Two separate cases have been filed under the Human Trafficking Prevention Act against nine brokers following the deaths of 12 young men from Sunamganj who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while attempting to travel from Libya to Greece. The cases were lodged on Monday night at Jagannathpur and Dirai police stations, with five accused in one case and four in the other.

According to the report, the Dirai case was filed by Salikur Rahman, father of deceased Sohanur Rahman from Basuri village, while the Jagannathpur case was filed by Habibur Rahman from Pailgaon village. Additional Superintendent of Police Sujan Sarkar stated that the names of the accused are being withheld for investigative reasons, and police operations to arrest them are ongoing.

District Commissioner Mohammad Elias Mia said that lists of suspected brokers were prepared by local executive officers and handed over to police. He added that the administration remains in support of the victims’ families.

A court in Faridpur’s Boalmari upazila has placed Professor Dr. Md. Golam Kabir and his wife Hosne Ara on a three-day remand in connection with the shooting death of Kabir’s younger brother. The court rejected their bail plea after police sought a seven-day remand. The incident occurred on March 25 in Chatul village, where a dispute over selling trees from family land escalated into a violent confrontation. Golam Kabir allegedly shot his brother Humayun Kabir Mintu with a shotgun, leading to his death shortly after being rescued.

Following the incident, the victim’s wife Farida Begum filed a murder case with Boalmari Police Station, naming seven accused. Locals detained the main suspect, Golam Kabir, at the scene and handed him over to police, who later arrested his wife as well. Police officials said the investigation is ongoing to uncover the full circumstances behind the killing.

Boalmari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain stated that the remand interrogation is expected to yield important information relevant to the case.

A man was killed in Comilla’s Barura upazila on Monday night after being attacked by his son during a family dispute. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on March 30, when the son, identified as Abul Kalam, allegedly assaulted his father, Ali Akbar, with a sharp weapon. Ali Akbar was taken to a local government hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Family members said Abul Kalam, aged 35, had been suffering from mental health issues for about two years and previously worked as an autorickshaw driver. Following the attack, police arrived at the scene, recovered the body, and took it to the police station. With help from locals, the accused was detained and handed over to law enforcement.

Barura Police Station’s investigation officer Sanjay Sarkar stated that police responded quickly and that an investigation is underway. Further details will be provided after the inquiry is completed.

Economist Debapriya Bhattacharya has said that the new government faces significant challenges in preparing its first national budget amid structural weaknesses, incomplete reforms, and growing economic pressures. Speaking at a pre-budget media briefing titled “Citizen Thoughts and Expectations on the Budget” at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) office in Dhaka, he noted that maintaining fiscal discipline and prioritizing expenditures carefully are essential under current constraints.

Bhattacharya highlighted that the government is operating under severe budgetary limitations, making it difficult to balance spending and resources. He pointed to inherited liabilities from the previous government’s pay scale initiative, urging the formation of a new commission to review the issue. He also emphasized recovering illicitly transferred funds, expanding the tax base, and reducing inefficient subsidies, particularly in agriculture and energy. He identified four main pressures on the upcoming budget: structural weaknesses, election promises, limited fiscal space, and external imbalances.

He warned that without realistic expectations and effective short- and medium-term planning, the forthcoming budget may fail to stabilize the economy or sustain growth.

The Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association has alleged that its secretary general, Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, has been receiving continuous threats from various transport owners, workers, and organizations. The threats reportedly began after the association published reports on excessive fares during Eid travel and subsequent road accidents. In response, an online general diary (GD) was filed on Tuesday at the Demra Police Station in Dhaka.

According to the GD, Chowdhury has been advocating for passenger rights and safety for two decades. The association claimed that during the previous Awami League government, he faced multiple legal cases and imprisonment under pressure from transport groups. Following the latest reports, unidentified individuals were seen monitoring his movements and inquiring about his and his family’s whereabouts.

Chowdhury has also released an online video message seeking the prime minister’s intervention to ensure his personal safety amid the ongoing threats.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan announced that from the next fiscal year, taxpayers will be able to file their income tax returns online throughout the year. He made the statement on Tuesday while presiding over a pre-budget discussion organized by the NBR. Currently, November 30 is observed as Income Tax Day, and taxpayers are required to submit their returns by that date.

