State Minister for Public Administration Md. Abdul Bari announced in Parliament on April 16, 2026, that the government has adopted separate plans of six months, one year, and five years to fill vacant government positions. Responding to a question from Chattogram-13 MP Sarwar Jamal Nizam, he said 2,879 posts will be filled within six months, 4,459 within one year, and 3,110 within five years under the ministry’s plan.

He added that letters have been sent to other ministries and departments to collect updated information on recruitment activities and monitor progress in filling vacancies. According to the latest Statistics of Public Servants 2024, there are a total of 468,220 vacant posts across the country, including 68,884 in grades 1–9, 129,166 in grades 10–12, 146,799 in grades 13–16, 115,235 in grades 17–20, and 8,136 honorary or contractual positions.

The government stated that efforts are underway to ensure transparency and efficiency in implementing the plan to recruit nearly 500,000 public employees nationwide.

A 19-member delegation from Bangladesh’s ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has departed for China at the invitation of the Chinese government. The team left Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport late on Wednesday, April 15, aboard a China Northern Airlines flight. The delegation is led by Ismail Zabiyullah, a member of the BNP chairperson’s advisory council, according to BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan.

Originally, BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was scheduled to lead the visit, but he could not join as he is currently in Singapore for medical treatment. Shayrul said Mirza Fakhrul is expected to join the delegation on April 19. The group includes senior BNP leaders, cultural figures, and party organizers from various sectors.

Before departure, the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka hosted a dinner on April 13 in honor of the delegation, where a documentary was shown outlining the sites they will visit in China. The delegation is expected to return to Dhaka on April 24.

The Bangladesh government is planning a VAT-centered revenue strategy for the 2026–27 fiscal year, setting a collection target of about Tk 3.1 trillion from value-added tax. This would form a major portion of the total projected revenue goal of Tk 6.29 trillion. The proposed national budget is expected to reach Tk 9.3 trillion, roughly Tk 1.4 trillion higher than the current year, with priorities including poverty reduction, job creation, human resource development, and inflation control.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the emphasis on VAT collection aims to meet International Monetary Fund loan conditions and raise the revenue-to-GDP ratio to 10.17 percent. The plan allocates Tk 6.04 trillion from taxes, including Tk 2.22 trillion from income tax and Tk 670 billion from customs duties. However, actual revenue collection in the first eight months of 2025–26 reached only about half of the revised target, highlighting persistent structural weaknesses and administrative inefficiencies.

Officials acknowledge challenges such as tax evasion and limited tax coverage but continue to view VAT as the most effective short-term tool for boosting revenue under current economic and international obligations.

At least nine people were killed and 13 others injured in a school shooting in Turkey’s southern Kahramanmaraş province on April 16, 2026. According to Interior Minister Mustafa Cifci, the attack took place at a secondary school, leaving eight students and one teacher dead. Authorities reported that the 14-year-old shooter also died during the incident, and six of the injured remain in critical condition.

Kahramanmaraş Governor Mukerem Unluer stated that the attacker, an eighth-grade student, brought five weapons and seven magazines in his bag, believed to belong to his former police officer father. The student entered two classrooms and opened fire indiscriminately. The shooting occurred just one day after another incident in a nearby high school, where a former student injured 16 people before taking his own life.

The back-to-back school shootings have raised alarm in the region, though officials have not yet disclosed further details about the motives or security measures being taken.

The United States has announced it will not renew the temporary waiver that allowed countries to buy Russian oil, a move expected to significantly affect India, which had been one of the main beneficiaries of the exemption. US Treasury Secretary Scott Besent said the general license for Russian oil, as well as for Iranian oil, would not be renewed. The waiver had applied only to oil shipped before March 11, and that allowance has already been used.

The decision marks the end of a Trump-era measure designed to stabilize global energy prices by ensuring additional oil supply during the ongoing Middle East conflict. Since the escalation of hostilities in the region, energy prices have surged worldwide, including in the United States.

The temporary waivers were short-term measures aimed at controlling rising fuel costs. The Russian oil waiver expired on April 11, while a similar waiver for Iranian oil, which allowed about 140 million barrels to reach global markets, is set to expire on April 19. Washington’s move is seen as reinforcing its “maximum pressure” policy toward Iran.

