At least ten people, including a local leader of the Volunteer Wing, were injured in a shooting by miscreants in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia early Monday night. The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. in Majdiar village of Moricha Union, when a group of masked attackers opened fire indiscriminately, spreading panic in the area.

According to police and local sources, the attackers attempted to abduct Robiul Islam, convener of the Moricha Union Volunteer Wing, from a shop near his home at gunpoint. When nearby residents rushed to the scene after hearing his cries for help, the assailants fired shots using guns and shotguns, injuring at least ten men and women. Locals suspect that the attack may have stemmed from a dispute over sand extraction from the Padma River.

The incident has heightened tension in the locality, though further details about the attackers or arrests were not available at the time of reporting.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asaduzzaman Ahmad stated that Italy is one of Bangladesh’s most important development partners within the European Union. He emphasized that Bangladesh attaches special importance to its relationship with Italy, particularly in areas such as safe migration. The minister made these remarks during a meeting with Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the ambassador said Italy is keen to expand bilateral relations and highlighted that the Italian government is committed to ensuring safe migration and preventing illegal migration. He announced that Italy’s new migration policy will take effect in June, aiming to facilitate safe migration and expedite the repatriation of undocumented migrants. The ambassador also mentioned that the next meeting of the Bangladesh-Italy Joint Working Group on migration and labor issues will be held in Italy.

The meeting also discussed law and order, security, economic cooperation, and trade expansion. The ambassador delivered a congratulatory letter from Italy’s Interior Minister and invited the Bangladeshi minister to visit Italy later this year.

Three women from Brahmanbaria have been nominated for reserved seats in the national parliament. They are Sanjida Islam Tuli and Nadia Pathan Papon from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Engineer Mardia Momtaz from Jamaat-e-Islami. The announcement was made on April 21, 2026.

Sanjida Islam Tuli, from Nabinagar’s Laurfatehpur village, is the coordinator of 'Mayer Dak', a platform for families of disappeared persons, and the sister of missing BNP leader Sajedul Islam Suman. She previously contested the 13th national election from Dhaka-14 and is known for her activism on enforced disappearances. Nadia Pathan Papon, from Bijoynagar’s Chandura village, has long been involved in BNP’s student politics and currently serves as a member of the party’s Dhaka South unit.

Engineer Mardia Momtaz, nominated by Jamaat-e-Islami, is the daughter of Engineer Momtazul Karim of Paikpara in Brahmanbaria town. A graduate and postgraduate in civil engineering from BUET, she works as a lecturer at Daffodil International University and is also known as a researcher and writer.

Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon stated that no question papers were leaked and no untoward incidents occurred during the ongoing SSC examinations. He made the remarks at a press conference held at the International Mother Language Institute on Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing that the upcoming examinations will be closely monitored.

The minister said the SSC exams were conducted in a peaceful environment and that any complaints would be investigated using CCTV footage. He instructed that footage from all examination centers be preserved for seven days for possible review. Addressing concerns about irregularities, he noted that center secretaries act as guardians of examinees and are trained to handle any mistakes by students.

Milon also commented that he does not believe media vigilance alone can prevent cheating, urging journalists to report any incidents if they occur.

A fresh spell of heatwave has intensified across Bangladesh since Monday, affecting nine districts including Rajshahi, Pabna, Sirajganj, Dhaka, Faridpur, Khulna, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) reported that the heatwave, currently mild to moderate, could spread to more areas and persist until around April 26. The highest temperature recorded in the past 24 hours was 38°C in Rajshahi, while Dhaka reached 36.2°C.

According to forecasts signed by meteorologist Dr. Omar Faruq, temperatures are expected to rise further, with the heatwave possibly turning severe in parts of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, and Dhaka divisions by April 25–26. Earlier this month, several heatwaves were recorded, with Chuadanga registering the year’s highest temperature of 39.7°C on April 3. Brief rainfall in Sylhet, Rangpur, and Dinajpur was noted, but most regions remained dry.

Meteorologists expect rainfall to increase from April 26 or later, potentially continuing into early May, which could bring relief from the ongoing heat.

