A young man named Asadul Haque, also known as Lombu Asadul, aged 28, was hacked to death in the Rayerbazar area of Mohammadpur in Dhaka. The incident occurred around 12:50 a.m. on Wednesday night, April 15, in the Sadek Khan Itkhola area. The information was confirmed on Thursday morning, April 16, by Mohammad Jewel Rana, Additional Deputy Police Commissioner of the Tejgaon Division.

According to the report, the killing took place in a residential part of the capital, but no further details about the motive, suspects, or arrests were provided. The confirmation from the police official was the only official statement included in the report.

Authorities have not yet disclosed additional information about the investigation or possible reasons behind the attack.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman departed Dhaka on Thursday, April 16, to attend the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey. The event, held under the patronage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, will take place from April 17 to 19. Rahman is leading the Bangladesh delegation at the forum, which brings together ministers and representatives from various countries.

During his visit, Rahman is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. He may also meet with ministers and representatives from Pakistan, Gambia, and other participating nations. The trip follows his previous visit to Turkey in mid-March, when he held bilateral discussions with the Turkish foreign minister on diplomatic matters.

According to a Foreign Ministry official, Bangladesh aims to use its participation in the forum to strengthen diplomatic efforts in support of its candidacy for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Anisul Huq stated that effective measures have been taken to withdraw politically motivated harassment cases filed during the Awami League government’s tenure. He made the statement in a written reply to a question from Member of Parliament Md. Monowar Hossain during the question-answer session of the National Parliament on Thursday, presided over by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal.

The minister explained that the government is fully aware of the issue and has initiated concrete actions to address it. On March 5, 2026, the government formed four-member district-level committees headed by deputy commissioners to recommend withdrawal of such cases. Subsequently, on March 8, a six-member central committee was established with the law minister as convener to review the district committees’ recommendations and continue the case withdrawal process.

The central committee is currently examining the recommendations received from the district committees and proceeding with the withdrawal of identified harassment cases.

State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari announced in Parliament on April 16, 2026, that the government has adopted separate plans of six months, one year, and five years to fill vacant government positions. Responding to a question from Chattogram-13 MP Sarwar Jamal Nizam, he said 2,879 posts will be filled within six months, 4,459 within one year, and 3,110 within five years under the ministry’s plan.

He added that letters have been sent to other ministries and departments to collect updated information on recruitment activities and monitor progress in filling vacancies. According to the latest Statistics of Public Servants 2024, there are a total of 468,220 vacant posts across the country, including 68,884 in grades 1–9, 129,166 in grades 10–12, 146,799 in grades 13–16, 115,235 in grades 17–20, and 8,136 honorary or contractual positions.

The government stated that efforts are underway to ensure transparency and efficiency in implementing the plan to recruit nearly 500,000 public employees nationwide.

A 19-member delegation from Bangladesh’s ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has departed for China at the invitation of the Chinese government. The team left Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late on Wednesday, April 15, aboard a China Northern Airlines flight. The delegation is led by Ismail Zabiyullah, a member of the BNP chairperson’s advisory council, according to BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan.

Originally, BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was scheduled to lead the visit, but he could not join as he is currently in Singapore for medical treatment. Shayrul said Mirza Fakhrul is expected to join the delegation on April 19. The group includes senior BNP leaders, cultural figures, and party organizers from various sectors.

Before departure, the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka hosted a dinner on April 13 in honor of the delegation, where a documentary was shown outlining the sites they will visit in China. The delegation is expected to return to Dhaka on April 24.

The Bangladesh government is planning a VAT-centered revenue strategy for the 2026–27 fiscal year, setting a collection target of about Tk 3.1 trillion from value-added tax. This would form a major portion of the total projected revenue goal of Tk 6.29 trillion. The proposed national budget is expected to reach Tk 9.3 trillion, roughly Tk 1.4 trillion higher than the current year, with priorities including poverty reduction, job creation, human resource development, and inflation control.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the emphasis on VAT collection aims to meet International Monetary Fund loan conditions and raise the revenue-to-GDP ratio to 10.17 percent. The plan allocates Tk 6.04 trillion from taxes, including Tk 2.22 trillion from income tax and Tk 670 billion from customs duties. However, actual revenue collection in the first eight months of 2025–26 reached only about half of the revised target, highlighting persistent structural weaknesses and administrative inefficiencies.

