A violent clash broke out between activists of the BNP and the NCP in Narayanganj Sadar upazila on Tuesday afternoon over the submission of lease tenders for the Rajapur ferry terminal. The confrontation began at the Sadar Upazila Parishad premises when both groups gathered to submit tenders. Witnesses said the dispute escalated into a chase and counter-chase, spreading panic in the area. Police from Fatullah Model Station arrived quickly and brought the situation under control, though tension remained.

Narayanganj district NCP leaders alleged that BNP activists led by local leaders attacked them without provocation, preventing them from submitting their tenders. They claimed they had followed proper procedures but were targeted by politically motivated violence. In response, BNP’s youth wing leaders denied the allegations, saying they had reached a consensus with NCP and Jamaat leaders earlier and were surprised by the sudden unrest.

Police stated that legal action would be taken against those responsible for obstructing government work and creating disorder, pending investigation.

Md. Sakhawat Hossain, previously Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, has been promoted to the position of Secretary of the same ministry. The appointment was confirmed through a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration on Tuesday night. The current Secretary of the Ministry, Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana, has been transferred to the Ministry of Food.

In the same set of administrative changes, Md. Firoz Sarkar, Secretary of the Ministry of Food, has been reassigned as Secretary of the Statistics and Information Management Division. The official order stated that these transfers and promotions were made in the public interest and would take immediate effect.

These changes reflect a routine reshuffle within the government’s senior bureaucracy, aimed at ensuring administrative efficiency across key ministries.

An unexploded mortar shell believed to be from Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War was recovered near the gymnasium area of Rajshahi University on Tuesday morning, April 21, 2026. Workers discovered the metallic object during renovation work around 10 a.m. and immediately informed university authorities. The bomb disposal unit of the law enforcement agency later arrived, cordoned off the area, and safely transported the shell to an open field near the university’s mass grave site, where it was neutralized through a controlled explosion.

According to university officials and eyewitnesses, the shell surfaced when workers struck it with a spade while digging. The university’s proctor, Professor Mahbubur Rahman, confirmed the incident and stated that similar old mortar shells had been found in previous excavation or renovation works on campus. Additional Police Commissioner of Rajshahi Motihar Zone, Muhibul Islam, said the operation was conducted with utmost caution to ensure public safety.

Authorities have declared the area safe, and normal activities at the university have resumed following the disposal operation.

The Forest Department recovered 42 deer traps and detained two fishermen during separate operations in the Sundarbans under the Satkhira range. On Tuesday, April 21, patrol members from the Munshiganj outpost conducted a raid in the Belayet’s Bharani and Cherar Khal areas, where they found 42 'mala traps' set to capture deer. Acting on secret information, the team discovered the traps strategically placed to ensnare roaming deer.

A day earlier, on Monday, April 20, a smart patrol team carried out another operation in the Dingi Mari sanctuary area under the Kadamtala Forest Station. Two fishermen were arrested for illegally entering the sanctuary to catch fish and crabs. Authorities seized a boat, about 30 kilograms of crabs, and various fishing tools. The detainees were later sent to court under forest law.

Assistant Conservator of Forests Md. Moshior Rahman stated that operations to prevent illegal hunting and resource extraction in the Sundarbans will continue. Local residents alleged that an organized poaching group remains active, sometimes operating with the support of influential individuals, and urged strict legal action against them.

German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr. Rüdiger Lotz paid a courtesy call on Opposition Leader and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman at his parliamentary office in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon. The meeting was attended by the embassy’s Political and Press Officer Sharlina Nuzhat Kabir. According to Jamaat sources, the discussion took place in a cordial atmosphere and covered topics including the strengthening of parliamentary democracy, the July Charter, and the referendum.

During the meeting, the German side expressed its interest in seeing good governance and accountability in Bangladesh. Dr. Rahman reiterated Jamaat-e-Islami’s commitment to the July Charter and public mandate, emphasizing the party’s desire for qualitative change and reform to prevent the return of one-party rule. Both sides also discussed the need to reinforce democratic institutions and ensure sustainable democracy in Bangladesh.

