A nameplate is seen outside the Bank Sepah International office in the City of London, July 30, 2007. REUTERS/Stephen HirdA nameplate is seen outside the Bank Sepah International office in the City of London, July 30, 2007. A group known as Gonjeshke Darande, or “Predatory Sparrow,” claimed the attack, making it the group's second operation in two days. On Tuesday the group claimed to have destroyed data at Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah amid the increasing hostilities and missile attacks between Israel and Iran. Gonjeshke Darande is an established hacking group with a history of sophisticated cyberattacks targeting Iran.

CPB, Gono Forum walk out of consensus talks over ‘bias’ claimsLeaders from the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Gono Forum have walked out of the National Consensus Comission’s dialogue, accusing organisers of “partiality and denying them a chance to speak”. Around 3:45pm, Gono Forum General Secretary Mizanur Rahman exited the venue, declaring a “boycott”. “We’re boycotting until the interim government ensures neutrality.”Moments later, CPB General Secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince followed suit, expressing anger over what he described as clear “favouritism”. Soon after, CPB and Gono Forum leaders stood inside the Doel Multipurpose Hall, saying “they were not being allowed to speak”. Other party leaders remained seated during the commotion.

"This discriminates against those who earn their money legally. "Besides, the government is unlikely to gain significant revenue from it. "Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) also condemned the proposal, saying: "This initiative by the interim government contradicts its proposed aim of structural reform, particularly reform of the Anti-Corruption Commission. It is unethical, discriminatory, and unconstitutional. �"bdnews24.com

Zelensky leaves G7 with no Trump meeting or fresh arms support from USUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, Jun 17, 2025. REUTERS/Amber BrackenUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy looks on during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, Jun 17, 2025. "G7 leaders expressed support for President Trump’s efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," it said. G7 leaders are resolute in exploring all options to maximize pressure on Russia, including financial sanctions." G7 leaders agreed on six other statements, about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing.

Iran leader rejects US demand for surrender; Trump says patience has run outIranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected Donald Trump's demand for unconditional surrender on Wednesday, and the US president said his patience had run out, though he gave no clue as to what his next step would be. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel's bombing campaign against arch-enemy Iran. Asked for his response to Khamenei rejecting his demand to surrender, Trump said: "I say, good luck." "Intelligent people who know Iran, the Iranian nation and its history will never speak to this nation in threatening language because the Iranian nation will not surrender." A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations.

Rain water has pooled up in parts of Chattogram city following three hours of very heavy rainfall. According to meteorological standards, 44-88mm of rain in 24 hours qualifies as heavy rainfall while anything above 88mm as very heavy rainfall. Such heavy to very heavy rain may continue in Chattogram over the next few days.”Due to the three-hour-long heavy shower, parts of the city such as GEC Mor, Katalganj, Agrabad commercial area, Kapashgola, and Halishahar saw waterlogging, causing widespread suffering for commuters and office-goers. Katalganj resident Rashedul Alam said that the area experiences waterlogging whether it's light or heavy rain though the situation has improved in parts of the city. Of the remaining canals, work on six canals is over 90 percent done while the work on the other five canals is less than 90 percent complete.

The residence of a Bangladeshi diplomat has been destroyed in Israel’s attack on Tehran, the capital of Iran, BBC Bangla reports. The official, Oalid Islam, is the first secretary at the Bangladeshi embassy in Iran. 3 of Tehran on Monday afternoon, Dhaka instructed all Bangladeshi embassy staff and nationals in the area to evacuate immediately. However, Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul said the process of safely evacuating Bangladeshis from Tehran amid repeated attacks has encountered numerous complications. The authorities on Monday said at a briefing that hotlines have been activated at both the Bangladeshi embassy in Tehran and the foreign ministry in Dhaka.