Officials acknowledge challenges such as tax evasion and limited tax coverage but continue to view VAT as the most effective short-term tool for boosting revenue under current economic and international obligations.

Two individuals were sentenced to jail and fined in Chuadanga’s Jibannagar upazila for illegally storing fuel. The special operation was conducted on Wednesday, April 15, under the leadership of Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ashraful Alam Russell. Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Jamir Uddin led the mobile court, with police and Border Guard Bangladesh officials present.

According to the mobile court, the raid was carried out at Balihuda Bazar based on a tip-off. Investigators found five liters of illegally stored diesel in a grocery shop owned by Atiar Rahman, who was sentenced to five days in jail under the Petroleum Act, 2016. At Piyas Filling Station, manager Nazrul Islam was found guilty of similar offenses and received seven days’ imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 taka.

Officials stated that the administration remains firm against illegal fuel hoarding and artificial shortages. They confirmed that such operations will continue to ensure stable fuel supply and market discipline in the region.

In Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar, traders have accused a syndicate of collecting illegal payments under the guise of market lease fees beyond the approved boundaries of Balukhali market. The alleged extortion is reportedly taking place in Moragachtala, Moynaghona, and nearby areas, sparking anger among local business owners. Witnesses said individuals identified as Saiful, brother of leaseholder Forkan Chowdhury, and a man named Khalek, claiming to be affiliated with the Jubo Dal, were seen openly collecting money near the APBn checkpoint.

The accused parties, however, maintain that they are collecting fees lawfully under the government-approved lease. Forkan Chowdhury denied the allegations, calling them conspiracies against him. Local traders insist that the lease area officially extends only up to the Balukhali playground, yet collections are continuing inside Moynaghona and even within the camp area.

Palongkhali Union Chairman Gafur Uddin Chowdhury described the situation as widespread extortion that must be stopped, while Ukhiya Upazila Executive Officer Rifat Asma stated that any collection beyond the designated lease area is illegal and will be investigated.

Munni Akter, wife of missing BDR member Nazrul Islam Mallik, told Tribunal-1 on Thursday that her husband was abducted and brutally murdered after being tied up and placed in a cement sack. She made the statement during cross-examination by defense lawyer Aminul Gani Titu, representing Ziaul Ahsan. The incident relates to the 2009 BDR massacre at Pilkhana, in which Nazrul Islam Mallik was reportedly a direct witness.

During questioning, Titu asked whether Shoronkhola police had informed her that her husband was suffocated to death. Munni Akter denied this, stating that police told her he was bound, his abdomen cut, and his body placed in a cement sack. Earlier, in her deposition, she said she had heard that Ziaul Ahsan abducted and killed her husband because he was a witness to the BDR killings.

The testimony adds to ongoing proceedings surrounding the disappearance and death of individuals linked to the 2009 BDR massacre case.

The article reports that the current Bangladesh government has repealed laws and ordinances that previously granted independence to the judiciary and the National Human Rights Commission. The author criticizes Law Minister Asaduzzaman for defending the repeal in parliament, arguing that the government’s claim of no enforced disappearances or crossfire incidents in its first 42 days does not guarantee future accountability. The piece suggests that the government intends to maintain control over institutions that should function independently.

The report traces the history of judicial politicization in Bangladesh, citing examples from both Awami League and BNP governments. It notes that the Supreme Court Secretariat Act and the judicial appointment policy—introduced under Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s interim government—were crucial steps toward separating the judiciary from the executive. Their cancellation, the article argues, contradicts the BNP’s own reform pledges and undermines the 1999 Supreme Court directive to establish an independent judicial secretariat.

