NCP Member of Parliament Hasnat Abdullah has sharply criticized the formation of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), alleging that it has become politically biased. Speaking in the national parliament on Wednesday during discussions on the 'July Uprising (Protection and Liability Determination) Bill,' he claimed that the BCB is no longer a national institution but has turned into a partisan entity. Abdullah also demanded that the Human Rights Commission Ordinance be passed as a bill before approving the current legislation.

He accused the government of politicizing constitutional institutions, citing examples such as the Bangladesh Bank and the cricket board. In response, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed countered that former interim government sports adviser Asif Mahmud had exercised government powers over councilors and conducted a one-sided voting process for the cricket board while a related High Court petition remained pending.

The exchange highlighted growing political tensions over control of national institutions, with the BCB becoming a focal point of debate in parliament.

Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni announced that the ongoing session of the Bangladesh National Parliament will continue on Friday. He made the statement on Wednesday, April 8, during a break in the current parliamentary session. According to him, 44 ordinances have already been passed as bills, and the parliament aims to resolve all 133 ordinances by Friday. Considering the workload, the decision was made to hold the session on Friday as well.

The Chief Whip expressed dissatisfaction over the malfunctioning and mismanagement of the parliament building’s sound system, alleging that the contractors who received the tender had outsourced the work to others. To meet the constitutional requirement of converting 133 ordinances into law, the parliament has been holding two sessions per day since Tuesday, April 7.

The continuation of the session on Friday underscores the parliament’s effort to complete legislative obligations within the stipulated timeframe.

Voting for the postponed 13th parliamentary election in Sherpur-3 constituency, covering Sreebardi and Jhenaigati upazilas, will take place tomorrow, Thursday. Authorities have completed all preparations, including the distribution of ballot papers, ballot boxes, and other necessary materials to every polling center. The constituency has 128 polling centers with 751 booths, where 413,377 registered voters are expected to cast their votes.

According to Sherpur’s Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, 32 mobile teams and striking forces will be deployed to ensure security. Each polling center will have five law enforcement officers, while key centers will have six. The election was previously postponed following the death of Jamaat candidate Nuruzzaman Badol on February 12.

As per the revised schedule, voting will now be held on April 9. The contesting candidates are Masudur Rahman Masud from Jamaat-e-Islami and Mahmudul Haque Rubel from the BNP.

A Dhaka court has ordered the seizure of former cultural affairs minister and actor Asaduzzaman Noor’s income tax records in connection with a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The order was issued on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Faiz. Court bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain confirmed the directive.

According to the ACC’s petition, Noor is accused of abusing his power for personal gain and unlawfully possessing assets worth 53.71 million taka beyond known income sources. The petition also alleges suspicious transactions totaling 1.58 billion taka across 19 bank and financial institution accounts. The ACC filed the case under the Anti-Corruption Commission Act and the Money Laundering Prevention Act, appointing an investigating officer to lead the inquiry.

The court stated that seizing Noor’s complete tax records, including permanent and miscellaneous sections, is necessary for a fair investigation. The documents will be reviewed as part of the ongoing probe.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited delegations from the United States and Iran to Islamabad for peace discussions scheduled for Friday. The meeting aims to promote dialogue between the two nations amid ongoing regional tensions.

According to Iranian news agency ISNA, the US delegation may be led by Vice President JD Vance, while Iran’s delegation is expected to be headed by Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf. The talks will take place in Pakistan’s capital, reflecting Islamabad’s effort to facilitate communication between Washington and Tehran.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, did not specify the agenda or expected outcomes of the meeting, but the involvement of high-level representatives suggests a significant diplomatic engagement.

The Narayanganj Metropolitan Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam’s General Secretary, Maulana Ferdousur Rahman, has been issued a show-cause notice for alleged activities violating party discipline. The notice, signed by district president Mufti Monir Hossain Kasemi, was released on Wednesday afternoon. Rahman has been instructed to respond within seven days.

