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.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will be destroyed if it refuses to sign a proposed agreement. In an interview with Fox News, reported by Al Jazeera, Trump issued the threat while expressing optimism about ongoing negotiations. He said a high-level U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance, including Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, was en route to Islamabad and expected to arrive by Monday evening to finalize the deal.

Trump described the agreement as Iran’s last chance to reach a fair and reasonable settlement, warning that failure to sign would result in attacks on the country’s power plants and bridges. The statement follows a 21-hour first round of talks in Islamabad that ended without resolution and a temporary 10-day ceasefire that is set to expire Wednesday. Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have added urgency to the second round of discussions.

Analysts cited in the report view the current negotiations as a final opportunity to prevent a major conflict before the ceasefire expires.

The Jamaat-e-Islami–backed 11-party alliance has nominated Rokeya Begum, mother of slain child activist Jabir Ibrahim, for a reserved women’s seat in Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliament. Jabir was killed by police gunfire during the anti-discrimination student movement in July–August 2024. The nomination list, released on Monday, April 20, 2026, includes 13 women, among them Rokeya Begum, a former schoolteacher.

According to the report, the alliance secured 77 seats in the February 12 election, entitling it to 13 reserved women’s seats. Of these, eight nominees are from Jamaat, two from the National Citizens Party (NCP), one from the Jatiya Ganatantrik Party (JAGPA), one from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and one from a July martyr family. The ruling BNP is set to receive 36 of the 50 total reserved women’s seats.

The nomination of Rokeya Begum is described as a result of her long-standing social engagement and public involvement, aligning with the alliance’s commitment to representation and political inclusion.

Anna Minj from the Oraon indigenous community has been nominated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for a reserved women’s seat representing the Natore-Naogaon constituency in the 13th National Parliament. This marks the first time since independence that a woman from the Oraon community will have the opportunity to represent her community in the national legislature. Prominent observers have described the nomination as a historic milestone for indigenous rights and inclusive politics in Bangladesh.

Anna Minj currently serves as Senior Director (Programs) at BRAC International, leading strategic initiatives across 13 countries in Asia and Africa in education, youth empowerment, climate change, and gender equality. She has over three decades of experience with organizations such as Caritas, CARE Bangladesh, and BRAC Bangladesh. BNP leaders said her nomination reflects her leadership, organizational skills, and deep grassroots connection. She also chairs the National Coalition of Indigenous Peoples in Bangladesh.

Party leaders and indigenous representatives expressed gratitude for her nomination, viewing it as a step toward strengthening democratic inclusion and ensuring greater indigenous participation in mainstream politics.

Monira Sharmin and Mahmuda Alam Mitu have been nominated as Members of Parliament from the National Citizens Party (NCP) for reserved seats in the 13th National Parliament. The announcement was made on Monday through a notice signed by Dr. A H M Hamidur Rahman Azad, coordinator of the 11-party electoral alliance.

Both Monira Sharmin and Mahmuda Alam Mitu currently serve as convener and member secretary of the NCP’s ‘National Women’s Power’ wing. The alliance list also includes several women leaders from Jamaat-e-Islami, such as Nurunnisa Siddika, Marzia Begum, Sabikun Nahar Munni, Mardia Momtaz, and Nazmun Nahar Nilu, along with regional leaders Mahfuza Siddika, Sajeda Samad, and Samsun Nahar.

Additionally, nominations were given to JAGPA chairperson Tasmia Pradhan and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis member Mahbuba Hakim. Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh also nominated Rokeya Begum, mother of Jabir Ibrahim, a child killed in Uttara in 2024. The alliance stated that its women members aim to fulfill national expectations in parliament.