The participants expressed optimism about enhancing future bilateral cooperation between Bangladesh and Germany in trade, investment, economic collaboration, education, and skills development.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will hold joint meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, April 22 and 23, to ensure uninterrupted telecommunication services and network management amid the ongoing energy crisis. The meetings are being organized in response to concerns raised by stakeholders in the telecom sector.

Earlier, on March 12, BTRC sent a letter to the Posts and Telecommunications Division requesting priority allocation of fuel and electricity. Following that, on March 13, the division forwarded letters to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, the Power Division, and all district commissioners seeking necessary action. On April 20, BTRC again wrote to the Posts and Telecommunications Division requesting law enforcement support for fuel transport and tower site maintenance.

The April 22 meeting will include Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, mobile operators, NTTN operators, tower companies, and the Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh. The April 23 meeting will involve the Power Development Board, Rural Electrification Board, PGCB, power distribution companies, and telecom operators. The meetings aim to adopt measures to resolve energy-related challenges affecting telecom operations.

The Department of Environment has fined three illegal brick kilns in Gopalganj a total of nine lakh taka and halted their production activities. The mobile court operation was conducted on Tuesday in Sadar upazila under the initiative of the Gopalganj district office of the Department of Environment. The fined brick kilns are Sheikh Bricks, Molla Bricks, and Gazi Bricks. Executive Magistrate Md. Sajjad Zahid Ratul led the mobile court, while Inspector Moniruzzaman Sheikh served as prosecutor.

Assistant Director Mahfuzur Rahman of the Gopalganj district office stated that the operation was carried out under the Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kiln Establishment (Control) Act, 2013, amended in 2019, for various violations. During the drive, electricity connections were disconnected, and the kilns were dismantled using excavators to stop production. The Gopalganj district police, Ansar force, and Fire Service assisted in the operation.

Officials said such drives will continue in the district to control air pollution and ensure compliance with environmental regulations.

A 14-year-old boy named Shah Alam died after falling from the rooftop of a five-story building in the Kajla area of Jatrabari, Dhaka, on Tuesday afternoon. Neighbors, including a man named Kamruzzaman, rescued him and took him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead at 7:10 p.m. The hospital police outpost confirmed that the body has been kept in the morgue and the local police station has been informed.

According to Kamruzzaman, he and others heard a loud noise and initially thought something had fallen from the building. Upon checking, they found Shah Alam lying on the ground and struggling. They immediately took him to the hospital for treatment. The boy’s family lived on the second floor of the same building, and he reportedly worked at a garment factory. However, the exact cause of his fall remains unknown.

Police are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine whether it was accidental or involved other factors.

Two Secondary School Certificate (SSC) candidates in Bhola’s Charfassion fell ill due to extreme heat while taking their exam at the Charfassion Government TB Model Secondary School center. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon in room number two of the school’s southern dormitory, where the students, identified as Sanjida and Samia, became sick because there were no fans in the exam room. They were taken to Charfassion Upazila Health Complex for treatment. One student was discharged after primary care, while the other remained under treatment.

Parents of several students expressed anger over the lack of fans in the exam rooms and urged authorities to install them immediately. Acting head teacher Taslima Begum stated that the dormitory rooms have good ventilation through windows and denied that the absence of fans caused illness. Charfassion Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rumana Afroze said arrangements would be made to install fans in rooms where they are missing.

The incident has drawn attention to the inadequate facilities at examination centers during the ongoing heatwave in the region.

Tasnim Jara has stated that she declined an offer to become a Member of Parliament through a reserved seat in Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament. In a verified Facebook post on April 21, 2026, she said she turned down the proposal with gratitude, emphasizing her belief that women should enter parliament through direct public voting rather than party nominations.

In her post, Jara explained that accepting a reserved seat would contradict her long-held stance that such positions should be filled by direct elections. She argued that representatives elected by citizens are accountable to their voters, while those appointed through party nominations lack a direct constituency. Jara also noted that women constitute more than half of Bangladesh’s population and deserve representation through democratic processes.

Jara previously contested as an independent candidate in Dhaka-9, receiving over 44,000 votes despite limited campaigning. She affirmed her commitment to continue working for society outside parliament and reiterated that if she ever enters parliament, it will be through the people’s vote.

