Israel reopened the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem to Palestinian worshippers after a 40-day closure. Verified footage from Al Jazeera showed thousands of Palestinians entering the mosque gates early Thursday, with around three thousand attending the dawn prayer. The reopening followed a period of restrictions imposed after the outbreak of war between Iran and the US-Israel alliance on February 28, which had limited or halted access to holy sites for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem confirmed that all mosque gates were reopened for worshippers from dawn. The Jordan-linked religious authority responsible for managing the site did not provide further details. Earlier footage showed volunteers cleaning and preparing the prayer areas to welcome worshippers. Israeli authorities announced the reopening of both Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Wednesday evening, citing updated guidance from the Israeli Home Front Command. Hundreds of police and border guards were deployed across Jerusalem’s Old City to ensure visitor safety.

The New Zealand national cricket team is scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on April 13 for a series against the host nation. To ensure the smooth completion of the matches, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has announced a coordinated and comprehensive security plan. Acting DMP Commissioner Md. Sarwar made the announcement during a coordination meeting on April 9 at the DMP headquarters, focusing on security and traffic management for the visiting team. According to the DMP, security measures will cover all venues, practice grounds, accommodations, and travel routes. Both uniformed and plainclothes police will be deployed, supported by standby SWAT, bomb disposal, dog squad, and crime scene teams. Representatives from the armed forces, intelligence agencies, specialized police units, the Bangladesh Cricket Board, and various civic and emergency services attended the meeting to discuss and refine the security arrangements. The DMP expressed optimism that with collective cooperation, the international tournament will proceed smoothly and safely.

A Dhaka court has once again postponed the submission of the investigation report in the Bangladesh Bank reserve theft case, marking the 94th delay. On Thursday, April 9, 2026, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Joshita Islam set May 18 as the new date after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) failed to present the report. The case stems from the February 5, 2016 cyber theft of 81 million US dollars from Bangladesh Bank’s account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The stolen funds were transferred to the Philippines through fraudulent use of the SWIFT system. Investigators believe a local group may have assisted the hackers in laundering the money. Following the incident, on March 15, 2016, Zobayer Bin Huda, Deputy Director of the Accounts and Budgeting Department of Bangladesh Bank, filed a case under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012 (amended 2015) and the Information and Communication Technology Act 2006. The CID continues to investigate the case.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed that all Pahela Baishakh celebrations across Bangladesh must conclude by 6 pm to ensure a safe and peaceful observance of the Bengali New Year 1433. The decision was made at a law and order meeting chaired by Senior Secretary Manjur Morshed Chowdhury at the Secretariat on April 8, 2026. A press release signed by Public Relations Officer Faisal Hasan confirmed the measures, which include strict security arrangements nationwide. Key directives include mandatory closure of events at venues such as Ramna Park, Suhrawardy Udyan, Dhaka University, Hatirjheel, and Rabindra Sarobar by 6 pm, with no new public entry after 5 pm. The ministry also banned lanterns, fireworks, gas balloons, and vuvuzelas, and prohibited wearing masks during the Dhaka University Fine Arts Faculty’s traditional procession. Dog squads, CCTV, watchtowers, and mobile courts will be deployed to prevent harassment and theft. Fire service units, ambulances, and medical teams will be stationed at major venues, while the TSC metro station will remain closed on April 14 for security reasons. The ministry urged visitors to avoid carrying bags, lighters, or matches and to keep identification notes with children.

A Dhaka tribunal has sentenced three men to life imprisonment and two others to ten years in jail for maiming a seven-year-old boy to force him into begging sixteen years ago. The verdict was delivered on Thursday, April 9, 2026, by Judge Munshi Md. Moshior Rahman of the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4. Each convict was also fined five lakh taka, with an additional one-year imprisonment in default. The court ordered that the fines be realized through auctioning the convicts’ properties and given to the victim’s family. The life-term convicts are Salauddin, Md. Shariful Islam alias Korban Mia, and Khondaker Omar Faruk. Considering their age, Md. Ramzan and Saddam received ten-year sentences. Two other accused, Kawsar and Nazma Akter, were acquitted due to lack of evidence. Among the convicts, Shariful Islam and Omar Faruk are in custody, while Salauddin, Ramzan, and Saddam remain fugitives. Arrest warrants have been issued for the absconding convicts. According to the case, the crime occurred on May 6, 2010, in Kamrangirchar, where the child was lured away, mutilated, and left severely injured. The tribunal heard testimony from 20 witnesses before delivering the verdict.

Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan has urged students not to fear the upcoming SSC examinations, assuring that the process will be properly monitored. Speaking on Thursday morning at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka, he said the ministry is working to prevent question paper leaks and will introduce laws to curb digital cheating. He also noted that future HSC exams will be held under a unified question system across all boards. The minister made these remarks while inaugurating a three-day workshop jointly organized by the National University, the ICT Division, and UNICEF. The workshop aims to integrate technical courses into the National University curriculum to prepare college students as skilled human resources for future challenges. The National University currently oversees 2,284 affiliated colleges with over four million students, most from middle- and lower-middle-income families. Officials said the curriculum reform follows BNQF guidelines and includes advanced ICT and skill-based courses. The initiative, supported by the ICT Division’s a2i program and UNICEF Bangladesh, seeks to make higher education more employment-oriented and globally competitive.

The governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia have agreed to reopen Malaysia’s labor market for Bangladeshi workers and reduce migration costs. The decision followed a bilateral meeting held on Thursday in Putrajaya, attended by Bangladesh’s Minister for Labor and Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Both sides committed to ensuring a fair, ethical, and transparent recruitment process based on Malaysia’s sectoral labor demands. According to a joint press statement, the two countries reaffirmed their long-standing partnership in labor migration and pledged to strengthen cooperation through a transparent and inclusive framework. The agreement includes addressing structural barriers that increase costs, using credible recruitment agencies, and expediting the placement of stranded workers. Malaysia also informed Bangladesh about its plan to introduce a technology-driven, AI-based recruitment system aimed at reducing intermediaries and ensuring that employers bear all recruitment expenses in line with International Labour Organization guidelines. Bangladesh expressed full support for implementing such a digital platform as part of a broader global initiative involving other labor-sending countries.

Twenty students in Madaripur fell ill after consuming government-provided tiffin meals, prompting the district administration to form a five-member investigation committee. The committee, headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Jewel Ahmed, was instructed to submit its report within three working days. The incident occurred on Wednesday, April 8, when students in several areas of Sadar upazila ate bread and eggs distributed under the government feeding program by a contractor named Samata Traders. Soon after eating, students began suffering from stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Several students from Pokrar Char Government Primary School were hospitalized in serious condition, causing panic among parents. The affected schools include Pokrar Char, Razar Char, Haujdi, and Kordi Government Primary Schools, among others. District Primary Education Officer Md. Fazle Elahi stated that expired food items were responsible for the illness and that higher authorities had been informed. Samata Traders’ operations manager AFM Ahasanul Habib said the company supplies tiffin to 89,151 students in 723 schools across five upazilas and promised greater caution in the future.

Police have arrested fugitive gunman Faruk from a hilly area in Chakaria, Cox’s Bazar, four days after a violent clash between two rival groups in Chattogram’s Bakalia area left a 13-year-old boy and four others injured. The arrest was announced at a press conference at the CMP headquarters in Dampara on Thursday afternoon by Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) Muhammad Faisal Ahmed. According to police, the confrontation occurred last Saturday night near Moydar Mill School field when the Morshed Khan and Shawkat groups clashed over local dominance, using pistols, shotguns, and other weapons. During the shooting, passerby Fahim was hit in both thighs. Police arrested four suspects at the scene and later recovered a homemade shotgun from Faruk’s rented house. Separate cases were filed over the shooting and illegal weapons. Authorities said Faruk was captured on April 8 through intelligence surveillance. He is now under interrogation, and legal proceedings are underway. The injured, including Fahim, remain hospitalized at Chattogram Medical College Hospital.

A report from Middle East Eye, cited by Amar Desh, details how Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan secretly assisted Iran’s nuclear ambitions through an international proliferation network. Khan, known as the father of Pakistan’s atomic program, allegedly provided Iran, Libya, and North Korea with nuclear technology and centrifuge designs. His actions, conducted under the watch of Israeli intelligence, were intended to challenge Western dominance and empower Muslim nations with nuclear capability. The report traces the origins of Pakistan’s nuclear program to the 1970s under Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who viewed nuclear weapons as essential for national survival after India’s 1974 test. Despite U.S. sanctions and Israeli opposition, Pakistan developed its own bomb by 1998. Khan’s network later supplied Iran with thousands of used centrifuges and key components between 1986 and 2001, while Iranian scientists trained in Pakistan. The network was exposed in 2003 when Libya disclosed its dealings with Khan to Western intelligence. Khan confessed in 2004 to aiding Iran, Libya, and North Korea, claiming he acted alone. His actions reshaped nuclear politics in the Muslim world and left Pakistan as the only Muslim-majority nuclear power.

