Gunfire erupted during the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., causing panic among attendees. The event, held at the Washington Hilton Hotel, was interrupted when several shots were reportedly heard. President Donald Trump was immediately moved to a secure location, while guests, including the First Lady, Vice President, and cabinet members, took cover under tables. Security forces temporarily restricted movement inside the hotel.

Trump later stated on Truth Social that the suspected shooter had been detained alive. He said he had advised continuing the event but left the final decision to law enforcement. The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that the president and all protected individuals were safe and that one person was in custody.

Trump announced that the dinner would not proceed as planned and would be rescheduled within 30 days. Officials later indicated that activities at the venue might resume, though it remained unclear whether the president or senior guests would return.

Advocate Sabikun Nahar Munni, nominated by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami for a reserved women's seat in the 13th National Parliament, has declared an annual income of Tk 1.6 million in her affidavit submitted to the Election Commission. Her total assets amount to Tk 13.8 million, while her husband, Mymensingh-5 candidate Matiur Rahman, declared assets worth Tk 29.8 million. Together, the couple reported total assets of Tk 43.6 million for the 2025–26 fiscal year.

According to the affidavit, Sabikun Nahar, a lawyer by profession and secretary of Jamaat’s central women’s division for human resources, law, and human rights, owns 13 bhori of gold jewelry and a private car valued at Tk 370,000. Her movable assets were shown at an acquisition value of Tk 4.47 million, now estimated at Tk 8.96 million. She also declared immovable property worth over Tk 10 million, including land in Uttara valued at Tk 808,500 and a building on her own plot worth Tk 12.5 million.

The affidavit notes that the acquisition value of her immovable assets was Tk 13.3 million, which she now estimates to be worth Tk 85 million.

Two rounds of meetings have been held in the United States involving the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon and American politicians, aiming to open a direct negotiation channel between Israel and Lebanon. However, this process has exposed deep divisions between the Lebanese government and the armed group Hezbollah. Lebanon’s president and prime minister, along with much of the political leadership, support continuing the talks, viewing them as the only path to ensure Israeli troop withdrawal, lasting peace, and national sovereignty.

President Saf stated that Lebanon should not be used as a pawn in regional interests, a remark seen as directed at Hezbollah and Iran, who are trying to link Lebanon’s ceasefire and negotiations to the broader Iran-Israel conflict. Hezbollah argues that the Lebanese government lacks the capacity to pressure Israel, as the national army is not directly involved in the fighting. The group insists that Iranian support and the threat of Iranian attacks on Israel are essential to achieve any concessions.

Hezbollah parliamentary leader Mohammad Raad warned that negotiating while Israeli attacks continue could lead to consequences worse than the 1983 agreement, which failed to bring peace and deepened internal divisions.

Solaiman Badsha, a Jubo League activist previously arrested for allegedly firing an AK-47 rifle during the July Movement in Chattogram’s Kotwali area, has reappeared publicly after being released on bail. On Friday, he led a rally of 10–15 people in the city’s Sholoshahar area. Eyewitnesses confirmed his leadership role, while attempts to reach the local police officer for comment were unsuccessful. Former education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel shared a video of the rally, which participants confirmed took place that day.

Solaiman was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion on September 19 from Noakhali’s Sonaimuri upazila. Authorities had accused him of opening fire on students and protesters on August 4, injuring a college student named Imran Hossain. He also faces multiple allegations of extortion, drug trafficking, and violent crimes in Chattogram, including being a charge-sheeted accused in a university student murder case.

Human rights groups have expressed concern over how Solaiman obtained bail despite serious charges, calling the situation alarming and demanding accountability from law enforcement.

The National Youth Power, youth wing of the National Citizens Party (NCP), announced a seven-member partial central committee on Saturday in Dhaka. Tarikul Islam, previously the convener, was named president, engineer Farhad Sohel became general secretary, and former anti-discrimination student movement leader Rifat Rashid was appointed organizational secretary. The announcement came during a coordination meeting at a restaurant in Banglamotor, where NCP member secretary and Rangpur-4 MP Akhtar Hossain declared the new leadership and said a full committee would be announced soon.

Other senior positions went to Tuhin Mahmud and Khaled Mahmud Mostafa as senior vice presidents, Kazi Ayesha Ahmed as senior joint general secretary, and Yasin Arafat as senior assistant organizational secretary. Akhtar Hossain stated that the committee had been approved through a council at the youth wing’s tenth general meeting and later endorsed by the NCP.

The new committee follows the resignation of former member secretary Jahedul Islam, who stepped down after new leaders from three organizations, including the anti-discrimination student movement, joined the NCP on April 19.

