Several notable political and social figures formally joined the National Citizen Party (NCP) on Friday afternoon at an event held at the Institution of Diploma Engineers auditorium in Kakrail, Dhaka. The new members include former Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal organizing secretary and expelled BNP leader Ishaq Sarkar, Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq’s granddaughter Fersamin Huq Iqbal Flora, content creator Nuruzzaman Kafi, July uprising leader Mohiuddin Roni, and Bangladesh Janata Party senior vice chairman Maksudur Rahman Sohel. NCP convenor Nahid Islam and other senior leaders welcomed them with flowers.

Fersamin Huq Iqbal joined virtually from California, while the others were present on stage. Ishaq Sarkar, who faced numerous political cases during the previous government, joined the NCP along with his supporters. He is set to become the convener of NCP’s Dhaka South Metropolitan unit, replacing joint member secretary Alauddin Mohammad, who is stepping down.

The event marks an expansion of NCP’s leadership base with figures from diverse political and civic backgrounds, signaling potential organizational strengthening ahead of future political activities.

Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament Barrister Kaiser Kamal visited his former school, Kalmakanda Government Pilot High School in Netrokona, on Friday morning without a formal invitation. Upon arrival, teachers approached him with flowers, but he refused the greeting and expressed anger toward them for not inviting him. He stated that he had expected an invitation from the school and had arranged the visit himself.

During a subsequent meeting with teachers, the Deputy Speaker inquired about the school’s institutional and academic affairs. He expressed surprise that only 15 teachers were serving against 28 sanctioned posts and questioned why the school had been run by an acting headteacher for eight years. He criticized the teachers for sending a demand notice without consulting the elected representative and advised them to maintain professional integrity and avoid political dependence.

The meeting ended in silence among teachers and attendees, with administrative officials, including the Upazila Nirbahi Officer S.M. Mikail Islam, present at the event.

Md. Mizanur Rahman (Dulal) has been elected president and Ashraf Hossain Khan general secretary of the Dhaka Tax Bar Association for the 2026–2027 term. The election took place on April 22 and 23, 2026, at the association’s office in the Revenue Building, Kakrail, where registered members cast their votes over two days. The results were announced on Friday after vote counting.

The Dulal–Ashraf-led Blue Panel, supported by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), won by a large margin. Three panels contested in total: the BNP-backed Blue Panel, the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Green Panel, and the National Citizen Party (NCP)-backed Red-Green Panel.

This was the first direct election of the Dhaka Tax Bar Association since 2018, marking a return to member-based voting after several years.

Social Welfare Minister Professor Dr. A Z M Zahid Hossain stated that offenders, regardless of identity, must be brought under the law and that no one should take the law into their own hands. He made these remarks on Friday afternoon at the Nawabganj Upazila Parishad auditorium in Dinajpur while attending a program to distribute checks to families of road accident victims and provide seeds and fertilizers to farmers.

During his speech, the minister urged everyone to remain vigilant against drugs and to assist the administration in maintaining control. He also welcomed new innovations showcased at the science fair, expressing hope that today’s students could become great scientists through their creative work.

At the event, the minister distributed bicycles to 17 students, vegetable seeds and fertilizers to 540 farmers under the SSCP-RAINS project, and mung bean seeds and chemical fertilizers to 40 farmers.

Water Resources Minister and BNP Joint Secretary General Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said the upcoming local government elections will be memorable and more challenging because they will be held without party symbols. He made the remarks on Friday afternoon while addressing the annual sports and prize distribution ceremony at Haji Fateh Mohammedia Dakhil Madrasa in Lakshmipur Sadar upazila.

Annie stated that the absence of elected local representatives has created difficulties across the country, with many rural areas facing problems for 17–18 years due to this situation. He noted that although the current government has been in office for two months, many local positions remain vacant or inactive, and he urged cooperation with those still serving.

He also emphasized that candidates for chairman positions should be people-friendly, connected to the public, and dedicated to community needs. Annie warned that multiple candidates from the same party could weaken their chances and reminded that union council leaders play a crucial role in shaping local welfare and stability.

State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief M. Iqbal Hossain MP emphasized the government’s zero-tolerance policy against hoarding and extortion during a meeting with local traders at the Gauripur Upazila Parishad office in Mymensingh on Friday morning. He said that traders who illegally stockpile essential goods to raise prices are enemies of the nation and that such practices are strictly prohibited in Islam. He urged business owners to unite against extortionists and to report any such activities to law enforcement agencies.

During the meeting, the minister also announced efforts to upgrade Gauripur’s 50-bed hospital to a 100-bed facility and plans to build a children’s recreation park in the municipal area. The event was chaired by Gauripur Combined Business Forum convener Md. Mahbubul Alam Faruk and attended by several local business leaders.

Later that day, the minister inaugurated road construction work on the municipal market road, accompanied by local administrative and police officials.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) central president Rakibul Islam Rakib issued a warning to Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) General Secretary Salauddin Ammar, saying that the student organization exists even in Ammar’s hometown. Rakib made the remarks in a verified Facebook post published late Thursday night, cautioning Ammar against his recent comments and behavior on social media.

In his post, Rakib stated that JCD has active members across all universities, colleges, districts, and subdistricts of Bangladesh, not just in Rajshahi. He criticized Ammar for allegedly using offensive language and making derogatory remarks about JCD and the Zia family. Rakib also accused a specific group of deliberately creating tension and claimed Ammar continued to post provocative statements online despite the situation calming down.

In response, Salauddin Ammar shared Rakib’s post and wrote that he feared no one except God, urging Rakib to avoid aligning with oppressors and to seek divine guidance for better judgment.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar on Friday, April 24, 2026, accused the government of returning to authoritarian rule and using student groups to suppress dissent. Speaking as the chief guest at a ward presidents’ conference organized by Jhenaidah district Jamaat, he alleged that the government was unleashing student activists against others in educational institutions and warned that citizens would not tolerate a return to autocracy.

