A report from Amader Desh describes growing fears among residents of West Bengal’s Murshidabad and Malda districts following India’s Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Many Muslim families, including government officials and professionals, have found their names missing from the voter list despite submitting valid documents. The exclusions have caused distress, with some individuals unable to access basic rights such as obtaining passports or medical care.

Data from the Shabar Institute and Alt News indicate that around 9.2 million people have been removed or placed under adjudication, 60 percent of whom are Muslims. The report alleges that the process disproportionately affects Muslim-majority areas and high-profile constituencies, suggesting a pattern of systematic disenfranchisement. It also links the exclusions to political motives, citing leaked footage of alleged deals to divide Muslim votes in favor of the ruling party.

Human rights groups warn that the situation could escalate into a regional crisis, with reports of forced pushbacks at the Bangladesh border and fears of a refugee influx, raising concerns about cross-border instability in South Asia.

Hefazat-e-Islam leader Mufti Shafiqul Islam gave a statement before International Crimes Tribunal-1 on Monday, describing his alleged abduction and torture by members of the Rapid Action Battalion’s Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) cell during the Awami League government. He said he was detained, blindfolded, and threatened with death if he did not confess to being involved in militancy. Shafiqul claimed he was told he would be killed and his body dumped at sea or left mentally unstable in Dhaka.

In his deposition, Shafiqul detailed his background as a religious scholar and principal of a madrasa in Purbachal, as well as his role as assistant secretary of Hefazat’s Dhaka Metropolitan Paltan zone. He recounted being taken from Mohammadpur on January 13, 2022, and held in small, dark rooms where he was interrogated and beaten. He said interrogators demanded he admit links to militant groups and cited previous detainees allegedly tortured in similar ways.

The testimony was presented as part of proceedings against 17 accused, including Sheikh Hasina and several current and former army officers, who face death sentences in the tribunal case.

The Central Chhatra Dal has expelled Md. Sohel Rana, joint convener of the Sirajganj municipal unit, after he was accused in a case involving the abduction and torture of a businessman and demanding Tk 70,000 in extortion. The decision was confirmed on Monday evening by district Chhatra Dal president Junayed Hossain Sabuj.

According to a press release, the central committee also expelled Arafat Rahman Abhi, assistant school affairs secretary of the Barguna district unit, from his organizational position. The decision was approved by Chhatra Dal president Rakibul Islam Rakib and general secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir.

The expulsions follow allegations of serious misconduct by the two leaders, and the central body stated that the action was taken in accordance with organizational rules.

Awami League-backed lawyers and leaders of the banned Awami League faction allegedly stormed the Chattogram District Bar Association office on Monday afternoon, chanting 'Joy Bangla' slogans and confining BNP- and Jamaat-backed lawyers inside the library for about an hour. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. as nomination submissions for the upcoming May 21 bar association election were closing. One lawyer, Mohammad Momen, was reportedly injured during the attack.

According to court sources, the Awami-aligned group, operating under the banner of the General Lawyers Council, attempted to seize nomination papers and lock the bar office. The attack was allegedly led by several local Awami League figures, including former and current party leaders. The Awami Lawyers Coordination Council, which is legally barred from participating in the election, was said to be behind the unrest. Bar leaders confirmed filing a police complaint following the violence.

Police stated that tension arose between two groups of lawyers over nomination submissions, leading to a brief procession by one faction after the incident.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam has announced a plan to gradually bring Bangladesh’s national highways under CCTV surveillance. Speaking to reporters after the fifth session of the Deputy Commissioners’ Conference at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Monday, he said the initiative aims to enhance road safety and reduce accidents through the use of modern technology. The program will first cover national highways, followed by regional and district roads.

The minister noted that thousands of people die in road accidents every year, making increased monitoring essential. He said CCTV installation will improve traffic management and help identify law violations more efficiently. Despite high demand for road expansion, budget constraints require prioritizing projects. He also directed district administrators to address road encroachment, illegal billboards, and overloaded vehicles damaging roads.