At the National Coordination Meeting of the National Youth Power, held on Saturday, organization president Advocate Tarikul Islam called for utilizing the strength of youth to prevent the return of fascism. He emphasized the need for political unity and urged all parties to form a national consensus against fallen fascism and the Awami League to move the country forward. During the meeting, a partial seven-member committee of the organization was announced, with a full committee to be declared soon.

General Secretary Engineer Farhad Sohel stated that the youth group has never acted as a party’s muscle force and will continue to serve as vigilant guardians in times of national crisis and for the protection of sovereignty. Organizational Secretary Rifat Rashid pledged to advance the organization in line with global youth political movements. NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain accused the BNP of betraying the public after coming to power, while Senior Joint Convener Ariful Islam Adib condemned the recent police abuse of two elected Daksu representatives.

The newly announced committee includes Tarikul Islam as president, Farhad Sohel as general secretary, and Rifat Rashid as organizational secretary, among others.

US President Donald Trump has canceled a scheduled visit to Pakistan by a US delegation that was intended to advance peace talks with Iran. Speaking to Fox News on Saturday morning in Washington, Trump said envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer travel to Pakistan. He attributed the cancellation to the long travel time and what he described as wasted effort, saying the delegation could not afford an 18-hour journey without clear outcomes. Trump also claimed that Iran’s leadership was in disarray and uncertain about who currently holds authority.

In a later interview with Fox News, Trump asserted that the United States now holds all the leverage in the negotiations, adding that Iran could initiate talks simply by making a phone call. Meanwhile, an Iranian delegation led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had already completed its Islamabad visit, meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior military officials on regional and bilateral issues. Sharif described those discussions as productive and sincere. Trump’s cancellation came shortly after the Iranian team departed Pakistan.

Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of the National Citizens Party (NCP), has accused the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of deceiving the public after coming to power by promising a 'yes' vote in the referendum. Speaking on Saturday at the National Coordination Meeting of NCP’s youth wing, Jatiyo Juboshokti, he said the BNP’s claim of majority rule and unilateral decision-making amounted to betrayal of the referendum mandate. During the event, a seven-member partial committee of Jatiyo Juboshokti was announced, with a full committee to follow soon.

Hossain also criticized the government for printing large sums of money and amending banking laws to favor money launderers, suggesting that only the ruling chairs had changed, not the mindset of corruption. He warned that the NCP would resist any attempt to restore fascism through alliances with the Awami League unless the latter was legally banned. Other NCP leaders condemned recent police violence against student representatives and rising fuel and commodity prices, accusing the government of authoritarian tendencies.

Speakers emphasized youth unity and political consensus to prevent the return of fascism and advance the ideals of July’s democratic aspirations.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has announced plans to establish six open-field temporary markets to rehabilitate registered street hawkers. DNCC Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan disclosed the initiative at a city dialogue held in Gulshan on Saturday, emphasizing that hawkers must operate only in designated areas under a registration system. A maintenance fee will be collected, and stalls must be movable, not permanent or semi-permanent structures.

Khan noted that the number of hawkers on Dhaka’s footpaths has risen from 200 to nearly 2,000, severely disrupting pedestrian movement and even ambulance access near hospitals. He stressed that the city cannot allow a small group to cause hardship for the majority and called for coordinated urban management among utility agencies. He also mentioned discussions about penalizing those who dump waste into city canals.

Speakers at the event, including urban activists and officials from RAJUK and WASA, highlighted Dhaka’s broader urban challenges such as pollution, poor coordination, and infrastructure delays, urging integrated governance and stronger enforcement to prevent the city from becoming unlivable.

The Shahjalal University Press Club organized a human chain on Saturday afternoon in front of the central library building of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology to protest the recent attack on journalists at Dhaka University. The club leaders demanded that those involved in the incident be identified quickly and brought under the law for exemplary punishment.

Speakers at the event, including current and former leaders of the press club, said the attack on journalists was not an isolated event but a direct assault on freedom of expression. They alleged that those who fear the truth resort to such violence and warned that without ensuring journalists’ safety, the democratic environment would be at risk. Current president Noman Faisal stated that the growing trend of attacks on journalists poses a serious threat to the nation and that attempts to silence the media would only strengthen press freedom.

The participants expressed solidarity with the three-point demand announced by the Dhaka University Journalists’ Association and called for the immediate arrest and punishment of the attackers.

A protest rally and gathering were held in Purbadhala upazila of Netrokona on Saturday afternoon in response to an attack on the car of Jamaat-e-Islami Member of Parliament Masum Mostafa. The event was organized by the local unit of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated organizations. The procession started from the party office, marched through the main streets, and concluded with a brief assembly demanding exemplary punishment for those responsible.

