Bangladesh’s Leader of the Opposition and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman is set to travel to Japan for a one-week visit. He will depart from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Saturday, May 2, at 3 a.m. for the trip. According to a press release issued by Jamaat’s central publicity department on Friday night, his return to Dhaka is scheduled for May 9.

Dr. Rahman will be accompanied by two senior party figures: Saiful Alam Khan Milon MP, a member of Jamaat’s central executive council, and Barrister Mir Ahmad Bin Kasem Arman MP, the party chief’s foreign affairs adviser. The announcement did not specify the purpose or agenda of the visit.

The trip marks an official overseas engagement by the opposition leader, though further details about meetings or events in Japan were not provided in the statement.

Student Jamiat Bangladesh has announced a nationwide program to be held on May 5 in remembrance of those killed during the 2013 Shapla Chattar rally organized by Hefazat-e-Islam. The event will include discussion meetings and prayer gatherings across all branches of the organization.

According to a statement released to the media, Jubaer Hossain, central office secretary of Student Jamiat Bangladesh, said the program aims to honor the memory of the Shapla Chattar victims and pray for their souls. He urged all branches of the organization to observe the day with due respect and dignity.

The statement also mentioned that all units have been instructed to take necessary preparations to ensure the success of the planned activities.

A colorful event marking Buddha Purnima, one of the major religious festivals of the Buddhist community, was held in Merul Badda, Dhaka, organized by the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation. Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir attended as chief guest and delivered a message of unity, harmony, and peace. The program began with a reception honoring Independence Award-winning educationist Professor Dr. Sukomal Barua, whose contributions were remembered with respect and gratitude.

In his address, the minister emphasized that all religions promote human welfare, peace, and compassion. He urged people to avoid violence, hatred, and conflict, and to uphold human values. He also called for national unity beyond divisions to build a prosperous and self-reliant Bangladesh. State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Dipen Dewan, speaking as special guest, highlighted the importance of collective efforts by people of all faiths for the country’s progress.

Speakers expressed hope that such events would help spread messages of peace, harmony, and human welfare throughout society.

After a year-long suspension, border trade between Bangladesh and Myanmar has resumed through the Teknaf land port in Cox’s Bazar. On Friday morning, a boat carrying timber from Myanmar’s Maungdaw area, controlled by the Arakan Army, docked at the Teknaf jetty. The port’s operating company, United Land Port Limited, confirmed the arrival of the cargo vessel.

Omar Faruk, owner of Messrs FRB International Limited, said that one cargo boat has anchored at the port and that five to six more boats carrying goods such as ginger, dried fish, and betel nuts are on their way. The trade had been halted in April 2025 after tensions arose over extortion demands, prompting Myanmar’s junta government to suspend cross-border commerce, causing financial losses for many traders.

Local Member of Parliament Shahjahan Chowdhury stated that the Teknaf land port has reopened and that a livestock corridor at Shahparir Dwip will also be launched soon.

Hannan Masud, Member of Parliament for Noakhali-6 and Senior Joint Chief Coordinator of the National Citizen Party (NCP), said the country's economy survives on remittances sent by expatriate workers. Speaking at a rally organized by Jatiya Sramik Shakti in Shahbagh, Dhaka, on International Workers’ Day, he accused corrupt individuals of looting the hard-earned money of migrant workers while making grand speeches in parliament. He criticized the appointment of a garments businessman as Bangladesh Bank governor, claiming the sector is a major source of money laundering.

NCP Joint Convener Ali Ahsan Junaid said workers played a vital role in past mass movements but have not received state recognition or effective dialogue since. He noted that factory closures, job shortages, and declining living standards have worsened, urging fair wages, safety, and representation for workers.

NCP Member Secretary and Rangpur-4 MP Akhtar Hossain warned that allowing those who looted billions from banks to regain ownership would endanger the economy and harm workers and the general public.

At a discussion meeting in Singra, Natore, marking International Workers’ Day, BNP leader and Member of Parliament Principal Anwarul Islam Anu stated that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had fulfilled all his promises within two months and eighteen days of forming the government. The event took place at the Singra Central Bus Terminal on Friday afternoon, following a rally organized by the Combined Workers Unity Council.