The NBR chairman explained that the new system will replace the single deadline with four quarterly filing periods. Taxpayers who submit returns in the first quarter will receive tax rebates, while those filing in later quarters will face progressively higher tax rates. The aim is to give taxpayers flexibility in choosing their filing period. He also mentioned that 4.2 million people have submitted returns this year, and around 20,000 have applied for deadline extensions.

According to the chairman, online applications for time extensions are available, and tax officials can approve up to 90 additional days. He emphasized that improved governance and reduced revenue leakage will help increase overall tax collection.

A Barishal court has sent Jihadul Islam Khan, joint general secretary of the district Chhatra Dal, to jail on charges of motorcycle theft in Mehendiganj. He was produced before the court on Sunday after being detained by police the previous night. According to police and local sources, Khan allegedly attempted to steal a rented motorcycle locked at a house in the Badarpur area around 1 a.m. Saturday. Police on patrol stopped him for questioning and detained him after inconsistencies appeared in his statements.

The motorcycle’s owner, Tanvir Islam, confirmed that the lock had been broken and filed a case with the local police station on Sunday. Police then showed Khan arrested in the case and sent him to jail through the court. Tanvir said he had bought the motorcycle with a loan and depended on it for his family’s livelihood, expressing gratitude for the police’s quick action.

Local BNP leader Asaduzzaman Mukta stated that although Khan holds a Chhatra Dal position, there had been prior complaints against him, and the party would take internal action if necessary.

A college student named Saidul Islam Sajib, aged 25, died while undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital following an attack in Lochanabad village of Rangasree Union, Bakerganj upazila, Barishal. The incident occurred on Saturday morning, March 28, 2026, when a group allegedly led by Milan Khan attacked Sajib’s family over a land dispute. Sajib, who had recently completed his honors final-year exams at Barishal Government College, suffered a brain hemorrhage and succumbed to his injuries early Tuesday.

Four other family members—Abul Hossain Khan, Piyara Begum, Hasan Ali Khan, and Ayesha Begum—were also injured and received primary treatment at the upazila health complex. Abul Hossain Khan later filed a case against eight individuals under case number GR 88/26.

Despite four days passing since the attack, none of the accused have been arrested, and locals expressed anger as the suspects reportedly remain at large. Allegations have also surfaced that police recorded a false case in favor of the accused, fueling public dissatisfaction in the area.

Former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Abdul Jalil Mondol was presented before the International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday in connection with the case filed over the 2013 Shapla Chattar killings during Hefazat-e-Islam’s mass gathering in Motijheel, Dhaka. He had been arrested the previous evening from the capital’s Sabujbagh area.

According to the report, Mondol, a resident of Pabna, previously held several key positions in the police force. He served as Commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP), Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) during the Hefazat movement, and Additional Director General (Administration) of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

The tribunal appearance marks a new development in the long-running investigation into the 2013 Shapla Chattar incident, which remains a significant event in Bangladesh’s recent political and law enforcement history.

A devastating fire broke out late Tuesday night at the east side of Dhamura Bazar in Sholak Union under Uzirpur upazila of Barishal, destroying eight shops and causing losses estimated at over one crore taka. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m., and the fire spread rapidly before being brought under control after about an hour and fifteen minutes by a unit of the Uzirpur Fire Service.

According to fire service and local sources, the blaze completely gutted shops belonging to several traders, including sanitary, poultry feed, furniture, steel, and boat businesses. Fire Service and Civil Defense officer Abdur Rashid said the damage could amount to several crores of taka. Affected traders reported losing both cash and goods, with individual losses ranging from several lakhs to over half a crore taka.

Uzirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Ali Suza visited the site and said that initiatives would be taken to provide necessary assistance to the affected business owners. The cause of the fire remains unknown and is under investigation.

National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan has assured that the value-added tax (VAT) on imported newsprint, used as raw material for newspapers, will be reduced in the next fiscal year’s budget. He made the remarks during a pre-budget discussion held on Tuesday at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, following proposals from the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB).

