Cumilla-4 Member of Parliament Hasnat Abdullah has requested that the government provide vehicles for lawmakers to facilitate travel to their constituencies. Speaking in the national parliament on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, he thanked the government for providing offices at the upazila level but said that having official vehicles would make it easier for MPs to reach people. He noted that while upazila chairmen and UNOs have government cars, MPs often have to rent vehicles at personal expense.

In response, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman had instructed that MPs should not seek additional privileges or luxuries. He added that the government is considering canceling tax-free car benefits for MPs and has already reduced fuel allocations by 30 percent due to the economic crisis. However, he said the issue could be discussed with both ruling and opposition parties for possible consideration.

Opposition Leader Dr. Shafiqul Rahman thanked the treasury bench for acknowledging the issue and humorously suggested that the minister could have responded more encouragingly to the young MP’s request.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir reiterated Bangladesh’s firm support for China’s One China Policy during a dinner hosted by the Communist Party of China in Beijing. He expressed optimism about strengthening the historic ties between the two nations and highlighted the enduring friendship built on a strong foundation. The dinner took place on Monday at a prominent hotel in Beijing, attended by a high-level BNP delegation invited by China’s Vice Minister Jin Xin.

Mirza Fakhrul stated that Bangladesh’s support for the One China Policy would continue and voiced hope that under newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership, bilateral relations would reach new heights. The BNP delegation arrived in Beijing on Monday morning at the invitation of the Communist Party of China, joining a 19-member team that began its visit on April 16.

According to the schedule, Mirza Fakhrul is set to meet Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, on Tuesday morning, followed by a formal bilateral meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng at the Great Hall in the afternoon.

Five people, including the prime suspect, have been arrested in connection with an armed attack on Dr. Ahmad Hossain, deputy director of the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital in Mohakhali, Dhaka. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) carried out the arrests following the incident, which occurred on Monday afternoon when the doctor was returning home. According to RAB, the attack was planned over a tender dispute involving hospital contracts, and hired assailants were paid twenty thousand taka to carry out the assault.

At a press briefing at RAB’s media center in Karwan Bazar, RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director Wing Commander M Z M Intekhab Chowdhury detailed the investigation. The suspects—Shariful Alam alias Karim, Aminul Islam alias Kalu, Sajjad alias Bodi, Salauddin, and Arifuzzaman—were detained from different parts of Dhaka. Preliminary findings indicate a long-standing conflict between two groups, “Rubel’s EME Traders” and “Monayem Group,” over hospital tenders. Rubel, currently in Malaysia, is alleged to have masterminded the attack and instructed local associates to execute it.

RAB stated that operations are continuing to arrest the remaining suspects and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring public safety and upholding the rule of law.

In Nilphamari’s Domar upazila, a father handed his drug-addicted son over to police on Tuesday, April 21. The incident occurred in Paschim Chiknamati Dolapara village under Sadar Union, where Nazrul Islam surrendered his son Wahid to law enforcement after repeated violent behavior at home. Family members said Wahid had been using drugs for a long time and often assaulted relatives and damaged household items when confronted.

Following a report to the authorities, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shayla Saeed Tanvi and a team from Domar Police Station went to the scene and detained Wahid. A mobile court later sentenced him to seven months of imprisonment without labor and fined him 100 taka. Drugs were recovered from his house during the operation.

According to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer, the punishment was imposed after Wahid admitted his guilt and the seized drugs were confirmed as evidence.

State Minister for Local Government Mir Shah Alam announced that Members of Parliament (MPs) will now have special 'inspection rooms' with modern facilities in all upazila parishad complexes across Bangladesh. The directive was issued through a government order (GO) sent to upazila nirbahi officers (UNOs) following consultation with the Minister for Local Government and Cooperatives. The announcement was made on April 21, 2026, during a parliamentary session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

According to the state minister, each inspection room will include an attached bathroom and necessary furniture, allowing MPs to conduct official work and meet constituents directly. As current regulations do not permit rooms to be allocated in MPs’ names, the spaces will officially be designated as 'inspection rooms'. MPs representing constituencies with multiple upazilas will have such rooms in each upazila.

The minister expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for issuing special instructions to implement the initiative and urged MPs to coordinate with their local UNOs to prepare the rooms promptly.

