Bangladesh today observes April 29 as a day of mourning, remembering the catastrophic cyclone that struck the country on this day in 1991. The storm, known as Cyclone Gorky, hit the Chattogram coast with winds reaching 155 miles per hour, destroying vast coastal regions and killing more than 200,000 people. Millions were left homeless, and property losses were estimated at two billion dollars. The cyclone affected 19 districts and 102 upazilas, with the worst damage reported in Sandwip, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Kutubdia, Bhola, and Teknaf.

The storm originated as a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal on April 22, 1991, intensified over the following days, and made landfall on April 29. Many residents failed to reach shelters despite warnings, leading to the high death toll. The tidal surge swept away crops, livestock, and naval and air force infrastructure in coastal and port areas.

Even after 35 years, large parts of Bangladesh’s coastal belt remain vulnerable, with fragile embankments in Kutubdia, Maheshkhali, Pekua, Eidgaon, Cox’s Bazar Sadar, and Teknaf posing ongoing risks to residents.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) of Bangladesh has selected 72,341 income tax returns for audit for the 2023–24 tax year using an automated system based on risk-based criteria. The announcement was published on the NBR website on Tuesday. This marks the first time income tax audits are being chosen through the same automated process previously used for VAT audits, where 600 returns were reviewed earlier in April. NBR stated that the automated selection ensures transparency and fulfills a long-standing demand from civil society.

For years, taxpayers and company officials had accused NBR officers of selecting the same individuals or firms for audits repeatedly, allegedly for harassment or financial gain. In response, NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan had suspended manual audit selections until an automated system was introduced. The new system allocates between 20 and 200 audits per tax circle, depending on the prevalence of tax evasion. A tax lawyer noted that while automation improves transparency, it may still miss cases where individuals underreport income despite large assets.

The automated audit selection is expected to enhance fairness and strengthen revenue collection by reducing human interference in the process.

Four union parishad chairmen in Chuadanga’s Alamdanga upazila, previously suspended from their duties, have been reinstated following a High Court directive. The district administration canceled earlier decisions to appoint administrators to the four unions and issued a new order restoring the chairmen to their posts. The order, signed by Deputy Commissioner Lutfun Nahar, was issued in compliance with the court’s instruction.

The reinstated chairmen are Hasanuzzaman Saroar of Chitla Union, Mojahidur Rahman Jowardar of Khadimpur Union, Tarikul Islam of Daukhi Union, and Tafsir Ahmed Mallik Lal of Khaskarra Union. The High Court had earlier suspended the administrative appointment order for six months on March 12, 2026, allowing the chairmen to continue their duties. The administrators had been appointed on November 27, 2024, due to the chairmen’s absence.

Following the reinstatement, the chairmen expressed their commitment to serve the public in accordance with the court’s directive. The Alamdanga Upazila Nirbahi Officer stated that the reinstatement was carried out based on the court’s order and the divisional commissioner’s investigation report.

Students at Dhaka University have voiced frustration over restrictive rules at the Central Library, which holds more than seven hundred thousand books but does not allow direct access to shelves. Learners must request titles on slips, and librarians retrieve them, preventing students from browsing or selecting books themselves. Many have turned to departmental libraries or outside reading spaces for a more open experience.

Library officials defend the system, citing security and order concerns, saying unrestricted access could lead to disorganization and book loss. Acting librarian Professor Kazi Mostak Gausul Haque described the closed-access model as a long-standing tradition, noting staff shortages as another reason. However, he mentioned plans to introduce partial open access and digital modernization to make the library more student-friendly.

Experts and university officials, including Professor Shariful Islam and ICT Cell Director Dr. Mosaddeq Kamal Tushar, criticized the current system as outdated and misaligned with modern technology. The newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Professor A.B.M. Obaidul Islam, said discussions are underway for reforms and a new modern library project.

Implementation of Bangladesh’s Guchchhogram Phase III project, aimed at rehabilitating 20,000 landless and river erosion-affected families on government land, has become uncertain. Despite several meetings, the Planning Commission’s Project Evaluation Committee has not responded, delaying construction and leaving thousands of families in limbo. The project, titled “Climate Victims Rehabilitation Project,” was initially planned for July 2025 to June 2030 with a budget of Tk 776.62 crore, later reduced to Tk 760 crore after cost reviews.

According to the Land Ministry, feasibility studies were completed in April 2024, and the project’s manpower structure was approved in early 2025. However, the revised Development Project Proposal (DPP) faced repeated scrutiny for excessive and unclear expenses, including vehicle costs, allowances, and promotional spending. The Planning Commission has urged further cost rationalization and transparency in expenditure breakdowns.

