Bangladesh has introduced a 25 percent fare discount for elderly and physically disabled passengers on metro and train travel. The program was inaugurated on Monday at Dhaka’s Farmgate Metro Station, with Road Transport, Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam MP attending as chief guest. Senior officials from the concerned ministries were also present at the event.

According to the minister, the initiative aims to make public transport more humane, inclusive, and citizen-friendly. Elderly citizens aged 65 and above and persons with disabilities or special needs will receive a 25 percent discount on single-journey metro tickets upon presenting valid identification. The same discount applies to train tickets purchased both online and at counters, with age verification based on national ID information. Existing 50 percent discounts for disabled passengers in certain train classes remain in effect, while a new 25 percent reduction has been added for all air-conditioned classes.

Officials believe the program will make the country’s public transport system more inclusive and passenger-oriented.

Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin announced that under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership, Bangladesh has restored people’s ownership of state assets and strengthened democratic institutions within the government’s first 100 days. Speaking at a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office on May 25, he said the administration has prioritized election pledges since taking office on February 17, emphasizing public engagement and ending VIP culture.

The government has seized assets worth 4,264 crore taka from S. Alam Group and signed agreements with three countries to repatriate laundered money. It reinstated the phrase “except Israel” in passports and set a goal to make Bangladesh a trillion-dollar economy by 2034. Initiatives include women-focused “Family Cards,” debt waivers for small farmers, and an “LPG Card” subsidy. Employment exchanges and ID cards for freelancers have been launched, and canal excavation programs revived.

For the first time, artificial intelligence is being introduced in traffic management, alongside plans for 250 electric buses and the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The government also passed the “July Warriors Indemnity Act” and achieved a record 94 bills in the first parliamentary session.

During the seven-day Eid-ul-Azha bank holiday from May 25 to 31, customers across Bangladesh faced difficulties withdrawing cash from ATM booths. Despite Bangladesh Bank’s directive to ensure uninterrupted ATM services, several booths ran out of cash or imposed withdrawal limits. Field visits in Dhaka’s Mouchak, Malibagh, Moghbazar, and Karwan Bazar areas revealed that many booths of weaker banks were out of service, while some stronger banks also restricted withdrawals or blocked transactions from other banks’ cards.

Social media users reported frustration, describing the situation as mismanagement and unfair to customers needing cash for Eid expenses. Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan stated that the central bank had supplied sufficient cash to all banks and that any shortages were due to individual banks’ internal management. He warned that banks neglecting service continuity could face action.

Earlier, Bangladesh Bank had issued a circular instructing all scheduled banks to maintain adequate cash in ATMs, ensure technical readiness, strengthen booth security, and keep mobile financial and online payment services operational during the holiday period.

In Venezuela’s western Barinas prison, inmates climbed onto the roof on Sunday to stage a protest against alleged mistreatment by prison authorities. They burned mattresses and bedsheets as part of their demonstration and accused guards of shooting unarmed prisoners, leaving several injured. Protesters demanded the removal of the prison director, and video footage reportedly showed one inmate with a gunshot wound to the chest while others chanted for justice and an end to abuse.

Tensions also spread outside the prison as relatives of inmates clashed with members of the National Guard while attempting to enter the facility. Witnesses reported hearing screams and explosions from inside the prison during the unrest.

A Venezuelan prison monitoring organization stated that it is documenting the incident and sharing information with human rights groups. Authorities have not yet issued any official statement regarding the situation.

Police in Raipur municipality of Lakshmipur have sent Rakib, general secretary of the local ward unit of the student organization Chhatra Dal, to jail on charges of helping an accused rapist flee. The case involves a 45-year-old autorickshaw driver named Sahin, accused of raping an 11-year-old girl multiple times after threatening her and recording a video of the assault. The incident reportedly occurred when the victim’s mother was away for work.

According to local and family sources, Sahin used threats of violence and exposure of the video to repeatedly assault the child. Residents alleged that Rakib accepted money to help Sahin escape after locals initially caught him. The incident has sparked anger and demands for justice in the area.

