Iran has warned that oil production in Gulf countries could be targeted if their territories are used for attacks against Iran. The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force issued the threat, according to a report by the state-backed Fars News Agency. The warning comes as several Persian Gulf nations have previously allowed Iran’s adversaries to operate from their soil. The report added that Iran’s list of potential targets has expanded beyond military installations to include major oil fields and refineries across the Middle East. The commander specifically mentioned locations in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. Many of these countries are U.S. allies and host American military bases. The statement underscores rising regional tensions and signals that Iran may consider economic infrastructure a strategic target if hostilities escalate further.

Nahida Sultana Brishti, a former student of the Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering department at Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU), has been missing in the United States for five days. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of South Florida. According to her classmates, she went missing after going out with another student off campus, and both of their phones have since been switched off. University and state police have begun a joint investigation, with the last phone signal traced inside the campus. The matter has been reported to the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Miami, which stated that the case is being treated seriously and that the FBI may be involved if necessary. Searches in nearby hospitals, airports, and detention centers have so far yielded no results. Brishti’s family last spoke to her on April 16 and has since been unable to contact her. They have informed the police and the Bangladesh Embassy in the US and are seeking assistance for her safe return. Friends, classmates, and family members have appealed for information and expressed growing concern over her disappearance.

Gazipur Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan attended the wedding of Sreemati Preeti Rani Bashfor, a motherless bride from the Harijan community, as an invited guest. The event took place in Gazipur, where the DC’s presence deeply moved members of the marginalized Harijan group, who expressed joy and gratitude at his unexpected attendance. Preeti Rani Bashfor is the daughter of Ratan Bashfor, a worker of the Bangladesh Harijan Oikya Parishad’s Gazipur metropolitan unit and a long-serving sanitation worker at Gazipur City Corporation. Her late mother, Seema Rani Bashfor, also worked as a cleaner at DUET in Gazipur. The family educated their daughter, who is now a second-year university student. The Harijan community, traditionally engaged in sanitation work, is often referred to as Dalit or marginalized in South Asia. During the event, DC Bhuiyan emphasized constitutional equality for all citizens regardless of religion, caste, gender, or origin, and called for unity and respect across professions to build Gazipur as a district of equality and harmony.

Ahead of the April 23 West Bengal assembly election, reports allege that India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission have systematically removed large numbers of Muslim voters from the rolls. The revision process, known as SIR, began in November 2025 and resulted in 9.1 million voters being excluded from the final list published in April 2026. Analysts and opposition parties claim that 41 percent of those removed are Muslims, despite Muslims comprising only 27 percent of the state’s population. Districts with high Muslim populations, such as Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, and Malda, saw the highest numbers of deletions. Reports from journalists and research institutes suggest that the voter exclusions disproportionately affect areas where the Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, has historically dominated. The Sabar Institute’s analysis found that in Nandigram and Bhabanipur—key constituencies where BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is contesting—most of the removed names were Muslim. The Election Commission maintains that the process targeted deceased and fake voters, but opposition parties and analysts argue it was politically motivated. Observers warn that the large-scale disenfranchisement could significantly influence the election outcome in closely contested constituencies.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States has completely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran wants to reopen it to earn about 500 million dollars daily. According to Trump, Iran has kept the vital waterway closed only to save face, as reported by Al Jazeera. He made the remarks in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump added that Iran’s real intention is to reopen the strait because keeping it closed causes financial losses. He claimed that Iran maintains the closure only because the United States has already imposed a full blockade. Trump further mentioned that four days earlier, people informed him that Iran wanted to reopen the strait immediately, but doing so could prevent any future agreement with Iran unless its leadership were destroyed. The report highlights continuing tensions between the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route, with both sides asserting conflicting positions on its status.

