Authorities in Babuganj upazila of Barishal seized 3,000 liters of illegally stored fuel during a raid on Sunday night, April 12, 2026. The operation, led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer Asma Ul Husna and based on intelligence from the National Security Intelligence (NSI), targeted two local businesses—Messrs Howlader Store and Sikdar Store. Two dealers, A. Kuddus Howlader and Md. Saidur Rahman Sikdar, were fined a total of 8,000 taka under the Essential Commodities Control Act of 1956.

Officials confiscated 2,400 liters of diesel and 600 liters of petrol, which were later auctioned to local trawler, tractor, speedboat, and auto drivers. The sale generated 309,600 taka, deposited into the government treasury. According to intelligence sources, the accused had been sourcing fuel illegally from a filling station in Barishal city and selling it at inflated prices in Babuganj.

Local authorities stated that similar operations will continue to curb illegal fuel storage and black-market trading in the region.

Merchant banks and brokerage houses in Bangladesh are under pressure to adjust margin loans by April 30, 2026, as required by the new Margin Rules 2025. The adjustment deadline comes amid a prolonged downturn in the stock market, worsened by global instability following Iran’s attacks on the United States and Israel. Analysts warn that enforcing the adjustment now could trigger heavy selling pressure and deepen the market crisis.

In response, the DSE Brokers Association (DBA) has requested the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) to extend the adjustment deadline by three months, until July 31, 2026. The DBA’s letter to BSEC Chairman Khondkar Rashed Maksud, signed by President Saiful Islam, argues that forced adjustments during the current slump could negatively affect trading and investor confidence.

The Margin Rules 2025, effective since November 1, 2025, introduced stricter conditions on margin financing, including limits based on investment size, company category, and capital adequacy requirements. Market participants fear that forced compliance could intensify the ongoing market weakness.

The Bangladesh Coast Guard has launched a sweeping operation across the Sundarbans and coastal areas to strengthen security. According to Coast Guard media officer Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon, the force has arrested 61 members of various pirate groups and recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition over the past one and a half years. The announcement was made on Sunday, April 12, 2026.

The operation, conducted under the directives of the Home Minister, includes two major initiatives titled ‘Operation Restore Peace in Sundarbans’ and ‘Operation Mangrove Shield’. It is being carried out jointly by the Coast Guard, Navy, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Police, and Forest Department. The Coast Guard has also rescued 78 fishermen and 3 tourists alive, seized illegal fishing nets, fish fry, deer meat, and traps, and detained 29 poachers.

Officials stated that the coordinated raids will continue until the Sundarbans region is completely free of piracy and illegal activities.

The government has granted a posthumous promotion to former police officer Md. Kohinoor Mia, who had previously lost his job. According to a notification issued on Sunday by the Police-1 branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs, he has been promoted to the rank of Additional Deputy Inspector General (fourth grade). The order was signed by Deputy Secretary Tousif Ahmed on behalf of the President.

Kohinoor Mia was dismissed from service on February 22, 2011, during the Awami League government, when he was serving as Deputy Commissioner (West Zone) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The ministry’s earlier order had formally released him from duty. The new notification states that he will receive all due arrears and benefits according to regulations.

The order specifies that the decision has been made in the public interest and will take immediate effect, marking a formal recognition of his service despite his earlier dismissal.

Residents of the isolated river islands in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur district are enduring a relentless struggle for survival amid river erosion, poverty, and recurring natural disasters. The communities in newly emerged chars such as Charjanajat, Kathalbari, and Madbarer Char face severe shortages of roads, electricity, and safe drinking water. Many families have lost their homes and farmland to the Padma River’s erosion and wait years for new land to emerge where they can rebuild their lives.

Agriculture and fishing remain the main sources of livelihood, but income is uncertain due to floods, droughts, and sudden erosion. Transportation depends entirely on boats, which become scarce or dangerous during the monsoon, disrupting access to healthcare, education, and daily necessities. Local residents described the absence of schools, health centers, and reliable communication as major barriers to improving their lives.

Local representatives and residents emphasized the urgent need for sustainable embankments, improved transport links, electricity, clean water, and long-term development plans to ensure better living conditions for the Padma’s char communities.

