A group of masked robbers looted seven shops, including six gold jewelry stores, at Housdi Bazar in Madaripur Sadar upazila early Saturday, April 18, 2026. The robbers tied up and injured the market’s night guard before breaking into the shops in the goldsmith area. They took gold ornaments, cash, and even safes from the stores, causing losses worth several crores of taka. Police visited the scene later in the morning.

Victims said they had closed their shops as usual the previous night. Swadeb Mondal, owner of New Kanika Jewellers, reported that all valuables and cash were taken. Parimal Malo of New Prianka Jewellers said his and six other shops, including a grocery store, were robbed. He blamed the incident on inadequate police patrols and expressed concern over the traders’ safety.

Madaripur Sadar Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad stated that the robbery is under investigation and legal action will be taken.

A mobile court in Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga district sentenced Shariful Islam, aged 52, to ten days of simple imprisonment and fined him 10,000 taka for illegally storing diesel. The operation took place on Friday night, April 17, 2026, under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Md Abdullah Al Shamim. Acting on a tip-off, a preliminary investigation by a local agriculture officer confirmed the illegal storage before the mobile court raid.

Authorities seized about 645 liters, equivalent to three barrels, of diesel from Shariful Islam’s residence in Asannagar village. As he failed to produce valid documents for the fuel, the court ordered the confiscated diesel’s value to be deposited into the state treasury. The punishment was imposed under Section 16(4) of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation Act, 2016.

Following the operation, the executive magistrate stated that the raid confirmed the illegal storage and that similar enforcement actions would continue to curb such offenses in the future.

A mobile court in Bhangura upazila of Pabna sentenced milk trader Faruk Hossain to one year of imprisonment and fined him 100,000 taka for producing fake milk. The verdict was delivered by Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Mizanur Rahman. The operation took place in Singari village between midnight and 3 a.m. on April 18, 2026, during which 200 liters of harmful jelly used in the fake milk production were seized and destroyed.

According to the mobile court, Faruk had been producing adulterated milk for a long time using harmful jelly, soybean oil, and other ingredients under the guise of a dairy business. He supplied the fake milk to several well-known sealing centers across the country. Acting on a tip-off, the mobile court conducted the raid and confirmed the illegal activity before issuing the sentence under the Consumer Rights Protection Act.

The seized harmful materials were destroyed on-site following the court’s order, and authorities emphasized that such offenses would continue to face strict legal action.

Leaders of the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (Chaksu) staged a protest early Friday night after four students, including Jahin Sarkar Abir, the university correspondent of Somoy TV, were injured in an attack by locals near the university’s rail crossing around 9:30 p.m. The demonstration took place at the university’s Zero Point around 12:30 a.m., demanding the immediate arrest of those involved and stronger security for students.

Speakers at the protest alleged that students have long faced assaults and violence from local residents, yet the university administration has failed to take effective action. Chaksu leaders criticized the lack of active police presence on campus despite the existence of a police outpost, contrasting it with earlier times when large numbers of police were deployed to control internal political conflicts. They cited previous incidents, including a recent assault on a student during Pahela Baishakh and a large-scale attack last August that injured hundreds.

Protesters reiterated their demand for a safe campus environment, emphasizing that recurring violence has forced students to take to the streets for their own protection.

A woman named Pinky Khatun, aged 32, died in a tragic accident on Friday night, April 17, when her scarf became entangled in the wheel of a moving autorickshaw in the Shyampur area of Dhaka, near the Postogola Bridge. She was returning home to Fatullah, Narayanganj, when the incident occurred. The scarf tightened around her neck, causing severe injury.

Bystanders rescued her and took her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead around 10:30 p.m. Her cousin Zahid said the family rushed to the hospital upon hearing the news but found she had already passed away. Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the hospital police outpost, confirmed the incident and said the body was kept in the hospital morgue. The local police station has been informed.

The deceased lived with her family in the Ramarbagh area of Fatullah, Narayanganj. Her husband’s name is Md. Rajib.

At least two students were injured in a clash between two factions of the Chhatra Dal at the Mymensingh Medical College hostel in the city’s Baghmara area on Friday evening, April 16. Police arrested one student, identified as Nafiu Islam of the BDS-14 batch, in connection with the incident. The injured include Mir Hamidur, a supporter of the group led by senior joint convener Nure Jawad Rutap, who was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in critical condition, and Aman Ullah Muaj from the group of convener Tanvir Abdullah.

