A retail shop in Crystal Lake, Illinois, known as the 'Trump Truth Store + Hangout,' has temporarily closed due to a sharp decline in customer traffic. Owner Lisa Fleischman announced the closure on Facebook, citing the ongoing Iran war as the main reason for the drop in sales. She said that since President Donald Trump launched 'Operation Epic Fury' against Iran on February 28, sales of political T-shirts, hats, and memorabilia have plummeted. Fleischman told The Chicago Tribune that public interest in items such as red caps, flags, and shirts bearing slogans like 'God, Guns, and Trump' has fallen dramatically. She noted that customers appear uncertain and hesitant to wear such merchandise amid the current conflict. In recent days, she had hinted at the closure, mentioning health issues and considering shifting the business online. Fleischman added that she could no longer cover even half of her rent and was unsure how long she could sustain the business. The store will remain closed until further notice.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Division conducted a daylong operation on Tuesday in the Gulshan-2, Kakoli, Banani, Chairman Bari, and Amtoli Road areas of the capital. During the drive, 11 traders were fined a total of Tk 78,000 for occupying sidewalks and roads. No arrests were made during the operation, but legal action was taken against those who violated regulations. According to the DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division, the operation was part of an ongoing effort to ensure smooth pedestrian movement and maintain order on city streets. The department stated that eviction drives will continue to uphold traffic discipline and public convenience. The DMP emphasized that such enforcement actions are aimed at keeping public spaces free from illegal encroachments and ensuring safer, more organized urban mobility.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited delegations from the United States and Iran to Islamabad for peace discussions scheduled for Friday. The meeting aims to promote dialogue between the two nations amid ongoing regional tensions. According to Iranian news agency ISNA, the US delegation may be led by Vice President JD Vance, while Iran’s delegation is expected to be headed by Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf. The talks will take place in Pakistan’s capital, reflecting Islamabad’s effort to facilitate communication between Washington and Tehran. The report, citing Al Jazeera, did not specify the agenda or expected outcomes of the meeting, but the involvement of high-level representatives suggests a significant diplomatic engagement.

In Bangladesh’s parliament, Brahmanbaria-2 MP Rumin Farhana voiced concern over child deaths from measles and a severe vaccine shortage. During a special discussion chaired by Speaker Hafiz Ahmed, she criticized mismanagement in the health sector. Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain acknowledged the vaccine shortfall but said the government had stabilized the situation. Rumin alleged that routine immunization suffered major gaps after the COVID-19 period, worsened by unpaid wages of vaccine transport workers for nine months and staff shortages. She cited data showing 98 suspected and 16 confirmed child deaths from measles between March 15 and April 4, and claimed vaccine reserves for 10 diseases were nearly depleted. The minister confirmed the wage arrears and said payments had begun. He added that unused ADB funds of 604 crore taka were being used through UNICEF to procure vaccines, with 419 crore finalized and 200 crore worth already delivered. Emergency vaccination began on April 5 in 18 high-risk districts, with nationwide campaigns set for May 20 and city programs from April 12. The minister said WHO and UNICEF reported 41 measles deaths and assured that vaccine stocks were now stable.

The Narayanganj Metropolitan Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam’s General Secretary, Maulana Ferdousur Rahman, has been issued a show-cause notice for alleged activities violating party discipline. The notice, signed by district president Mufti Monir Hossain Kasemi, was released on Wednesday afternoon. Rahman has been instructed to respond within seven days. According to the letter, Rahman organized a council meeting for April 9 without approval from the district or metropolitan Majlis-e-Amela and without informing the district president. The letter accuses him of acting with personal motives, creating internal conflict, and misleading central leaders with false information. These actions were described as contrary to party discipline and potentially disruptive to organizational order. The notice also directed the suspension of the announced council and required Rahman to submit a written explanation to the district president, district and metropolitan Majlis-e-Amela, and the central committee by April 16.