The author concludes that successive governments have resisted judicial independence to retain political control, warning that the latest repeals signal continued executive dominance over the judiciary.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has accused the government of delaying the implementation of the July Charter. Speaking on Wednesday evening at the Majlis-e-Shura session of Jamaat’s Dhaka North unit in Baridhara, he said the government initially termed the referendum illegal but later accepted its validity, leaving no scope to bypass the charter. He urged the authorities to abandon what he called a self-destructive stance and immediately convene the Constitutional Reform Council to implement the July Charter in its original form.

Parwar called on party members to transform Dhaka into an unyielding stronghold of the Islamic movement and to act with patience, wisdom, and determination. He emphasized that the movement is dedicated to humanitarian welfare rather than conventional politics and urged members to strengthen leadership qualities through study and consultation.

Dhaka North Ameer Mohammad Selim Uddin reiterated that Jamaat’s politics aims at human welfare and divine satisfaction, calling for unity in serving people’s interests.

A mobile court in Babuganj, Barishal, fined three businesses a total of 85,000 taka for illegally hoarding fuel, LPG cylinders, and edible oil, and for selling them at inflated prices. The operation took place on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Dehergati and Rahmatpur unions, led by Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Kamrunnahar Tamanna, based on intelligence from the National Security Intelligence (NSI).

During the raids, 2,300 liters of fuel were found stored in Rakudia, leading to a 10,000 taka fine for Md. Monir Sardar. In Natanhat, Md. Asif Iqbal of S A Corporation was fined 50,000 taka for illegally storing LPG cylinders, while in Rahmatpur, S M Mahbub Alam of S M Traders was fined 25,000 taka for hoarding 3,000 liters of edible oil. NSI sources said the operation followed a long period of surveillance.

The assistant commissioner stated that similar drives against illegal hoarding and overpricing would continue in the area.

Police have arrested Saiful Islam Tarek for the brutal killing of his wife, Shahida Akter Ripa, in Cox’s Bazar. The arrest was made in Dhaka with the assistance of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and the suspect was brought to Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police Station on April 15, 2026. Earlier, on April 11, police recovered a headless and handless female body from an abandoned pond in the Janar Ghona area of Jhilongja Union.

According to police, Saiful confessed during interrogation that he mixed sleeping pills with sweets to make his wife unconscious before slitting her throat with a knife. He then severed her head and wrists to conceal her identity and disposed of the body parts separately in a nearby pond and the Bakkhali River. Police said they recovered the murder weapon and remnants of the drugged sweets based on his confession.

Authorities are continuing searches in the Bakkhali River to recover the missing head and wrists of the victim, following the suspect’s statement.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has issued a warning after discovering that a fraudulent group opened a fake WhatsApp account using the name and photo of its chairman, Md Abdur Rahman Khan, to demand money from various individuals. The warning was announced in an official notice released on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

According to the NBR statement, the scammers used the phone number +8801618-603328 to create the fake account and have previously engaged in similar fraudulent activities. The agency emphasized that the matter had come to its attention after multiple reports of such attempts.

The NBR urged all officers, employees, and members of the public to remain vigilant and avoid responding to any such fraudulent messages or demands for money.

Bangladesh welcomed the Bengali New Year 1433 with nationwide festivities centered in Dhaka, marked by a call for democracy and harmony. The day began at dawn under the banyan tree in Ramna Park with performances by Chhayanaut artists. This year’s celebration carried deeper political and cultural significance following the July uprising, blending joy with aspirations for justice and renewal. The traditional ‘Mangal Shobhajatra’ was renamed ‘Baishakhi Shobhajatra,’ themed ‘Harmony of the New Year, Revival of Democracy,’ led by Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor A.B.M. Obaidul Islam and attended by cultural figures and the Minister for Culture.

Political parties including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and Amar Bangladesh Party joined the celebrations through rallies and fairs. The NCP organized a colorful fair at Banglamotor, while BNP’s cultural wing JASAS arranged music and dance events across the capital. Dhaka University became the festival’s epicenter with exhibitions, puppet shows, and traditional games. Tight security ensured a peaceful environment, allowing citizens to celebrate freely.

The UNESCO-recognized festival reflected a collective hope for a humane and democratic Bangladesh, transcending divisions and celebrating cultural identity.