Witnesses said the altercation began over refueling a motorcycle and escalated into a physical fight. Hamidur was first attacked by Muaj with a steel pipe, leading to a chase and further clashes between the two groups. Several others were also injured during the confrontation. Police have deployed additional forces to maintain order.

College authorities and police confirmed that the situation is now under control, though the atmosphere at the hostel remains tense. Officials said the conflict may have stemmed from personal disputes among the student leaders.

Several residents of Shahrasti upazila in Chandpur have accused Abdus Sattar, general secretary of the BNP’s Raishree Dakshin Union unit and former union parishad chairman, of embezzlement, fraud, and intimidation. The allegations were made at a press conference held at the Shahrasti Press Club on Friday evening, where multiple victims presented written statements detailing their experiences.

Abdul Malek of Bijoypur village claimed Sattar borrowed 200,000 taka from him in 2011, promising repayment within three months after the union election, but never returned the money. Mosharraf Hossain of Nahara village alleged that Sattar and a local Awami League leader took 50,000 taka to resolve a land dispute but later attacked him instead. Widow Shahin Begum said Sattar took 30,000 taka to help recover her inherited property but threatened her when she asked for the money back. Victims said they had filed written complaints with the local MP, BNP leaders, and police but received no visible remedy.

Records show Sattar was temporarily suspended as union chairman in April 2016 under the Local Government Act for proven corruption and embezzlement. His response to the new allegations was not available.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard rescued two fishermen and arrested an armed member of a notorious gang during two separate operations in the Sundarbans. The operations were part of ongoing efforts to eliminate forest bandit groups under the directives of the Home Minister. The rescues took place after the fishermen were abducted by the Boro Jahangir gang near Joymonighol area on April 15, while the arrest occurred in a separate raid on April 17.

According to Coast Guard officials, the fishermen were held for ransom and tortured before being rescued alive from a fishing boat during an operation near Murti Khal in Mongla. In another operation at Hogoldora Khal in Shyamnagar, a member of the Doyal gang named Tarikul Islam, aged 35, was captured with two single-barrel guns and nine rounds of ammunition. He is a resident of Koyra in Khulna and allegedly involved in multiple robberies.

The Coast Guard stated that legal action against the detainee is underway and the rescued fishermen are being returned to their families. Authorities affirmed that similar operations will continue until the Sundarbans are completely free of bandit activity.

Residents of Maheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar held a human chain protest on Friday demanding the arrest and punishment of human traffickers after a trawler carrying migrants to Malaysia sank near the Andaman Islands. The demonstration took place at Panirchhara Robi Bazar in Hoanak Union, organized by the local sports and social group Panirchhara Brothers Union. Families of the missing and deceased, along with local citizens, joined the protest calling for justice.

Speakers at the event alleged that a trafficking network led by a local man named Ali Hossain had been luring people with false promises of better lives abroad, pushing them toward deadly journeys by sea. They said the same pattern of deaths was occurring on routes to both Libya and Malaysia. One grieving mother broke down in tears, demanding justice for her son who was deceived into boarding the ill-fated trawler.

According to local reports, at least fifty young men from various unions of Maheshkhali remain missing following the recent trawler sinking near the Andaman Islands.

Police in Bakerganj, Barishal, have arrested a fugitive who had been sentenced to ten years in prison in a drug-related case. The detainee, identified as Arifur Rahman Babu, aged 35, is the son of Motaleb Hawlader from Badalpara village. He was apprehended on Friday afternoon from his home in Badalpara under Charamaddi Union.

According to Bakerganj police sources, the court had sentenced Babu to ten years of rigorous imprisonment in 2025 after finding him guilty in a narcotics case. Following the verdict, he had been on the run. Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Bakerganj Police Station conducted an operation and arrested him. He has since been sent to jail through the court.

The arrest concludes a year-long search for the convict and reinforces local law enforcement’s ongoing efforts to execute pending court verdicts in drug-related offenses.