Porwar criticized the government for alleged election engineering and claimed that those labeling Jamaat and Shibir as secretive had themselves lived abroad for 17 years. He also accused the ruling party of maintaining fascist tendencies and said the people had previously sacrificed their lives to end such regimes. Responding to remarks by the prime minister, he argued that the government, not Jamaat, was possessed by authoritarian impulses.

Addressing the July national charter and referendum, Porwar said 33 political parties had reached consensus on constitutional reforms, but the BNP opposed ten key points. He warned that if the government ignored the referendum mandate, the people would take to the streets again.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has strongly condemned the assault on a college teacher and other staff at Daokandi Government University College in Durgapur, Rajshahi. In a statement issued to the media on Friday, the party’s Assistant Secretary General and Secretary of Publicity and Media, Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, denounced the April 23 attack, which allegedly involved local BNP leader Akbar Ali and his associates. The attackers reportedly entered the college during examinations, demanded money, assaulted a female teacher with shoes, and vandalized property.

Zubair described the incident as unacceptable and alarming, saying it insulted the entire teaching community and disrupted the educational environment. He criticized the law enforcement agencies for their inaction despite being present during the attack, calling it a sign of deteriorating law and order. Jamaat demanded a thorough investigation into the assault, identification and arrest of those responsible, and proper medical care, security, and compensation for the injured teachers.

The statement also urged the government to ensure justice and restore safety in educational institutions across the country.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman declared that the movement to secure people's rights will continue without pause until the referendum verdict and the July Charter are fully implemented. He warned that those who betray the July cause will not be spared. Rahman made these remarks on Friday at a public gathering organized by Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka.

He stated that the alliance of eleven parties will not rest until the referendum verdict is realized, emphasizing that their movement will persist both in parliament and on the streets. The event was part of a broader campaign demanding the full implementation of the July Charter and recognition of the referendum outcome.

The gathering also reflected growing calls from allied groups for intensified street mobilization and national unity around the July cause, signaling continued political activism in the coming months.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has called for a national rally on Saturday, April 25, at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka, involving families of July martyrs and July fighters. The event aims to press for the implementation of the referendum verdict, constitutional reform, and inclusion of the July Charter in the constitution. Party Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar urged citizens to ensure the rally’s success through spontaneous participation.

In a statement issued Friday, Porwar said thousands of students and people from various professions sacrificed their lives, blood, and health during the July uprising to reform the state and secure citizens’ rights. He criticized the current BNP-led government for failing to implement the February 12 referendum verdict, despite nearly 70 percent voting “yes,” calling it disrespectful to the martyrs and the nation.

Porwar also urged the government to honor the sacrifices of July martyrs by swiftly implementing the referendum outcome, improving law and order, and ensuring justice for recent campus violence incidents.

A mass rally organized by Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis began at Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Friday, demanding the swift implementation of a referendum verdict. The gathering started at 2 p.m. following the Friday prayers and was presided over by the party’s Amir, Maulana Mamunul Haque.

Senior leaders of the party, along with the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, the Opposition Chief Whip, top figures from the 11-party alliance, and representatives from various political and professional groups, addressed the rally. Supporters and activists from Dhaka and surrounding areas began arriving at the venue from the morning and performed the Friday prayers there.

According to the organizers, the rally was scheduled to continue until the afternoon, focusing on mobilizing public support for the party’s demand regarding the referendum outcome.

Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Raksu) General Secretary Salauddin Ammar has alleged that the new regime has failed to bring any variation to the political dramas seen during the Hasina era. In a Facebook post published on Friday, he said that issues such as rising bus fares, fuel and gas prices, and the worsening electricity situation are being sidelined through the spread of a fake screenshot.

Ammar wrote that people who speak on national issues are being distracted, allowing the public to gradually become accustomed to the situation. He described this as a common strategy of rulers, claiming that the new regime is following the same pattern as before. He further alleged that promises of positions are being used to provoke workers in remote areas, while allied organizations are behaving irrationally in pursuit of posts.

He added that fuel, gas, transport fares, and electricity remain major issues for all citizens, but supporters of the ruling party are refraining from protest and instead attacking those who do. Ammar also claimed that a banned organization named League is fueling instability in the country.

Andrea Dressi, assistant professor of international relations and world politics at the American University of Rome, told Al Jazeera that the Trump administration is not united on its strategy for continuing the war with Iran. He noted that the administration’s goals and tactics appear to be shifting constantly, reflecting internal disagreements.

Dressi said that while the administration tries to project strength on social media, growing divisions and dismissals of senior Pentagon and Defense Department officials reveal deeper discord. He argued that the United States and Israel may have miscalculated the consequences of the conflict or based their actions on flawed strategic assumptions.

According to Dressi, the Trump administration is now seeking a way out of the situation by extending the ceasefire and showing some openness to diplomacy. However, he warned that the risks remain high, with the conflict threatening global economic stability and raising fears of a broader military confrontation.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has expelled Akbar Ali, a local leader from Rajshahi’s Durgapur upazila, after he was accused of vandalism and assaulting a female teacher at Daokandi Government University College. The expulsion was announced on April 24, 2026, through a press release signed by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.

According to the statement, Akbar Ali, who served as vice president of the BNP’s Joynagar Union unit in Durgapur, engaged in misconduct by entering the college premises, causing damage, and behaving inappropriately with a teacher. The party said his actions violated BNP’s principles, ideals, and discipline.

The decision removes Akbar Ali from all party positions, including his primary membership, as part of the BNP’s disciplinary measures against activities deemed contrary to party policy.