The interim government is facing multiple complications in its efforts to evacuate Bangladeshis from Tehran as Israel continues to launch fresh attacks on Iran. Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique said about 400 of the estimated 2,000 Bangladeshis in Iran are currently in Tehran -- the group now considered most at risk. "We’ve already started relocating those in Tehran to safer zones. As relocation begins, the government has advised Bangladeshis to move as far from Tehran as possible, though full exit from Iran is not currently “feasible”. The Bangladesh Embassy in Tehran has begun moving them, along with 40 staffers, to safer locations.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (both not pictured), in Nuuk, Greenland, Jun 15, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERSFrench President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (both not pictured), in Nuuk, Greenland, Jun 15, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERSFrench President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday underlined his differences with US President Donald Trump over Iran, appearing to oppose tougher military action against Tehran that could lead to regime change and plunge Iran and the region into chaos. Macron on Monday had suggested to reporters that Trump was leaving the G7 as part of efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Macron said Trump appeared to have changed his opinion since he met G7 leaders in Canada on Monday where Macron claimed Trump had told them he was pushing for a ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday repudiated Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's assessment that Iran has not been building a nuclear weapon, publicly contradicting his spy chief for the first time during his second term. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned early to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, Trump was asked how close he believed Iran was to having a nuclear weapon. Iran denies developing nuclear weapons, saying its uranium enrichment programme was only for peaceful purposes. A source with access to US intelligence reports told Reuters that the assessment presented by Gabbard had not changed. Gabbard, a fierce Trump loyalist, has been among the president's backers who have aired such allegations.

Government may get rid of black money amnesty amid criticismThe interim government may scrap the provision allowing the legalisation of undisclosed income through investment in the housing sector. The new budget proposal increased this threshold to Tk 2,000 per square foot, or Tk 21,530 per square metre. For properties not exceeding 200 square metres in these same areas, the current threshold is Tk 4,000 per square metre. In FY 2024-25, a blanket amnesty had been offered to legalise any undisclosed income, including cash or shares, by paying a flat 15 percent tax without any questions asked. Although the interim government scrapped the blanket amnesty in September, it did not remove the provision allowing legalisation of real estate investments.

Bangladesh Bank is set to discontinue the 14-day repo facility from July, limiting liquidity support for commercial banks to just the 7-day term. Currently, auctions are held for both tenors, but from next month, the central bank will run only the 7-day repo auction. The 14-day facility was meant to be withdrawn this month but has now been deferred by a month, according to Bangladesh Bank spokesperson Arief Hossain Khan. “The governor has issued a directive to discontinue the 14-day repo facility,” he told bdnews24.com on Monday. Commenting on the move, Pubali Bank Managing Director Mohammad Ali told bdnews24.com: “Bangladesh Bank wants to strengthen banks’ liquidity management.

Trump says he wants 'real end' to nuclear problem with IranUS President Donald Trump gestures as he attends a family photo session during the G7 Summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Jun 16, 2025. Washington has said Trump was still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran, even as the military confrontation unfolds. Trump has consistently said the Israeli assault could end quickly if Iran agreed to US demands that it accept strict curbs on its nuclear programme. Israel also said it carried out extensive strikes on Iranian military targets including weapons storage sites and missile launchers. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has pointed to its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Disgruntled over the joint statement by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami has boycotted a meeting with the National Consensus Commission. Senior Jamaat leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher told local media the party would not take part in Tuesday’s second round of talks with political parties hosted by the commission. The meeting was delayed by 30 minutes, but Jamaat was conspicuously absent. Jamaat Assistant Secretary General AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad told bdnews24.com the party had boycotted the session in protest. We’ll decide after discussions.”According to a senior Jamaat leader, the joint statement released after the Jun 3 London meeting between Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman was not made through a “proper process.”“We are not commenting on their meeting,” the leader said.

The National Consensus Commission has begun the second round of dialogue with political parties to continue the discussions of reform commission recommendations that remained incomplete in the first round. The National Consensus Commission was formed on February 15 to establish consensus on the recommendations of these reports. They sought the opinions of 38 political parties and alliances on the 166 recommendations of the Constitutional Reform Commission, the Electoral Reform Commission, the Judiciary Reform Commission, the Anti-Corruption Commission Reform Commission, and the Public Administration Reform Commission. Then, the Consensus Commission completed the first phase of dialogue, lasting 45 sessions, with them from March 20 to May 19. The commission said that consensus and partial consensus have been established with the political parties on several issues through the discussions.