The United Arab Emirates’ state security agency announced on Monday that it had arrested members of an Iran-aligned group accused of planning sabotage operations aimed at disrupting national security and unity. According to the UAE’s official news agency WAM, the detainees were allegedly preparing coordinated acts of sabotage within the country to destabilize peace and cohesion. Investigations revealed that the group sought to recruit Emirati youth to advance its own agenda and had been collecting funds through unauthorized means to transfer abroad. Authorities said the network maintained secret contacts with foreign organizations and held covert meetings both domestically and internationally to plan attacks on sensitive sites. The group faces charges of running a clandestine organization, pledging allegiance to foreign powers, and attempting to undermine national stability. The arrests follow last month’s reported crackdown on a Hezbollah- and Iran-linked money-laundering network. The UAE government reiterated that it would not tolerate any form of foreign interference in its internal security affairs amid ongoing regional geopolitical tensions.

Police in Shibchar, Madaripur, have arrested two suspects linked to the robbery of an oil-laden truck. The arrests were made on Saturday, April 19, 2026, during special operations conducted with technological assistance in separate locations in Cumilla and Narayanganj. Authorities recovered the stolen truck, cash amounting to 192,000 taka from oil sales, and various police equipment. The detainees were identified as Azizul Mia, aged 31, and Mokles Rahman, aged 33. According to police sources, the robbery occurred on the night of April 12 when a truck carrying 75 barrels of palm oil left Dhaka for Jhenaidah. Around midnight near Naodoba in Shariatpur, a gang intercepted the vehicle, attacked the driver and his assistant with sharp weapons, and seized the truck. The injured victims were later abandoned in Bakherkandi, Shibchar. Following the incident, a case was filed at Shibchar Police Station, leading to the arrests through subsequent operations. Police officials confirmed that the recovered items included the looted truck and cash proceeds from the stolen oil.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has nominated Beethika Binte Hossain, wife of late BNP leader and former Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal president Shafiul Bari Babu, for a reserved women’s seat in parliament. Party members believe the nomination reflects recognition of both her husband’s lifelong political sacrifices and her own contributions to the party’s grassroots activities. The Election Commission has already announced the schedule for the reserved women’s seat election, with April 21 set as the last date for nomination submission and April 22–23 for scrutiny. Shafiul Bari Babu was known as a strong voice against fascism and autocracy, spending much of his life in hiding or in prison for his political activism. Following his death in 2020, Beethika became active in politics, working in Lakshmipur’s Ramgati and Komolnagar areas to strengthen local party structures and support community initiatives. She also founded a humanitarian organization named “Orpon Alok,” which assists oppressed and underprivileged people. According to party sources, BNP is finalizing candidates based on merit, sacrifice, and organizational contribution. Leaders view Beethika’s nomination positively and expect her to strengthen the party’s position in parliament.

Tasmiya Pradhan, chairperson of the National Democratic Party–JAGPA, has been nominated by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance for a reserved women’s seat in Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament. The nomination was confirmed by Dr. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami and coordinator of the alliance. Among the 13 nominees, nine are from Jamaat-e-Islami, two from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), one from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, and one from JAGPA. The 11-party alliance secured 77 seats in the national election held on February 12, entitling it to 13 reserved women’s seats. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will receive 36 of the 50 reserved women’s seats. The ruling party finalized its list of candidates earlier on the same day, followed by the announcement from the 11-party alliance. The newly nominated women members from the alliance are expected to work in parliament to fulfill public expectations, according to the report.

The United States military has forced 27 Iranian ships to change course or return to Iranian ports since April 13, following the imposition of a naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the development in a statement on social media, noting that the blockade was ordered by President Donald Trump and has been strictly enforced. The operation aims to halt all commercial maritime traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports, and so far, no vessel has breached the blockade. CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla stated that the blockade is being conducted with caution and clarified that non-Iranian maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains unaffected. The blockade was imposed after peace talks between Iran and the United States in Islamabad failed. Analysts cited in the report said the move is severely impacting Iran’s maritime trade, while Iran has condemned it as a “war crime” and warned of retaliation. Experts view CENTCOM’s latest disclosure as part of a broader strategy to increase pressure on Iran while U.S. negotiators remain in Islamabad for a second round of discussions.