French President Emmanuel Macron has intensified diplomatic efforts to ease tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory and the disarmament of Hezbollah. His appeal came during an ongoing temporary ceasefire, sparking renewed debate over regional stability. In a social media message, Macron reaffirmed France’s support for Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the Lebanese people, pledging continued assistance in addressing humanitarian challenges and helping displaced populations. He emphasized that lasting peace and stability between Lebanon and Israel can only be achieved through political compromise that ensures both nations’ security while safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Macron also urged Hezbollah to halt attacks against Israel and abandon its role as an alternative military force. He called for international cooperation to rebuild and stabilize Lebanon. Analysts noted that France’s historical ties with Lebanon make Macron’s initiative a significant diplomatic move as cross-border clashes and rocket attacks have recently intensified, worsening civilian hardship and displacement.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has announced Principal Muhammad Shamsuzzaman Helali as its mayoral candidate for the upcoming Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) election. Helali, a former councillor of the Soloshahar ward, was nominated following a meeting of the party’s city-level Shura council held on Monday night. The decision was confirmed by Morshedul Islam Chowdhury, the assistant secretary of the city Jamaat, who said the nomination was based on the opinions of city members and the central committee’s approval. Helali previously contested the 13th parliamentary election from the Chattogram-10 constituency as a Jamaat candidate but lost to BNP’s Saeed Al Noman by a margin of 46,000 votes. A postgraduate by education, Helali was formerly a teacher and is now engaged in business. Before his nomination, former DUCSU vice president Sadiq Kayem and several other Jamaat leaders had also been considered for the mayoral race. The party has also finalized candidates for councillor positions in 41 wards, though the list has not yet been made public.

A 17-year-old student named Ashfaq Kabir Sajid was killed on April 12 in Chattogram after being beaten and thrown into a lift shaft from an under-construction eight-story building. Sajid, a first-year student at BAF Shaheen College, had returned from his home in Badarkhali, Cox’s Bazar, earlier that day. Police said he was attacked by a group of youths in the Baklia area and tried to escape into a residential building, but was chased, beaten, and fatally pushed into the shaft. Sajid had moved to Chattogram eight months earlier to pursue higher studies, living in a small rented room in the DC Road area. Coming from a lower-middle-class family, his parents had supported his education despite financial hardship. His death has left the family devastated. Police arrested three suspects—Mishkatul Kayes, Enayetullah, and Enamul Haque—two days after the incident. Investigators described them as known local criminals linked to youth gangs, with multiple prior cases. The motive behind the killing remains unclear, according to police.

Five police officers, including the officer-in-charge of Laxmikunda River Outpost, were shot and injured when unidentified assailants attacked a police patrol on the Padma River in Haripur area of Kushtia district. The incident occurred between 1:10 a.m. and 1:50 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21, while the team was conducting a routine patrol. According to reports, the attackers opened fire suddenly, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the two sides. The injured officers were immediately rescued and taken to Pabna General Hospital, and one critically wounded officer was later referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. All five injured officers are currently under treatment. Pabna Additional Superintendent of Police Md. Moshior Rahman stated that additional forces have been deployed in the area and operations are ongoing to identify and arrest those involved.

A commentary published on April 22, 2026, in the newspaper Amar Desh argues that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), now led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, faces internal and structural challenges that could undermine its stability. The writer, Minar Rashid, warns that the party’s leadership must act quickly to restore public trust and avoid repeating the political turmoil of past crises such as the 1/11 episode. He stresses that the government must demonstrate transparency, uphold human rights, and ensure that enforced disappearances never return. The article criticizes opportunistic intellectuals and bureaucrats who align themselves with whichever party is in power, claiming they have historically misled governments. It also highlights the persistence of bureaucratic and cultural inertia inherited from colonial and post-independence administrations. The writer urges the BNP to distinguish itself through genuine reform, political tolerance, and accountability, rather than replicating the behavior of previous regimes. The piece concludes that legal reforms alone cannot prevent abuses of power unless accompanied by political commitment and public awareness, emphasizing that sustainable democracy requires mutual respect between government and opposition.

A white paper released under the interim government has revealed serious irregularities and policy violations in the process of granting private submarine cable licenses during the Awami League administration. The report warns that the state-owned Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC (BSCCPLC) could lose up to Tk 616 crore in revenue and Tk 69 crore in dividends over the next four years. The government has ordered an investigation into the activities and consortium legitimacy of three private firms—Summit, Metacore, and Cdnet—accused of breaching licensing rules and endangering national digital security. According to the white paper, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) issued three private licenses in 2022, but the companies formed a single consortium named BPCS instead of building separate cables. This consolidation undermined network reliability and concentrated strategic control, posing national security risks. The report also warns that the move could create artificial market capacity, waste public funds, and cause a steep fall in bandwidth prices, leading to significant financial losses for BSCCPLC. Sector experts suggest suspending private submarine cable operations for three to five years after the launch of the SMW6 cable and granting BSCCPLC special protection as critical national infrastructure.

