The Bangladesh Parliament has passed the National Human Rights Commission (Repeal and Reenactment) Bill 2026, effectively canceling the interim government’s human rights ordinance and reinstating the 2009 National Human Rights Commission Act. The bill was introduced by Law Minister Asaduzzaman and passed under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. Opposition objections, raised by NCP lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah from Comilla-4, were rejected by voice vote.

During the debate, Hasnat Abdullah criticized the bill, warning that repealing the 2025 ordinance could turn the commission into a political tool for repression. He argued that the 2009 law had previously been used to suppress opposition parties and lacked independence, as most members of its selection board were from the ruling party. He also noted that investigations into human rights violations required prior government approval, undermining transparency.

Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman called for more time to discuss the issue, citing its importance to political transparency and public safety. The Speaker allowed limited additional time before the bill was passed.

Voting in the Bogura-6 by-election began on Thursday, April 9, with notably low voter turnout across polling centers. By noon, no center had recorded more than 10 percent turnout, with some reporting as low as 7 to 8 percent. At the Coronation School and College center, only 107 votes were cast out of 4,060 registered voters by 9:30 a.m. Presiding officer Mehedi Hasan noted that turnout was lower compared to the February 12 election but hoped participation would increase later in the day.

At 11:30 a.m., Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Abidur Rahman Sohel alleged that BNP activists had taken control of the Rajapur polling center after expelling his agents. He also claimed that election agents were asked to sign result forms in advance at the Maltinagar Primary School center, which he said violated election rules. Sohel further alleged the returning officer’s involvement in these irregularities.

The constituency has 454,043 registered voters and 150 polling centers, with heightened security at 53 identified as sensitive. Eight platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh, along with army and RAB patrols, were deployed. Returning officer Fazlul Haque stated that all necessary security measures were in place to ensure peaceful voting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had promised a decisive victory in the war against Iran, is now facing growing domestic challenges as his objectives appear increasingly unattainable. He had pledged to change Iran’s regime, destroy its missile capabilities, and seize its enriched uranium. However, continued Iranian bombardment of Israel has made those goals seem unrealistic.

Some analysts suggest that Netanyahu’s failure to achieve his war aims could prove even more damaging than his inability to prevent the events of October 7, 2023. According to Al Jazeera journalist Nida Ibrahim, Israel may hold elections later this year, and opposition leader Yair Lapid has begun openly criticizing Netanyahu.

The coming weeks are expected to be crucial as Netanyahu seeks ways to navigate the political and military challenges arising from the ongoing conflict and domestic discontent.

Rafia Sultana Rafi, senior joint convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Bogura district and former student of Dhaka University, passed away early Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at a private hospital in Dhaka. She was 32 years old. According to family and party sources, she was admitted to the hospital around 10 p.m. after feeling unwell, later transferred to the ICU as her condition worsened, and died around 3 a.m. She is survived by her husband and two daughters.

Rafi studied in the Department of Islamic Studies at Dhaka University during the 2012–13 session and was active in various student movements. She contested for the vice president post in the Rokeya Hall student union election in 2019 and participated in the quota reform movement in 2018 and the July Revolution in 2024. Later, she joined the NCP and served as senior joint convener in Bogura, also holding a founding joint convener role in the Ganaodhikar Parishad.

Her death has cast a shadow of mourning across NCP and related political circles. Party leaders expressed deep sorrow, prayed for her departed soul, and conveyed condolences to her bereaved family.

A violent clash erupted on Thursday morning in the Chandni Housing area of Fatullah, Narayanganj, between two factions of the Jubo Dal over control of the garment wastage (jhoot) business. The confrontation, which began around 10 a.m., involved gunfire and left at least eight people injured, including two who were shot. The gunshot victims, madrasa student Imran, 11, and Rakib, 25, were first taken to Narayanganj 300-bed hospital and later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where Imran’s condition was reported as critical.

Local sources said the conflict stemmed from a dispute over unloading jhoot from a garment factory affiliated with Best Style (Pvt.) Ltd. The groups, led by union Jubo Dal leader Sarzil Ahmed Abhi and Fatullah Thana Jubo Dal convener Masud, had been at odds for several days. Witnesses reported that Abhi’s group fired several blank rounds, causing panic in the area and forcing shops to close.

