A violent clash broke out in Rajshahi on Thursday afternoon over control of the district motor workers’ union office, leading to explosions, vandalism, and panic in the Shirail bus terminal area. The confrontation, which lasted about an hour, involved supporters of Rafiqul Islam Pakhi, the acting general secretary of the union and convener of the city workers’ party. Witnesses reported that Pakhi’s followers detonated several crude bombs to disperse rivals and seize control of the office.

The conflict followed growing internal disputes after Pakhi assumed his position following the fall of the Awami League government. Tensions escalated when some workers were allegedly assaulted by his supporters, prompting protests and demands for new elections. On Thursday, opposing groups armed with rods and pipes gathered in different parts of the city before the clash erupted.

Local residents alleged that police were present but failed to intervene effectively. Authorities later deployed additional forces to stabilize the area, which remained tense amid fears of renewed violence.

Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqul Rahman proposed that load-shedding in Dhaka should begin from the Parliament area. He made the suggestion on Thursday while participating in an unscheduled discussion in Parliament. Earlier, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit said that a decision had been taken to implement 110 megawatts of load-shedding in the capital on a trial basis to reduce the disparity between urban and rural areas. The decision was made following the Prime Minister’s advice and discussions with the opposition leader.

During the session, when the Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed noted that power cuts could disrupt parliamentary proceedings, Dr. Rahman clarified that he was not referring to the Parliament session itself but to other facilities within the Parliament complex. He emphasized that the Parliament area should experience load-shedding in the same way as other parts of the capital.

The discussion highlighted the government’s plan to distribute power shortages more evenly across regions and the opposition’s call for fairness in implementing the policy.

Bangladesh secured a 55-run victory over New Zealand to win the three-match ODI series 2–1 on April 23, 2026. The hosts dominated most of the match, maintaining pressure through both batting and bowling. Despite a late surge from New Zealand’s pacer Will O’Rourke, who took three wickets, Bangladesh built a solid total with a century from Najmul Hossain Shanto and a half-century from Liton Das.

In reply, New Zealand’s innings collapsed after Nick Kelly’s dismissal, with Dean Foxcroft’s 75 off 72 balls proving insufficient to turn the tide. Mustafizur Rahman, returning to the side, delivered a match-winning performance by taking five wickets for 43 runs, while Nahid Rana and Mehidy Hasan Miraz claimed two wickets each. Bangladesh bowled out New Zealand for 210 in 44.5 overs.

Najmul Hossain Shanto was named Player of the Match for his 105-run innings, and Nahid Rana earned Player of the Series honors with eight wickets across the series.

On Thursday, the second day of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Dakhil, and equivalent examinations across Bangladesh, absenteeism and expulsions increased compared to the first day. According to the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee, 26,865 students were absent out of 1,492,806 registered candidates under 11 education boards, while 19 students were expelled for cheating. On the first day, 25,408 students were absent and only six were expelled.

The committee’s statement, signed by Professor Dr. Khondoker Ehsanul Kabir, chairman of the Dhaka Education Board, detailed that 12,316 absentees were from nine general boards, 12,150 from the Madrasa Board, and 2,399 from the Technical Board. The day’s exams included Bangla Paper II for SSC, Arabic Paper I for Dakhil, and English-2 for vocational students. The written exams began on April 21 and will continue until May 20, followed by practical tests from June 7 to 14.

The data showed varying absentee rates across boards, with the general boards averaging 1.10 percent absenteeism and the Madrasa Board recording 4.79 percent. The Technical Board reported 2,399 absentees out of 120,160 registered candidates.

Electricity generation at the Barapukuria Thermal Power Plant in Dinajpur has come to a complete stop after its last operational unit ceased production at midnight on April 22. The 125-megawatt Unit 1 stopped functioning when stones mixed with coal caused a boiler pipe to burst, according to the plant’s chief engineer Abu Bakkar Siddique. The shutdown has disrupted power supply to the national grid.

Repair work is underway, and it may take four to five days to resume production. The plant’s other two units—one of 125 megawatts and another of 275 megawatts—had already been out of operation due to mechanical faults. The Barapukuria plant, built in 2006 beside the Barapukuria coal mine, was designed to produce 525 megawatts through three units but has never reached full capacity because of recurring technical issues.

