The Forest Department has filed an eviction case in Cox’s Bazar following a report alleging illegal construction of a multistoried building on reserved forest land in Ukhia’s Rajapalong union. The case, registered on April 16, targets two individuals accused of occupying the land. However, environmental activists have criticized the move as superficial, claiming that construction continues despite the legal action.

Local residents allege that the case has effectively legitimized the building, while some corrupt officials reportedly accepted around 300,000 taka in bribes to allow the project. The building, located in the Swarn Pahar area, has already reached three stories, with work ongoing. Forest officials admit to manpower shortages and say they need administrative and police support to enforce eviction orders.

Environmental groups warn that without swift and effective measures, such encroachments on protected forest areas could increase further, undermining conservation efforts in the region.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s political and agriculture adviser Nazrul Islam Khan at the Prime Minister’s Tejgaon office on Tuesday morning. The meeting focused on issues of mutual interest between Bangladesh and China.

During the discussion, both sides emphasized strengthening cooperation in agriculture, forestry, and education. They discussed modern agricultural technology, forestation for environmental conservation, and skill development programs in the education sector. Adviser Nazrul Islam Khan sought more active Chinese involvement in these areas.

Ambassador Yao Wen assured that China would continue its cooperation in various development sectors in Bangladesh. The meeting was also attended by Cultural Counsellor Li Xiaopeng and Second Secretary Huang Maocong from the Chinese Embassy.

Bangladesh’s total foreign debt stood at 78.067 billion US dollars as of February 2026, Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury informed the national parliament on April 21. He provided the figure in response to a question from Brahmanbaria-2 lawmaker Rumin Farhana during the parliamentary session.

The finance minister explained that the Economic Relations Division handles foreign debt repayments on behalf of the government. Each fiscal year, a projection is made for the total principal and interest payments, and corresponding allocations are included in the national budget to ensure timely repayment according to the schedule.

Amir Khasru further stated that since the current government assumed office, a total of 90.66 million US dollars in foreign debt has been repaid. The minister emphasized that repayments are being made regularly through the allocated budget funds.

In Faridpur’s Charbhadrasan upazila, Awami League activists attacked police officers and forcibly freed a handcuffed party leader during an arrest operation on Tuesday morning. Police had detained former union Awami League general secretary Md. Kabir Khan, 52, from Munshirchar Bazar under the Anti-Terrorism Act when his supporters launched the assault. The attackers reportedly beat the officers and took away the detainee. Five police members were injured in the incident and are receiving treatment at Charbhadrasan Health Complex.

A case regarding the attack is being processed at Charbhadrasan Police Station. Police said Kabir Khan, a resident of Paschim Charshalepur village, faces multiple cases and allegations, including land grabbing, assault, and involvement in terrorist activities. Officers stated that he was arrested from a remote area of the Padma River when his armed group attacked and rescued him.

Authorities have not yet been able to contact Kabir Khan for comment, as he did not respond to phone calls following the incident.

The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has announced that both its Appellate and High Court Divisions will conduct court sessions virtually every Wednesday and Thursday each week. The decision was conveyed through a notice signed by Registrar General Muhammad Habibur Rahman Siddiqui under the directive of the Chief Justice. The new arrangement will take effect on April 22, 2026, and remain in force until further notice.

According to the notice, the move considers the current global energy situation and will be implemented under the Information Technology Use Act 2020 and the Supreme Court’s existing practice directions. On other working days, court proceedings will continue in person. Daily cause lists and virtual meeting IDs for cases eligible for virtual hearings will be published on the Supreme Court’s official website and can also be obtained from the respective benches.

The directive aims to ensure judicial continuity while adapting to energy and technological considerations, marking a structured integration of virtual proceedings into the court’s weekly operations.

Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir met with U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen on Tuesday at the minister’s office in Dhaka. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation between the two countries. Both sides described the discussions as productive and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding mutual economic engagement.

Ambassador Christensen praised the effective functioning of Bangladesh’s parliamentary activities under the leadership of Prime Minister and Parliamentary Leader Tarique Rahman, calling it a positive example of democratic practice. He emphasized that expanding bilateral trade would benefit both nations. The ambassador also announced that Brendan Lynch, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, would soon visit Bangladesh as part of efforts to strengthen trade dialogue and expressed interest in the country’s new import policy order.

Minister Muktadir stated that the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant ministries are working on the new Import Policy Order 2026, which will soon be shared with the business community for feedback.

A total of 150 students from educational institutions in Dhaka will be allowed to attend the 13th National Parliament session under six specific conditions. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education announced the decision on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. According to the notice, 100 students will be selected from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, 25 from the Directorate of Technical Education, and 25 from the Directorate of Madrasa Education. Seats have been allocated in the visitor galleries, including 50 in the children’s gallery and 100 in the Shiuli/Shimul galleries.

The initiative follows a request from the Minister of Education and the Minister of Primary and Mass Education, Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan, to facilitate student participation in parliamentary proceedings. The conditions include prior application through institutional channels, submission of identification documents, mandatory security checks, and restrictions on carrying electronic devices or food. Students must wear modest attire or uniforms and follow all instructions from on-duty officials.

Authorities retain the right to revoke permission without explanation, ensuring strict adherence to the rules during the parliamentary visit.

Mahmuda Alam Mitu, joint chief organizer for the southern region of the National Citizens Party (NCP), stated that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has maintained its political commitment within the 11-party alliance. She made the remark on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the Election Commission building in Agargaon, Dhaka, after submitting nomination papers for reserved women’s seats on behalf of the alliance.

Mitu expressed gratitude to both the NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami, noting that she was nominated as a qualified candidate by her party and that Jamaat had honored the alliance’s commitments. She contrasted Jamaat’s approach with other larger parties that, despite having more seats, failed to respect coalition candidates. She also highlighted the inclusion of a martyr’s mother, representing the family of Shaheed Jabir, as a significant gesture within the alliance.

