Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury stated that there will be no irregularities or looting in the stock market under the BNP government. He also confirmed that political figures will not be appointed to financial institutions. The minister made these remarks on Thursday morning before the passage of the Securities and Exchange Commission (Amendment) Act in the National Parliament.

Addressing opposition concerns about the bill, the finance minister said that since a special committee had already examined the legislation, there was no need for further scrutiny. Following his statement, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Amendment) Act was passed in Parliament as recommended by the special committee.

The new law aims to strengthen oversight of Bangladesh’s capital market, protect investors’ interests, and promote the development of the securities market, according to the official proceedings described in the source.

A Chattogram court has sentenced seven people to life imprisonment for the murder of expatriate Md. Rafique in the Amirbag area of the city. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Judge Muhammad Ali Akkas of the Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, nearly twenty years after the case began. Along with life imprisonment, each convict was fined 25,000 taka, with an additional one-year jail term in case of non-payment. Eight other accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

According to the prosecution, Rafique, who had returned from the United Arab Emirates in July 2007, went missing on August 14 of the same year after leaving his in-laws’ house in the Kadamtali area. Later that night, his body was found at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, and it was revealed that he had been killed and left in Amirbag. His brother Zakir Hossain Lulu filed a murder case with Kotwali Police Station.

Four convicts were present in court during the verdict, while three others were absent. Arrest warrants have been issued for the absconding convicts.

The High Court has granted bail to Sheikh Tasnim Afroze Imi, former vice president of Shamsunnahar Hall Students’ Union at Dhaka University, in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The order was issued on Thursday by a bench comprising Justice K M Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher. Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju represented Imi during the hearing.

According to the case details, on the night of March 7 this year, around 9:30 p.m., Imi and several others announced a program to play a historic speech in front of Shahbagh Police Station. While they were broadcasting the speech from a rickshaw, a group of Dhaka University students, including Daksu leader A B Zubair, Mosaddeq Ali Ibn Mohammad, and National Student Power convener Tahmid Al Modassir, obstructed them. Subsequently, Zubair and Mosaddeq allegedly forced Imi and another person into the Shahbagh Police Station, where police detained them.

The following day, police showed the three detainees arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and sent them to jail. The case was filed by police as the complainant.

Seven people were killed in lightning strikes across six districts of Bangladesh on Wednesday, according to local authorities. The fatalities occurred in Jamalpur, Rajbari, Rangpur, Gazipur, Mymensingh, and Shariatpur. Two young men died in separate incidents in Jamalpur’s Islampur upazila, while one person each was killed in the other five districts. In addition, ten schoolgirls were injured when lightning struck near a school in Barguna’s Bamna upazila.

In Jamalpur, the victims were identified as Sagar, 18, and Shamim, 25, who died while working and fishing respectively. Rajbari’s victim, Suman Mondal, 35, was struck while walking with his daughter, who survived with minor injuries. In Rangpur, a housewife named Sahera Begum, 40, was killed near her home. Mymensingh’s victim, Saddam Hossain, 28, died while fishing, and in Shariatpur, fisherman Rajib Sheikh, 35, was killed. Gazipur’s victim was identified as Jakir Hossain Khan, 32.

Officials confirmed each incident and reported that the Shariatpur district administration provided Tk 25,000 in government assistance to one victim’s family.

A 22-year-old man named Mahbub from Noapara village in Cumilla’s Debidwar upazila was found dead by hanging in a rented house in Angaura village under Gouripur Union of Daudkandi upazila on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Police from Gouripur outpost recovered the body in the afternoon following reports from locals. Mahbub had been living there with his wife, Sanjida Akter, for about nine months and worked as an autorickshaw driver.

According to family and local sources, Mahbub had been struggling with financial hardship and was reportedly addicted to playing the mobile game Free Fire. His wife stated that frequent arguments occurred over his gaming habits. On the day of the incident, a quarrel escalated, and she left for work. Upon returning home later, she found the door locked and discovered her husband’s body inside.

Police said the body was being sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for autopsy and that legal procedures were underway to investigate the incident.

Sumi Khatun, the eldest daughter of a struggling family, began producing vermicompost fertilizer in Mymensingh during the COVID-19 pandemic after losing her low-paying NGO job. Guided by agricultural officer Alamgir Hossain, she started with only ten rings and three kilograms of earthworms, using vegetable waste and cow dung to create organic fertilizer. Despite initial setbacks and six months without sales, she persevered and produced 15 maunds of fertilizer, later gaining market access with help from the Upazila Agriculture Officer Shakura Nambir.