The rally was presided over by upazila Jamaat chief Mahfuzul Haque Khan Nayon, with district Jamaat leader Sadeq Ahmed Haris as chief guest and MP Masum Mostafa as the main speaker. Other local leaders also addressed the gathering, condemning the attack and urging unity against political violence. They stated that such incidents harm the democratic environment.

The attack occurred on Friday evening at a filling station in Atkapara area, where tension reportedly began over fuel purchase. Masum Mostafa later alleged that local BNP activists carried out a planned assault, temporarily detaining him before police intervened.

Rumi A Hossain, sponsor director and chairman of the Board Executive Committee of Bank Asia, has been appointed as the new chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The appointment was made through a notification issued by the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry’s Biman-1 branch on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Alongside Hossain, four representatives from financial institutions have also been added to the airline’s board.

The new board includes Finance Division Secretary Dr. Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhter, Assistant Chief of Air Staff Air Vice Marshal Javed Tanvir Khan, Engineer-in-Chief of Bangladesh Army Major General Md. Hasan Uz Zaman, BNP’s International Affairs Secretary Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Asim, Policy Exchange Bangladesh Chairman and CEO M Mashrur Reaz, UCB Chairman Sharif Zahir, DBL Group Vice Chairman Mohammad Abdur Rahim, X Index Companies Additional Managing Director Md. Mamunur Rashid, Barrister Khairul Alam Chowdhury of Chowdhury & Law Firm, and Dhaka University Professor Abu Naser Ahmed Ishtiaq. Biman’s Managing Director and CEO Kaiser Sohail Ahmed remains on the board by virtue of his position.

The chairman post had remained vacant for an extended period following the resignation of Sheikh Bashiruddin.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the nation must work to politically eliminate Jamaat-e-Islami, citing the party’s past record and public rejection. He made the remarks on Saturday afternoon at the BNP’s central office in Naya Paltan, Dhaka, following a joint meeting. His comments came in response to Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman’s statement that BNP came to power through engineering.

Fakhrul strongly condemned and rejected the Jamaat leader’s claim, calling it proof that Jamaat cannot think rationally. He asserted that international observers, election monitoring bodies, and the media unanimously recognized the recent election as the most free and fair since Bangladesh’s independence, through which BNP won 213 seats and formed the government. He accused Jamaat of attempting to undermine democratic progress and warned citizens to remain alert.

Senior BNP leaders including Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Aminul Haque, and others were present at the briefing, which focused on defending the legitimacy of BNP’s government and denouncing Jamaat’s political stance.

Advocate Md. Jalal Uddin, Member of Parliament for Kishoreganj-2 (Katiadi-Pakundia), announced that all development works under a new initiative will become visible within a year. He stated that six MPs from Kishoreganj have jointly launched the 'Kishoreganj Development Project' with a target investment of Tk 1,500 crore. A Project Director (PDO) has already been appointed, and the initiative aims to extend development to remote areas of Pakundia and Katiadi. He made these remarks on Saturday morning while inaugurating a rural road sustainability project under the Upazila Disaster Management Department.

Jalal Uddin added that he has twice spoken in the National Parliament about the development needs of Pakundia and Katiadi. He has requested the government to construct a four-lane road connecting the area to Dhaka, build a Pakundia-Gafargaon bridge, and upgrade the 50-bed Pakundia Upazila Health Complex to 100 beds. The event was conducted by BNP leader VP Md. Kamal Uddin and attended by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rupom Das and Project Implementation Officer Md. Abdul Mannan.

The MP expressed optimism that residents will gradually witness the progress of all development activities in the region.

The Parbatya Chattagram Chhatra Parishad (PCCP) and Parbatya Chattagram Nagorik Parishad (PCNP) organized protests in Dhaka and Rangamati on Saturday, condemning what they described as false and misleading information about the Chittagong Hill Tracts presented at the 25th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. The demonstrations, including a human chain and rallies at the National Press Club, accused certain groups of attempting to tarnish Bangladesh’s image internationally.

Speakers at the Dhaka rally, including PCNP’s central organizing secretary Sheikh Ahmed Raju and PCCP Dhaka president Russell Mahmud, rejected the UN statements as one-sided and contrary to reality. They asserted that the Bangladesh Army ensures public safety in the hills and accused some expatriate representatives of ignoring local armed group violence while criticizing state development efforts.

The protesters issued several demands, including recovery of illegal arms from regional armed groups, reconstitution of the Land Commission with equal representation, completion of impartial land surveys, legal action against those defaming the state abroad, and strengthening of security operations in the hill region.