The High Court has issued a rule asking why each of the 208 expatriate July movement fighters should not receive compensation of 2.5 million taka. The order was given on Monday by a bench led by Justice Fatema Nazib. The court directed the secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and other concerned authorities to respond to the rule. Barrister H. M. Sanjid Siddiqui represented the petitioners during the hearing.

According to Barrister Siddiqui, among the 208 individuals, 57 workers were convicted in the United Arab Emirates during the July movement. The government has officially recognized all 208 individuals, including those 57 workers, as July fighters. The case centers on their imprisonment and suffering abroad due to their involvement in the movement.

The High Court’s directive initiates a process to determine whether the recognized July fighters are entitled to state compensation for their hardships, pending responses from the relevant ministries.

Nearly 4,000 members of the Warriors of July, a group formed by participants of the July uprising, are set to join the National Citizen Party (NCP). Leaders from both the NCP and the Warriors of July confirmed the development. The joining ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the NCP headquarters, where senior leaders of the Warriors of July will formally enroll in the party.

Ahead of the event, Warriors of July leaders met with NCP spokesperson Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan. The meeting was attended by the organization’s president Md. Salman Hossain, general secretary Hasibul Hasan Jisan, and other senior officials. Salman stated that the decision was made collectively, citing limited progress in achieving their goals as an independent group. He said the move aims to realize the aspirations of the July uprising and the July Charter.

NCP spokesperson Bhuiyan described the inclusion of the July fighters as a positive development, emphasizing that people from diverse backgrounds are choosing the NCP to pursue politics focused on national interests.

Fatema Thahliya of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) won the Perambra assembly constituency in Kerala, a traditional Left stronghold, defeating LDF convenor and veteran CPI(M) leader Ramakrishnan. The 34-year-old secured 63,999 votes, winning by a margin of 4,700. With this victory, she became the first woman legislator in IUML’s history.

Born in Peruvayal, Kozhikode district, Thahliya began her political journey through student politics, leading the Muslim Students Federation before serving as a councillor in Kozhikode Corporation. She currently serves as the state secretary of the Muslim Youth League. A lawyer by profession, she holds degrees from Government Law Colleges in Kozhikode and Thrissur and practices at the Calicut District Court.

Her campaign faced intense online harassment and cyberattacks, particularly targeting her identity as a hijab-wearing Muslim woman. Despite the challenges and controversies, including communal polarization allegations during the campaign, her victory is seen as signaling a new political equation in Kerala’s landscape.

After a series of procedural and legal developments, Nusrat Tabassum, the Jamaat alliance candidate and joint convener of the NCP, has been declared elected unopposed to a reserved women’s seat in Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament. The returning officer and Election Commission joint secretary Md Moin Uddin Khan confirmed the announcement on Monday, noting that the gazette publication process is underway.

Earlier, Nusrat’s nomination was initially rejected for being submitted 19 minutes after the deadline on April 21, following speculation that another alliance candidate, Monira Sharmin, might be disqualified due to her recent retirement from a state-owned bank. When Monira’s nomination was later canceled during scrutiny on April 23, Nusrat filed a writ petition with the High Court, which directed that her nomination be accepted and reviewed. On May 2, the returning officer declared her nomination valid and published her name as a qualified candidate on May 3.

With this decision, Nusrat becomes the 50th member elected to the reserved women’s seats, completing the allocation of 50 positions in the 13th Parliament.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed stated that the outcome of the West Bengal state assembly election in India will not affect relations between Bangladesh and India. She made the remarks on Monday, May 4, during a discussion with journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.

The minister emphasized that Bangladesh will continue to act in its own national interest regardless of which party comes to power in West Bengal. She also said that discussions with India on issues such as cross-border movement and the Ganges water treaty are ongoing, expressing optimism about progress on the Ganges agreement. Additionally, she hoped that the visa process between the two countries would return to normal soon.

Her comments reflect Bangladesh’s position of maintaining stable diplomatic engagement with India while addressing bilateral matters through continued dialogue.

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.