Claiming that they have a target of the Awami League, National Citizen Party (NCP) Member Secretary Akhtar Hossen on Monday vowed that the Awami League would not be able to make a comeback amid what he called “anti-fascist unity.” Soon after coming out from the John F Kennedy International Airport with BNP and Jamaat leaders, Akhter Hossen and NCP’s First Senior Joint Member Secretary Dr Tasnim Jara were confronted by a small group of Awami League supporters.

The protesters chanted slogans until the delegation entered their vehicles. At one point, eggs were thrown at Akhter Hossen. Speaking to reporters later at a hotel in New York, Akhter said Awami League activists were resorting to the same intimidation tactics abroad that they practised in Bangladesh.

“We are not afraid of this. The people of Bangladesh showed the highest level of courage against the Awami League and even sacrificed their lives. They will remain united and Awami League will not be able to return,” he said.

Dr Tasnim Jara, who faced verbal abuse during the incident, condemned the attack and linked it to a broader pattern of hostility towards women in politics.

“This is nothing new. We have seen how women – who were on the front during the movement and now getting involved in politics – were targeted and undermined by the Awami League in Bangladesh. Today, we saw a reflection of that again,” she said. Dr Tasnim stressed that such incidents would not deter them from their political mission.

“This cannot stop us. Many people are joining with us, and people rejected the Awami League,” she said. She said the attack was aimed not at Hossen as an individual, but at his political identity as a representative of an anti-fascist movement.

“This attack shows the fear and despair of the defeated forces. It will not weaken Akhter Hossen but only strengthen his determination,” Dr Tasnim said.

The NCP and BNP leaders are part of a delegation accompanying the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The delegation includes BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP leader Humayun Kabir, Jamaat-e-Islami Nayeb-e-Ameer Syeed Abdullah Muhammad Taher, and NCP leaders Dr Tasnim Jara and Akhter Hossen. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mohammad Nakibur Rahman is joining the delegation from the US.

The Pentagon has rolled out new restrictions requiring journalists with building access to pledge not to report any information without prior authorization — including unclassified details. Violations could result in loss of credentials, according to a 17-page memo issued Friday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the policy, saying the press “does not run the Pentagon,” while critics, including the National Press Club and Society of Professional Journalists, denounced it as government censorship and “prior restraint.”

The move follows a series of media access rollbacks under Hegseth and comes after embarrassing leaks, including reports of planned strikes in Yemen and a canceled briefing for Elon Musk.

Security was heightened at Benjamin Cardozo High School in Bayside on Friday, a day after a 16-year-old student was arrested for bringing a loaded handgun onto campus and posting a shooting threat on Instagram.

Meta flagged the post, prompting the FBI and NYPD to quickly trace it to the school. Police recovered a loaded 9mm Taurus GX4 with 13 rounds from the teen’s backpack. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and making terrorist threats.

Mayor Eric Adams credited the swift coordination between federal and local agencies with preventing potential tragedy. “We potentially saved the lives of a lot of students and staff today,” he said.

Students and parents expressed both relief and concern over the new security measures, including metal detectors. The Department of Education said weapons have “no place in schools” and promised additional safety support.

Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognized a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of western foreign policy, triggering swift Israeli anger. Portugal was also to recognize Palestinian statehood later Sunday, as Israel came under huge international pressure over the war in Gaza triggered almost two years ago by the October 7, 2023 Hamas resistance campaign.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X. Britain and Canada became the first G7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens Monday in New York.

“Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.

It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long ambitions for statehood, with the most powerful western nations having long argued it should only come as part of a negotiated peace deal with Israel.

But the move puts those countries at odds with the United States and Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting angrily and vowing to oppose it at the UN talks. Calls for a Palestinian state “would endanger our existence and serve as absurd reward for terrorism,” Netanyahu said Sunday. A growing number of longtime allies have shifted positions, as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive, vowing to eliminate the Hamas Palestinian fighters.

The Gaza Strip has suffered vast destruction, a spiralling death toll and a lack of food that has sparked a major humanitarian crisis since the start of the conflict which has drawn an international outcry.

The UK government has come under increasing public pressure to act, with thousands rallying every month on the streets. A poll released by YouGov on Friday showed two-thirds of young Britons aged 18-25 supported Palestinian statehood. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that “Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution.”

