiative, known as Master Plan 2025–2050, began in December 2022 with a budget of Tk 35.88 crore. CDA reports 87 percent physical and 59.67 percent financial progress, including digital mapping of 1,135 mouzas.

The plan aims to expand the city from 155 to 955 square kilometers by integrating Anwara and Karnaphuli areas across the river, following a “One City Two Town” model similar to Shanghai. It proposes 276 projects across 19 sectors, emphasizing environmental protection, flood control, and sustainable housing for 800,000 to 1 million people. Construction in 198.4 square kilometers of hilly areas will be prohibited.

Urban experts have welcomed the technical precision but warned that without institutional coordination, legal reform, and adequate funding, implementation may falter as in previous plans. CDA says it has begun inter-agency coordination and will operate under the new plan from December.

The Tengratila gas field in Doarabazar, Sunamganj, has remained inactive for over two decades following two major explosions on January 7 and June 24, 2005. As the 21st anniversary of the second explosion passes, residents express frustration over the lack of government action to restart operations. The field, once a key supplier for local industries, has been left idle, raising questions about legal and geopolitical factors behind its prolonged closure.

Local speculation links the inactivity to possible Indian interests, as the field lies only 7–10 kilometers from the Meghalaya border. Experts warn that underground gas reserves do not follow political boundaries, and extraction on the Indian side could cause a “drainage effect,” drawing gas from Bangladesh’s territory. Despite an international court ruling holding Canadian company Niko liable for damages, the site remains dormant.

Community leaders, environmental activists, and local officials have urged the government to conduct new surveys and resume production, citing national energy shortages and fears that valuable gas reserves may be slipping away across the border.

A culvert on the Nimgachi-Heutnagar road in Dhunat upazila of Bogura district suddenly collapsed on Monday morning following continuous rainfall. The incident caused no casualties but severed road communication for about 30,000 residents across at least 15 villages in Nimgachi and Kalerpara unions. The collapse occurred when soil beside the structure eroded under heavy water pressure during drainage from nearby fields.

According to local sources, the 15-meter-long culvert was built in 2001 under the Annual Development Programme to improve rural communication and water drainage. Residents alleged that substandard construction made the culvert unstable from the beginning, and no repairs were undertaken despite its risky condition. Continuous rain and poor maintenance ultimately led to its failure, forcing locals, students, and workers to take longer alternative routes.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) engineer Bakhtiar Hossain said a proposal for a new culvert has been prepared and sent to higher authorities. The upazila administration also instructed immediate measures to restore communication and later build a durable bridge at the site.

A BBC Bangla report published on June 24, 2026, outlines key financial terms such as default loans, distressed loans, loan rescheduling, and bankruptcy in Bangladesh’s banking sector. According to central bank data, by December 2025, about 60 percent of total outstanding loans worth Tk 18.2 trillion were classified as distressed, meaning they carried a high risk of default. The report notes that non-performing loans currently total Tk 5.88 trillion, with the default rate exceeding 30 percent across all types of banks.

Dhaka University’s Professor Md. Shahidul Islam Zahid attributes the high default rate to weak management, audit irregularities, misuse of power, and poor regulatory oversight. He warns that when 30–35 percent of loans become uncollectible, the banking system faces severe stress. The report also explains that distressed loans are not yet defaulted but at high risk, and that rescheduling allows borrowers to renegotiate repayment terms under specific conditions.

The analysis emphasizes that rising default loans reduce banks’ liquidity and lending capacity, affecting investment and deposit security across the economy.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Beijing from Dalian on June 24, 2026, at 5:35 p.m. local time. He was received at the Chaoming Railway Station with a red carpet welcome and a guard of honor. His wife, Dr. Zubaida Rahman, accompanied him on the visit. From the station, the Prime Minister was escorted by a special motorcade to the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where he and his delegation will stay during their time in Beijing.

Earlier in the day, Rahman departed from Dalian North Railway Station at 1:58 p.m. aboard a high-speed train. His delegation includes the foreign minister, the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, and several advisers and press officials. Before traveling to Beijing, he attended the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos, held at the Dalian International Conference Center.

This marks Rahman’s first overseas visit to Malaysia and China since assuming office as head of government on February 17, following his party’s landslide victory in the 13th national parliamentary election.

A complaint has been raised against Nasim Ahmed, assistant secretary for science and technology affairs of the Rajshahi University (RU) unit of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, for allegedly staying in a university dormitory one and a half years after completing his regular academic program. Nasim, a student of the 2018–19 session in the Statistics Department and a resident of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Hall, reportedly continued living in room 321 even after his master’s results were published in December 2024.

Hall General Secretary Arif stated that university regulations require students to vacate dormitories after completing their studies, but Nasim remains in residence. He also claimed that the hall provost was aware of the situation but allowed Nasim to stay on humanitarian grounds. Nasim, however, said he vacated his official seat after his results and is now staying in a junior student’s room.

Hall Provost Professor Mahbubur Rahman confirmed that Nasim’s seat was canceled about seven months ago but acknowledged that he is still residing in the hall. The RU Chhatra Dal president said he was not yet aware of the full details.