The complete halt in production marks another setback for the coal-based facility, which has faced repeated operational interruptions over the years.

State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit announced in parliament that the government has decided to implement a 110-megawatt load shedding in Dhaka on a trial basis. The decision aims to ensure that farmers are not affected by electricity shortages during the irrigation season and to reduce inequality between rural and urban areas. The announcement was made on Thursday under Rule 300 in the National Parliament.

The minister expressed regret for the public suffering caused by ongoing power cuts, noting that current nationwide load shedding stands at around 2,000 megawatts but is expected to decline within seven days. He explained that despite high theoretical generation capacity, actual production remains lower due to gas shortages and maintenance at some power plants. Bangladesh currently faces a daily gas shortfall of about 1,164 million cubic feet.

Amit said the government, guided by the Prime Minister and in consultation with the opposition leader, is prioritizing uninterrupted electricity for agriculture. He added that visible progress in expanding gas infrastructure is expected within 180 days under the government’s priority plan.

A Dhaka court has granted a four-day remand for former DGFI officer Md. Afzal Naser in connection with a murder case filed over the killing of a man during the July Movement in Uttara. The order was issued on Thursday, April 23, 2026, by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sefatullah. The prosecution was represented by state lawyer Shamsuddoha Suman. Earlier, the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Ashraful Alam of Uttara East Police Station, had sought a seven-day remand for interrogation.

According to the remand petition, preliminary investigation indicated Naser’s involvement in the incident. Investigators claimed that under his direction, violent activities were carried out to suppress the anti-discrimination student movement. The petition stated that sufficient evidence had been found and that police custody was necessary for further investigation. Naser was previously arrested on March 30 from his residence in Mirpur DOHS and had been remanded multiple times in other cases before being sent to jail.

The case alleges that on August 5, 2024, victim Mahmudul Hasan was shot dead during a student rally against discrimination in Uttara, leading his family to file the murder case at Uttara East Police Station.

Two teachers, including the exam center secretary, were dismissed in Uzirpur, Barishal, after an SSC examination was conducted using the wrong question paper. The action was taken by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Ali Suza following confirmation of the allegations. The dismissed individuals are center secretary Faruk Hossain and assistant teacher Khagen Mondal.

According to the report, the exam was mistakenly held with the 2026 question paper meant for regular students instead of the 2025 paper designated for irregular candidates. This error raised concerns about potential complications in the affected students’ results. The dismissal followed an investigation that verified the complaint.

Authorities stated that measures are being taken to ensure that students do not suffer academic consequences due to the incident.

Habibur Rahman Mallik, uncle of the slain Nazrul Islam Mallik, testified before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that intelligence officials told his family RAB intelligence chief Ziaul Ahsan was responsible for Nazrul’s killing. His statement came during cross-examination by defense lawyer Aminul Gani Tito before a two-member judicial panel led by Justice Shafiul Alam Mahmud on Thursday, April 22.

Habibur Rahman is the fourth witness in a crimes against humanity case involving allegations of enforced disappearances and killings during one and a half decades of Awami League rule. During cross-examination, Tito disputed the witness’s claim, arguing that Ziaul’s name was introduced under the investigator’s influence. Habibur Rahman maintained that intelligence personnel had repeatedly visited their home and informed them of Ziaul’s involvement.

The tribunal set May 6 as the next date for testimony. Ziaul’s sister and lawyer Naznin Nahar objected to the schedule, arguing that other cases receive longer intervals between hearings. Prosecutor Uday Tasmir responded that the defense complains both when witnesses are delayed and when they appear regularly. The tribunal upheld its decision and adjourned the session.

Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizens Party (NCP) and a member of parliament, warned that his party and its 11-party alliance would not hesitate to take to the streets if the ruling BNP government fails to initiate reforms. In an interview with Amar Desh published on April 23, 2026, he said that while his party does not seek another mass uprising, public anger could erupt if the government ignores popular demands.

He argued that the current administration has become deeply unpopular within two months of taking office, citing fuel shortages, rising commodity prices, and difficulties in handling international pressure. Nahid Islam questioned whether the government could complete its five-year term under such conditions.

