A powerful storm struck Dhanbari upazila in Tangail, causing extensive damage to trees, houses, and standing crops. The storm, which hit on Sunday during the Kalbaishakhi season, left large areas waterlogged, submerging low-lying paddy fields and disrupting daily life. Several unions and municipal areas, including Bajitpur Shyamlarchar, Kathaliabari, and Balasuti, reported fallen trees and damaged homes.

Residents said the storm snapped power lines after trees fell on electric poles, leaving areas like Shyamlarchar without electricity for three days. Farmers reported that boro paddy fields were submerged, and many plants had fallen due to heavy rain and wind. They expressed concern that continued bad weather could destroy their crops before harvest and urged government assistance. One farmer noted that high cultivation costs and earlier droughts had already strained them.

According to the Dhanbari agriculture officer, boro paddy was cultivated on 10,300 hectares this season, and harvesting had begun. He said that if weather conditions improve, farmers will be able to resume harvesting soon. Power department officials confirmed that repair work is ongoing to restore electricity.

Leaders of the Buddhist community exchanged greetings with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. The event took place on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Public Administration Conference Room of the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Religious Affairs Minister Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad, Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Dipen Dewan, State Minister Mir Helal Uddin, the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Minority Affairs Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Member of Parliament from Bandarban Saching Prue Jerry, BNP-nominated reserved seat candidate Madhabi Marma, and Dr. Sukomal Barua were present at the event.

During the ceremony, representatives of the Buddhist community presented the Prime Minister with a commemorative crest and a replica of a Buddha statue as a token of goodwill.

The High Court has granted bail to former Narayanganj mayor Selina Hayat Ivy in two murder cases filed in connection with incidents that occurred in July. The order was issued on Thursday by a bench comprising Justice K M Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher. The cases were filed at Siddhirganj Police Station, with one registered on September 11, 2024, and the other on June 30, 2025. Police had sought to show Ivy arrested in these cases, and the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Narayanganj approved the requests on March 2 and April 12, respectively.

The report states that Ivy was initially arrested on May 9 of the previous year from her residence in Deovog, Narayanganj. She was later shown as an accused in multiple cases. Although the High Court had earlier granted her bail in five cases, the Appellate Division suspended those orders. On November 18, she was again shown arrested in five new cases and received bail on February 26 this year, but those orders were also stayed following a state petition.

The Appellate Division, led by the Chief Justice, is expected to decide on Sunday whether Ivy’s previous five bail orders will remain in effect.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury stated that there will be no irregularities or looting in the stock market under the BNP government. He also confirmed that political figures will not be appointed to financial institutions. The minister made these remarks on Thursday morning before the passage of the Securities and Exchange Commission (Amendment) Act in the National Parliament.

Addressing opposition concerns about the bill, the finance minister said that since a special committee had already examined the legislation, there was no need for further scrutiny. Following his statement, the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (Amendment) Act was passed in Parliament as recommended by the special committee.

The new law aims to strengthen oversight of Bangladesh’s capital market, protect investors’ interests, and promote the development of the securities market, according to the official proceedings described in the source.

A Chattogram court has sentenced seven people to life imprisonment for the murder of expatriate Md. Rafique in the Amirbag area of the city. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Judge Muhammad Ali Akkas of the Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, nearly twenty years after the case began. Along with life imprisonment, each convict was fined 25,000 taka, with an additional one-year jail term in case of non-payment. Eight other accused were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

According to the prosecution, Rafique, who had returned from the United Arab Emirates in July 2007, went missing on August 14 of the same year after leaving his in-laws’ house in the Kadamtali area. Later that night, his body was found at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, and it was revealed that he had been killed and left in Amirbag. His brother Zakir Hossain Lulu filed a murder case with Kotwali Police Station.

Four convicts were present in court during the verdict, while three others were absent. Arrest warrants have been issued for the absconding convicts.

The High Court has granted bail to Sheikh Tasnim Afroze Imi, former vice president of Shamsunnahar Hall Students’ Union at Dhaka University, in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The order was issued on Thursday by a bench comprising Justice K M Zahid Sarwar and Justice Sheikh Abu Taher. Advocate Motahar Hossain Saju represented Imi during the hearing.