Officials said the project remains under review but may be presented to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council soon. If implemented, it would provide housing, utilities, and livelihood support to vulnerable families across 64 districts, contributing to social security and rural resilience.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman have expressed opposing views on the presence of militant activity in the country. Speaking after a Coast Guard anniversary event in Dhaka, the Home Minister said there was no militant activity in Bangladesh, describing such claims as outdated and politically motivated. He argued that extremist threats no longer exist in the country’s current context.

In contrast, Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman told reporters at a separate briefing that militancy still exists in Bangladesh, though the government is working to reduce it to a “zero level.” He said both denying militancy entirely and exaggerating it for political gain were extreme positions. The adviser also confirmed that security had been tightened at airports and key installations following police warnings about possible attacks by a banned extremist group.

At the same briefing, Rahman announced a strict government stance against misinformation and disinformation in the media, urging journalists to maintain factual reporting while encouraging constructive criticism of the government.

A female student of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet was allegedly harassed over the phone after her mobile number was circulated on social media. The accused, a 25-year-old photocopy shop employee named Ashraful Islam from Zakiganj, was handed over to police on Tuesday night following interrogation at the university’s proctor office. The incident began on April 26 when the student visited a shop in Madina Market’s Haque Mansion to print her presentation paper, leading to a dispute over payment.

After the disagreement, the employee reportedly demanded more money, threatened the student, and later shared her phone number in various online groups. As a result, she received numerous harassing calls and messages from unknown individuals. The student filed a general diary at Jalalabad Police Station, prompting police to detain the suspect and bring him to the university for questioning.

According to the assistant proctor, the accused admitted his wrongdoing during preliminary questioning. Police confirmed that further legal action would follow once the university administration files a formal case.

A dramatic rescue unfolded at Bhairab Railway Station in Kishoreganj on Tuesday afternoon when a father risked his life to save his two-year-old son. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. as a couple from Katiadi, Kishoreganj, attempted to board the Dhaka-bound Titas Commuter train. The mother and child slipped from the platform, and as the train began to move, the child fell between the train and the platform. The father immediately jumped down, held his son tightly, and lay flat as eight train coaches passed by. Both miraculously survived without serious injury.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as miraculous, with many passengers shouting in shock and disbelief. A video of the incident quickly spread on social media, showing the father lying motionless while the train passed overhead. After the train cleared, he stood up holding his son, and the mother rushed to embrace them.

Bhairab Railway Police Officer-in-Charge Saeed Ahmed confirmed the rescue and warned that boarding or disembarking from moving trains is extremely dangerous and punishable by law. He urged passengers to remain cautious and use overbridges for crossing railway tracks.

Reports in Bangladeshi media have recently discussed the alleged emergence of a group using the name TTP in Bangladesh, following the leak of a confidential police document. The disclosure has raised questions about whether the group has any real organizational presence in the country or if some individuals have merely been influenced online by Pakistan-based militants. The report also mentions earlier incidents involving Bangladeshi nationals linked to TTP activities abroad, though their authenticity remains unverified.

The article provides background on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, founded in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, and its history of violent operations in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It notes the group’s resurgence after the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021 and the shifting regional alliances involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. The author calls for a thorough investigation into how the sensitive police document was leaked and whether any foreign entities are attempting to damage Bangladesh’s image.

The commentary concludes that any claims of TTP activity in Bangladesh should be handled with professional scrutiny and transparency, warning against exaggerated official narratives that could undermine national security.

A garment worker was killed and three others were injured when a speeding private car lost control and hit them in Gazipur on Tuesday night. The accident occurred around 9:30 p.m. in front of a garment factory at Bhabanipur area on the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway. The deceased, identified as Abdul Kuddus, worked as an assistant cutting man at the N A Jet garment factory in Rajendrapur. His full identity was not immediately known.

According to witnesses and police, Kuddus was waiting beside the road when the car, heading toward Maona intersection, veered off course and struck him, killing him on the spot. The car then hit a passenger autorickshaw, leaving the driver and three passengers injured. Locals rescued the injured and sent them to a hospital.

Salna Highway Police Station’s officer-in-charge Shahabur Rahman said police recovered the body and that locals detained the private car and handed it over to police, though the driver fled. Legal proceedings are underway.