Rajshahi University Chhatra Dal President Sultan Ahmed Rahi has called for a nationwide ban on Jamaat-Shibir politics, alleging that the group has been operating secretly across Bangladesh. He made the remarks on April 21, 2026, during a protest rally held at the university’s transport yard following a reported clash between Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir at Chittagong City College. Rahi urged his party’s activists to organize movements to stop Jamaat-Shibir’s political activities in residential halls, libraries, and tea stalls. Other Chhatra Dal leaders, including General Secretary Sardar Zahurul Haque, Organizational Secretary Mahmudul Mithu, and Senior Joint Secretary Shafiqul Islam Shafik, echoed similar sentiments during the post-rally gathering. They argued that Jamaat-Shibir had misused power in educational institutions and should be expelled from campuses. The leaders also linked their demand to past political movements, including the 2024 anti-fascist protests and the 1990 mass uprising, asserting that no authoritarian force could sustain itself in Bangladesh. The rally featured slogans calling for resistance against Jamaat-Shibir and unity among Chhatra Dal members to protect campuses from what they described as secret political activities.

Iran’s Education Minister Alireza Khazemi announced that around 1,300 schools across the country were damaged in recent US-Israeli attacks, with repair work on 775 of them already completed. The information was reported by Iran’s state news agency IRNA on April 22, 2026. According to the minister, the attacks, which began on February 28, left at least 20 schools completely destroyed. The most severe damage occurred in the provinces of Tehran, Kermanshah, Isfahan, and Hormozgan. Khazemi expressed optimism that reconstruction of the remaining damaged schools would be finished by October. The report highlights the scale of infrastructure damage to Iran’s education sector following the attacks and outlines the government’s ongoing efforts to restore normal schooling conditions across affected regions.

Bangladesh is experiencing an acute shortage of diesel and fertilizer, leaving farmers struggling with high prices and disrupted irrigation during the peak cultivation season. Reports from multiple districts show that diesel scarcity and frequent power outages have severely affected irrigation, while fertilizer prices have surged far above official rates. Farmers are paying up to 2,000 taka for a 50-kg bag of urea that should cost 1,350 taka. Gas shortages have forced 99 percent of fertilizer factories to shut down, limiting domestic production and deepening the crisis. Officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension claim that national fertilizer reserves are sufficient and that reports of shortages are exaggerated. However, field data from regions such as Jhenaidah and Nilphamari reveal inconsistent supply and price manipulation by dealers. The government has initiated the import of 500,000 metric tons of fertilizer to stabilize supply, with tenders already issued for part of the quantity. The diesel price hike of 10–15 percent has further increased irrigation and transport costs, raising concerns about reduced crop yields and rising food prices. Economists warn that without swift action, the crisis could threaten food security and rural livelihoods.

Iran’s drone development, first noticed in Hezbollah operations near the Israel-Lebanon border, gained global attention when Iranian-made drones appeared in the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. Despite decades of sanctions since 1979, Iran built a domestic drone industry that evolved from simple reconnaissance devices to long-range strike systems capable of reaching Israel by 2026. The program began during the Iran-Iraq war when sanctions and the departure of U.S. engineers left Iran’s air force crippled. Facing technological isolation, Iranian engineers and students at Isfahan University developed early drones for surveillance, later adapted for combat under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. By the late 1980s, Iran became one of the first nations to deploy armed unmanned aerial vehicles in warfare. Iran’s strategy emphasized low-cost mass deployment over precision, allowing swarms of inexpensive drones to overwhelm expensive missile defenses. This cost asymmetry was demonstrated in the 2019 Aramco oil facility attack, which caused billions in damage at minimal expense. The evolution of Iran’s drone program has altered modern warfare economics and challenged traditional military power hierarchies.