According to the case details, on the night of March 7 this year, around 9:30 p.m., Imi and several others announced a program to play a historic speech in front of Shahbagh Police Station. While they were broadcasting the speech from a rickshaw, a group of Dhaka University students, including Daksu leader A B Zubair, Mosaddeq Ali Ibn Mohammad, and National Student Power convener Tahmid Al Modassir, obstructed them. Subsequently, Zubair and Mosaddeq allegedly forced Imi and another person into the Shahbagh Police Station, where police detained them.

The following day, police showed the three detainees arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act and sent them to jail. The case was filed by police as the complainant.

Seven people were killed in lightning strikes across six districts of Bangladesh on Wednesday, according to local authorities. The fatalities occurred in Jamalpur, Rajbari, Rangpur, Gazipur, Mymensingh, and Shariatpur. Two young men died in separate incidents in Jamalpur’s Islampur upazila, while one person each was killed in the other five districts. In addition, ten schoolgirls were injured when lightning struck near a school in Barguna’s Bamna upazila.

In Jamalpur, the victims were identified as Sagar, 18, and Shamim, 25, who died while working and fishing respectively. Rajbari’s victim, Suman Mondal, 35, was struck while walking with his daughter, who survived with minor injuries. In Rangpur, a housewife named Sahera Begum, 40, was killed near her home. Mymensingh’s victim, Saddam Hossain, 28, died while fishing, and in Shariatpur, fisherman Rajib Sheikh, 35, was killed. Gazipur’s victim was identified as Jakir Hossain Khan, 32.

Officials confirmed each incident and reported that the Shariatpur district administration provided Tk 25,000 in government assistance to one victim’s family.

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated that there is no ceasefire with Lebanon during a visit to Israeli troops deployed in southern Lebanon. He emphasized that the army’s mission, as directed by political leadership, is to prevent direct attacks on Israeli communities and to maintain their current defensive position. Halevi noted that forces may need to remain stationed in the area to sustain this security posture.

He further instructed troops to continue fighting in the absence of a ceasefire, aiming to eliminate threats from northern settlements, destroy terrorist infrastructure, and target militants. According to the report, since March 2, Israeli forces have killed at least 2,290 people in Lebanon, and around 1.2 million have been displaced across the country due to Israeli attacks.

The statements underscore Israel’s continued military engagement in Lebanon and the absence of any truce, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian toll and displacement within Lebanese territory.

Global oil prices surged as reports emerged that the United States is preparing to impose long-term sanctions on Iran. On Wednesday, Brent crude prices exceeded 122 dollars per barrel, marking the highest level since 2022. The price later stabilized around 120 dollars after a nearly 10 percent daily increase.

The rise followed stalled ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran and the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. According to the Wall Street Journal, former US President Donald Trump has instructed preparations to extend existing blockades on Iranian ports to increase pressure on Tehran. In response, Iran stated it would continue to obstruct shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Guardian reported that this is the first time since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine that Brent crude has crossed the 120-dollar mark, underscoring renewed geopolitical tensions affecting global energy markets.

International discussion has intensified over whether the United States’ ongoing economic and naval sanctions can effectively stop Iran’s oil exports. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that despite the sanctions, no major damage has occurred to Iran’s oil fields and the country is prepared to withstand economic pressure for at least 30 more days. The US, however, maintains that its sanctions are working, arguing that if Iran cannot export oil, storage limits will eventually force production cuts.

Satellite data show that since the sanctions began on April 13, Iran’s oil storage has risen sharply. By April 20, storage tanks on Kharg Island—through which about 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports pass—were 74 percent full, with an additional three million barrels added, according to the Center on Global Energy Policy. Analysts note that oil companies typically avoid filling storage beyond 80 percent for safety reasons.

Experts suggest that while the sanctions are increasing pressure, they are unlikely to halt production immediately. Instead, Iran may face a gradual slowdown leading to a prolonged economic strain.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked U.S. President Donald Trump over the surge in global oil prices and Washington’s so-called ‘sanctions theory’. In a post on social media platform X, Ghalibaf said that figures like Information Minister Scott Besent were giving Trump’s administration ‘false advice’, which he claimed was pushing oil prices toward 120 dollars per barrel. He added that the next destination for oil prices would be 140 dollars.