According to the letter, Rahman organized a council meeting for April 9 without approval from the district or metropolitan Majlis-e-Amela and without informing the district president. The letter accuses him of acting with personal motives, creating internal conflict, and misleading central leaders with false information. These actions were described as contrary to party discipline and potentially disruptive to organizational order.

The notice also directed the suspension of the announced council and required Rahman to submit a written explanation to the district president, district and metropolitan Majlis-e-Amela, and the central committee by April 16.

A lawyer has filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul, former legal adviser to the interim government, alleging corruption and illegal accumulation of wealth. The complaint was submitted on Wednesday by a Supreme Court lawyer, and the ACC has accepted it for review. The petition also requested an investigation into the alleged corruption and assets of Nazrul’s then personal secretary, Shamsuddin Masum, who now serves as a district judge.

According to the complaint, citing newspaper reports, during Nazrul’s tenure as legal adviser, large-scale bribery occurred in the transfer of sub-registrars within the Ministry of Law, amounting to around one billion taka. It alleged that transfer orders were issued or suspended based on bribe payments, with Masum acting as an intermediary in the transactions. The complaint described the corruption as widespread and requested the ACC to take appropriate legal action after investigation.

The ACC’s next steps or timeline for inquiry were not specified in the report.

A Dhaka court has placed former Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) director Afzal Naser on a fresh four-day remand for interrogation in a case filed over the killing of BNP activist Mokbul Hossain. The order was issued on Wednesday afternoon by Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah, following a request from the prosecution. Sub-Inspector Tofazzal Hossain of the Motijheel Detective Branch had sought a seven-day remand, but the court granted four days.

According to the report, Naser had already been in remand since Sunday in connection with the same case. Earlier, he was also remanded for six days in another case related to the killing of Delwar Hossain during the July movement. This marks the third time he has been placed on remand. The prosecution argued that further interrogation was necessary to gather more information, while Naser’s lawyer opposed the request, saying there was no substantial evidence against him and that questioning could be done at the jail gate.

The case stems from a 2022 incident when BNP announced a one-point movement, and police raids at the party’s Nayapaltan office led to violence that killed Mokbul Hossain. The case was filed in September 2024 against 256 people, including Sheikh Hasina.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan stated that necessary measures will be taken to nationalize the jobs of teachers and employees of private educational institutions once the government adopts a policy decision. He made the remark on Wednesday morning in response to a question from Comilla-2 Member of Parliament Md. Selim Bhuiyan during the first session of the National Parliament.

The minister explained that the process of government recognition or nationalization of private colleges follows the Prime Minister’s directives. After nationalization, the employment terms of teachers and staff are reviewed and finalized according to applicable regulations. He emphasized that nationalizing private institutions is a long-term and policy-driven matter, linked to the government’s overall financial capacity, existing policies, and the national budget.

According to the minister, Bangladesh currently has 34,129 private educational institutions employing 598,994 teachers and 206,699 staff members.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s women’s wing organized a human chain protest in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Wednesday, demanding the withdrawal of a case filed against Bibi Sauda Sumi, a female Jamaat activist from Bhola municipality who was arrested from her home. Around a hundred women participated in the demonstration, carrying placards and chanting slogans, which briefly made the area lively.

During the event, the organization’s general secretary Nurunnesa Siddiqui called for resolving the country’s fuel and gas crisis, ending extortion, and ensuring judicial independence. She also urged effective measures to stop cyberbullying. Siddiqui alleged that criticism of the government previously led to lawsuits and that similar authoritarian behavior is recurring, citing arrests of opposition voices including workers.

She further claimed that although a controversial cyber law had been repealed due to misuse, its provisions are again being used for arrests. Other speakers included the group’s law and human rights secretary Advocate Sabekunnahar Munni and publicity and media secretary Nazmun Nahar Nilu.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has sharply criticized the ceasefire agreement with Iran, calling it a “political disaster.” According to a report by AFP, Lapid accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to achieve the main objectives of the war. In a post on social media platform X, Lapid said Israel was not even present at the negotiation table when crucial national security decisions were made.