NOAB President and Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury urged the government to withdraw the existing 15 percent VAT on newsprint imports, reduce the 5 percent withholding tax on advertising income, and lower the 5 percent advance income tax on raw material imports. He highlighted that newsprint accounts for 50 to 60 percent of total production costs, creating a dual financial burden on the industry. NOAB also proposed reducing the corporate tax rate from 27.5 percent to 10 percent and exempting institutions from employees’ income tax liabilities.

In response, the NBR chairman confirmed that corporate tax would not increase and said employee income tax must be borne individually unless the ninth wage board is implemented by newspaper owners.

A 19-year-old Bangladeshi woman named Nishat Jannat was killed after being struck by a garbage truck while crossing the road near Jackson Heights in New York’s Woodside area around midnight on Sunday local time. Police said the truck, traveling west on Roosevelt Avenue, hit her while turning right onto 62nd Street. Emergency medical personnel declared her dead at the scene. Nishat was a student at City College of New York and worked as a receptionist at a parking garage on Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica.

Her father, Helal Uddin, an imam at Baitul Jannah Mosque in Woodside, said the family moved to New York eight years ago seeking a better future. Nishat was the second of four daughters. Her funeral prayer will be held Tuesday after noon at Baitul Jannah Mosque, followed by burial in New York.

Police confirmed that the 38-year-old female truck driver remained at the scene and received minor treatment. No arrests have been made, and the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad is investigating. The truck’s owner, Royal Waste Services, said it is cooperating with police, while its parent company, Waste Connections, expressed deep condolences to the victim’s family.

A college student named Saidul Islam Sajib, aged 25, died early Tuesday after being seriously injured in an attack linked to a land dispute in Bakerganj, Barishal. He passed away around 2 a.m. while receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Sajib, a master's student at Government Barishal College, was attacked along with his relatives last Saturday when they began constructing a shop on disputed land near their home in Lochanabad village.

According to his father, Abul Hossain Khan, a group led by local resident Md. Milon Khan allegedly attacked them with sharp weapons and sticks, injuring several family members. Sajib was first treated locally and later transferred to Dhaka after his condition worsened due to brain hemorrhage. His parents and other relatives also sustained injuries and received treatment at Bakerganj Upazila Health Complex.

Police confirmed that both parties involved in the land dispute have filed separate cases. Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are underway to arrest the accused.

South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce (SBAC) Bank, established on April 3, 2013, will mark its 13th anniversary this April. Managing Director S M Moinul Kabir said the bank currently operates 90 branches, 32 sub-branches, agent outlets, and 77 ATMs, with both conventional and Islamic banking services. Its total deposits stand at about Tk 11,000 crore, loans and advances at Tk 9,265 crore, and total assets at Tk 13,360 crore. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio is 14.22 percent, exceeding regulatory requirements.

Kabir noted that non-performing loans rose slightly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the political unrest of August 2024 but remain manageable. SBAC is prioritizing SME and agro-based lending, aiming to raise SME loans from 38 to 50 percent of total disbursement. The bank is also investing in digitalization aligned with the government’s cashless vision and strengthening cybersecurity.

Kabir emphasized that the board allows management to work independently and that customer deposits have increased by about 30 percent since August 5. The bank’s goal is to become one of Bangladesh’s top 20–25 banks within three years.

Local BNP leaders in Fatullah, Narayanganj, have been accused of illegally extracting soil from the Dhaleshwari and Buriganga rivers and selling it to nearby brick kilns. The activity reportedly takes place openly using grab dredgers, with around 150,000 cubic feet of soil removed daily from the Dharmaganj and Baktabali areas. Despite the absence of official permission for dredging, the report alleges that some BIWTA officials and river police have been influenced to allow the operations.

The unplanned soil extraction has put surrounding farmland, roads, and villages at risk of erosion. Residents say the illegal dredging is damaging the rivers’ navigability and environmental balance, threatening homes and businesses. The syndicate allegedly includes both BNP and Awami League figures, with specific local leaders named as participants.

Narayanganj-4 MP Abdullah Al Amin condemned the illegal activity, warning that it endangers riverside communities. BIWTA’s director declined to comment, while the local river police officer-in-charge said he had recently joined and would investigate the matter and take strict action.