Three members of a robbery gang were killed in an internal dispute over the distribution of stolen goods in the hilly area of Shilkhali under Baharchhara Union of Teknaf upazila, Cox’s Bazar. The incident occurred on Monday night, April 20, when the robbers attacked each other with sharp weapons. Police recovered one body from the scene, while two others died on the way to the hospital. All three deceased were confirmed by police as active members of a robbery and abduction group.

Local sources said that a man named Murshed had called the victims to the hills, and they were reportedly relatives. The deceased were identified as Robi Alam, 22, Mujib Ullah, 26, and Nurul Bashar alias Kalani, 25, all residents of North Shilkhali. Baharchhara Union Parishad Chairman Amjad Hossain Khokon visited the site and confirmed that one of the deceased had multiple criminal cases against him.

Police have sent the bodies to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy and confirmed that the deaths resulted from internal conflict within the gang.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Youth and Sports, Md. Aminul Haque, is currently on a four-day official visit to Sanya, China, to attend the opening ceremony of the 6th Asian Beach Games, which began on April 20. On the first day of his visit, he held high-level bilateral meetings with Hainan Province Vice Governor Ms. Zhi Jing, Tourism and Sports Department Director General Mr. Chen Tiejun, and Sanya City Vice Mayor Mr. Fan Weizheng. The discussions focused on strengthening sports diplomacy and mutual cooperation between the two countries, with particular emphasis on technical collaboration in surfing, shooting, volleyball, and table tennis.

Both sides agreed to exchange skilled coaches and modern technology to enhance training quality. They also discussed expanding scholarship opportunities in China for talented students from Bangladesh’s sports institutions, including BKSP. A policy decision was made to sign a memorandum of understanding and bilateral agreements to chart a roadmap for sports development. Chinese representatives praised Bangladesh’s cricket achievements and expressed interest in recruiting experienced cricket coaches from Bangladesh. The meeting also addressed increasing women’s participation at the grassroots level and improving facilities for para-athletes. The minister’s visit continues until April 23 and is viewed as a new milestone in Bangladesh-China sports relations.

The 2026 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations began simultaneously across Bangladesh, with 1,425 students absent on the first day under the Cumilla Education Board. The board reported that 146,817 students were registered to take part in the exams across 277 centers in six districts: Cumilla, Chandpur, Brahmanbaria, Noakhali, Feni, and Lakshmipur. The board’s chairman, Professor Shamsul Islam, confirmed the information on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the board, the total number of female candidates is 87,970, while male candidates number 58,847, meaning there are 29,123 more female participants. Officials attributed the higher female participation to increasing involvement and success of girls in education. To prevent cheating, all 277 centers have been placed under CCTV surveillance, and law enforcement presence has been strengthened.

Board officials stated that all necessary preparations were made to ensure a smooth and peaceful examination process. The first day saw a festive atmosphere at centers with the presence of students and guardians, and officials expressed optimism that the exams would continue successfully.

Former acting managing director of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company, Mirza Kamal Ahmed, testified before International Crimes Tribunal-1 that then state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Polok instructed him to shut down internet services on July 18, 2024, during the July uprising. He said Polok called him around 9 p.m. asking why the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission’s directive had not been implemented and told him to confirm once the shutdown was complete. Following the order, the submarine cables at Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata were disconnected within 15 minutes.

Mirza Kamal detailed that the shutdown decision was first communicated through BTRC’s WhatsApp groups named “18 July ITC Operation” and “IIG Operation,” involving representatives from BTRC, BTCL, and the submarine cable company. He expressed surprise at the instruction to cut submarine-level internet, noting it had never been done before. Later, on July 23, a meeting at BTRC led to the restoration of services that night, and another temporary shutdown occurred on August 5 following further directives.

The testimony was part of proceedings against Sajib Wazed Joy and Zunaid Ahmed Polok, both accused in the July genocide case.

National Chhatra Shakti organized a human chain and protest at Dhaka University’s Raju Sculpture on Tuesday, April 21, demanding the unconditional release of content creator Hasan Nasim, who was arrested for sharing a cartoon. Leaders and activists of the organization participated, carrying placards with slogans defending freedom of expression.

Speakers at the event alleged that laws are still being used to suppress free speech and described Nasim’s arrest as a violation of fundamental rights. National Chhatra Shakti president Zahid Ahsan compared the incident to previous cases involving writer Mushtaq and cartoonist Ahmed Kishore, criticizing the manner of Nasim’s detention and the lack of information provided to his family. He urged the government to ensure that writers, artists, and cartoonists can work freely.