A mobile court in Rajshahi’s Puthia upazila sentenced student leader Abdus Sabur Bullet to three days in jail on Thursday after he allegedly caused chaos and obstructed government work at the Baneshwar filling station. Witnesses said the incident began when Bullet, identified as a senior joint convener of the Rajshahi district unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, tried to take fuel out of turn and misbehaved with officials who intervened. Authorities detained him and announced the sentence on the spot.

However, he was later released after signing a written pledge, sparking public debate and questions about the reversal of the court’s decision. Locals speculated whether political influence played a role in his release. The mobile court official, Liakat Salman, confirmed that Bullet was freed after giving a pledge.

The same day, police also arrested another man, Md. Samrat Hossain, for allegedly creating disorder and verbally abusing officers at the same location. The incident has stirred widespread discussion in the area and mixed reactions regarding the administration’s handling of the matter.

Police in Natore have arrested 13 robbers along with stolen goods worth about Tk 1.5 crore in connection with a robbery at an under-construction power grid in Baraigram. The arrests were made from the Gajari forest area of Sreepur in Gazipur following operations across several districts. The information was disclosed by Natore Superintendent of Police Muhammad Abdul Wahab at a press conference on Friday afternoon.

According to police, ringleaders Ruhul Amin and Soikat planned the robbery while in jail and executed it on the night of March 25 after their release. The gang tied up four guards and looted materials worth Tk 1.93 crore, transporting them by truck. The following day, Assistant Manager Anik Kumar Biswas filed a case with Baraigram Police Station. Subsequent operations led to the recovery of 350 battery cells, 10 mobile phones, and other items, as well as the seizure of the truck used in the robbery.

After initial interrogation, the 13 arrested suspects were sent to Natore District Jail on Friday evening, confirmed the investigating officer, SI Shamim Hossain.

At least twelve people were injured in a clash between two groups in Shailkupa upazila of Jhenaidah after a shopkeeper refused to sell tea on credit. The incident occurred on Friday morning in the Khaldharpara area of the municipal town. Police were deployed in the area following the violence.

According to police, the dispute began when Ripon Hossain went to Shahjahan’s tea shop in the same village. Shahjahan refused to serve tea on credit because Ripon had not paid previous dues. An argument and scuffle ensued, leading supporters from both sides to engage in a violent confrontation using local weapons. The injured were taken to Shailkupa Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

Emergency department physician Dr. Mahbub Alam Parvez confirmed that the injured were admitted to the hospital. Shailkupa Police Station Officer-in-Charge Humayun Kabir Molla said police had been deployed and that the situation was now under control.

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has ordered the demolition of an under-construction bridge in Agailjhara upazila of Barishal after confirming that bamboo sticks were used instead of steel rods in its concrete structure. On Thursday afternoon, LGED engineer Rabindra Chakraborty inspected the bridge built over the Dushumi-Karim Bazar canal in Ratnapur Union and found bamboo attached to the northern end of the bridge during casting. Following the inspection, he directed that the structure be dismantled immediately.

Agailjhara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Likhan Banik said the issue came to light through social media, prompting an on-site investigation. He confirmed that bamboo had been used, making the structure unsafe, and stated that the bridge would be rebuilt following government standards. The bridge’s structure was initially funded from the previous fiscal year’s upazila allocation, but the casting work was completed this year without official approval or funding.

Local residents expressed anger over the irregularity and demanded quick reconstruction. The administration has warned of strict action against anyone involved in such unauthorized and risky construction in the future.

A three-month-old baby was allegedly suffocated to death by his stepfather in the Darussalam area of Mirpur, Dhaka, early Friday, April 17, 2026. The accused, identified as 22-year-old Apurba, reportedly became enraged when the infant’s crying disturbed his sleep. According to police and local sources, Apurba pressed the baby’s mouth and nose until it stopped breathing. The child’s mother, Razia Khatun, filed a murder case against her husband following the incident.

Neighbors rushed to the scene after hearing Razia’s screams and caught Apurba as he tried to flee. They detained him until police arrived and took him into custody. Investigators said the baby’s biological father is currently in jail in a drug case, and Razia had married Apurba only a week earlier. Apurba is alleged to have been involved in drug dealing in the area.

Darussalam Police Station Officer-in-Charge S.M. Zakaria confirmed the arrest, stating that the baby’s body was sent for autopsy and that Apurba confessed during initial questioning before being sent to jail through the court.