BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi is traveling to Patuakhali to attend the funeral of Lamia, daughter of July Movement martyr Jashim Uddin. Rizvi has already reached Barisal and will join the funeral once Lamia’s body arrives home. Central and local party leaders and activists are preparing to participate. Lamia’s body has undergone autopsy and was taken to Anjuman Mofidul Islam for bathing before being sent to her village.

NCP leader Sarjis Alam visited Lamia at the hospital and expressed deep sorrow over her death. He said, “The entire nation is grieving. Such a heinous act against the daughter of a martyr who sacrificed for a new Bangladesh is unacceptable. We lost Ashia in a similar manner recently. Those involved must face public execution.” Sarjis recounted how Lamia’s mother repeatedly asked if they could bring her daughter back, a question he found impossible to answer. He asserted that no bail should be granted to those accused of such horrific crimes, criticizing those who defend them in court as having lost their conscience.

Legal notices issued against Dr. Tasnim Jara and Dr. Jahangir Kabir for allegedly spreading obscenity have been withdrawn. Earlier, a Supreme Court lawyer, Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab, had served a notice demanding a ban on all online platforms displaying “obscene and pornographic” content. However, netizens widely viewed the move as politically motivated, and Tasnim Jara’s content has garnered significant public support.

Workers and representatives from 22 affected factories staged a protest in front of the Australian High Commission, demanding the return of embezzled funds from Australia’s Mosaic Brands and justice at an international court. Taslima Akhter stated that Bangladeshi workers hope the Australian government will promptly act through its High Commissioner to ensure their dues and protect 22 factories. She urged immediate efforts to recover nearly 2.5 billion BDT owed to workers and factories.

Former Chhatra Shibir president Manjurul Islam said, “Under Sheikh Hasina’s orders, leaders and activists of Awami League and the banned Chhatra League committed unprecedented massacres during the mass uprising.” He asserted that Sheikh Hasina and her accomplices must be brought back and tried to fulfill the aspirations of the July martyrs. He added, “We witnessed how killings were carried out at Pilkhana and Shapla Chattar. In previous years, educational institutions had no proper environment for learning, turned instead into hubs of terror and drugs by Chhatra League and their allies. Through immense sacrifices during the July Revolution, that situation was changed. Now, we must ensure the presence of all political and Islamic student organizations on campuses to maintain a healthy educational environment.”

ShahiduI Fahim, a leader of the Gono Odhikar Parishad, stated that Lamia’s mother, Ruma Begum, wife of martyred Jashim Uddin, has fallen ill and been hospitalized. He said, “Lamia was from my area; I spoke with her many times. She was mentally strong. After the incident of rape, she personally filed a complaint at the police station. What happened so suddenly that led her to take her own life? This must be investigated.” Fahim emphasized that the state cannot shirk responsibility in such cases. He also pointed out that although justice for rape cases is supposed to be delivered within 90 days, it is rarely seen. “We must rise again to demand justice for all victims like Lamia and Ashia.” Notably, Lamia, daughter of a July Movement martyr, was gang-raped on her way back from visiting her father’s grave on March 18, and took her own life on Saturday night.

Mahmud Hasan Khan, panel leader of Forum for the 2025-27 BGMEA election, pledged to turn the BGMEA into a transparent and accountable organization. Speaking at a campaign event, he emphasized that the Forum is composed of experienced and committed businesspeople. General Secretary Dr. Rashid Ahmed Hosaini added that their goal is to ensure BGMEA is protected from future corruption and inefficiency.

Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam confirmed that Bangladesh’s national election will be held between December and June. He emphasized that ongoing reforms will continue during this period and that political party opinions regarding election timing are irrelevant. Alam assured that once reforms are completed, an election date will be announced without unnecessary delays.

The Search Committee tasked with restructuring Bangladesh’s sports federations has been granted an extension until May 10. Initially expected to complete their work by April 20, the committee requested more time to finalize new leadership proposals for the federations. So far, 31 out of 52 federations have had ad-hoc committees formed, with the remaining expected to be completed by early May.

Students at United International University (UIU) staged a fresh protest, accusing the administration of conspiring to cripple the university through mass resignations. Students locked in the VC, deans, and department heads, demanding that all resignation letters—except those of VC Prof. Dr. Abul Kashem Mia and CSE department head Prof. Dr. Muhammad Nurul Huda—be withdrawn. Earlier, students had launched protests demanding the dismissal of Prof. Huda for alleged mistreatment.

DNCC Administrator Mohammad Ejaz announced a citywide crackdown on unauthorized autorickshaws, workshops, and charging stations. DNCC, in collaboration with DMP, has already compiled a list of targets. Residents and homeowners’ associations have been urged not to permit illegal vehicles into their neighborhoods, emphasizing that a proactive local community would make it easier to eliminate such unauthorized operations.

Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud criticized the practice of appointing election-losing candidates as mayors through court verdicts, calling it an endorsement of rigged elections under Sheikh Hasina’s rule. Citing the cases of BNP candidates Shahadat Hossain and Ishraq Hossain, Mahmud urged political parties to refrain from legitimizing such elections. He clarified that they were not official parties to the lawsuits.

BNP leader Hasan Uddin Sarkar accused the Awami League government of turning educational institutions into hubs of corruption over the past 16 years. Speaking at a rally, he said teaching is a noble profession and that corruption among educators tarnishes the dignity of the profession. Sarkar praised private schools for their role in employment and education and urged teachers to uphold the integrity of their profession.

NCP leader Abdul Hannan Masud criticized activists for spreading false information without verification. He mentioned that after seeing a misleading thumbnail by Kaler Kantho, many activists posted false claims about him, such as receiving a lifetime gift of a car, when in reality it was a temporary arrangement during his stay in Hatia. Masud called on activists like Elias Hossain, Zulkarnaine Sayar, and Boni Amin to verify facts before spreading misleading narratives.

Home and Agriculture Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Industry and Housing Advisor Adilur Rahman visited farmers engaged in paddy harvesting and threshing in Arial Beel, Munshiganj. They participated in harvesting activities and pledged to stop illegal soil excavation in the beel area. They also announced plans to dredge local canals and build two cold storage facilities for preserving vegetables, emphasizing that curbing corruption would accelerate national development.