Mitu pledged to work alongside other women leaders to promote social protection, safety, and health for women and children, and to contribute to welfare-oriented legislation in the parliament.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan conducted a surprise inspection of SSC examination centers in Singair upazila of Manikganj on Tuesday afternoon. During his visit to Joymontop High School and Shahrail High School centers, he issued strict instructions to all concerned not to show negligence in their examination duties.

The minister inspected several examination rooms, reviewed the overall environment, discipline, and measures to prevent cheating. He also spoke with center secretaries, teachers, and officials on duty to ensure that examinations were being conducted properly and transparently. Milan emphasized that such surprise inspections would continue to ensure fair, transparent, and cheating-free examinations.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khairunnahar Popy, Officer-in-Charge Md. Mazharul Islam, and other administrative officials were present during the inspection.

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the body of a Bangladeshi youth who died while serving a prison sentence in India for illegal entry. The handover took place on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the Nakugaon border in Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur district, in the presence of border guards and police from both countries. The deceased was identified as Shipon Hawlader, 35, son of Sabej Hawlader from Barguna Sadar.

According to police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Shipon had crossed into India illegally through the Haluaghat border in Mymensingh about 19 months earlier. He was arrested by Indian border guards, handed over to local police, and later sentenced by an Indian court to imprisonment for illegal entry. He was serving his term at Tura jail, which was due to end on April 28.

Shipon reportedly fell ill on April 16 and died while under treatment. After completion of legal formalities between the two countries, his body was returned to his family around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

At least ten people, including a local leader of the Volunteer Wing, were injured in a shooting by miscreants in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia early Monday night. The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. in Majdiar village of Moricha Union, when a group of masked attackers opened fire indiscriminately, spreading panic in the area.

According to police and local sources, the attackers attempted to abduct Robiul Islam, convener of the Moricha Union Volunteer Wing, from a shop near his home at gunpoint. When nearby residents rushed to the scene after hearing his cries for help, the assailants fired shots using guns and shotguns, injuring at least ten men and women. Locals suspect that the attack may have stemmed from a dispute over sand extraction from the Padma River.

The incident has heightened tension in the locality, though further details about the attackers or arrests were not available at the time of reporting.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asaduzzaman Ahmad stated that Italy is one of Bangladesh’s most important development partners within the European Union. He emphasized that Bangladesh attaches special importance to its relationship with Italy, particularly in areas such as safe migration. The minister made these remarks during a meeting with Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro at his office in the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the ambassador said Italy is keen to expand bilateral relations and highlighted that the Italian government is committed to ensuring safe migration and preventing illegal migration. He announced that Italy’s new migration policy will take effect in June, aiming to facilitate safe migration and expedite the repatriation of undocumented migrants. The ambassador also mentioned that the next meeting of the Bangladesh-Italy Joint Working Group on migration and labor issues will be held in Italy.

The meeting also discussed law and order, security, economic cooperation, and trade expansion. The ambassador delivered a congratulatory letter from Italy’s Interior Minister and invited the Bangladeshi minister to visit Italy later this year.

Three women from Brahmanbaria have been nominated for reserved seats in the national parliament. They are Sanjida Islam Tuli and Nadia Pathan Papon from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and Engineer Mardia Momtaz from Jamaat-e-Islami. The announcement was made on April 21, 2026.

Sanjida Islam Tuli, from Nabinagar’s Laurfatehpur village, is the coordinator of 'Mayer Dak', a platform for families of disappeared persons, and the sister of missing BNP leader Sajedul Islam Suman. She previously contested the 13th national election from Dhaka-14 and is known for her activism on enforced disappearances. Nadia Pathan Papon, from Bijoynagar’s Chandura village, has long been involved in BNP’s student politics and currently serves as a member of the party’s Dhaka South unit.

Engineer Mardia Momtaz, nominated by Jamaat-e-Islami, is the daughter of Engineer Momtazul Karim of Paikpara in Brahmanbaria town. A graduate and postgraduate in civil engineering from BUET, she works as a lecturer at Daffodil International University and is also known as a researcher and writer.

Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon stated that no question papers were leaked and no untoward incidents occurred during the ongoing SSC examinations. He made the remarks at a press conference held at the International Mother Language Institute on Tuesday afternoon, emphasizing that the upcoming examinations will be closely monitored.

The minister said the SSC exams were conducted in a peaceful environment and that any complaints would be investigated using CCTV footage. He instructed that footage from all examination centers be preserved for seven days for possible review. Addressing concerns about irregularities, he noted that center secretaries act as guardians of examinees and are trained to handle any mistakes by students.

Milon also commented that he does not believe media vigilance alone can prevent cheating, urging journalists to report any incidents if they occur.

A fresh spell of heatwave has intensified across Bangladesh since Monday, affecting nine districts including Rajshahi, Pabna, Sirajganj, Dhaka, Faridpur, Khulna, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) reported that the heatwave, currently mild to moderate, could spread to more areas and persist until around April 26. The highest temperature recorded in the past 24 hours was 38°C in Rajshahi, while Dhaka reached 36.2°C.

According to forecasts signed by meteorologist Dr. Omar Faruq, temperatures are expected to rise further, with the heatwave possibly turning severe in parts of Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, and Dhaka divisions by April 25–26. Earlier this month, several heatwaves were recorded, with Chuadanga registering the year’s highest temperature of 39.7°C on April 3. Brief rainfall in Sylhet, Rangpur, and Dinajpur was noted, but most regions remained dry.

Meteorologists expect rainfall to increase from April 26 or later, potentially continuing into early May, which could bring relief from the ongoing heat.