Bangladesh’s State Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. M A Muhit, announced that the government plans to increase the national health budget fivefold in line with its election manifesto. He made the statement on Wednesday at the launch of the ‘Comprehensive Eye Care Services’ project held at Six Seasons Hotel in Dhaka’s Gulshan. The project is jointly implemented by Sightsavers and Gildan Activewear. Dr. Muhit described the country’s health sector as suffering from unprecedented corruption and mismanagement, calling the reform of the broken system a major challenge. He noted that budget allocations often remain underutilized due to limited capacity, which requires urgent improvement. The minister, who has long worked in blindness prevention, expressed personal emotion about returning to his field through this initiative. The project will provide eye screening, cataract surgery, medicines, and glasses for garment workers and marginalized communities in Savar’s Pathalia and Dhamsana unions, along with school-based eye health and awareness programs. Dr. Muhit emphasized that access to healthcare is a citizen’s right and urged industrial entrepreneurs to support similar initiatives.

State Minister for Labour, Employment and Expatriates’ Welfare Nurul Haque Nur faced repeated difficulties while introducing a bill during a session of the National Parliament on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed allowed him to correct his mistakes during the presentation. The incident drew attention on social media, prompting reactions from political figures. Former General Secretary of Gono Odhikar Parishad and current BNP activist Rashed Khan publicly defended Nur through a verified Facebook post. He explained that the issue arose from an error in the written text of the bill, not from Nur’s reading ability. According to Rashed, ministers usually do not prepare the documents themselves, and the problem likely resulted from an official drafting mistake that Nur failed to notice earlier due to time constraints. Rashed Khan added that Nur is new to parliament and one of the youngest among ministers and state ministers. He expressed hope that Nur would correct the error and perform better in the future, extending his best wishes to his former colleague.

A Dhaka court has once again postponed the submission of the investigation report in the murder case of popular actor Salman Shah. The report, which was due on April 9, 2026, could not be submitted by the investigating officer, prompting Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana to set a new date of May 14. The case, filed at Ramna Model Police Station, names Salman Shah’s former wife Samira Haque, actor Don, and nine others as accused. The case was originally filed on October 21 of the previous year by Salman Shah’s uncle, Mohammad Alamgir, under sections 302 and 34 of the Penal Code. It alleges that Salman Shah was found unconscious at his New Eskaton residence on September 6, 1996, and later declared dead at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. The family claimed that marks on his neck and body indicated murder. Initially recorded as an unnatural death, the case was later reclassified as a murder case following a court order on October 20. The plaintiff stated that if any of the accused are proven deceased, they may be exempted. The investigation remains ongoing.

The Energy Division of Bangladesh announced that there will be no shortage of petrol or octane in the country over the next two months. Joint Secretary Monir Hossain Chowdhury shared the update at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Thursday, stating that the current fuel reserves include 143,000 metric tons of diesel, 9,569 metric tons of octane, and 16,812 metric tons of petrol. He emphasized that the country currently faces no fuel crisis. According to the Energy Division, 469,042 liters of illegally hoarded fuel have been recovered through 7,342 nationwide operations. Chowdhury noted that the government provides a subsidy of Tk 55 per liter of diesel, selling it at Tk 100 instead of Tk 155, costing the state Tk 2,000–2,500 crore monthly. He also mentioned that the government has begun pilot sales of fuel through the “Fuel Pass” system at two Dhaka stations, with plans for nationwide expansion. Chowdhury added that the government aims to build capacity for at least three months of fuel reserves and will review consumer complaints about LPG prices.

Students in Barishal staged a road blockade on Thursday noon demanding the arrest and swift trial of the autorickshaw driver responsible for the death of schoolgirl Chaiti. The protest took place in front of Sher-e-Bangla Girls’ School on BM College Road, halting traffic for about an hour and causing severe congestion. Barishal City Corporation Administrator Advocate Bilkis Akter Jahan Shirin arrived at the scene and assured the students that the accused driver would be arrested and brought before the school, and that illegal autorickshaw operations in the city would be stopped. Following her assurance, the students returned to class. Administrator Shirin also stated that allegations of medical negligence in Chaiti’s death would be investigated and that anyone found responsible would face consequences. Local residents said Chaiti was fatally injured when a battery-run autorickshaw hit her while crossing the road after school on Wednesday. She was taken to Barishal General Hospital and later to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, where she died late at night. Locals alleged that similar incidents had occurred before without justice. Police said the body was handed over to the family without autopsy as no complaint was filed.