Amid the scorching heat, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall and directed the country's four seaports – Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra – to hoist local cautionary signal No. In an alert issued on Tuesday, the forecasters said active monsoon conditions are causing the formation of thunderclouds over the northern Bay of Bengal, with a steep pressure gradient prevailing in the region. As a result, heavy to very heavy downpours accompanied by gusty or squally winds are expected to sweep over the northern Bay, adjacent coastal areas, and the maritime ports. A new alert was issued citing the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of the country over the next three days starting Monday morning. The BMD classifies rainfalls exceeding 88mm over a period of 24 hours as very heavy, while 44–88mm is heavy, 23–43mm moderately heavy, 11–22mm moderate, and 1–10mm light.

The interim government has opened emergency hotlines for Bangladeshi nationals living in Iran and their families, as tensions grow amid the country’s conflict with Israel." The foreign ministry announced the launch of the hotline on Monday through a media statement, detailing contact points at both the Bangladesh Embassy in Tehran and the ministry in Dhaka. It urged Bangladeshis in Iran and their relatives to use the provided mobile numbers, including WhatsApp, for any urgent needs. Hotlines· Bangladesh Embassy, Tehran: +98 990 857 7368, +98 912 206 5745· Foreign ministry, Dhaka: +880 1712 012 847

US-UK trade deal to be completed 'very soon,' says StarmerPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ahead of a summit on security at the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada Jun 16, 2025. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERSPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer ahead of a summit on security at the G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada Jun 16, 2025. Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERSBritain and the United States should finalise "very soon" the implementation of a trade deal agreed last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Canada. "I'm certainly seeing President Trump today, and I'm going to discuss with him our trade deal," Starmer told reporters on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) meeting. "I'm very pleased that we made that trade deal, and we're in the final stages now of implementation, and I expect that to be completed very soon."

FILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, May 14, 2025. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoFILE PHOTO: Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, May 14, 2025. S&P 500 futures EScv1 fell 0.46%, European futures STXEc1 slumped 0.69%, while crude prices CLc1, LCOc1 briefly jumped more than 2%. Wall Street had closed higher on Monday after sources told Reuters that Iran was seeking a Trump-mediated immediate ceasefire with Israel, which also cooled a rally in crude prices. Brent crude futures contract LCOc1 was last up 0.34% at $73.47 a barrel.

An elderly man with co-morbidity has died of COVID-19 in Chattogram, taking the tally of deaths nationwide to five this year. This is the first death reported in the Chattogram district amid the spike in COVID-19 infections across the country. Chattogram district Civil Surgeon Dr Jahangir Alam told bdnews24.com, “Shafiul was admitted to the Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital with post-operative complications and kidney failure. They were identified after testing a total of 120 samples at five private hospitals and diagnostic centres in the city. With this, 28 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Chattogram.

Subjected to relentless torture, a 19-year-old youth, a victim of “enforced disappearance” by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), was coerced into memorising a confession written by officials. This is just one of the many harrowing testimonies collected by the commission investigating enforced disappearance. A critical inquiry into the enforced disappearances has exposed a pattern of forced confessions extracted under duress -- often facilitated by magistrates who failed to uphold legal safeguards, according to an official commission report. The report suggests that in many such cases, magistrates not only failed to act independently but were also complicit -- knowingly recording statements obtained under duress in violation of procedural law. The report states that magistrates, judges, and tribunals are duty-bound to ensure justice without fear, favour, or bias.

What action will government take on reviewed job ordinance? A cabinet-formed committee has reviewed the controversial Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 after days of protests from Secretariat officials and staff. They are demanding a complete repeal of the ordinance, warning of wider demonstrations in government offices if it is not scrapped. In response to the unrest, the interim government formed a review committee on Jun 4, led by Law Advisor Asif Nazrul. Leaders of the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association met Public Administration Secretary Mokhlesur Rahman to voice concerns.

A recent example involves a deepfake video circulated on Facebook, falsely showing Prof Yunus endorsing a gambling app. In the video, Prof Yunus was seen saying "We tested our product with a small group of volunteers. Since the interim government formed in August 2024, numerous deepfake videos featuring Prof Yunus have surfaced across Meta's platforms. "In another deepfake, Dr. Yunus appears to promote a betting site named Crazy Time Bangladesh. "We urge social media users to be more cautious and avoid being deceived by such deepfake videos," the statement read.

