United News of Bangladesh

Palmeiras staged a late comeback to earn a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami in front of a lively crowd at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday night, with both teams securing spots in the Club World Cup round of 16. The Brazilian side, known for its rich football history, found the equalizer in the 87th minute through Mauricio after trailing for most of the game. The draw was enough for both clubs to progress, as they entered the match level on four points at the top of Group A. Nuno Santo signs new three-year deal to stay at Nottingham Forest Inter Miami seemed on course to win the group after building a 2-0 advantage, thanks to goals from Tadeo Allende in the 16th minute and veteran striker Luis Suarez in the 65th. However, Palmeiras turned the game around following key second-half substitutions. Paulinho pulled one back in the 80th minute, setting the stage for Mauricio's late equalizer. Despite plenty of opportunities and the crowd frequently chanting his name, Lionel Messi, who celebrates his 39th birthday on Tuesday, was unable to find the back of the net.  

Centuries by Lokesh Rahul and Rishabh Pant helped India set England a steep target of 371 to win the series-opening test at Headingley on Monday. India was all out for 364 in its second innings and, in the last half hour of day four, England knocked 21 runs off the target and survived three overs from star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. England needs 350 more runs at less than four an over in the last three sessions on Tuesday, weather permitting. Some rain is forecast. The odds favor India on a fifth-day pitch but England in its ‘Bazball’ era is confident of chasing down the target. If it does, it will be a record for England at Headingley. Rahul hit 137 and Pant 118 — his second ton of the match — in a stand of 195 that turned the match India's way. They played a tight situation perfectly; absorbing intense England pressure in the morning then going on the attack in a stunning afternoon. They had some luck. Rahul was dropped on 58 and Pant edged twice into the vacant slip area. The unlucky bowler each time was Josh Tongue, but he contributed to routing the India tail again with three wickets in four balls. One of the wickets was caught by Joe Root, his 210th catch tying Rahul Dravid's test record.

Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) will observe the Olympic Day, the founding anniversary of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)  through a ceremonial rally in the capital and seven other divisional headquarters of the country on Tuesday (June 24). The main motive of this year's Olympic Day is "Let's Move" for healthy lifestyle with walking, sports and physical exercises after managing time from the day's busy schedule. BOA President and Chief of Bangladesh Army General Waker-Uz- Zaman will be the chief guest to distribute the certificated among the participants at the function, sponsored by Square Food and Beverage Limited and Sheltech (Private) Limited, apart from IOC The Olympic Day observed all over the world through a ceremonial run on June 23, but this time Bangladesh will observe the Olympic day on the following day (June 24). The Olympic Day run in the capital will start at 6:30 am from Bangladesh Shisu Academy and concluded at the National Stadium in Dhaka after passing through Shikka Bhaban, Bangladesh Secretariet, Zero point and GPO areas. Some 2000 sportsmen, sports organizers, coaches, trainers, officials sports ministry, National Sports Council (NSC) civil and military organizations are expected to participate in the rally. After the rally, Bangladesh Army Orchestra team will present a cultural show at the National Stadium in Dhaka.

Bangladesh Women's Football team will fly for Myanmar Wednesday early hours to compete in the Group C matches of the AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers beginning in Yangon on June 29. Bangladesh has been placed in Group C of the Asian tournament along with hosts Myanmar, Bahrain and Turkmenistan. U-15 National Football: Bogura DSA beat Sirajganj DSA by 3-0 goals In Group C matches, Bangladesh will face Bahrain on June 29, Myanmar on July 2, and Turkmenistan on July 5, all at the Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon. Ahead of the Myanmar tour, Bangladesh women's team will make their practices at the National Stadium in Dhaka Tuesday morning from 8:30 am. As a part of their preparations for the AFC Women's Asia Cup, Bangladesh women's team made very good practices in Tri-nation Football Tournament in Lebanon playing draw with upper ranked Jordan and Indonesia. Coming from behind twice, touring Bangladesh Women's Football team forced their 69th ranked upper host Jordan to play 2-2 draw in the 2nd match after playing goalless draw with Indonesia in the first match, both at the King Abdullah Stadium in the Jordan capital, Amman in May and June.

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto suffered another injury scare on Monday, taking a blow to his finger during a slip-catching drill ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. This is the second time in a week the left-handed batter has been struck on the same finger. The first incident occurred during training ahead of the Galle Test, where Najmul played through considerable discomfort despite the pain. However, the pain couldn't stop him from knocking a century in each innings of the match. The fresh knock forced the captain to sit out the remainder of the training session, skipping both batting and fielding drills. While he remained with the team, medical staff and team management are now expected to assess the severity of the injury before making any decisions about his availability. Naim returns to ODI team after 2 years, Taskin also back for Sri Lanka series As of Monday evening, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had not issued any official statement regarding the extent of the injury, leaving fans and observers uncertain about whether Shanto will take the field for the second and final Test of the series. The Colombo Test is scheduled to begin Wednesday. If Najmul eventually drops due to the injury, it will be a big blow for the Tigers.