Unplanned stone extraction is rapidly destroying farmland in Panchagarh, particularly in Tetulia upazila, as demand for construction materials rises. Farmers and contractors are digging 30–40 feet deep pits in cultivable land to extract stones, often without permission or regulation. The practice has already reduced agricultural land and production, prompting warnings from environmentalists that Tetulia’s farmland could be halved if immediate action is not taken.

According to local data, Tetulia upazila covers 18,912 hectares, of which 14,839 hectares are arable. However, much of this land is being converted for tea cultivation or left fallow after stone extraction. The Bangladesh Tea Board reports that 4,700 acres in Panchagarh are now under tea cultivation, mostly in Tetulia. Industrial land purchases and unutilized plots along highways have further reduced cultivable areas.

Environmental experts and local educators have urged stronger public awareness and enforcement of land-use rules. The district administration stated that it is maintaining strict monitoring to prevent farmland from becoming barren due to unregulated extraction.

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained a rickshaw van driver carrying 212 liters of diesel near the Chuadanga border on the night of April 12, 2026. The arrest took place in the Helatala area of Damurhuda upazila’s Parkrishnapur-Madna union, close to the Indian border. Members of the 6th Battalion seized both the rickshaw van and the diesel during the operation.

According to BGB sources, the detainee, identified as Israfil Hossain, 49, from Sorabaria village in Damurhuda, was allegedly involved in smuggling activities. The operation was part of an intensified security effort by the Chuadanga-6 Battalion to prevent fuel smuggling in the Boroboldia Border Outpost area. A temporary checkpost was set up between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., where patrol teams inspected vehicles and individuals.

BGB officials stated that legal action has been initiated regarding the seized diesel and that anti-smuggling surveillance will continue along the border to prevent similar incidents.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast that the mild to moderate heatwave currently sweeping across parts of the country may expand further. The 24-hour weather outlook issued on Sunday evening indicated that the heatwave is affecting Dhaka, Tangail, Faridpur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Sirajganj, and the Khulna division. The department warned that the heatwave could intensify and spread over the next few days.

According to the forecast, temporary gusty winds with rain or thundershowers may occur in a few places in the Chattogram and Sylhet divisions from Sunday evening. On Monday, scattered rain accompanied by strong winds is possible in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, while the rest of the country is expected to remain mostly dry with partly cloudy skies.

The weather office also noted that daytime temperatures may rise slightly across the country over the next two days, with nighttime temperatures increasing by one to two degrees Celsius. A slight drop in daytime temperatures is expected from April 14.

Former Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul and several ousted directors are closely observing the evolving situation following the formation of an ad hoc committee under Tamim Iqbal. The National Sports Council has directed that a new BCB election be held by July 6, 2026. Although Bulbul initially claimed to be the legitimate president and appealed to the ICC alleging government interference, his efforts failed, and the ICC upheld the new committee’s legitimacy.

Many of the 18 former directors remain uncertain about contesting the upcoming election. Those from the club category may have a chance to return as councillors, but the prospects are slim for directors from divisional or player quotas. Several former directors said they have not yet decided whether to participate, preferring to wait and assess the situation. Most have withdrawn from public appearances and cricket-related discussions since losing power.

The previous BCB election, held on October 6 last year, was marred by allegations of manipulation and irregularities. A National Sports Council investigation later found evidence supporting those claims, leading to the dissolution of Bulbul’s board within five months.

Allegations have surfaced that the Dhaka District Council became a hub of corruption during the previous Awami League government, with irregularities, fake projects, and large-scale embezzlement under the guise of development. Hundreds of acres of land were reportedly lost, and several public facilities remain abandoned or misused. The new administration has pledged to recover misappropriated assets and declared a policy of zero tolerance against corruption.

According to council sources, about 405 acres of land across five upazilas and 20 parliamentary constituencies are currently under illegal occupation. Several auditoriums and rest houses are also in disuse. The most serious allegations concern the unfinished 20-story “Dhaka Tower” project, initiated in 2011 with a budget exceeding Tk 160 crore and awarded to Toma Construction, linked to former state minister Mirza Azam. Despite partial payments of over Tk 53 crore, construction remains incomplete after 11 years.

Current administrator Yasin Ferdous Murad stated that the council had long been plagued by corruption and pledged to ensure transparency and accountability in all future projects, including completing the Dhaka Tower and reclaiming occupied lands.