A person walks in front of closed shops in the Tehran Bazaar following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in the centre of Tehran, Iran, Jun 16, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/REUTERSA person walks in front of closed shops in the Tehran Bazaar following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in the centre of Tehran, Iran, Jun 16, 2025. However, the government said on Sunday that mosques, schools and subways would be open around the clock to serve as shelters during Israeli attacks. Many residents fled overnight on Monday after several districts of Tehran were struck by Israeli missiles. Three shopkeepers in Tehran told Reuters people were stocking up on food and gas cylinders for cooking, and water.

The Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Council has called for a large-scale gathering at the Secretariat’s Badamtala if the government refuses to revoke the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance. The announcement was made at a rally outside the Ministry of Public Administration and the Cabinet Division on Monday. The Council’s Co-chairman Badiul Kabir said that the interim government is provoking the Secretariat staff by enacting this ordinance. He said, “There is definitely room for reconsideration of the Public Service Ordinance. But do not disrupt government work.”On May 22, the Advisory Council approved a proposal to amend the Public Service Act in the form of an ordinance.

Crude bomb explodes near High Court, seven more found in food boxes at Dhaka UniversityA crude bomb has exploded near the High Court while seven more undetonated devices have been discovered inside food boxes on the Dhaka University campus, police say. According to Shahbagh police chief Khalid Mansur, two crude bombs, locally known as cocktails, were thrown in the vicinity of the High Court around 6am. Roughly an hour later, security personnel discovered two dubious food containers beneath a tree near the Annex Building of Dhaka University. Police were alerted and later confirmed that the containers held a total of seven crude bombs, embedded in flour. The bomb disposal team safely removed and neutralised all the unexploded devices, police said.

After Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, Biman Bangladesh Airlines has now introduced special discounted fares for migrant workers on four more Middle Eastern routes, according to bdnews24.com. The discount scheme for remittance earners already in effect for the Saudi Arabia and Malaysia routes will also continue, according to Biman. Initially, the one-way special fare for new workers on these two routes was valid from Feb 10 to Jun 30. Currently, travel agents charge a base fare of $400 to $480 for tickets from Dhaka to Saudi Arabia, and $300 to $350 for Malaysia. A fixed number of seats will be allocated for migrant workers.

The Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) said preparations for the sixth mass recruitment notice are in the final stages, with a final verification of vacant posts currently under way. “The sixth mass circular for teacher recruitment will be issued in a day or two,” said Mohammad Nure Alam Siddique, acting chairman of NTRCA, on Sunday. To be eligible for appointment as assistant teachers or lecturers in non-government institutions, candidates must pass the teacher registration examination, which includes preliminary, written, and oral stages. According to a Supreme Court Appellate Division order, teacher registration certificates are valid for three years. NTRCA will recommend candidates for appointment based on the highest scores in the teacher registration examination for each post, using an automated selection system.

Air India flight 185 arrives from New Delhi at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada April 23, 2021. REUTERSAir India flight 185 arrives from New Delhi at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada April 23, 2021. The Dreamliner aircraft flying Air India flight AI315 out of Hong Kong on Monday is now undergoing checks, said the source with knowledge of the matter. Flight AI315 took off from Hong Kong at 12:16pm and landed just over an hour later, according to tracking data on Flightradar24. Boeing and Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Hong Kong-New Delhi flight.

Emergency personnel work at an impact site after missiles were launched from Iran to Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jun 16, 2025. REUTERSEmergency personnel work at an impact site after missiles were launched from Iran to Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jun 16, 2025. Video footage showed several missiles over Tel Aviv and explosions could be heard there and over Jerusalem. Several residential buildings in a densely populated neighbourhood of Tel Aviv were destroyed in a strike that blew out the windows of hotels and homes near the US Embassy branch in the city. 'IT'S TERRIFYING'Guydo Tetelbaun was in his apartment in Tel Aviv when the alerts came in shortly after 4am (0100 GMT).