A lawyer has filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul, former legal adviser to the interim government, alleging corruption and illegal accumulation of wealth. The complaint was submitted on Wednesday by a Supreme Court lawyer, and the ACC has accepted it for review. The petition also requested an investigation into the alleged corruption and assets of Nazrul’s then personal secretary, Shamsuddin Masum, who now serves as a district judge. According to the complaint, citing newspaper reports, during Nazrul’s tenure as legal adviser, large-scale bribery occurred in the transfer of sub-registrars within the Ministry of Law, amounting to around one billion taka. It alleged that transfer orders were issued or suspended based on bribe payments, with Masum acting as an intermediary in the transactions. The complaint described the corruption as widespread and requested the ACC to take appropriate legal action after investigation. The ACC’s next steps or timeline for inquiry were not specified in the report.

A Dhaka court has placed former Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) director Afzal Naser on a fresh four-day remand for interrogation in a case filed over the killing of BNP activist Mokbul Hossain. The order was issued on Wednesday afternoon by Metropolitan Magistrate Md Sefatullah, following a request from the prosecution. Sub-Inspector Tofazzal Hossain of the Motijheel Detective Branch had sought a seven-day remand, but the court granted four days. According to the report, Naser had already been in remand since Sunday in connection with the same case. Earlier, he was also remanded for six days in another case related to the killing of Delwar Hossain during the July movement. This marks the third time he has been placed on remand. The prosecution argued that further interrogation was necessary to gather more information, while Naser’s lawyer opposed the request, saying there was no substantial evidence against him and that questioning could be done at the jail gate. The case stems from a 2022 incident when BNP announced a one-point movement, and police raids at the party’s Nayapaltan office led to violence that killed Mokbul Hossain. The case was filed in September 2024 against 256 people, including Sheikh Hasina.

Authorities in Gauripur, Mymensingh, have uncovered alleged fuel manipulation at Messrs. Soad Filling Station, owned by Hafiz Azizul Haque, the member secretary of the local BNP unit. On Tuesday, April 7, a mobile court led by Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Nurul Huda Monir arrested station manager Jalil Hossain Rifat for allegedly misappropriating about 50,000 liters of petrol. A case has been filed at Gauripur Police Station, and the process of sending the arrested manager to court is underway. According to case details, the station was allocated a total of 58,500 liters of petrol between April 1 and 7 from the Bhairab Bazar depot in Kishoreganj. However, during a fuel inspection drive amid a supply crisis, the manager admitted receiving only 9,000 liters on April 3. The mobile court concluded that the station was involved in dishonest fuel trading or illegal hoarding. Locals reported that the station distributed petrol only once this month. The station owner could not be reached for comment despite multiple phone calls.

Iraq has reopened its airspace and resumed operations at all airports after a two‑week ceasefire between Iran and the United States. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority issued a statement on Wednesday announcing that the directive would take immediate effect, allowing flights to resume across Iraqi territory. According to the statement cited by Al‑Jazeera, the reopening marks the end of restrictions imposed during the recent conflict period. The decision follows the temporary closure of Iraq’s airspace and airports amid heightened regional tensions between Iran and the United States. The move signals a return to normal air operations in Iraq after weeks of disruption caused by the conflict and may help stabilize regional air travel routes if the ceasefire continues to hold.

The three-day Lai Haraoba festival of the Manipuri Meitei community began on Wednesday at the Cultural Complex in Tetigaon village, Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar. The event, which started at 12:30 p.m., will conclude on Friday, April 10, 2026. Renowned artists and researchers from Bangladesh and a group of performers and scholars from Manipur, India, are participating in the celebration. According to the Lai Haraoba Steering Committee, Bangladesh, the festival is organized with financial support from UNESCO Bangladesh and the Bangladesh National Museum. It is being conducted by the committee in collaboration with Manipuri Cultural Complex, Bangladesh Pouroi Apokpa Marup Religious Cultural Organization, and Sadhan Bangladesh. The event aims to preserve and promote the intangible cultural heritage of the Manipuri community. Lai Haraoba, meaning “festival of the gods,” is one of the oldest and most significant Manipuri festivals, celebrating creation, divinity, and harmony through rituals, music, chants, and traditional dances. The organizers invited people from all walks of life to join the celebration, which is part of a national initiative to highlight community-based traditional festivals across Bangladesh’s eight administrative divisions.