Rakib denied the allegations, claiming he had informed police and journalists about the suspect. Raipur police confirmed Rakib’s detention under Section 54 and said efforts are ongoing to arrest the main accused. The community remains tense as residents call for swift and exemplary punishment.

Police in Bogura have arrested two day laborers accused of murdering housewife Rita Majumdar in Mominhata village of Gabtali upazila. The arrests were announced at a press briefing at the Bogura Superintendent of Police’s office on Monday afternoon. The suspects, identified as Shaon Mia, 20, and Anwar Hossain, 35, were detained following an investigation that began after the killing on May 20. Police said the murder was committed as part of a plan to steal money from a recent land sale.

According to police, the two men worked together as day laborers. About ten days before the incident, Anwar learned that Rita Majumdar’s family had cash from selling land. The pair allegedly planned a robbery, with Anwar purchasing two local weapons. On the night of the murder, they hid inside the house and attacked Rita when she recognized Anwar after hearing a noise. She died on the spot from severe bleeding.

Police later recovered the weapons from a nearby water body and seized clothing, a mobile phone, and SIM cards used during the crime. The suspects are being sent to court.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during his official visit to China. The meeting took place at a time when diplomatic efforts to formally end the Iran war are being prolonged. Before meeting Xi, Sharif also held discussions with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

During the talks, Sharif emphasized the importance of Islamabad and Beijing working together to restore peace in the Middle East. He stated that the world is passing through a critical moment and expressed gratitude to China for its support in advancing peace negotiations.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who had just concluded a visit to Iran, was also present at the meeting, according to the report sourced from Al Jazeera.

In Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari, 250 impoverished residents received financial assistance from the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Each beneficiary was given 2,000 taka, totaling 500,000 taka in distributed aid. The distribution ceremony took place on Monday afternoon at the upazila parishad conference room.

The financial aid was handed over by Abdul Muntakim, Member of Parliament for Nilphamari-4 constituency. The event was attended by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Arifur Rahman, local Jamaat leader Abdur Rashid Shah, secretary Ferdous Alam, and Press Club president Abu Hasan Sheikh, among others.

The initiative aimed to support underprivileged families during the religious festival, ensuring they could celebrate Eid-ul-Azha with dignity and financial relief.

Tea garden workers in Habiganj have begun an indefinite work stoppage demanding payment of overdue wages, rations, and festival bonuses, along with seven other points. The strike started on Monday morning across four estates—Deundi, Lalchan, Mritinga, and Noapara—located in Chunarughat and Madhabpur upazilas. Around 5,000 workers are reportedly facing severe hardship due to weeks of unpaid weekly wages, leading to growing frustration and uncertainty over salaries and bonuses.

A tripartite meeting was held on May 6 in Srimangal between owners, workers, and the labor department, where it was decided that all arrears would be cleared promptly. The meeting also agreed on repairing dilapidated housing before the monsoon and ensuring medical facilities as per labor law. However, the workers allege that the owners failed to implement these decisions, prompting the strike. Workers have been staging sit-ins at local temples instead of reporting to the gardens and factories.

According to the Deundi Tea Garden Panchayat Committee president, the strike will continue until the seven-point demands are met.

A third-gender person named Yasmin, also known as Suman, was stabbed to death and another, Chandni alias Babu, was injured in a knife attack in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi. The incident occurred around midnight on Sunday at a poultry farm near the railway gate in Pirijkandi village under Mirzapur Union. Both victims lived together near the scene. The accused, 35-year-old worker Russell Mostafa, had been employed at the farm for three years.

According to police citing Chandni, an argument broke out between the two victims and Russell outside the farm, leading to the stabbing. Yasmin died on the spot, while locals called emergency services after hearing Chandni’s screams. Police recovered the body and sent it for autopsy, and Chandni was transferred to a private hospital in Dhaka after initial treatment.