Jamaat-e-Islami has announced an emergency press conference following recent statements made by the law minister, home minister, and the chief whip of the national parliament. The event is scheduled for Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the party’s central office in Moghbazar, Dhaka. Senior central leaders of the party are expected to attend the briefing.

The announcement was confirmed by Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, the party’s assistant secretary general and head of its central media and publicity department. The press conference comes in direct response to the remarks made by the government officials the previous day, though the content of those statements was not detailed in the report.

The development indicates Jamaat’s intent to formally address the government’s recent positions and clarify its stance amid ongoing political discussions.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works is planning a new official residence for Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, designed with advanced safety and security features. According to ministry sources, the residence will include an underground bunker and tunnel to protect the Prime Minister and family from external threats. The design will follow modern standards used in other countries’ prime ministerial residences. The project is being developed after the former official residence, Ganabhaban, was converted into the July Uprising Memorial Museum.

Officials said the new residence will be located in a central area of Dhaka, with Minto Road, Hare Road, and Bailey Road under consideration. The site will be chosen to ensure easy access to the Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, and other key government institutions. The Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department has been tasked with selecting the location, while discussions between the Prime Minister and the Housing Minister have already taken place.

The Prime Minister currently operates from his private residence in Gulshan-2 and uses the state guesthouse Jamuna for official events. Construction of the permanent residence will begin once the final location is approved.

Bangladesh’s new government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is confronting an immediate diplomatic challenge as both the United States and China intensify efforts to expand their influence in Dhaka. The US has expressed concern over China’s growing presence, with Ambassador Brent Christensen pledging to counter Beijing’s influence, prompting a sharp response from the Chinese embassy. Analysts say this rivalry has created a new geopolitical equation for Bangladesh’s foreign policy.

The situation follows a period of heightened engagement during the previous interim government, when China deepened ties through infrastructure and defense cooperation, while the US pressed Dhaka to limit dependence on Beijing. Bangladesh recently signed a trade deal with Washington under pressure, which diplomats describe as geopolitically driven. Since taking office, Rahman’s government has faced renewed US pressure to implement the deal and finalize major purchases, including Boeing aircraft, while China has invited Dhaka to strengthen bilateral and political relations.

Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman has stated that both the US and China are vital partners and that Bangladesh will maintain balanced relations guided by national interests. Analysts view the situation as both a challenge and an opportunity, urging cautious diplomacy to preserve strategic autonomy.

Several major cricket and football matches will be broadcast live on television tonight, according to the schedule released on April 13, 2026. The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 fixture between Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi will air live at 8 p.m. on T Sports and Tapmad. Football fans can watch the English Premier League clash between Manchester United and Leeds United live at 1 a.m. on Star Sports and Toffee Live. Additional European football matches include Levante versus Getafe in La Liga, airing at 1 a.m. on Fancode and Bet365, and Fiorentina versus Lazio in Serie A, airing at 12:45 a.m. on Bet365.

The broadcast lineup highlights a busy night for sports enthusiasts, offering simultaneous coverage of top-tier cricket and football competitions across multiple platforms. The schedule reflects the growing availability of international sports content on Bangladeshi television and streaming services, catering to diverse viewer interests.

These live telecasts are expected to attract strong viewership among cricket and football fans, particularly given the prominence of the teams and leagues featured.

Bangladesh is experiencing a major energy crisis, with 65 percent of its power generation capacity currently inactive. Out of a total capacity of 32,322 megawatts, only 10,000 to 10,500 megawatts are being added daily to the national grid. Officials from the Power Division and related agencies said the Power Development Board paid over Tk 26,000 crore in capacity charges in one fiscal year. They blamed the previous Awami League government’s policies for the current crisis, citing mismanagement and corruption in the energy sector.

Gas-based plants, with a capacity of 12,000 megawatts, are producing only about 4,000 megawatts due to gas shortages, while coal-based plants are generating 4,500 megawatts out of 7,500. Oil-based plants are also underperforming. Experts warned that if the fuel crisis continues, the country could face severe power disruptions as summer demand rises to 18,000 megawatts. The interim government has published a white paper alleging Tk 1.25 trillion in corruption in the power and energy sectors during the Awami League’s 15-year rule.

Officials said the government is struggling to maintain supply despite having 32,000 megawatts of installed capacity, while unpaid bills exceeding Tk 50,000 crore threaten future energy imports and production.