A member of the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF-Prasit) named Newton Chakma was shot dead in a rival attack in Khagrachhari on Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. in the Akbari area along the Khagrachhari–Rangamati road. Police said the victim, aged 47, was from Rangamati’s Mogban Union and lived in the Mahalachhari area of Khagrachhari, where he served as a collector. The shooting has triggered tension and fear in the locality. According to the UPDF (Prasit), an eight-member armed group opened fire on Newton Chakma and another person while they were engaged in organizational work, killing Newton on the spot. The group accused rival faction UPDF (Democratic) of carrying out a planned attack. However, UPDF (Democratic) denied involvement, claiming it might be an internal conflict within the other faction. Police have recovered the body and sent it for autopsy while continuing the investigation. Local residents believe the killing stems from long-standing disputes over territorial dominance among regional groups in the hill tracts, which have heightened local anxiety.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain announced that Bangladesh will start a nationwide measles vaccination campaign on April 20, moving the schedule forward by 14 days. The announcement came during a parliamentary session after an independent lawmaker raised an urgent notice about the measles outbreak. The minister confirmed that the country’s vaccine stock is stable and sufficient for the campaign. He stated that the government has secured 21.9 million doses of the measles-rubella vaccine, with an additional reserve in storage. To avoid corruption and delays, vaccines are being procured directly from UNICEF instead of through the tender process. Already, 3.483 million doses have been distributed to high-risk upazilas since April 5. The minister emphasized that the cold chain is being maintained and urged the public not to panic about the outbreak. He also mentioned that salary payments for workers who had not been paid for nine months have begun, and other administrative issues are being addressed.

An Awami League leader in Melandah upazila of Jamalpur has been accused of theft. The accused, Md Zakir Hossain JK, serves as joint general secretary of ward 6 in Charbanipakuria Union. According to a written complaint filed on April 5 by victim Pipasa, a sari was stolen from the home of Abdul Kuddus in Bhanguni Danga village on March 30. Witnesses reportedly saw Zakir near the house that night, and the stolen sari was later sold to a local woman named Nasima. A local arbitration was held to resolve the matter, during which Nasima admitted to buying the stolen item. Zakir did not attend the arbitration despite being summoned. The victim’s family was advised to file a police complaint. Police confirmed that a partial truth to the theft allegation was found during inspection, and an investigation is ongoing. Zakir has been missing since the incident, and his phone remains switched off. Previously, Zakir drew public criticism for announcing a divorce over a mosque loudspeaker in the same upazila.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan stated that necessary measures will be taken to nationalize the jobs of teachers and employees of private educational institutions once the government adopts a policy decision. He made the remark on Wednesday morning in response to a question from Comilla-2 Member of Parliament Md. Selim Bhuiyan during the first session of the National Parliament. The minister explained that the process of government recognition or nationalization of private colleges follows the Prime Minister’s directives. After nationalization, the employment terms of teachers and staff are reviewed and finalized according to applicable regulations. He emphasized that nationalizing private institutions is a long-term and policy-driven matter, linked to the government’s overall financial capacity, existing policies, and the national budget. According to the minister, Bangladesh currently has 34,129 private educational institutions employing 598,994 teachers and 206,699 staff members.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s women’s wing organized a human chain protest in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Wednesday, demanding the withdrawal of a case filed against Bibi Sauda Sumi, a female Jamaat activist from Bhola municipality who was arrested from her home. Around a hundred women participated in the demonstration, carrying placards and chanting slogans, which briefly made the area lively. During the event, the organization’s general secretary Nurunnesa Siddiqui called for resolving the country’s fuel and gas crisis, ending extortion, and ensuring judicial independence. She also urged effective measures to stop cyberbullying. Siddiqui alleged that criticism of the government previously led to lawsuits and that similar authoritarian behavior is recurring, citing arrests of opposition voices including workers. She further claimed that although a controversial cyber law had been repealed due to misuse, its provisions are again being used for arrests. Other speakers included the group’s law and human rights secretary Advocate Sabekunnahar Munni and publicity and media secretary Nazmun Nahar Nilu.