A Dhaka court has ordered the blocking of six credit cards belonging to former Dhaka South City Corporation mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and his wife Afrin Taposh. The order, issued on Monday by Judge Md Sabbir Foyez of the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court, came following a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ACC alleged that Taposh abused his power as mayor and lawmaker to amass assets worth Tk 73.19 crore beyond known income sources and conducted suspicious transactions totaling Tk 539.16 crore and USD 517,527 across 27 bank accounts. The petition also stated that Afrin Taposh, in collusion with her husband, unlawfully acquired assets worth Tk 6.40 crore and engaged in suspicious transactions amounting to Tk 70.89 crore and USD 395,963 through nine bank accounts. The court directed that three credit cards of each accused be blocked to prevent any withdrawal of funds during the investigation. Investigating officers have been appointed to conduct the inquiry. The report noted that Taposh fled to Singapore in July 2024 during a period of political unrest, and a phone conversation between him and the then prime minister went viral on social media.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is reportedly leading a delegation to Islamabad for potential discussions centered on Iran, but international media outlets have provided differing accounts of the trip’s timing. According to The Guardian, citing the New York Post, the delegation—also including special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner—has already departed and is expected to arrive in Pakistan within hours. President Donald Trump stated that talks are planned and suggested progress could lead to a meeting with Iran’s top leaders. However, Tehran has indicated it has no plans for another round of peace talks. CNN, by contrast, reported uncertainty about the schedule, citing sources who said Vance is expected to leave Washington on Tuesday, with a second round of U.S.-Iran talks planned for Wednesday in Islamabad. The White House has not confirmed any specific timing, saying only that the delegation may depart soon. The differing reports follow a previous 21-hour meeting in Islamabad last week that ended without resolution over Iran’s nuclear program and mutual trust issues. The situation remains fluid, with both U.S. and Iranian positions appearing cautious amid heightened rhetoric between the two nations.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman reaffirmed his commitment to implement every promise of the July Charter signed by the BNP at the South Plaza of Parliament. Speaking at a rally organized by the Bogura district BNP at Altafunnesa Field on Monday, he said each word and letter of the charter would be realized. He highlighted that after years of curtailed freedoms, the people regained their voting and speech rights through the 2024 mass movement that ousted autocracy. Rahman accused previous regimes of corruption under the guise of development and said the February 12 election gave the BNP a five-year mandate to govern. He detailed several fulfilled pledges, including the launch of family and farmer cards, waiver of agricultural loans up to 10,000 taka, and honorariums for religious institution staff. He also announced plans for canal excavation, manpower export expansion, and new educational and transport projects in Bogura. The Prime Minister criticized some political parties for focusing only on constitutional issues while ignoring reforms in health, administration, law enforcement, and women’s development. He urged citizens to stay alert against misinformation and reaffirmed that the government’s goal is to fulfill the people’s mandate through continued reform and development efforts.

Expatriates Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury inaugurated the excavation of the Barni Sabri canal in Companiganj upazila of Sylhet on Monday, April 20, 2026. The project, under the Employment Generation Program for the Poorest (EGP), covers a 1.5-kilometer stretch that will connect to the Gile Katagang canal. The excavation will employ 214 laborers for 43 days, each earning a daily wage of Tk 500, alongside the use of excavator machines. The total cost of the project is approximately Tk 9.3 million, with half of the budget allocated for wages of the ultra-poor workers. Local administrative and political representatives, including the Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Robin Mia, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Palash Talukdar, and several BNP leaders, were present at the inauguration ceremony. The initiative aims to improve local water management and create temporary employment opportunities for low-income residents under the government’s poverty alleviation program.