Over time, Sumi expanded her farm to twelve chambers and added a nutrition garden and pineapple plantation, cultivating fruits like papaya and malta alongside companion crops such as chili, mustard, and banana. She is also an active member of Transparency International Bangladesh’s YES group and local blood donation organizations. In 2025, she survived a severe road accident that claimed two fellow activists but continued her work after recovery.

Sumi received the Joyeeta Award in 2024 at both upazila and district levels for economic self-reliance and earned regional agricultural productivity awards in 2024 and 2025. She now studies for a master’s degree at Anand Mohan College and plans to expand production and create jobs for local youth.

Chittagong University has become tense following a series of rival processions and protests between Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. The conflict intensified after incidents at Chittagong City College, where Shibir activists were attacked, leading both groups to stage counter-demonstrations on campus. Shibir also protested a reported attack by Chhatra Dal on Dhaka University Central Students’ Union leaders and journalists. Both organizations have exchanged accusations, labeling each other as terrorist groups during their rallies.

The rivalry follows major political shifts after the July uprising and the formation of a BNP-led government. Shibir had previously dominated the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union elections, while Chhatra Dal gained renewed strength after the national polls. Ordinary students have expressed concern that the ongoing political tension could disrupt academic activities and threaten personal safety.

University political leaders have blamed each other for the unrest, while a political science professor urged central leaders of both groups to engage in dialogue to prevent further deterioration of the campus environment.

A commentary published on April 30, 2026, argues that Bangladesh’s democracy has evolved into an undeclared monarchy dominated by dynastic political leadership. The author claims that since the political shift of the 1990s, two main parties have maintained power through family-based succession, creating a system where authority is centralized and reinforced by vast party networks. These networks allegedly sustain control through influence, intimidation, and suppression of opposition.

The article further describes how this dynastic system extends beyond politics into civil, military, and media institutions, forming what the author calls a “deep state.” This structure, the piece contends, enables corruption, resource exploitation, and economic decline while depriving citizens of justice and genuine democracy. The author calls for dismantling the old establishment and fostering a strong anti-establishment movement led by youth and patriotic citizens.

Citing recent dissatisfaction with the BNP government’s early actions, including ordinance cancellations and alleged misuse of cyber laws, the commentary suggests that public disillusionment may soon trigger a “second revolution” or “October uprising.”

Eight women leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami have been nominated as members of parliament for reserved women’s seats in Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament. The nominations were finalized following recommendations from the party’s women’s wing, emphasizing political experience and organizational dedication. Among the eight nominees, six previously held central leadership positions in the Bangladesh Islami Chhatri Sangstha, the party’s student wing for women. They are currently active in various professional and social roles and are preparing to work on national and women’s issues in parliament.

According to the report, Jamaat, as part of an 11-party alliance, received 13 reserved seats proportionally, of which eight were allocated to Jamaat nominees. The remaining seats went to allied parties, including the National Citizen Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party. The Election Commission has validated 12 of the alliance’s nominations, with official gazette publication expected soon, after which the MPs will take oath.

The nominated MPs include senior Jamaat women leaders such as Nurunnisa Siddika, Marzia Begum, Advocate Sabikun Nahar Munni, Nazmun Nahar Nilu, Mahfuza Hannan, Sajeda Samad, Shamsunnahar Begum, and Engineer Mardia Momtaz.

The upcoming 2026–27 Supreme Court Bar Association election in Bangladesh has taken a decisive turn as the BNP-backed Nationalist Lawyers Forum announced its blue panel, nominating Barrister A.M. Mahbub Uddin Khokon for president, Mohammad Ali for secretary, and Advocate Ziaur Rahman for treasurer. The election, one of the judiciary’s most influential contests, will proceed without participation from Awami League-aligned lawyers after the party’s activities were banned under anti-terrorism laws. A special general meeting on April 26 confirmed that Awami League supporters are ineligible to contest.

Opposition-aligned groups, including Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens Party (NCP), failed to form a unified panel despite earlier efforts. Jamaat’s Lawyers Council and the NCP-backed National Lawyers Alliance each announced separate slates of candidates. Meanwhile, Awami League-affiliated lawyers protested their exclusion, staging demonstrations and denouncing the decision as unconstitutional and undemocratic.