Over a century ago, the UK was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration. Three-quarters of UN members already recognise Palestinian statehood, with over 140 of the 193 having taken the step. Starmer said in July that his Labour government intended to recognise a Palestinian State unless Israel took “substantive” steps including reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, getting more aid into the territory and confirming it would not annex the West Bank.

Starmer has also repeatedly called on Hamas to release the remaining hostages they captured in the 2023 resistance campaign, and is expected to set out new sanctions on the Palestinian fighters.

Lammy told the BBC on Sunday that the Palestinian Authority — the civilian body that governs in areas of the West Bank — had been calling for the move for some time “and I think a lot of that is wrapped up in hope.”

“Will this feed children? No it won’t, that’s down to humanitarian aid. Will this free hostages? That must be down to a ceasefire.”

But he said it was an attempt to “hold out for” a two-state solution. Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin told AFP last week: “Recognition is not symbolic.”

“It sends a very clear message to the Israelis on their illusions on continuing their occupation forever,” she added.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 65,208 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gazan health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable. Portugal said that it would also formally declare its recognition in New York on Sunday.

“By acting now, as the Portuguese government has decided, we’re keeping alive the possibility of having two states,” Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi on Sunday accused Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami of trying to create a “state within the state” through its activities in the political landscape and universities. Speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club, he warned that the country’s independence and sovereignty could face a major conspiracy due to rising threats from across the border and the emergence of new forces.

“Has the Ducsu VP been given magistracy power to decide which shop on the campus is legal or illegal? He fined a shop Tk3,000 and then deposited the money into Baitul Mal (the party’s fund). What is the legal basis for this?” the BNP leader asked.

“7th November Projonma” organized the program on journalist Dr Maruf Mallick’s book “Theoretical Analysis of Bangladeshi Nationalism: Crisis of Civic and Ethnic Nationalism”.

In any university, Rizvi said, it is the administration that should monitor who runs shops or markets on campus. Student leaders can raise concerns if the peaceful and orderly environment of the campus is being disturbed, he said.

“Instead, you are imposing fines and that money is going into Jamaat’s party fund. This is a very serious matter. We have always seen that their activities are creating a ‘state within the state,’ and we are now observing such an environment,” the BNP leader said.

He also criticized the supply of iron beds to university halls by Jamaat’s student wing, questioning whether it is the responsibility of any political party or the student union to do so.

“If students have demands, they should bargain or negotiate with the vice-chancellor. If there is a shortage of accommodation, beds or other facilities, it is the administration’s duty to address it,” Rizvi said. But, he said, the student organization or party is providing iron beds to the administration.

He added: “This is very strange. It undermines the legal foundation of the state and goes against the proper functioning of the university. Are you running an orphanage that you provide iron beds? Will you also provide dining tables for food? These kinds of actions are a very bad sign, in our view.”

Rizvi said in the current reality, especially after 5 August, when the nation is facing constant threats, many divisive voices are being heard, saying that one side is bad and the other is good.

“In this changed situation, with continuous threats coming from neighbouring countries, the way the political situation is moving and the rise of certain forces, I believe this is creating an opportunity for a major conspiracy that could endanger our sovereignty and independence,” the BNP leader said.

He also said a planned campaign is underway to blame BNP for crimes such as extortion, sand lifting and stone theft, while similar allegations against Jamaat leaders are being downplayed. When Jamaat attempts to show itself as good, it often appears that if BNP men are involved in sand lifting, Jamaat men are also connected, Rizvi said. He, however, lamented that media outlets do not highlight the misdeeds of Jamaat leaders and activists, while allegations against BNP receive wide coverage.

“If BNP members are involved in irregularities, we expel or suspend them and take disciplinary action. But this is not highlighted. Instead, a narrative is carefully created to use against BNP and malign the party,” Rizvi said.

He also said the media and social media often blame BNP for extortion, sand lifting or stone theft, but do not report that Jamaat leaders’ names also appear in such incidents, including cases of sexual harassment or abuse of women.

“Every family may have a black sheep. But if the parents punish the black sheep, that is a responsible family. The same goes for political parties,” the BNP leader said. BNP Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, organizing secretary principal Selim Bhuiyan and senior journalist Amirul Islam Kagoji, among others, also spoke at the event.

