In Chattogram, the weekly public hearing led by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zahidul Islam Miah has evolved into a trusted platform for citizens seeking assistance. Held every Wednesday, the event allows residents from across the district to present grievances and requests directly to the DC, who often provides immediate financial or material support. During the latest session, 74 applicants were heard, with nine ill individuals and one student receiving cash aid, while 48 impoverished men and women were given relief packages containing essential food items.

The hearing featured several cases of vulnerable individuals, including single mothers, patients with chronic illnesses, and families in financial distress. The DC personally responded to each case, offering direct help and instructing officials for prompt action. Applicants expressed satisfaction with the compassionate and responsive approach, saying it has built public confidence in the administration.

According to district officials, the initiative has grown beyond a routine administrative process into a humanitarian effort that reflects the district administration’s commitment to citizen welfare and responsive governance.

A protest march and rally were held in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon by the Dhaka South unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir. The demonstration was organized to protest attacks on teachers, students, and Shibir activists at Chittagong Government City College, to demand justice for the killing of Tejgaon College student Sakibul Hasan Rana, and to denounce ongoing acts of violence across the country. The procession began at Dainik Bangla intersection and concluded with a brief rally at the National Press Club.

The event was led by Dhaka South unit president Hafez Delwar Hossain, with central office secretary Azizur Rahman Azad attending as chief guest. Other central leaders, including literary secretary Saidul Islam, publication secretary Amirul Islam, and JOCSU vice president Riazul Islam, were also present. In his speech, Azad condemned the recent attack on students and teachers in Chittagong, alleging involvement of Chhatra Dal activists, and demanded punishment for those responsible and government support for the injured.

Azad also referenced the earlier killing of Tejgaon College student Sakibul Hasan Rana, calling for immediate justice. He criticized both Chhatra Dal and BNP for alleged attempts to rehabilitate banned political groups before elections.

A protest meeting organized by Bangladesh Political Thinker (BPT) was held on Wednesday at the National Press Club in Dhaka, demanding an end to the harassment of citizens under the controversial Digital Security Act. The event was chaired by BPT coordinator Engineer Md. Nur Nabi and attended by several speakers including Jamal Uddin, Rayhan Chowdhury, and Zafar Ahmed.

In his address, Nur Nabi stated that six citizens had been arrested in the past month for posting or sharing content critical of the government on social media, describing the arrests as a sign of attempts to suppress free expression. He accused the authorities of using law enforcement to detain critics under Section 54 and of fostering a culture of fear by allowing attacks on dissenters’ homes and offices. The speakers urged the government to immediately stop such actions and protect citizens’ freedom of speech.

The meeting was also attended by July Movement activist Arif Billah and former student leader Morshed Alam, among others.

Islami Chhatra Shibir organized a protest march and rally in Sylhet on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, condemning an alleged attack by Chhatra Dal in Chattogram, nationwide acts of violence, and recent increases in fuel and gas prices. The march began at Court Point and concluded with a rally in front of the Sylhet Central Shaheed Minar.

During the rally, Shibir’s central executive member and Sylhet city president Shahidul Islam Saju accused the ruling party of misusing power and ignoring the contributions of students in the July uprising. He claimed that within 50 days of assuming power, the government had failed to control killings, terrorism, and price hikes. Saju also criticized restrictions on freedom of speech and alleged manipulation of commodity prices through illegal syndicates.

The event was conducted by Sylhet city secretary Abu Taher Md. Fahim, with additional speeches from Shibir leaders representing Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Sylhet district units.

BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir announced that secret political activities will no longer be tolerated on any campus in Bangladesh. Speaking on Wednesday afternoon at a protest rally near New Market in Chattogram City College, he said politics must be conducted openly. The event was organized to protest an alleged attack on JCD members by Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Nasir claimed that armed individuals wearing helmets and masks involved in the Chattogram clash were Shibir activists, accusing them of spreading misinformation by labeling them as JCD members. He warned that any attempt to blame JCD for violence through covert politics would be resisted by students. Nasir also alleged that Shibir had infiltrated the NCP and that recent NCP nominations for reserved women’s seats included members of the secret Shibir network.

The protest was chaired by Chattogram Metropolitan JCD Convener Saiful Alam and attended by other city and district JCD leaders. Nasir reiterated that JCD activists, alongside general students, would prevent any future secret political operations on campuses.