Senior joint general secretary Khan Talat Rafi said the Digital Security Act of 2018 continues to be misused to curb expression, calling it alarming. The speakers demanded Nasim’s immediate release and protection of citizens’ constitutional right to free expression.

A woman identified as Monika Akter Mitu was detained from the ladies’ common room of Dhaka Medical College and handed over to police after being discovered posing as a student. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon in the old building of the college, where she was seen wearing a white apron and moving around like a medical student. Other students became suspicious, questioned her, and upon checking her ID card, confirmed that she was not enrolled at the institution. The college administration then verified the matter and handed her over to Shahbagh Police Station.

According to the detained woman, she is the daughter of Momin Ali from Tongibari upazila in Munshiganj district and currently resides in Nawabganj. However, she did not explain why she had entered the college under false pretenses. Inspector Md Faruk, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost, confirmed that she had been handed over to Shahbagh police for further action.

The motive behind her impersonation remains unclear, and police are expected to investigate the matter further.

A total of 53 candidates submitted nomination papers for the reserved women's seats in the 13th National Parliament election by 4 p.m. on April 21, 2026. The information was confirmed by Returning Officer and Election Commission Joint Secretary Md. Moin Uddin Khan at the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka. According to him, 36 nominations came from the BNP and its alliance, 13 from the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami alliance, and one from an independent alliance. Additionally, three individuals—Shamma Akter, Mosammat Mehrunnesa, and Mahbuba Rahman—submitted nominations independently, without party affiliation.

As per the previously announced schedule, the Returning Officer will scrutinize the nomination papers on April 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on April 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appeals against the scrutiny decisions can be filed on April 26, with the Election Commission resolving them on April 27 and 28. The deadline for withdrawal of candidacy is April 29, symbol allocation will take place on April 30, and voting is scheduled for May 12.

The Returning Officer also stated that nomination scrutiny for the Jamaat alliance and independent alliance will occur on April 22, while the BNP alliance’s scrutiny will be held on April 23.

A mobile court in Shariatpur Sadar upazila conducted an operation on Tuesday afternoon against an illegal brick kiln that had continued operations despite multiple administrative notices. The court, led by Executive Magistrate Tushar Saha, dismantled part of the chimney of Messrs. Howlader Bricks in Shaulpur area and imposed a fine of one lakh taka on the owner under the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act.

According to the Department of Environment, the kiln had been ordered to shut down in February 2023 for lacking legal approval, but the owner ignored the directive. The site was also found to be only 250 meters from a primary school, violating the rule that prohibits brick kilns within one kilometer of such institutions. Officials said the action was taken to reduce environmental and public health risks.

Assistant Director of the Department of Environment, Russell Noman, stated that similar drives against illegal brick kilns will continue in line with High Court directives. Local residents expressed relief, citing long-standing smoke and pollution problems caused by the kiln.

Widespread allegations of irregularities, corruption, and fund misappropriation have surfaced in a canal excavation project under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Rajapur upazila of Jhalakathi. Farmers from Tulatala and Angaria villages claim that the excavation of the Rarhibari canal was carried out superficially, ignoring government guidelines and resulting in misuse of allocated funds. The project, which includes 13 canal excavations and 3 embankment constructions with a total budget of Tk 36.5 million, allocated about Tk 5.245 million for the two canals in question.

Local farmers allege that instead of proper dredging, only minimal silt was removed, turning the canal into a narrow trench. They also reported that numerous fruit and forest trees were cut down, and the steep excavation of the banks risks collapse. Farmers say they have lost trees and will not benefit from irrigation or fish farming as expected.

In response, the canal excavation association’s president and the Rajapur Upazila Engineer denied the allegations, asserting that all work followed official schedules and was properly supervised.

A new luggage wrapping service began operating at the Hajj Camp in Bangladesh on Tuesday, introduced by the Ministry of Religious Affairs to make the pilgrimage process smoother, safer, and more convenient. Hajj Office Director Lokman Hossain said the service will allow pilgrims to have their luggage professionally wrapped, protecting it from damage, tampering, and other travel-related risks. The initiative aims to reduce last-minute difficulties and streamline the travel process for pilgrims.

Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad stated that ensuring a smooth Hajj journey with the highest level of service is a key government priority. He added that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is closely monitoring services for pilgrims, and the new facility was launched under his guidance. The minister expressed confidence that the service will make the Hajj journey more seamless and comfortable.

Pilgrims have welcomed the government’s initiative, describing it as a timely and necessary step to improve their travel experience.