Two individuals were sentenced to jail and fined in Chuadanga’s Jibannagar upazila for illegally storing fuel. The special operation was conducted on Wednesday, April 15, under the leadership of Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ashraful Alam Russell. Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Jamir Uddin led the mobile court, with police and Border Guard Bangladesh officials present.

According to the mobile court, the raid was carried out at Balihuda Bazar based on a tip-off. Investigators found five liters of illegally stored diesel in a grocery shop owned by Atiar Rahman, who was sentenced to five days in jail under the Petroleum Act, 2016. At Piyas Filling Station, manager Nazrul Islam was found guilty of similar offenses and received seven days’ imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 taka.

Officials stated that the administration remains firm against illegal fuel hoarding and artificial shortages. They confirmed that such operations will continue to ensure stable fuel supply and market discipline in the region.

White House adviser Stephen Miller described US President Donald Trump as a 'man of peace' while emphasizing that the United States would not accept threats from Iran. Miller made the remarks after recent US-Iran discussions in Islamabad ended without an agreement. Following the talks, President Trump imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Miller told a US broadcaster that while Trump seeks peace, the United States has made its stance clear: it will not tolerate interference and will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He warned that a military operation could destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure for years, though the US does not wish to take that route. Miller added that Washington hopes Iran will choose the right path toward an agreement but maintains the capacity to continue pressure indefinitely if Tehran does otherwise.

The comments come amid heightened regional tension following the failed talks and the new blockade, signaling a hardening US position toward Iran.

In Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar, traders have accused a syndicate of collecting illegal payments under the guise of market lease fees beyond the approved boundaries of Balukhali market. The alleged extortion is reportedly taking place in Moragachtala, Moynaghona, and nearby areas, sparking anger among local business owners. Witnesses said individuals identified as Saiful, brother of leaseholder Forkan Chowdhury, and a man named Khalek, claiming to be affiliated with the Jubo Dal, were seen openly collecting money near the APBn checkpoint.

The accused parties, however, maintain that they are collecting fees lawfully under the government-approved lease. Forkan Chowdhury denied the allegations, calling them conspiracies against him. Local traders insist that the lease area officially extends only up to the Balukhali playground, yet collections are continuing inside Moynaghona and even within the camp area.

Palongkhali Union Chairman Gafur Uddin Chowdhury described the situation as widespread extortion that must be stopped, while Ukhiya Upazila Executive Officer Rifat Asma stated that any collection beyond the designated lease area is illegal and will be investigated.

India is planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting of the Quad alliance after its 2025 rotating presidency ends, as no leaders’ summit has been scheduled. Multiple sources said New Delhi intends to present the meeting as a high-level discussion despite the absence of top leaders, including the U.S. president. The move comes amid growing unease in Indo-Pacific diplomacy, particularly in the context of India-China relations.

Analysts view this as an attempt by India to ease diplomatic discomfort, since organizing a full Quad summit without U.S. President Donald Trump has become difficult. Reports suggest Trump is seeking warmer ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding to the complexity. Washington-based expert Sourabh Gupta criticized the initiative, calling it ineffective and likening it to “putting lipstick on a pig.”

The Quad, comprising India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, was revived in 2017 to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Analysts believe India’s current approach could raise new questions about the alliance’s unity and effectiveness in the future.

Munni Akter, wife of missing BDR member Nazrul Islam Mallik, told Tribunal-1 on Thursday that her husband was abducted and brutally murdered after being tied up and placed in a cement sack. She made the statement during cross-examination by defense lawyer Aminul Gani Titu, representing Ziaul Ahsan. The incident relates to the 2009 BDR massacre at Pilkhana, in which Nazrul Islam Mallik was reportedly a direct witness.

During questioning, Titu asked whether Shoronkhola police had informed her that her husband was suffocated to death. Munni Akter denied this, stating that police told her he was bound, his abdomen cut, and his body placed in a cement sack. Earlier, in her deposition, she said she had heard that Ziaul Ahsan abducted and killed her husband because he was a witness to the BDR killings.

The testimony adds to ongoing proceedings surrounding the disappearance and death of individuals linked to the 2009 BDR massacre case.