A delegation from the European Union’s election observation mission met with Nahid Islam, the opposition chief whip and convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP), at the Parliament complex on Tuesday afternoon. During the meeting, the EU team inquired about the progress of implementing the July Charter, and Nahid Islam expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s slow pace and performance. He alleged that the government has failed to uphold its reform promises made to the nation. The EU delegation also handed over its full observation report on the 13th National Parliamentary Election to Nahid Islam.

Nahid Islam told the EU representatives that the NCP would continue its struggle both inside and outside Parliament to achieve the institutional and structural reforms envisioned after the July uprising. The meeting was led by Ivars Ijabs, head of the EU mission, and attended by deputy chief Baiba Zarina, senior observer Inta Leis, legal analyst Irini Maria Guonari, and Ryan Islam. NCP leaders Abdullah Al Amin and Alauddin Mohammad were also present.

The discussion highlighted ongoing concerns about the pace of reform implementation and the government’s accountability to its earlier commitments.

A mobile court in Jianagar upazila of Pirojpur district arrested two fake doctors during a special operation on Tuesday night at Charakhali intersection in Indurkani union. The operation, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer and Executive Magistrate Hasan Md. Hafizur Rahman, resulted in the arrest of M. A. Akbar and his associate Ratan Kumar Shil. Akbar was fined 50,000 taka and sentenced to 30 days in jail, while Shil received a 90-day jail term.

According to local sources, the two men had been deceiving people for a long time by posing as doctors and providing false treatments from a rented room in a four-story building between Jianagar Government College and Charakhali intersection. They allegedly extorted large sums of money from patients through fake tests and incorrect medications. The court found evidence of unauthorized homeopathic medicine use, forgery, and health risks to patients.

Officials said the duo used the name “Dhaka Homeo Clinic” and a device called Quantum Resonance Magnetic Analyzer to produce fake reports. Ratan Kumar Shil also collected money from villagers by promising benefits through a so-called “green card” scheme.

Minhadul Hasan Rafi, president of the banned Cumilla South District Chhatra League, was released on bail on Tuesday morning from Cumilla Central Jail. Jail superintendent Arpan Chowdhury confirmed that Rafi had been granted bail by the High Court. He had been arrested by Cumilla district detective police in August of the previous year from Feni in connection with a murder case.

Rafi was accused in the killing of Masum Mia during an anti-discrimination student and public movement on August 4, 2024, at Nandanpur on the Kotbari Bishwa Road in Cumilla. Cumilla South District Chhatra Dal president Jubayer Alam Jilani commented that the judiciary is independent and that if Rafi engages in any violent activities after his release, law enforcement will take action.

The report did not specify the conditions of Rafi’s bail or the next steps in the legal process.

Students at Dhaka University detained an accused activist of the banned organization Bangladesh Chhatra League and handed him over to police on Tuesday evening. The incident took place in the TSC area, where leaders and activists of Jatiya Chhatra Shakti apprehended Mohammad Sakib, a student of the 2021–22 session in the Department of Philosophy at Bijoy Ekattor Hall. According to Chhatra Shakti leaders, Sakib was an active Chhatra League member and took part in an attack on protesters in July, for which two cases were filed against him.

Sakib had previously been temporarily expelled from the university for alleged involvement in the July 15, 2024, attack on students. Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Moniruzzaman stated that authorities were verifying the matter and would take legal action based on the findings. Dhaka University Proctor Professor Saifuddin Ahmed confirmed that Sakib is a student of the university and that two cases were filed against him in connection with the anti-discrimination movement.

Police said further action would depend on the verification of existing cases and legal procedures.

Khandaker Naeem Ahmed Titon, a top-listed criminal, was shot dead on Tuesday night in the Bot-tola area near Shah Newaz Chhatra Bash under New Market police station in Dhaka. According to police, an assailant fired five to six bullets at close range before fleeing on a motorcycle. Passersby took Titon to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 8:27 p.m. Police confirmed his death and began a special operation across Dhaka and nearby districts to arrest the killers.

Police said Titon was one of 23 top criminals listed by law enforcement and had been active in extortion in New Market and Hazaribagh since his release from prison in August 2024. He was the brother-in-law of another top criminal, Sanjidul Islam Iman, who reportedly controls underworld activities from abroad. Titon had multiple cases against him, including murder and extortion, and a court had issued an arrest warrant for his failure to appear after bail.

Investigators are analyzing CCTV footage from the area. Police suspect the killing may be linked to rivalry among underworld groups but said the motive and those involved will be confirmed after investigation.