Residents of several villages in Raozan upazila of Chattogram have repaired a 600-foot stretch of road through voluntary labor after years of neglect. The Kulalpara-Gazipara road in East Raozan had remained in poor condition for decades, causing severe hardship for more than 20,000 residents. With no initiative from local representatives, villagers decided to take matters into their own hands and fund the repair themselves.

On Wednesday morning, residents from Kulalpara, Gazipara, Moular Bari, Adarshagram, Shilpara, Baruyapara, and Rupnagar joined the effort. Under the supervision of local social worker Mohammad Ali and with financial support from expatriates, around 200 to 300 people participated in the voluntary roadwork. Several community members and local figures were present during the repair activities.

The initiative highlights the community’s determination to address infrastructure problems independently when official action is lacking.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury informed the National Parliament that several business sectors, including grocery stores and beauty parlors, are planned to be brought under the Value Added Tax (VAT) system in the upcoming 2026–27 fiscal year. He disclosed this plan on Wednesday while responding to a question from reserved seat MP Selina Sultana during the parliamentary question session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

According to the minister, the sectors expected to come under VAT include sellers of ready-made garments or fabrics, confectionery, cosmetics shops, plastic and ceramic household goods, shoe stores, hardware sellers, decorators, mobile phones, air conditioners, refrigerators, ovens, and other electronics, as well as paint, sanitary fittings, tiles, corrugated sheets, rods, cement, furniture, sweet shops, and restaurants.

The minister also stated that in the 2024–25 fiscal year, a total of 1,41,586 crore taka was collected as VAT revenue.

Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan, father of slain student Farhan Faiyaz, testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Wednesday as the first witness in a case over the killing of nine people, including Faiyaz and Mahmudul Rahman Soikat, during the July uprising in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. He accused former Dhaka South City mayor Fazle Noor Taposh, former minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak, and 26 others of involvement in the attack. In his testimony, he described how his son, a student of Dhaka Residential Model College, was shot dead while participating in a peaceful anti-discrimination student movement on July 18, 2024.

Bhuiyan recounted that police and ruling party activists opened fire on unarmed students, killing his son instantly. He detailed his desperate attempts to reach the hospital, the chaotic scenes there, and the subsequent funeral arrangements amid alleged obstruction by police and ruling party members. He said he identified the accused through social media, video footage, and witness accounts from other students.

He demanded justice and punishment for those he holds responsible for his son’s death, naming 28 individuals in total in his testimony.

A detainee named Nurul Alam, 45, died less than 15 hours after being taken to Chattogram Central Jail. He was identified as the joint convener of the banned Satykania Upazila unit of the Youth League. Prison authorities said that on Wednesday morning, while in the import ward of the jail, Alam complained of chest pain and breathing difficulties. He was first taken to the prison hospital and then to Chattogram Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

According to the report, Nurul Alam had been arrested on Tuesday by a team from the Detective Branch in connection with a 2024 explosives case filed at Satykania Police Station. After being handed over to the police station, he was presented before the court and later sent to Chattogram Central Jail in the afternoon. Jail superintendent Iqbal Hossain stated that Alam appeared healthy upon arrival and bore no signs of injury. His condition deteriorated suddenly the next morning, leading to his death despite prompt medical attention.

The report did not mention any official investigation or further action following the incident.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar has urged an immediate end to ongoing oppression and torture against humanity across the world, including in the Middle East. In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday ahead of the United Nations’ International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26, he condemned widespread human rights abuses and state-sponsored violence.

Porwar alleged that during the previous government’s 15-and-a-half-year rule, Bangladesh saw a sharp rise in enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and violence against women and children. He claimed that thousands of opposition activists, scholars, journalists, and lawyers were imprisoned under false charges, while corruption and suppression of free speech crippled the nation’s economy and democracy. He also referred to the 2024 student and public uprising, alleging mass killings and injuries.

He expressed solidarity with victims of oppression worldwide, citing ongoing violence in Gaza, other parts of the Middle East, and Iran. Porwar appealed to the United Nations, human rights organizations, and the OIC to stand by the persecuted and urged the current government to release all political prisoners.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanom Rita and Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu inspected canal excavation work in Kasadah canal of Shibaloy upazila, Manikganj, on Wednesday afternoon. During the visit, they also participated in a tree-planting program. Minister Dulu stated that rivers in Bangladesh are drying up due to water disparity caused by a neighboring country, adding that the government has undertaken the Teesta and Padma master plans to address the issue.

He emphasized that Bangladesh, being a riverine country, has seen many rivers turn into canals because of neglect and lack of maintenance. The government has a master plan for re-excavation of these waterways. Dulu noted that early rainfall has slowed excavation work, but incomplete projects will be finished in the next dry season.

Addressing corruption concerns, the minister said Bangladesh had been plagued by corruption for 17 years and that while it cannot be eradicated overnight, any specific complaints regarding canal excavation will be investigated and acted upon.