Lapid stated that the military fulfilled all its assigned duties and the public showed great patience, but Netanyahu failed politically and strategically. He argued that none of the goals Netanyahu himself had set were achieved. Netanyahu had aimed to destroy or severely weaken Iran’s nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, as well as to neutralize Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities and reduce Tehran’s regional influence.

Lapid warned that due to Netanyahu’s arrogance, negligence, and lack of strategic planning, Israel would take many years to recover from the political and strategic damage caused.

The Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) has taken a strict stance against an unauthorized iron arch built over the busy Faujdarhat–Bayezid Link Road in Sitakunda, Chittagong. The structure, allegedly erected by former Chittagong City Corporation mayor M. Manjur Alam without approval, has raised serious public safety concerns. The arch, made of iron with permanent brick-and-cement bases, bears religious inscriptions and the former mayor’s name.

CDA officials confirmed that no construction approval was granted for the arch and described it as illegal and hazardous for highway safety. Local residents complained that the structure obstructs visibility and poses a risk to tall vehicles. Some locals questioned the motive behind the construction, suggesting it served personal promotion under a religious guise. Engineer Asad Bin Anwar and CDA Chairman Nurul Karim both stated that the installation violates the law and must be removed.

CDA has instructed the former mayor to dismantle the arch voluntarily; otherwise, the authority will remove it. The Sitakunda Upazila administration is also investigating the matter and pledged coordinated action if illegality is confirmed.

US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social during Easter Sunday threatening to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, using vulgar language. The post prompted several Democratic lawmakers to call for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office, citing his alleged incitement of an illegal war in the Middle East. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy said he would consult constitutional lawyers if he were in Trump’s cabinet, describing the president as unbalanced and dangerous.

Arizona Representative Yasmin Ansari and New Mexico’s Melanie Stansbury also urged cabinet members to act, accusing Trump of provoking war crimes and targeting civilians. Democrats have previously sought Trump’s removal, including after the January 6 Capitol attack and his attempt to seize Greenland. The 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to transfer power if the president is deemed unfit.

Analysts note that despite the calls, Trump retains strong backing from Vice President JD Vance, his cabinet, and most Republican lawmakers, making removal unlikely. A Newsweek report said prediction market data showed rising bets on the amendment’s use during Trump’s term.

The 13th National Parliament of Bangladesh has passed the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2026, maintaining the ban on Awami League activities imposed during the interim government. The bill, introduced by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, was approved by voice vote on Wednesday, April 8. The amendment mirrors the earlier ordinance issued under the interim administration, without adding new punitive provisions for conducting banned activities.

During the session, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed allowed the Home Minister to present the bill as part of the supplementary agenda. Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqul Rahman requested more time to review the document, citing its late distribution, but the Speaker ruled that objections could no longer be accepted at that stage. The bill was then passed without further debate or amendment.

According to analysts cited in the report, the law’s passage formalizes the ban on Awami League and its affiliated organizations, potentially enabling legal proceedings against its members under anti-terrorism provisions.

The Government Accounts Audit Bill 2026 was passed in the National Parliament of Bangladesh on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury introduced the bill, which was approved by voice vote. The passage came as part of a broader legislative session that also addressed multiple ordinances and amendment bills.

A special parliamentary committee reviewed 133 ordinances issued during the interim period, recommending 98 for passage without changes and 15 with amendments. Four ordinances were rejected, while 16 were proposed to be strengthened and reintroduced as new bills. Other bills passed included the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Bill 2026, several amendments to criminal and civil laws, and updates to health-related university acts.

During the session, the Law Minister noted that the amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 2026 now includes enforced disappearance within the definition of crimes against humanity, reflecting the government’s stated commitment to justice for such offenses.