The US State Department’s 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report says Bangladesh’s interim government has moved to make all natural resource extraction procurements fully open and transparent, suspending direct negotiations led by the previous administration.

The report noted that the government has set clear rules for awarding extraction contracts and licences and provided limited information on procurement. However, the country’s supreme audit institution failed to meet international independence standards and did not fully review accounts due to the change in government.

To improve fiscal transparency, the US recommended Bangladesh publish timely end-of-year reports, prepare budgets in line with global standards, provide a complete picture of revenues and expenditures, and strengthen the audit institution’s independence.

The State Department emphasized that fiscal transparency builds accountability, market confidence, and fair competition for US firms.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has said that the decision of student representatives to join the government was “not right. They had the opportunity to play a role as a pressure group on any issue of the state. But it is not for us to call on them to step down from the government — that urgency must come from within themselves,” he said on Saturday while speaking at the Third Dialogue on Youth’s State Thought at the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, in the capital’s Kakrail.

“In a democratic system, there is no scope to be in both government and opposition at the same time. From the moment the students of the July movement entered the government, I realized they would no longer be able to contribute to rebuilding the state,” he added.

Referring to a newspaper report, Salahuddin said: “I saw one leader remark, who will be the ruling party and who will be the opposition party. If you are so confident, then why don’t you join the election? You are only trying to obstruct it with various excuses.”

The BNP leader further observed that no one can decide which party will be in power or in opposition — only the people can. He also cautioned that pursuing dialogue and movements simultaneously would be contradictory. “We are negotiating on the legal basis of the July Charter. We want a solution through dialogue. There is no objection if any party makes demands, but they should not impose it on the nation,” he said. Salahuddin urged all political parties to maintain unity without creating fresh crises.

The Trump administration is seeking congressional approval to sell Israel $6.4 billion in support equipment and weapons including attack helicopters and troop carriers, people familiar with the matter said on Friday. Israel‘s military said it had expanded operations in Gaza City on Friday and bombarded Hamas infrastructure.

The news of the proposed sale came days before world leaders were set to gather in New York for the annual United Nations General Assembly next week, which the UN Security Council is also due to hold a high-level meeting on Gaza.

The planned package includes a deal worth $3.8 billion for 30 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and $1.9 billion for 3,250 infantry assault vehicles for the Israeli army. Another $750 million worth of support parts for armored personnel carriers and power supplies are also working its way through the sale process, one of the people said.

US Republican President Donald Trump’s full-throated support for Israel‘s military contrasts with growing wariness about Israel‘s campaign in Gaza among Democrats. On Thursday, a group of US senators introduced the first Senate resolution to urge recognition of a Palestinian state and more than half of Democrats in the Senate recently voted against further arms sales.

The Wall Street Journal reported the potential helicopter and vehicle sales on Friday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NEW YORK — The United States on Thursday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, along with the lifting of Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid.

The draft, backed by 14 of the council’s 15 members, also demanded the release of all hostages and restoration of essential services. Algeria, which co-sponsored the text, expressed regret at the council’s failure.

US envoy Morgan Ortagus said the resolution “failed to condemn Hamas or recognize Israel’s right to self-defense,” accusing other members of pushing language that legitimized Hamas narratives. Critics accused Washington of shielding Israel as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens.

US military buildup in Bangladesh’s strategic Chittagong region is raising alarms in India and Myanmar, with experts warning of potential regional security implications, reports The Economic Times.

The paper noted that a C-130J Super Hercules – a tactical transport aircraft normally based at the US Air Force’s Yokota station in Japan – recently touched down at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong.

Analysts cited by the publication said the visit appeared linked to growing involvement of external powers in the Bay of Bengal area, which lies near India’s Northeast and Myanmar. Both Washington and Beijing are reportedly trying to court Myanmar’s rebel groups, the report added.

Since Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed power in Dhaka, the US military has made frequent stops in Chittagong, ranging from reconnaissance trips to joint drills, The Economic Times said. Earlier this year, Bangladesh and the United States conducted exercises codenamed Operation Pacific Angel-25 and Tiger Lightning-2025 in the same zone.