A Dhaka court has ordered a four-day remand for retired Major General Tariq Ahmed Siddiqi’s driver Md. Mahidul Islam and caretaker Md. Chan Mia in connection with a murder case filed over the July student uprising in the capital’s New Market area. The order was issued on Monday by Metropolitan Magistrate Didarul Alam, confirmed by state prosecutor Harun-or-Rashid. The two were arrested earlier from Thakurgaon and Dhaka’s Bhashantek area. According to the remand petition submitted by investigating officer Inspector Amjad Hossain Talukder, the accused allegedly acted on instructions conveyed through Tariq Siddiqi from senior political leaders named in the case. They were accused of assisting in the suppression of the anti-discrimination student movement by delivering money, weapons, and ammunition to opposition groups in different parts of Dhaka. The court granted four days of remand after hearing the petition. Case records state that on July 19, 2024, a peaceful rally near Gate No. 1 of New Market was attacked with local and foreign weapons, resulting in the death of Abdul Wadud.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has released its list of nominees for 36 reserved women’s seats in the Jatiya Sangsad. The announcement was made on Monday afternoon by Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, the party’s senior joint secretary general and adviser to the prime minister. Although May 12 was initially set for voting in this indirect election, procedural reasons mean no voting will be required, making the nominated candidates virtually confirmed as members of parliament. Among the BNP nominees are nine former MPs, including Begum Selima Rahman, Shirin Sultana, and Rehana Akter Ranu. The remaining 26 nominees are new faces such as Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Nawaz Halima Arly, and Sanjida Islam Tuli. The reserved women’s seats in parliament total 50, distributed at one seat for every six general members. Based on this ratio, the BNP alliance will receive 36 seats, the Jamaat alliance 13, and independents one. The announcement marks a key step in finalizing women’s representation in the current parliament through party nominations rather than direct elections.

US President Donald Trump has stated that Israel did not provoke him into starting a war against Iran. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, he rejected reports claiming that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pressured him in late February to launch a joint attack on Iran. Trump dismissed those allegations, asserting that the decision to take military action was entirely his own. He said the events of October 7 and his lifelong belief that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons influenced his decision. Trump added that if Iran’s new leaders act wisely, the country could have a prosperous future ahead. The statement comes amid ongoing discussions about US-Iran relations and follows reports of regional diplomatic efforts involving Pakistan and China.

A Dhaka court has ordered one-day jail gate interrogation of former State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak in a money laundering case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The order was issued on Monday by Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Sabbir Foyez, according to court bench assistant Md Riaz Hossain. The ACC’s investigating officer and Assistant Director Al-Amin had submitted the petition seeking permission for the interrogation. According to the petition, Palak allegedly abused his power to acquire assets worth Tk 8.73 crore beyond known sources of income. The ACC investigation found that he and his associates held 25 bank accounts containing Tk 32.04 crore, of which Tk 29.84 crore had already been withdrawn. The commission suspects the funds were obtained through bribery and corruption, constituting an offense under the Money Laundering Prevention Act. The case was filed on December 12, 2024, at the ACC’s Integrated District Office, Dhaka-1, under sections of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2004 and the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947. As Palak is currently in custody, the ACC sought permission to question him at the jail gate, which the court approved after a hearing.

Subarna Shikdar (Thakur), who serves as the Forest and Environment Affairs Secretary of the Kashiani Upazila unit of the Awami League in Gopalganj, has been nominated by the BNP as a candidate for a reserved women's seat in parliament. The announcement, made on Monday, has triggered widespread criticism on social media. According to local Awami League sources, Subarna’s name appeared as number 27 on the official list of the Kashiani Upazila Awami League committee formed during its triennial conference on November 30, 2022. The list was signed by Gopalganj District Awami League General Secretary GM Shahabuddin Azam. In the BNP’s newly announced list of 36 candidates for reserved women’s seats, Subarna’s name appears at number 20. Attempts to reach Subarna Shikdar (Thakur) for comment were unsuccessful, as she reportedly disconnected the phone when contacted.

The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance has nominated 13 candidates for the reserved women's seats in Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament. The announcement was made on Monday evening at the alliance’s press conference held at Jamaat’s central office in Moghbazar. Alliance coordinator and Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Hamidur Rahman Azad declared the names, adding that nomination papers would be submitted on Tuesday morning at the Election Commission office in Agargaon. Among the nominees, eight are leaders from Jamaat’s women’s division, one is the mother of July martyr Jabir Ibrahim, two are from the National Citizen Party (NCP), one from the National Democratic Party (JAGPA), and one from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish. Azad stated that the alliance, which had jointly participated in the February 12 election, continues to act together as the parliamentary opposition. He noted that some parties without parliamentary representation were still given seats as part of the alliance’s political commitment. The alliance leaders, including representatives from Jamaat, NCP, JAGPA, and Khelafat Majlish, attended the press conference, expressing unity and commitment to collective political action.