The article reports that the current Bangladesh government has repealed laws and ordinances that previously granted independence to the judiciary and the National Human Rights Commission. The author criticizes Law Minister Asaduzzaman for defending the repeal in parliament, arguing that the government’s claim of no enforced disappearances or crossfire incidents in its first 42 days does not guarantee future accountability. The piece suggests that the government intends to maintain control over institutions that should function independently.

The report traces the history of judicial politicization in Bangladesh, citing examples from both Awami League and BNP governments. It notes that the Supreme Court Secretariat Act and the judicial appointment policy—introduced under Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s interim government—were crucial steps toward separating the judiciary from the executive. Their cancellation, the article argues, contradicts the BNP’s own reform pledges and undermines the 1999 Supreme Court directive to establish an independent judicial secretariat.

The author concludes that successive governments have resisted judicial independence to retain political control, warning that the latest repeals signal continued executive dominance over the judiciary.

An Iranian supertanker under US sanctions has crossed the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf, according to reports on Wednesday. This marks the second such incident during the ongoing US blockade of the strait and Iranian ports. Maritime intelligence from LSEG and Kpler identified the vessel as the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) ‘RHN,’ which entered the Gulf empty. The ship, capable of carrying two million barrels of oil, has an unclear destination.

Iran’s Fars News Agency reported that the sanctioned tanker crossed the strait despite the blockade and was heading toward Iran’s Imam Khomeini port. The movement occurred while the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed that ten ships had been turned back and that no vessel had breached the blockade since it began on Monday.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding maritime navigation and sanctions enforcement in the Persian Gulf region, with conflicting reports from Iranian and US sources about the effectiveness of the blockade.

Israel has approved new military plans for expanded operations in Iran and Lebanon, according to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Efi Defrin. The approval was granted by IDF Chief of General Staff Ayal Zamir. Defrin stated that the army chief has declared the entire area of southern Lebanon up to the Litani River a 'death zone' for Hezbollah.

Defrin added that the IDF has so far killed more than 1,700 Hezbollah members in its ongoing operations in Lebanon. He emphasized that the military campaign will continue until all Hezbollah fighters are eliminated, regardless of where they are hiding.

The announcement highlights Israel’s continued military focus on Hezbollah and its readiness to expand operations into Iran and Lebanon, as confirmed by the IDF spokesperson.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar has accused the government of delaying the implementation of the July Charter. Speaking on Wednesday evening at the Majlis-e-Shura session of Jamaat’s Dhaka North unit in Baridhara, he said the government initially termed the referendum illegal but later accepted its validity, leaving no scope to bypass the charter. He urged the authorities to abandon what he called a self-destructive stance and immediately convene the Constitutional Reform Council to implement the July Charter in its original form.

Parwar called on party members to transform Dhaka into an unyielding stronghold of the Islamic movement and to act with patience, wisdom, and determination. He emphasized that the movement is dedicated to humanitarian welfare rather than conventional politics and urged members to strengthen leadership qualities through study and consultation.

Dhaka North Ameer Mohammad Selim Uddin reiterated that Jamaat’s politics aims at human welfare and divine satisfaction, calling for unity in serving people’s interests.

Belgian authorities have seized two shipments of military equipment sent from the United Kingdom to Israel, following a national ban on the use of Belgian airspace or stopovers by aircraft carrying arms to Israel. The seizures took place at Liège Airport on March 24, after warnings from several activist groups that weapons were being routed through Belgium. Tests revealed the shipments contained fire control systems and aircraft parts that were not properly declared, prompting a criminal investigation.

The Walloon regional government identified one company involved as Moog, a US aerospace and defense manufacturer with a UK facility producing parts for M-346 aircraft used in Israeli pilot training. According to Declassified, similar shipments had passed through Belgium before, with at least 17 consignments labeled as “aircraft components.” The UK Foreign Office stated it had no record of formal communication with Belgium regarding such transfers.

The UK government previously suspended 30 of 350 arms export licenses to Israel in September 2024, citing humanitarian law concerns in Gaza. Belgian officials said no transit license had been requested for the seized shipments and that any such application would have been rejected.