A total of 1,003 students were absent on the first day of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination under the Chattogram Education Board, held on April 21, 2026. The Bangla First Paper exam took place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. across 218 centers in Chattogram and three hill districts, with 1,218 schools participating. The board reported that 106,872 students sat for the first-day exam out of a total of 130,734 registered candidates.

According to the board, the total number of students includes 56,391 boys and 74,343 girls. Among them, 34,991 are from the science group, 43,993 from humanities, and 51,750 from business studies. The board formed 76 vigilance teams—66 general and 10 special—to ensure fair conduct. The exam was reported to have been held peacefully without irregularities.

Board Secretary Professor Mohammad Zahirul Haque Swapan stated that the administration took strict measures to prevent cheating and requested uninterrupted electricity supply from the Power Development Board. The first day concluded successfully in a calm environment.

A mix-up occurred on the first day of the SSC examination at Mohanpur High School center in Debidwar, Comilla, when students received the wrong question paper. Ten irregular candidates of the 2025 session were mistakenly given the 2026 objective question paper for the Bangla First Paper exam, which began at 10 a.m. The error was detected after ten minutes, prompting officials to replace the papers. However, the affected students were not given extra time, leading to confusion and frustration among examinees and parents.

Parents and local residents expressed anger over the incident, calling it unacceptable negligence in such an important national examination. They said the mistake caused mental distress to students and demanded accountability from those responsible. The affected students were from several schools, including Nabiyabad, Tulagaon, Elahabad, and Radhanagar High Schools.

Tag officer Anisur Rahman confirmed that the wrong papers were supplied by mistake and later corrected. The Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Rakibul Islam, stated he was unaware of the issue but would investigate the matter.

A five-member investigation committee led by lawmaker ABM Ashraf Uddin (Nizam) has been formed to examine allegations of corruption and irregularities in the procurement of cameras, bags, and card readers by the Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat. The committee was established under the directive of the Speaker, according to an office order issued on April 21, 2026, and signed by Secretary Barrister Md. Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan. The committee includes MPs Lutfullah El Majed, Md. Saiful Alam, Humam Kader Chowdhury, and Md. Abul Hasnat. It has been instructed to submit its report within seven days, with administrative support from Joint Secretary Miz Syeda Mashuma Khanam.

The investigation follows reports published on April 19 in a national daily and several online portals alleging large-scale corruption in the Secretariat’s procurement process. The reports claimed that cameras and bags were purchased at several times their market price, sparking widespread public and political criticism.

The committee’s findings are expected to clarify the extent of the alleged financial misconduct and determine accountability within the Secretariat.

Chief Whip Nurul Islam announced that members of parliament have decided not to use tax-free cars or accept government plots, a decision supported by both ruling and opposition parties. He made the statement on Tuesday, April 21, after a parliamentary session.

Earlier in the session, NCP lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah had requested government-provided vehicles for MPs, arguing that while upazila officials receive official cars, legislators often rely on rented vehicles to visit their constituencies. In response, Home Minister Salauddin Ahmed said Prime Minister Tarek Rahman had instructed MPs to avoid luxury or extra privileges. He added that the government plans to amend existing laws to cancel the tax-free car benefit for MPs and has already reduced fuel allocations by 30 percent and limited loan facilities for officials due to the current economic crisis.

Opposition leader Dr. Shafiqul Rahman commented that young MPs’ requests should not be dismissed outright, suggesting the issue could be considered further. The Speaker concluded by noting that the Home Minister had already mentioned the matter would be reviewed.

A delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met with Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A B M Obaidul Islam on Tuesday morning at his office. The meeting focused on exploring potential collaboration in education and research sectors, with discussions on possible development projects supported by JICA’s financial and technical assistance.

The six-member JICA delegation was led by Ms. Saeri Muto, Chief Advisor for Technical and Higher Education at JICA’s Dhaka office. Senior university officials, including the pro-vice-chancellor (administration), treasurer, and several faculty deans, attended the meeting. Both sides emphasized joint initiatives in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, fintech, environment, and science and technology.

The vice-chancellor highlighted that technology-based education and research are key drivers of future development and stressed the need for Dhaka University to become more active in innovation and research-oriented activities. He also noted ongoing progress in expanding academic and research cooperation with Japanese universities.