The election reflects deepening political polarization within the legal community, with the BNP consolidating its position while the opposition remains fragmented and Awami League lawyers sidelined by legal restrictions.

After years of relative calm, Dhaka’s underworld has again become active, with renewed incidents of extortion, territorial disputes and killings. Police sources report that the resurgence began after a series of violent events since 2023, including the recent killing of listed top criminal Khondkar Naim Ahmed Titon in New Market. The use of illegal firearms has raised serious concern among law enforcement agencies.

According to police, many of these criminals had been in hiding or imprisoned but reemerged following a 2023 shooting targeting gangster Tarek Saeed Mamun that injured a lawyer. Subsequent murders, including that of businessman Sadhan in 2024, have been linked to overseas crime bosses. Groups such as those led by Robin, Dalim, and Subrata Bain are reportedly operating from abroad, while older networks like the Seven Star and Five Star groups have resurfaced.

Police say they are working to curb the flow of illegal weapons and bring fugitive criminals under the law. However, the failure to recover weapons lost during the July 2024 unrest continues to worry authorities, who fear these arms may have reached criminal hands.

Sudden heavy rainfall and flash floods from India have submerged vast areas of Boro rice fields across northeastern Bangladesh, leaving farmers in despair. The worst-hit districts include Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Mymensingh, Netrokona, and Moulvibazar, where ripe and half-ripe paddy fields are underwater. Farmers are struggling to harvest submerged crops, facing labor shortages and machinery inoperability due to flooding. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has intensified field monitoring and provided mechanical support, including dryer machines, to minimize losses.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed concern in parliament and announced three months of government assistance for affected farmers, directing local administrations to expedite relief and rehabilitation. Meteorological officials warned that rainfall may continue until May 4, increasing the risk of crop rot and further damage. Agricultural economists fear a significant production shortfall this year, potentially up to 10 percent, as Boro rice accounts for over half of the nation’s rice output.

Experts urged coordinated action among government agencies to mitigate the crisis, emphasizing urgent harvesting and price support to prevent long-term agricultural setbacks.

Heavy and continuous rainfall combined with upstream hill torrents has severely disrupted life in Habiganj’s haor region. Over the past few days, vast areas have gone underwater, destroying the district’s only boro crop. On Wednesday, April 29, water from the Khoai River entered the haor after an embankment broke at Dattagaon in Sujatpur under Baniachong upazila, flooding hundreds of acres of farmland within moments.

According to the district agriculture officer, around 5,000 hectares of paddy fields are now submerged, with about 30 percent of the crop still unharvested. If the weather does not improve within 24 hours, the remaining paddy may also be lost. The Water Development Board reported 110 millimeters of rainfall in the last 24 hours and said vulnerable embankments are being monitored.

Farmers in Baniachong, Ajmiriganj, and Lakhai upazilas are harvesting paddy in waist- to chest-deep water using small boats. Many are suffering from skin diseases due to prolonged exposure to water, and they complain that the agricultural warning came too late to prepare.

The government has decided not to include 1,719 private educational institutions in the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme, despite their inclusion in a previously finalized list by the interim administration. Under the new decision, the earlier list will undergo a full re-evaluation, and fresh applications will be accepted. Both old and new applications will then be assessed together to prepare a final list.

According to officials from the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, the earlier verification process covered 3,615 applications in just eight working days, averaging 452 institutions per day, which was deemed impractical. The ministry sources said the decision followed controversy and allegations of major financial transactions surrounding the earlier list. The Education Ministry had earlier sought 670 crore taka from the Finance Ministry on February 5 to fund the MPO inclusion.

Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan stated that the previous list has not been canceled but will be re-evaluated alongside new applications, with final action depending on budget approval.

The newly built Bangladesh Navy Medical College in Chattogram’s Bandar Tila area, adjacent to BNS Issa Khan, was officially inaugurated on Wednesday by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Nazmul Hassan. The institution, established under the supervision of the Bangladesh Navy, aims to provide modern medical education supported by advanced infrastructure and training facilities.

According to the source, the college has already completed its admission process following the guidelines of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) and the Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP). With the inauguration, a five-year medical education program has begun for 50 civilian students in the current academic year. The Navy Chief stated that the college will enhance the armed forces’ medical capacity and contribute to improved healthcare for the general population.

The college features modern laboratories, a well-equipped library, advanced classrooms, and experienced faculty. Academic activities are set to be conducted by qualified teachers and trained staff, integrating naval discipline and professionalism to strengthen the national healthcare sector.