Ghalibaf also ridiculed Trump’s recent remarks about Iran’s energy infrastructure. Trump had told Fox News that Iran’s oil lines could soon explode internally, causing irreversible damage within three days. Referring to that interview, Ghalibaf said that three days had already passed without any explosion and sarcastically offered to extend the countdown to 30 days, even suggesting a live broadcast of the oil wells on X.

The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington over energy markets and sanctions, as reported by CNN.

A 22-year-old man named Mahbub from Noapara village in Cumilla’s Debidwar upazila was found dead by hanging in a rented house in Angaura village under Gouripur Union of Daudkandi upazila on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Police from Gouripur outpost recovered the body in the afternoon following reports from locals. Mahbub had been living there with his wife, Sanjida Akter, for about nine months and worked as an autorickshaw driver.

According to family and local sources, Mahbub had been struggling with financial hardship and was reportedly addicted to playing the mobile game Free Fire. His wife stated that frequent arguments occurred over his gaming habits. On the day of the incident, a quarrel escalated, and she left for work. Upon returning home later, she found the door locked and discovered her husband’s body inside.

Police said the body was being sent to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for autopsy and that legal procedures were underway to investigate the incident.

Sumi Khatun, the eldest daughter of a struggling family, began producing vermicompost fertilizer in Mymensingh during the COVID-19 pandemic after losing her low-paying NGO job. Guided by agricultural officer Alamgir Hossain, she started with only ten rings and three kilograms of earthworms, using vegetable waste and cow dung to create organic fertilizer. Despite initial setbacks and six months without sales, she persevered and produced 15 maunds of fertilizer, later gaining market access with help from the Upazila Agriculture Officer Shakura Nambir.

Over time, Sumi expanded her farm to twelve chambers and added a nutrition garden and pineapple plantation, cultivating fruits like papaya and malta alongside companion crops such as chili, mustard, and banana. She is also an active member of Transparency International Bangladesh’s YES group and local blood donation organizations. In 2025, she survived a severe road accident that claimed two fellow activists but continued her work after recovery.

Sumi received the Joyeeta Award in 2024 at both upazila and district levels for economic self-reliance and earned regional agricultural productivity awards in 2024 and 2025. She now studies for a master’s degree at Anand Mohan College and plans to expand production and create jobs for local youth.

Chittagong University has become tense following a series of rival processions and protests between Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. The conflict intensified after incidents at Chittagong City College, where Shibir activists were attacked, leading both groups to stage counter-demonstrations on campus. Shibir also protested a reported attack by Chhatra Dal on Dhaka University Central Students’ Union leaders and journalists. Both organizations have exchanged accusations, labeling each other as terrorist groups during their rallies.

The rivalry follows major political shifts after the July uprising and the formation of a BNP-led government. Shibir had previously dominated the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union elections, while Chhatra Dal gained renewed strength after the national polls. Ordinary students have expressed concern that the ongoing political tension could disrupt academic activities and threaten personal safety.

University political leaders have blamed each other for the unrest, while a political science professor urged central leaders of both groups to engage in dialogue to prevent further deterioration of the campus environment.

A commentary published on April 30, 2026, argues that Bangladesh’s democracy has evolved into an undeclared monarchy dominated by dynastic political leadership. The author claims that since the political shift of the 1990s, two main parties have maintained power through family-based succession, creating a system where authority is centralized and reinforced by vast party networks. These networks allegedly sustain control through influence, intimidation, and suppression of opposition.

The article further describes how this dynastic system extends beyond politics into civil, military, and media institutions, forming what the author calls a “deep state.” This structure, the piece contends, enables corruption, resource exploitation, and economic decline while depriving citizens of justice and genuine democracy. The author calls for dismantling the old establishment and fostering a strong anti-establishment movement led by youth and patriotic citizens.

Citing recent dissatisfaction with the BNP government’s early actions, including ordinance cancellations and alleged misuse of cyber laws, the commentary suggests that public disillusionment may soon trigger a “second revolution” or “October uprising.”