The Bangladesh government has compulsorily retired 13 police officers holding the ranks of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and Additional DIG, citing provisions under the Government Service Act, 2018. The decision was confirmed through a circular issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday, signed by Senior Secretary Md. Mahbubur Rashid. The order stated that the officers would receive retirement benefits as per regulations.

According to the circular, the officers were known for their close association with the ruling Awami League government and were previously accused of involvement in suppressing opposition political parties. Following the July 2024 mass uprising, they had been transferred to various posts across the country. The list includes officers from units such as the Anti-Terrorism Unit, Tourist Police, Industrial Police, and Police Telecom.

The government’s move marks a significant administrative reshuffle within the police force, reflecting continued post-uprising adjustments in key law enforcement positions.

Exit polls for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election will be released 30 minutes after the final phase of voting on April 29, covering 142 constituencies, following the first phase on April 23 for 152 seats. Alongside Bengal, exit poll results for Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry will also be published. The contest in West Bengal remains primarily between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Suvendu Adhikari, with the Left Front and Congress as other participants.

According to the report, past exit polls in West Bengal have shown mixed accuracy. In 2016, they broadly predicted a TMC victory but underestimated its margin. In 2019, they captured the BJP’s rise but not the exact seat distribution. In 2021, most polls suggested a close race, yet the TMC won a landslide with 213 seats. The general pattern indicates that while exit polls often identify the winning party correctly, they frequently misjudge the scale of victory.

This historical inconsistency raises questions about the reliability of upcoming 2026 exit polls, especially given the high-stakes TMC–BJP rivalry and administrative concerns noted in the report.

Islami Chhatra Shibir organized a protest march in Lakshmipur on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, condemning recent attacks by Chhatra Dal and the rising cost of essential goods. The procession began in the Uttar Temuhani area and moved through several city streets before concluding with a brief rally at Dakshin Temuhani.

During the rally, speakers alleged that incidents of violence and disorder had increased across the country, disrupting the normal environment in educational institutions. They strongly condemned these acts and demanded that those responsible be brought under the law. The speakers also urged the authorities to ensure a peaceful and secure academic atmosphere.

Leaders and activists of the Lakshmipur city unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir participated in the demonstration, including city president Abdul Awal Hamdu, secretary Ismail Hossain Fayzal, office secretary Junaid Hossain Khan, and college affairs and law secretary Sarwar Hossain.

Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Saiful Alam Milon, representing Dhaka-12, told Parliament on Wednesday that WASA-supplied water in Dhaka is foul-smelling and contains insects, making it undrinkable. He raised the issue during a discussion on urgent public importance, urging the minister to take special measures to address the problem.

Milon also highlighted four major problems faced by Dhaka residents, including waterlogging caused by the closure of natural canals. He cited examples of water accumulation in areas such as Dhanmondi, Bijoy Sarani, and Panthapath, where blocked canals have worsened flooding during the monsoon. He called for immediate steps to resolve the issue.

The MP further criticized poor waste management and outdated gas lines across the city, urging the prime minister’s assistance to improve waste disposal and repair old gas pipelines that have caused widespread inconvenience in Dhaka.

BNP lawmaker Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan accused opposition parties of conspiring inside and outside Parliament to embarrass the government during a session on April 22, 2026. Speaking during the discussion on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, he alleged that the opposition was acting like fascists and warned that their supporters would not remain silent but would protest. His remarks drew loud objections from opposition members, who accused him of using threatening and unparliamentary language.

Opposition leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman strongly protested Wadud’s comments, questioning whether he was inciting public disorder and demanded that his remarks be expunged from the record. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed responded that the matter would be reviewed and any unparliamentary language removed. The session also saw references to recent clashes at Chittagong City College and further exchanges between ruling and opposition MPs over political tolerance and democratic conduct.

The Speaker urged both sides to maintain decorum and respond through speeches rather than interruptions, emphasizing that differing political ideologies should not disrupt parliamentary proceedings.

Abdul Hannan Masud, Member of Parliament for Noakhali-6 and leader of the National Congress Party (NCP), has called in parliament for the formation of a new administrative division centered on Noakhali. He raised the demand on Wednesday, emphasizing that residents of the greater Noakhali region have been campaigning for this administrative upgrade since 1994.