Bangladesh Test captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has refused to confirm or deny media reports that he plans to quit the post after the ongoing two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Speaking to reporters at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo ahead of the second and final Test, he said he remained focused on the immediate task at hand, brushing aside questions about his potential resignation. “There’s a lot of talk going on, as always,” he said with a smile. “But I don’t want to comment on that now. As captain and as a batter, my focus is to finish this Test well.” Speculation about Najmul’s intent to quit the Test captaincy intensified after his abrupt removal as ODI captain earlier this month. Najmul hints at quitting Test captaincy after Sri Lanka series According to insiders, he was caught off guard by the board’s decision, especially after being reassured that he would continue leading both the Test and ODI sides. In response, Najmul reportedly told BCB officials he was willing to step down from the Test captaincy too, citing discomfort with having three different captains in the same dressing room. However, on Monday, he made no mention of such discussions. “I haven’t made any decision, and I haven’t spoken to the board about it,” he said, adding that such speculation during a series was unhelpful. “These kinds of conversations should not happen in the middle of an important Test. The sooner they stop the better.” Najmul also defended his leadership in the drawn Galle Test, especially over the timing of Bangladesh’s declaration. Critics had accused him and Mushfiqur Rahim of delaying the decision in pursuit of personal milestones, a claim he strongly refuted. “No one in our dressing room plays for individual records,” he said. “We made the call based on conditions and discussions with the coaches.” With Mehidy Hasan Miraz likely to return to the XI after recovering from illness, Najmul said the team was looking to build on their solid performance in Galle. “We finished the first Test strongly, and we want to carry that momentum into Colombo,” the Bangladesh captain added. The second Test begins on Wednesday.

France’s top financial watchdog has provided the first official estimate of public spending linked to the 2024 Paris Olympics, placing the overall figure at nearly six billion euros ($6.8 billion). In a preliminary report released Monday, the Cour des Comptes (Court of Auditors) outlined that €2.77 billion has been allocated for organizing the Games, while €3.19 billion has gone toward infrastructure investments. Olympic Day to be observed in capital, divisional HQs on Tuesday However, Paris 2024 organizers have disputed these numbers, arguing in their response to the report that the methodology used is misleading. They pointed out that some of the expenditures included were made prior to the event and will continue to benefit the country long after, meaning they should not be solely attributed to the Olympics. They also criticized the inclusion of long-standing infrastructure projects in the Games’ financial assessment, calling it unjustified. “The Court has avoided addressing the only question that truly matters for public debate: how much public spending would have been avoided if the Games were not held in Paris?” said Tony Estanguet, former head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee. He further argued that the actual amount of public money exclusively tied to the Games is far lower than the six billion euros cited by the Court, estimating it at no more than €2 billion. Estanguet also highlighted that the expected economic benefits from the Games are projected to be three to five times higher than that figure. Italy's Olympic committee urges to halt sports events for Pope Francis’ funeral The Cour des Comptes clarified that its findings are based on available data as of March 31, 2025, and do not represent final conclusions. The report does not assess the economic impact, potential tax revenues, or tax breaks related to the event due to a lack of available information. In its statement, the Court expressed dissatisfaction with tax authorities for not providing an overall estimate of tax-related expenditures and urged the government to conduct such an evaluation without delay.

Najmul Hossain Shanto has hinted at stepping down at the captain of Bangladesh’s Test team after the ongoing two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Najmul has reportedly been in a complicated relationship with the national team management, which is now poised to enter a new chapter. Quoting multiple sources close to the in-form batter, Cricbuzz, an international cricket news outlet, reported on Monday that Najmul has already made up his mind, and is expected to inform his decision to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) after the ongoing series. Najmul played a captain’s knock smashing centuries in both the innings of the just concluded opening Test match against Sri Lanka that ended in a draw. Whether an announcement will be made immediately after the second Test in Colombo or later will depend on follow-up discussions with the board. Galle Test: Rain-marred Test ends in draw despite twin tons from Shanto Najmul’s desire to quit comes in the wake of recent turbulence surrounding his role across formats. Initially appointed captain for all three formats last year, he voluntarily gave up the T20I captaincy to focus on his batting, requesting to continue leading in Tests and ODIs. However, on June 12, the BCB called an unscheduled Zoom meeting and abruptly replaced him with Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the new ODI captain—without placing the matter on the board meeting agenda, a move seen as uncharacteristic and abrupt. It is understood that the abrupt decision to change ODI captaincy might have played a role in Najmul’s possible decision to step down as the Test captain. Najmul was surprised by his removal, especially as he was due to discuss Sri Lanka ODI squad plans with head coach Phil Simmons. BCB director Nazmul Abedin conveyed the news, frustrating Shanto, who then skipped the meeting with the coach.

Bangladesh have named a 16-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka, with left-handed opener Mohammad Naim making a return to the national setup after more than two years. Right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed also returns from injury. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain announced the squad on Monday at a press conference held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. The three-match series will begin on July 2 in Colombo. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was recently appointed as the ODI captain, will lead the side for the first time in the format. Naim, 25, was rewarded for his strong domestic form. He scored 618 runs in 11 matches in the recently concluded Dhaka Premier League, finishing as the tournament’s third-highest run-getter. He replaces Soumya Sarkar, who is yet to fully recover from a recurring back injury. Galle Test: Rain-marred Test ends in draw despite twin tons from Shanto Taskin Ahmed’s inclusion will boost Bangladesh’s pace options. The fast bowler missed recent assignments due to fitness issues but has returned to full training. The ODI series will follow the conclusion of the ongoing Test series. The second Test is set to begin on June 25 in Colombo. Bangladesh squad for Sri Lanka ODIs: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Mohammad Naim, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Litton Das, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Tanvir Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman.

Bogura DSA beat Sirajganj DSA by 3-0 goals in a Rajshahi zone match of the UCB -BFF Under- 15 National Football League' 2025 in Rajshahi Sunday afternoon. After barren first half, Habib Hossain put Bogra team ahead in the 51st minute (1-0), Sakib Hossain doubled the margin in the 64th minute (2-0) while Mohammad Sami sealed the fate of the match scoring the 3rd goal in the 76th minute (3-0). Karimul Hassan of the Bogura DSA was adjudged the best player of the match.