Police and locals suspect the attack may have stemmed from a dispute over drug money, as all three were allegedly involved in local drug trade. Authorities have launched an investigation and a manhunt to arrest the accused.

More than one million taka worth of teak trees have been stolen from Satchari National Park in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj. Witnesses reported that two large teak trees were recently taken from the Dumurtola area, while similar thefts occurred a month earlier in Kapai, Kunimora, and Telmachhra areas. Despite repeated incidents, forest officials have been accused of inaction, with reports suggesting that they only file general diaries instead of taking effective measures.

The report alleges that a coordinated syndicate involving forest officials, police, and timber thieves is behind the illegal logging and smuggling of valuable trees. The smugglers reportedly maintain secret communication with law enforcement through messaging apps. Although there were recent gunfights between forest guards and bandits in the nearby Rema-Kalenga forest, police have not taken significant action, leading to public frustration and fear.

Forest range officer Mehedi Hasan said two trees were stolen in the past four months and that cases have been filed with investigations ongoing. Environmental activists warned that continued tree theft threatens biodiversity and ecological balance in Satchari.

Health Minister Sardar Md. Shakhawat Hossain said that measles infection rates have dropped to nearly zero in 18 upazilas where the first phase of the vaccination campaign was conducted. He stated that the national measles vaccination program has achieved 122 percent of its target, with more than 20 million children vaccinated so far. The minister made these remarks on Monday morning after visiting Cumilla Medical College Hospital and Sadar General Hospital.

In response to a question about whether the government would seek an independent investigation from the World Health Organization into measles-related infections and deaths, the minister emphasized that punishment alone cannot solve the problem. He said the government’s top priority is to protect children from measles and ensure that no mother loses her child to the disease.

When asked about alleged irregularities worth 50 million taka in medicine procurement at Cumilla Medical College last year, the minister said that work has already begun and that existing public health issues must be addressed first.

The Dhanua Kamalpur land port in Bakshiganj, Jamalpur, will remain closed for seven consecutive days during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays. Starting Monday, all import and export activities through the port will be suspended, according to port authorities. Operations are scheduled to resume on June 1.

The port handles the import of 34 types of goods, including stone from India, and exports various Bangladeshi products such as plastic. It plays a significant role in the economic development of northern Jamalpur, providing daily employment for 6,000 to 8,000 workers when operational.

The temporary closure is part of the national holiday schedule for Eid, after which normal trade and labor activities are expected to resume without disruption.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, currently visiting China, stated that peace talks aimed at ending the conflict between the United States and Iran are moving in the right direction. He described the world as being at a critical moment and expressed gratitude to China for its support in promoting peace.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal to end the war with Iran could be reached as soon as today, while reaffirming Israel’s right to self-defense. Speaking in New Delhi, Rubio noted that progress might have been expected overnight or today but cautioned against drawing conclusions prematurely.

US President Donald Trump separately announced on his social media platform that the United States would maintain its naval blockade on Iran until any agreement is finalized, certified, and signed. The developments highlight ongoing diplomatic efforts involving multiple nations to de-escalate tensions in the region.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced a $5 billion financing package for Bangladesh over the next five years to help the country manage rising economic pressures caused by global conflicts and domestic financial challenges. ADB President Masato Kanda made the announcement in Dhaka on Monday during meetings with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and senior officials. The funds will be used under the 'Integrated Growth Network Development Initiative' to improve connectivity, boost investment, and ensure balanced regional development.

According to ADB, Bangladesh’s import-dependent economy has come under strain due to higher energy, LNG, fertilizer, and transport costs linked to the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, alongside persistent inflation and liquidity shortages in the banking sector. The new package will provide about $1 billion annually as part of ADB’s sovereign financing program. During the visit, loan agreements worth $1.4 billion were also signed for energy, transport, climate resilience, and social development projects.

ADB further announced an additional $250 million to address financing gaps and plans to raise its annual sovereign financing for Bangladesh by 20 percent to $2.4 billion, supporting investment-led growth, economic diversification, and governance reforms.