A Sirajganj court has issued an arrest warrant against Member of Parliament Mufti Amir Hamza in a defamation case. The order was given by Judge Suman Karmakar of the Chowhali Amli Court on Tuesday at 11 a.m. Advocate Humayun Kabir Colonel, general secretary of the Sirajganj District Lawyers Association and additional public prosecutor, confirmed the information. Earlier, on April 2, the court had summoned Amir Hamza to appear in connection with the case, and he was scheduled to attend the hearing today.

The defamation case was filed by Advocate Humayun Kabir Colonel, who alleged that Mufti Amir Hamza made remarks labeling State Minister for Power and Energy and BNP Standing Committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku as an atheist and anti-Islamic. The case was lodged on April 2 following those comments.

The court’s decision marks a new development in the ongoing legal proceedings against the MP, with further actions expected following the issuance of the arrest warrant.

Authorities have announced that all import-export and immigration activities at the Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh will remain suspended for three days. The closure begins on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, and will continue until Thursday, April 23, 2026. The decision was confirmed by the port’s manager, Abul Kalam Azad.

According to an official letter signed by Sandeep Kumar Ghosh, District Magistrate and Returning Officer of Jalpaiguri, India, the suspension is linked to the upcoming Lok Sabha election in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, scheduled for April 23, 2026. The letter instructed relevant authorities to halt all trade and passenger movement through the port during this period.

The temporary closure affects both import-export operations and immigration services, meaning no goods or travelers will be allowed to cross through the Banglabandha checkpoint until the election concludes.

Police in Gazipur’s Sreepur upazila have arrested another suspect in the abduction case of an imam’s daughter, a madrasa student, from the Maona area. The arrest took place on Monday, April 20, when officers detained Md. Bachchu Mia, 47, from the Rajendrapur Bazar area. With this latest arrest, a total of eight suspects have now been taken into custody in connection with the case.

According to the case details, the student was abducted on the morning of April 14 while on her way to the madrasa. Following a complaint filed by the victim’s family, police launched an immediate operation, later rescuing the girl through technological tracking and intelligence efforts. The case was filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act at Sreepur Police Station.

Sreepur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Nasir Uddin stated that operations are ongoing to arrest the remaining fugitives and that legal proceedings against the detained suspects are underway. The swift police response has reportedly brought some relief to local residents.

A formal complaint has been submitted to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) alleging that former three-time Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was poisoned while in prison, leading to a severe deterioration of her health. The complaint was filed on Sunday by Mominul Haque Milon, a Canada-based chairman of the 'Mother of Democracy Begum Khaleda Zia Forum'. Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam confirmed receiving the complaint on Monday, stating that it concerns a family issue and that the tribunal will contact Khaleda Zia’s family before taking further steps.

The written complaint claims that an international conspiracy during the 1/11 caretaker government period aimed to destroy the Zia family through fabricated cases. It references the 2010 Zia Charitable Trust case and the 2018 verdict that sentenced Khaleda Zia to prison. The document alleges that during her imprisonment, she was denied proper medical care and subjected to slow poisoning, resulting in serious illness. It further accuses the then government, led by Sheikh Hasina, of orchestrating a politically motivated plot to eliminate Khaleda Zia.

The complaint requests identification and prosecution of all individuals allegedly involved in the incident.

Widespread and prolonged power outages have severely disrupted daily life in Rajshahi amid an ongoing heatwave. Residents across both urban and rural areas are facing frequent electricity cuts lasting eight to fifteen hours a day, affecting farmers, small businesses, industrial workers, and students. The situation has become particularly worrying as the SSC examinations begin, with students and parents expressing concern over study interruptions and health impacts due to sleepless nights and extreme heat.

Farmers in Tanore, Paba, Godagari, Durgapur, and Mohanpur upazilas report severe irrigation crises, threatening boro paddy and other crops. Many have resorted to diesel-powered pumps, but fuel shortages and higher costs are adding financial strain. Business owners in Rajshahi city say production and sales have dropped sharply due to power cuts, while households struggle with water shortages and mosquito infestations.

Electricity officials, however, claim the situation is under control. NESCO’s managing director asserts that supply exceeds demand, while rural electricity managers acknowledge limited load shedding but describe it as temporary. Locals remain skeptical, warning that prolonged disruptions could harm agriculture, the local economy, and students’ performance.