Police said the situation is now under control, with additional forces deployed. Authorities are working to identify those involved and take legal action.

Authorities in Islamabad have announced a sudden two-day local holiday starting Thursday, April 9, 2026. The decision comes ahead of scheduled talks between the United States and Iran to be held in the Pakistani capital on Friday, April 10. The announcement was made by Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon through a notice posted on X. Essential services including MCI, CDA, ICT administration, ICT police, IESCO, SNGPL, and hospitals will remain operational during the holiday.

The official notification did not specify a reason for the closure. However, Islamabad authorities have previously imposed holidays or restrictions before major diplomatic events for security reasons. The upcoming meeting will see Pakistan acting as a mediator between the US and Iran.

According to the White House, US Vice President JD Vance will lead the American delegation in the discussions. The talks are considered significant given the involvement of high-level representatives from both countries.

Former Member of Parliament and central Awami League executive committee member Advocate Safura Begum Rumi was arrested by Lalmonirhat district Detective Branch (DB) police. The arrest took place on the night of April 8 in a residential area of Mohammadpur, Dhaka. Police said she had been in hiding since the fall of the Awami League government and was wanted in several cases, including one for murder.

According to Lalmonirhat DB police, the arrest followed a tip-off that led a team to conduct a raid in Mohammadpur. Safura Begum Rumi also served as the general secretary of the Lalmonirhat District Lawyers’ Association and as the president of the district unit of the Awami League’s women’s wing.

Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the ongoing cases or the next legal steps following her arrest.

Former Speaker Shirin Sharmin was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) police last Tuesday after remaining in hiding for nearly 20 months. Following her arrest, she was presented before a court, which rejected the DB’s remand request and ordered her to be sent to jail. Senior DB officials conducted an initial interrogation, during which she disclosed some information while withholding other details.

According to the interrogation, Shirin Sharmin took refuge in military custody after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024, and later moved between four different residences to avoid arrest. She was ultimately detained from a house in Dhanmondi. She admitted to maintaining indirect contact with several mid-level Awami League leaders but denied involvement in forming a “reformed” Awami League. She also claimed that ex-ministers Hasan Mahmud and Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury had encouraged her to join such efforts, which she refused.

DB officials stated they are verifying her statements and compiling a list of mid-level leaders who communicated with her. They suspect the banned Awami League faction may be involved in anti-state conspiracies and plan to seek further remand for continued investigation.

An internal audit has revealed extensive financial irregularities and corruption within Bangladesh’s disaster management sector, implicating District Relief and Rehabilitation Officers (DRROs) and Project Implementation Officers (PIOs). The audit found that unspent government funds were not returned to the treasury as required, with approximately Tk 15 crore in irregularities identified. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has initiated departmental actions, including show-cause notices to 29 officials, and plans to refer cases to the Anti-Corruption Commission for further investigation.

According to ministry officials, the irregularities involve funds from programs such as General Relief, Test Relief, Food for Work, Cash for Work, and housing projects for the poor. The audit recorded 3,024 objections, including 930 serious ones, totaling around Tk 16 crore. Specific areas such as Madhabpur in Habiganj showed the highest discrepancies. Officials cited administrative complexity and lack of accountability as contributing factors, while civil society leaders described the issue as institutional failure.

The ministry is reportedly taking a strict stance to recover the funds and ensure compliance with financial regulations, though systemic weaknesses in monitoring and fund allocation remain unresolved.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an immediate 50 percent tariff on all goods from any country that supplies military weapons to Iran. The warning came just hours after Washington and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, according to Al Jazeera. Trump made the announcement in a social media post, stating that there would be no exemptions or exceptions to the measure.

The U.S. president did not name any specific countries in his statement. In the past, China and Russia have supported Iran’s military capabilities by providing missiles, air defense systems, and dual-use technologies that help Tehran counter pressure from the United States and Israel. However, both Beijing and Moscow have recently denied supplying weapons to Iran, though allegations against Russia have not fully subsided.

The announcement signals renewed U.S. pressure on countries maintaining defense ties with Iran, potentially heightening tensions in global trade and diplomatic relations.