Masud argued that Noakhali’s distinct geographical position, rich history, and cultural diversity justify its recognition as a separate division. He noted that the district, one of Bangladesh’s oldest, held historical importance during British rule, including the establishment of a major airbase and the presence of Bhulua, once the largest river port in the southern region.

He further stated that people from greater Noakhali played leading roles in key national movements such as the Khilafat, anti-British, Language, and Liberation movements, as well as recent uprisings. Despite this legacy, he lamented that the region has long suffered from administrative and developmental neglect, leaving its population disadvantaged.

A land dispute has emerged in Burichang upazila of Cumilla, where Moynamoti Union BNP president Salahuddin Ahmed has been accused of forcibly occupying land belonging to Jubo Dal joint convener Sharif Ahmed. The allegation was made at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon by Sharif Ahmed, his brother Arif Ahmed, and other family members. They claimed that Salahuddin and his associates attacked them and vandalized their shop when they tried to stop the construction of a 10-foot road through their ancestral property.

According to Sharif Ahmed, their family owns 12 decimals of ancestral land in Rampal mouza, legally inherited from their grandfather Akmat Ali. He alleged that a local group is trying to grab their land by falsely portraying it as a public road. Family members, including Shah Alam and Hasina Akter, demanded justice, saying Salahuddin has no ownership or residence in the area but continues to exert pressure.

Salahuddin Ahmed denied the allegations, saying he intervened only to resolve the dispute on the instruction of local MP Haji Jasim Uddin and that local residents were present during the discussions.

Millions of voters in India’s West Bengal have reportedly lost their voting rights ahead of this week’s crucial state elections following a controversial electoral revision. Over 9.1 million names, more than 10 percent of the electorate, were removed from the rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Critics have described the move as a “bloodless political genocide,” alleging that Muslim and other minority voters were disproportionately targeted. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the process as necessary to prevent illegal voting by alleged infiltrators.

Opposition leaders, election experts, and civil society organizations have condemned the deletions as unconstitutional and politically motivated. Former Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi called the SIR unnecessary and administratively disastrous, warning that an AI-assisted algorithm used to flag “logical inconsistencies” in voter data ignored linguistic and cultural nuances. Affected citizens, including government employees and retired security personnel, said their names were removed despite valid documentation.

Legal challenges are underway, but few appeals have been heard before voting begins. Analysts warn that the mass disenfranchisement could reshape India’s democratic participation, creating a divided polity where minorities are systematically excluded from the political process.

In Sandwip upazila of Chattogram, BNP leader and upazila member secretary Alomgir Hossain Thakur has come under criticism after proposing to increase the Kumira-Guptachhara speedboat fare from Tk 250 to Tk 300 per passenger. The proposal was made during an open discussion meeting organized by the upazila administration on Monday, sparking public outrage. Although the administration indicated that the new fare would take effect, activists and residents questioned its legal validity.

According to meeting sources, the proposal followed demands from boat owners citing rising fuel prices. Thakur explained that he suggested Tk 300 as a compromise since owners wanted Tk 350. Jaglul Hossain Nayon, owner of Adil Enterprise, defended the increase, saying higher fuel and parts costs made current fares unsustainable. Upazila Executive Officer Mongchingnu Marma stated that the decision was reached with consensus and would remain effective until a gazette is issued.

However, over a hundred online activists challenged the legality of implementing the fare before approval from the BIWTA. Former BNP joint convener Belayet Hossain assured that no decision harming Sandwip residents would be accepted and said communication with the shipping minister was underway.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pledged to replace fertilizer dealers appointed during the fascist era with new ones. The announcement came on Wednesday in the National Parliament during an unscheduled discussion, following a demand raised by Chief Whip Nurul Islam. The Chief Whip stated that the dealers appointed under the previous fascist government were still active but not distributing fertilizer properly, allegedly creating an artificial shortage. He urged the Prime Minister to cancel their licenses and appoint new dealers to ensure fair fertilizer prices for farmers.

In response, Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman said that the entire Parliament welcomed the proposal. He added that if there was full parliamentary consent, the government would soon take necessary steps to implement the decision.

The discussion reflected a unified stance among lawmakers to address fertilizer distribution issues and ensure transparency in the appointment process.