Alam added that steps are being taken to control three-wheeler movement on highways and to ease traffic congestion ahead of the upcoming Eid. He emphasized coordination between central and field administrations to accelerate development projects and highlighted progress in land acquisition for major infrastructure works.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election as a historic event, declaring that the 'lotus has bloomed' in the state. In a Facebook post on Monday evening, Modi expressed gratitude to the people of West Bengal for giving the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) what he called an unprecedented mandate. He said the victory represented the triumph of people's power and the politics of good governance.

Modi assured that the incoming BJP government would work to fulfill the dreams and aspirations of the state's citizens. He emphasized that the new administration would strive to ensure equal opportunity and dignity for all sections of society. His reference to the 'lotus' symbolized the BJP’s electoral symbol and the party’s success in the state.

According to the report, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress suffered a major defeat after three consecutive terms, paving the way for the BJP to form the next government in West Bengal.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of income tax records belonging to former minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and two others in connection with a corruption case. The order was issued on Monday, May 4, 2026, by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez. The other two individuals are former Assistant Commissioner of Customs and VAT Bhuiya Mofizur Rahman and Khandaker Shamima Hasan, wife of former Dohar Police Station officer-in-charge Mostafa Kamal. The court’s bench assistant Riaz Hossain confirmed the order.

According to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) applications, Maya is accused of acquiring and possessing assets worth over Tk 18.2 million beyond known income sources and conducting suspicious transactions totaling Tk 5.1 billion between 2009–10 and 2023–24. The ACC also alleged that Mofizur Rahman and Shamima Hasan accumulated assets inconsistent with their declared income through bribery, corruption, and misuse of power. The ACC argued that seizing their tax records was essential for proper investigation.

Following hearings on the ACC’s petitions, the judge approved the seizure of all relevant tax documents for further investigation.

BNP leader Rezaul Kaiyum, president of Cumilla Adarsha Sadar Upazila BNP, was released from Kotwali Model Police Station after 12 hours in custody upon signing a bond. He was detained around 11 a.m. on Sunday from his residence in the Shasongacha area by members of the Kotwali Model Police and the district Detective Branch. Police said he was questioned based on allegations but not formally arrested, and was released under the custody of the upazila BNP general secretary, Shafiul Alam Raihan.

Following his detention, transport workers at the Shasongacha bus terminal halted bus operations on all routes and staged protests, prompting additional police deployment near the station. Law enforcement sources indicated that Kaiyum and his associates had drawn attention over alleged extortion at the bus terminal after the fall of the Awami League government. Police officials stated that his detention followed instructions from higher authorities.

Home Minister Salauddin Ahmed told reporters he had heard about the matter, noting that Kaiyum had leased a bus stand and may have collected more money than permitted.

Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has announced a program demanding justice for the killings that occurred on May 5, 2013, at Shapla Chattar. The organization made the announcement through a Facebook post on Monday, stating that a human chain will be held on May 5, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel.

In addition, Bangladesh Khilafat Chhatra Majlis is organizing a documentary and document-based exhibition for the first time focusing on the 2013 Shapla Chattar incident. According to the organization, the exhibition will take place on May 5 and 6 at the Nalini Kanta Bhattasali Exhibition Gallery of the Bangladesh National Museum in Dhaka. It will feature photographs, eyewitness accounts, official documents, news reports, and tributes to those killed, along with a documentary screening and a brief discussion session.

Both events aim to highlight the 2013 incident and renew calls for justice related to the events at Shapla Chattar.

A faction of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s student wing, Chhatra Dal, staged a protest in Noakhali on Monday by blocking the Dhaka–Sonapur highway. The demonstration began in front of the district central mosque and was followed by a rally where leaders criticized the recently formed district committee, alleging favoritism and exclusion of dedicated activists.

Vice President Mohammad Wasim claimed that loyal grassroots workers were overlooked in favor of personal followers. Sadar Upazila Convener Sahed Chowdhury Babu described the committee as the most controversial in the organization’s history. In response, District President NBS Russell rejected the allegations, stating that the committee was formed based on merit and organizational considerations, and that not everyone could be accommodated.