A leader of the Bangladesh Jubo Dal’s Airport Thana unit, Russell Sarkar, has submitted a written petition to the Prime Minister seeking organizational and disciplinary action against Al Amin Hossain Shanto, general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s Airport Thana branch. The letter was received by the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday. The petition accuses Shanto of extortion, assault, and misuse of power in the Uttara area, alleging that he has become a source of fear and controversy since August 5 and has grown more reckless after the national election.

According to the complaint, Shanto faces two separate cases: one filed on March 7 at Uttara East Police Station for allegedly assaulting fuel station staff and looting Tk 90,000, and another filed on April 4 at Dakshinkhan Police Station for attacking Jubo Dal leaders over a dispute involving government soil sales. The petition also claims that Shanto operates under the protection of Dhaka North Chhatra Dal president Salahuddin Ahmed, which has prevented internal disciplinary measures.

Russell Sarkar urged the Prime Minister to ensure justice and take steps to protect the image of both the government and the BNP by holding Shanto accountable.

A new public opinion poll has found that most Americans want Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump without delay. The survey, conducted among 790 registered voters, revealed that 52 percent favored impeachment while 40 percent opposed it. The poll, sponsored by progressive activist groups 'Impeach Trump. Again.' and 'Free Speech for People,' also showed that one in seven Republicans supported Trump’s removal.

The poll’s findings carry political significance as Trump was impeached twice during his first term but acquitted both times in the Senate. His second impeachment followed the January 6 Capitol riot, when 57 senators, including seven Republicans, voted to convict him—short of the required two-thirds majority. The latest impeachment calls have intensified following Trump’s recent military action against Iran, which has reshaped political dynamics in Washington and among voters.

The survey, led by Free Speech for People president John Bonifaz with pollster Celinda Lake’s firm, had a margin of error of 3.9 percent. Bonifaz described the early-stage results as unprecedented, noting that public opinion against Trump has shifted faster than it did during Richard Nixon’s presidency.

US President Donald Trump has again threatened to launch attacks on Iran, warning that any violation of what he called the 'real agreement' would trigger unprecedented military action. He announced that American warships, aircraft, and personnel would remain stationed in and around Iran until Tehran fully complies with the signed deal. Trump made the remarks on his social media platform, Truth Social, emphasizing that any breach would lead to severe consequences.

According to Trump, both sides have agreed that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open and safe for commercial shipping. He added that the US military is already prepared and awaiting its next victory, concluding his message with the declaration, 'America is back!'

The statements, reported by CNBC, underscore renewed tensions between Washington and Tehran, with US military presence in the region set to continue until compliance with the agreement is verified.

The schedule for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s foreign trip has not yet been finalized, according to an official clarification issued on Wednesday, April 8. Assistant Press Secretary Sujan Mahmud stated in a Facebook post that reports circulating in various media outlets about the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit abroad were inaccurate.

Sujan Mahmud wrote that the dates and destinations for the Prime Minister’s possible foreign trip remain undecided. He also urged the public not to believe rumors spreading on social media regarding which country Rahman would visit first. Earlier in the day, several media reports claimed that the Prime Minister would make his first official trip to India by May 10, but those reports were later confirmed to be incorrect.

The clarification aims to dispel misinformation and ensure that the public relies only on verified updates about the Prime Minister’s official engagements.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has declared that continuing peace talks with the United States is ‘illogical’ following Israel’s recent attacks in Lebanon. In a post on social media platform X, he said the ‘operational basis’ for ceasefire discussions between Tehran and Washington has already been violated, rendering further negotiations meaningless.

Ghalibaf stated that three key clauses of the ceasefire plan have been breached: ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon, drone incursions into Iranian airspace, and denial of Iran’s right to enrich uranium. He accused Israel of intensifying its conflict with Hezbollah in violation of the ceasefire terms, while criticizing the United States for demanding a full halt to Iran’s nuclear program, which he said undermines the agreement.

According to Ghalibaf, under these circumstances, pursuing bilateral ceasefire or peace negotiations no longer makes sense, reflecting Tehran’s frustration over what it views as repeated violations of the truce framework.