A severe shortage of bottled soybean oil has hit markets across Bangladesh, with retailers reporting that companies have drastically reduced supply. Many firms are allegedly refusing to sell bottled oil unless retailers also purchase other products. Prices have risen above government-fixed rates, with five-liter bottles selling for 960–970 taka instead of the official 955 taka. Loose soybean and palm oil prices have also increased, reflecting the broader supply strain.

Retailers and consumers say the shortage has persisted for more than six weeks. Companies cite reduced profit margins on bottled oil as the reason for limiting distribution. The Bangladesh Vegetable Oil Refiners and Vanaspati Manufacturers Association recently met with the commerce minister to seek a price adjustment, but no decision was made. The ministry and the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission decided against raising prices, opting instead to explore other incentives for producers.

Consumer rights advocates accuse companies of creating an artificial crisis to pressure the government into approving higher prices. They urge stronger monitoring to prevent unfair trade practices and stabilize the edible oil market.

Individuals and companies accused of large-scale corruption in Bangladesh’s power sector continue to evade accountability nearly two years after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Despite the interim administration led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus repealing the indemnity law for the energy sector and exposing years of irregularities, no punitive action has been taken. Huge sums of money allegedly laundered abroad remain unrecovered, while the sector still pays high capacity charges to private power producers.

The report details how politically connected business groups, including Summit and Orion, received billions of taka in payments for idle or underperforming plants. The Power Development Board (PDB) admits it cannot easily terminate contracts without risking legal disputes. Current Power Minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud said the government is reviewing legal options to recover stolen funds and end exploitative capacity charge arrangements.

According to official data cited, over 100,000 crore taka was paid in capacity charges between 2008 and 2024, with most private plants operating far below licensed capacity. The sector remains financially strained, with unpaid loans exceeding 149,000 crore taka and ongoing pressure to raise electricity prices.

A mild earthquake was felt in Dhaka and several parts of Bangladesh early Tuesday morning, April 21, 2026, at 6:29 a.m. local time. The tremor measured 5.1 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter located in Myanmar’s Sagaing region near Homalin, close to the Indian state of Manipur. The quake originated about 66 kilometers below the surface, which reduced its intensity at ground level despite its moderate magnitude.

According to India’s National Center for Seismology, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake also struck Manipur’s Kamjong area at 5:59 a.m. Indian time the same day. The depth and proximity of the two seismic events suggest they were part of the same regional tectonic activity affecting the border areas of Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh.

Due to the earthquake’s depth, no major damage or strong shaking was reported in Bangladesh, and the tremor was described as mild across affected regions.

Four members of the same family were found dead with their throats slit in Bahadurpur village of Niamatpur upazila in Naogaon district early Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The victims were identified as Habibur Rahman, his wife Popi Sultana, their son Parvez, and daughter Sadia Rahman. The bodies were discovered by Habibur Rahman’s father, Nomir Hossain, who entered the house after noticing blood near the door.

Local residents suspect that the killings may have been linked to a land dispute. Popi Sultana’s father, Moazzem Hossain, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible for the murders. Officer-in-Charge of Niamatpur Police Station, Mahbubur Rahman (PPM), confirmed that the four bodies had been recovered and said that an investigation was underway to determine the motive behind the attack.

Police stated that further details would be disclosed after the investigation is completed.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations begin across Bangladesh on Tuesday at 10 a.m., with more than 1.85 million students participating under 11 education boards. To ensure smooth and disciplined conduct, the boards have issued 14 mandatory directives for students, invigilators, and center officials. These include specific entry times, adherence to exam schedules, and strict compliance with procedural rules.

According to the directives, students must enter centers by 9:30 a.m. and follow all instructions regarding question paper timing, answer sheet completion, and subject registration. The use of board-approved calculators is allowed, but mobile phones are banned for everyone except the center secretary. Practical exams will be held at respective centers, and results re-evaluation applications must be submitted online within seven days of publication.

The education boards emphasized that institutional heads are responsible for distributing admit cards at least seven days before the exam and ensuring compliance with all procedural requirements.