Following the protest, ten leaders, including Vice Presidents Sahed Chowdhury Babu, Mohammad Wasim, Tarek Nur, Yasin Arafat, and Organizing Secretary Akbar Hossain, resigned from the new committee during a press conference at the Noakhali Press Club.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh’s Amir and Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim has called for an impartial investigation into the killings at Shapla Chattar on 5 May 2013 and for exemplary punishment of those responsible. In a statement issued to the media on Monday marking the anniversary of Shapla Day, he described the incident as a brutal and shameful chapter in the history of the modern nation-state, where unarmed citizens were attacked by state forces.

He alleged that the operation was carried out under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government out of hostility toward Islam, madrasa education, and Islamic movements. According to him, the incident deepened authoritarian rule in the country, and many Islami Andolan leaders and activists suffered as a result. He also urged a reassessment of the roles of political organizations, intellectuals, and the media following the 2013 events.

The Charmonai Pir further demanded that those killed and injured at Shapla Chattar be recognized as national heroes, that related cases be withdrawn, and that compensation be provided to victims and their families.

Authorities in Rangamati imposed Section 144 following violent clashes between two rival groups of the district Chhatra Dal. The confrontation erupted on Monday afternoon when leaders excluded from the newly announced district committee staged a sit-in for the second consecutive day in front of the BNP office. They blocked the main road and set fires during their protest. At the same time, supporters of the new committee, led by its president Oli Ahad and general secretary Roni, brought out a celebratory procession, leading to heightened tension.

The excluded faction occupied the district office premises from noon until 3 p.m., while supporters of the new committee gathered in several parts of the town to welcome their leaders. Around 3 p.m., the new committee’s supporters reportedly chased away the protesters and took control of the BNP office. The situation turned tense across nearby areas, prompting the deployment of additional police at sensitive points, including the district BNP office.

Traffic in the Banarupa area came to a halt amid public panic until the army intervened to disperse both groups and restore order. Police officials later confirmed that the situation was under control.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan has said that an independent media is one of the main instruments for ensuring accountability in a democratic system. Speaking as the chief guest at the Jahangirnagar University Journalists’ Association’s new committee handover ceremony on Monday, he emphasized that a government elected by the people must remain accountable to them, and a strong, independent media helps reinforce that responsibility.

The minister stated that journalism is not merely a profession but is deeply connected to patriotism, humanity, and social responsibility. He congratulated young journalists for choosing this challenging field and cautioned that media should never become a propaganda tool for any vested interest group. He added that journalists must speak for the people, not act as public relations agents for individuals or organizations.

Swapan also called for research into how media has sometimes been used against public interest and urged journalists to evaluate their own roles. He stressed that no professional identity should place anyone above the law and expressed hope that young journalists’ creativity and critical thinking would strengthen the media in the future.

A Muslim residential community named Epic City is being planned in Hunt and Collin counties, Texas, covering 402 acres. The project includes over a thousand residential plots, a faith-based K–12 school, commercial and retail centers, and a mosque. It will not be a new city and will remain under Texas state law. The development is envisioned as a central hub for Islam in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Office launched an investigation to determine whether the project violated the Fair Housing Act or imposed discriminatory financial conditions requiring owners to subsidize religious facilities. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have opposed the project, citing concerns about potential implementation of Sharia law, and Paxton has filed multiple lawsuits to halt it.

Last week, a Travis County district judge ruled that the Texas Workforce Commission must honor a settlement agreement and withdraw from the fair housing investigation. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Texas) supported the project, calling the opposition politically motivated and rooted in Islamophobia.

The Bangladesh government has decided to modify the police uniform, retaining the previous shirt design while changing the trouser color to khaki. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced the decision on Monday, May 4, 2026, after the first meeting of the National Committee on Coordination, Management, and Law and Order concerning forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals (Rohingya) at the Secretariat.

The minister explained that the decision followed feedback from across the country and within the police force, where the existing uniform was found to be unsatisfactory and not widely accepted. Responding to a request from the police, the ministry aimed to restore a more traditional and acceptable uniform. The old shirt design used for both metropolitan and national police will remain, while khaki trousers will replace the previous ones.

Ahmed added that the new uniform will take some time to be implemented due to production and preparation requirements. Although not yet officially launched, the government has finalized the decision and announced it publicly.