Referring to the post-July uprising political landscape, he described Bangladesh as standing at a crossroads between old political forces trying to retain power and a new generation eager for state reconstruction. He suggested that the direction of future politics will depend on how this tension unfolds.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh has initiated the formulation of a national policy to ensure the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, research, and administration across the country’s universities. The announcement was made by UGC Chairman Professor Dr. Mamun Ahmed during the opening of a two-day workshop titled “Building Equity: Assessing the Extended Inclusive Education Toolkit,” held in Dhaka on Thursday.

The workshop was jointly organized by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, American International University-Bangladesh, Nottingham Trent University of the UK, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals of Saudi Arabia, with funding from the British Council. The UGC chairman emphasized AI’s transformative role in building equitable and inclusive education and said the policy aims to ensure responsible and ethical AI practices. He added that training programs are being developed to enhance teachers’ and academic leaders’ skills, while research and innovation are being encouraged to address local challenges such as rural access, language barriers, and equitable resource distribution.

The UGC is also working on institutional guidelines and quality assurance frameworks to align AI use with national goals and international standards.

The government and opposition parties have agreed to form a 10-member committee to develop recommendations for resolving the country's energy problems. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed the formation of the committee in parliament on Thursday, naming five members from the ruling party. The committee will be chaired by the Minister of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku. The opposition leader welcomed the initiative and said that the names of their five representatives would be announced soon.

During the parliamentary session, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of joint efforts between the government and opposition to address issues of national interest. The opposition leader thanked the Prime Minister for taking the matter positively and expressed hope that the parliament would become the center for solving national problems. The Speaker, Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, noted the need for a committee chair, after which the Prime Minister confirmed the energy minister as the head.

The formation of this bipartisan committee marks a rare instance of cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties, signaling a potential new phase of collaborative policymaking on critical national issues.

A violent clash erupted on Thursday afternoon between activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at Ishwardi Government College in Pabna. The confrontation involved gunfire and crude bomb explosions, spreading panic across the campus. Several individuals from both groups were reportedly injured, and a temporary office of Chhatra Dal near the college gate was vandalized during the incident.

According to Shibir’s upazila president Sajib Hasan, his group had a pre-scheduled protest program approved by the college authorities and had sought police cooperation. He claimed that Chhatra Dal members attacked them with bricks as their procession reached the college gate, triggering the clash. Chhatra Dal’s college unit vice president Imran Hossain Khan alleged that around 100–150 Shibir activists, accompanied by outsiders, attacked their members, assaulted them, and detonated crude bombs, creating fear on campus.

Ishwardi police officer-in-charge Md. Ashadur Rahman stated that the situation is now under control, both groups have left the campus, and additional police have been deployed to maintain order.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon announced in parliament that a white paper will be published detailing irregularities and corruption in Bangladesh’s education sector during the Awami League’s tenure. Responding to a question from ruling party MP Shamsur Rahman Shimul, the minister said the government has prioritized investigations covering the fiscal years 2008–09 to 2024–25. The Education Ministry has instructed relevant authorities to verify and compile findings into a comprehensive report.

Milon stated that after the investigation and verification process is complete, the government will take necessary steps to prepare and release the white paper in phases. However, he noted that due to the extensive scope of the inquiry, no specific timeline can yet be set. The minister also addressed issues related to pending retirement benefit applications, financial shortfalls in the welfare trust, and vacant teaching positions in private institutions.

He further mentioned ongoing efforts to modernize madrasa education by including vocational and technical subjects, with vocational courses already introduced in 548 madrasas and plans to expand to 1,000 more.

A complaint has been filed against the Chuadanga Kamil Madrasa examination center for conducting the Dakhil (SSC equivalent) exam with the wrong question paper for about 22 to 25 minutes without granting sufficient extra time. The district administration has ordered the removal of the center secretary and the tag officer from their duties and is issuing show-cause notices against them.

According to the report, the incident occurred on Tuesday during the first-day exam of the Quran Majid subject. The exam was supposed to include 60 marks for written questions and 40 marks for multiple-choice questions to be answered on the main script. However, a 30-mark multiple-choice paper with a separate OMR sheet was distributed instead. After about 25 minutes, the center secretary acknowledged the error and promised to adjust the time, but students alleged that only four to five extra minutes were given.

Students and guardians expressed frustration, saying the mistake and insufficient time adjustment negatively affected performance. The additional deputy commissioner (Education and ICT) confirmed that disciplinary action was ordered after the issue came to the administration’s attention.