In his speech, Anu highlighted the implementation of several commitments, including the introduction of farmer and family cards, canal excavation, stipends for imams and muezzins, and tree planting to maintain environmental balance. He praised the prime minister’s address in parliament and his pledge to govern inclusively. Anu also warned that anyone misusing the party’s name for wrongdoing would face organizational and administrative action.

The MP added that issues at Singra Upazila Hospital had been raised with relevant authorities and that initiatives would be taken to improve agriculture and fisheries in the Chalan Beel region. The meeting was chaired by Sakhawat Hossain Sakha, with participation from local BNP leaders and workers.

National Citizen Party (NCP) member secretary and Rangpur-4 MP Akhtar Hossain warned that allowing individuals accused of embezzling billions from banks to regain ownership would endanger the economy and severely affect workers. Speaking at a May Day rally organized by Jatiya Sramik Shakti in Dhaka’s Shahbagh on Friday, he said the economy was already on the brink and that such decisions would collapse financial flows, reduce employment, and lower wages.

Hossain added that most workers still live below the minimum wage, with their children deprived of education and opportunities, trapping families in generational labor. He argued that returning ownership to those who once looted banks would further weaken the national economy.

At the same event, NCP senior joint coordinator and Noakhali-6 MP Hannan Masud said the economy survives on remittances from expatriates, while corrupt elites misuse those funds. He criticized the appointment of a garments businessman as Bangladesh Bank governor, claiming the sector is linked to major money laundering. NCP joint convener Ali Ahsan Junaed called for fair wages, safety, and representation for workers.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s central Naib-e-Ameer and Member of Parliament Professor Mujibur Rahman stated that sustainable development in the country cannot be achieved without ensuring fair rights and dignity for workers. He made the remarks on Friday morning at a rally organized by the Bangladesh Workers Welfare Federation’s Godagari municipal and upazila branches in Rajshahi. The rally paraded through key streets before turning into a discussion meeting at the upazila hall room.

During his speech, Mujibur Rahman emphasized that workers are one of the main driving forces of the national economy. He called for guaranteeing fair wages, workplace safety, and social respect for workers, saying that a just society cannot be built without establishing their rights. He urged all to work together for workers’ rights, reopening closed factories, ensuring fair pay, and creating safe working environments. He also called for building worker-employer relations based on Islamic values, free from exploitation and inequality.

The event was attended by local leaders including Professor Abdul Khalek, Professor Kamruzzaman, and Nomayan Ali Master. It concluded with prayers for the welfare of the nation.

At Rajshahi University’s Bijoy-24 Hall, student leaders of the hall council organized a unique initiative on Friday afternoon by picking lychees from the hall’s trees and distributing them directly to students’ rooms. The hall’s provost, Professor Md. Jamirul Islam, was present during the activity.

According to the organizers, around five thousand lychees were collected from the hall premises and distributed equally among 135 rooms, including the PhD block, as well as among hall staff members. Each room received about 25 to 30 fresh lychees. Hall council vice president Russell Mia said the initiative continued a tradition started the previous year, aiming to share the seasonal fruit with all residents and create a festive atmosphere reminiscent of childhood memories.

Provost Professor Jamirul Islam noted that one of the hall’s lychee trees had produced an abundant harvest this year, and the distribution allowed everyone to enjoy it together. The event fostered joy and community spirit among students and staff.

Continuous heavy rainfall and flash floods have submerged large areas of ripe Boro paddy in the haor regions of Nabiganj upazila in Habiganj district. Farmers in villages such as Fatehpur have seen their nearly harvested crops go underwater as embankments broke under the pressure of rising water. Many farmers, including Haralal Baishnab and Jamal Mia, expressed despair as they could not harvest their crops due to a shortage of laborers and boats.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension in Nabiganj, around 400 hectares of ripe Boro paddy have been submerged, with 27,355 hectares cultivated in haor areas this season. About 67 percent of the haor paddy had been harvested before the floods. Private sources reported that 40 percent of the total crop had been cut, but 15 percent of that is at risk of rotting due to lack of sunlight. The affected unions include Bara Bhakoir (West and East), Dighalbak, Kargaon, Bausa, and Paniunda.

Farmers who cultivated paddy with loans fear they will be unable to repay their debts, as the sudden floods have destroyed their expected yields.

Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman stated that Bangladesh will prosper when its working people are well-off. He announced that the government will ensure employment opportunities for laborers. Rahman made these remarks on Friday afternoon while addressing a rally organized by the Labor Party to mark International Workers’ Day.

During his speech, Rahman said that many factories had been shut down during the previous authoritarian government, and his administration has taken initiatives to reopen them. He emphasized that his government is working for the welfare of workers and also supporting farmers by introducing farmer cards and standing beside them.

The event highlighted the government’s focus on labor welfare and agricultural support as part of its broader development agenda.

Detectives in Dhaka have found evidence linking Joseph, brother of former army chief Aziz Ahmed, to the killing of top gangster Naeem Ahmed Titon. Police believe Joseph orchestrated the murder out of longstanding enmity. The attack took place on Tuesday night near Shahnewaz Hostel in the New Market area, where Titon was shot dead. His brother later filed a murder case against eight to nine unidentified suspects.

According to investigators, Joseph, currently in Sweden, allegedly financed the killing mission from abroad. Titon, once a leading member of the Five Star group in the 1990s, had rivalries with the Seven Star group, which Joseph was associated with. Police suspect the murder was an act of revenge following Titon’s release from prison. Another gangster, Pichchi Helal, denied involvement in an audio message, claiming Titon’s brother-in-law Iman was responsible.

Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police said the killers have not yet been identified or arrested. CCTV footage from the area has been collected, and efforts are ongoing to track down those involved.

Supreme Court senior lawyer and Jamaat-e-Islami central working committee member Mohammad Shishir Monir has criticized the construction of unplanned embankments in the haor areas of Sunamganj. Speaking live on Facebook from Chhaya Haor in Shalla on Friday morning, he said hundreds of crores of taka are spent every year on embankments that lack proper water drainage systems. He emphasized that canals and wetlands are not being excavated and called for immediate dredging of haor canals, rivers, and wetlands to ensure water flow.

Monir stated that heavy rainfall has submerged boro paddy fields in Sunamganj, causing the crops to rot and resulting in widespread distress among farmers. He described the situation as a humanitarian disaster, with people struggling to find food for themselves and their cattle. He urged the government to declare Sunamganj an environmentally affected area and to stand beside the farmers.

He also mentioned that the government has announced three months of financial assistance but questioned how many people would actually receive the support.

The Fire Service and Civil Defence of Bangladesh has launched an e-Fire License system aimed at simplifying public service access. The initiative was inaugurated on Thursday at the EOC building in Mirpur-10 by Director General Brigadier General Muhammad Zahed Kamal. From May 1, all activities related to new fire license issuance, renewal, and reassessment will be conducted online, ending the manual process. Applicants can now complete all steps—from application to license receipt—digitally from home.

During the inauguration, officials emphasized that the manual method of issuing fire licenses has officially ended. The event was attended by senior officials including the Director (Operations and Maintenance) Lieutenant Colonel Md. Mahmudul Hasan, who led the e-Fire License implementation team. Participants joining online, including directors and deputy directors from various divisions, praised the initiative.

Representatives from Perky Rabbit Corporation Limited, the implementing partner, were also present. The Fire Service requested cooperation from all concerned to ensure smooth implementation of the new online system.

A breach in the embankment of the 20th PIC under the Kailani sub-project in Madhyanagar upazila of Sunamganj has been brought under control through joint efforts. The embankment began to overflow on Thursday night, leading to gradual erosion. In response, local administration, Water Development Board officials, political leaders, and farmers rushed to the site early Friday morning and began repair work using geo-bags, bamboo, and other materials. As of Friday afternoon, repair operations were still ongoing.

PIC president Md. Lal Mia said continuous rainfall caused soil erosion, lowering the embankment, and he stayed on-site overnight to oversee protection efforts. Upazila BNP joint convener Abul Bashar stated that the embankment was now somewhat stabilized due to collective action. According to agricultural sub-assistant officer Kabir Hossain, around 300 hectares of land in Shaldigha Haor were affected, with 30 hectares submerged before harvest and 160 hectares of paddy already reaped.

Acting Upazila Executive Officer Sanjay Ghosh said authorities responded immediately after receiving reports of water intrusion and expressed hope that the embankment would soon be fully stabilized.