A Jamalpur court has ordered 31 Awami League leaders and activists from Madarganj and Bakshiganj upazilas to be sent to jail after rejecting their bail petitions. The group, including Madarganj Upazila Awami League General Secretary and former Upazila Chairman Obaidur Rahman Belal, surrendered before the court on Monday and sought bail. Chief Judicial Magistrate Rumana Akter of the Jamalpur District Judge Court issued the order following a hearing.

According to court sources, 27 of the accused are from Madarganj and four from Bakshiganj. The Madarganj group faced four cases, including two filed by local BNP leaders Hafizur Rahman Saku and Abdullah Al Mamun, and one under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The prosecution opposed the bail petitions, and after hearing both sides, the court denied bail and ordered imprisonment.

Court Inspector Md. Abul Hossain confirmed that all 31 individuals were sent to jail following the court’s decision.

Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro and Pakistani High Commissioner Imran Haider met with Prime Minister’s Defense Adviser Dr. AKM Shamsul Islam at his office in the Armed Forces Division in Dhaka Cantonment. The meeting took place on Monday, according to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

During the courtesy meeting, the envoys and the adviser discussed various issues of mutual interest. They expressed optimism about strengthening bilateral military relations and strategic cooperation between Bangladesh and their respective countries.

The ISPR statement highlighted that the discussions reflected a shared interest in enhancing defense and strategic ties, though no further details were provided about specific agreements or future initiatives.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has returned to Dhaka after a six-day visit to Japan. During the trip, he attended the ‘Harmony by Design: Asia Dialogue’ organized by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo, where he exchanged views with regional leaders including former Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai. He also presented a keynote at the ‘Next Generation Asia Peacebuilding’ forum, urging youth to link economic opportunities with peace through social business.

Professor Yunus met with former First Lady Akie Abe and senior foundation members, and held discussions with Japanese investors on expanding zero-cost migration opportunities for Bangladeshi workers. He joined a roundtable on ethical migration under the GEMS-Net initiative and participated in a social business discussion at the United Nations University. At the Yunus Global Forum 2026, he spoke on building a “Three Zero World” — zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.

He also visited Sakai city in Ibaraki Prefecture, where he discussed the “Three Zero Smart City” concept and met local officials and students. Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama hosted a dinner expressing interest in stronger bilateral cooperation.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to hold a meeting with administrators of 42 newly appointed district councils on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the BNP chairperson and prime minister’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka, according to information from the Prime Minister’s Office. Administrators from across the country have already arrived in Dhaka to attend the session.

A district council member, who requested anonymity, said this is the first time the prime minister has called them since their appointment, though the purpose of the meeting has not been disclosed. Sources at the Prime Minister’s Office indicated that Rahman will provide guidance on various administrative matters, particularly focusing on development activities in the districts. He is expected to listen to the administrators’ plans and share his own development strategies.

The government appointed new administrators to 42 district councils on March 15, marking the first major reshuffle in these local bodies under the current administration.

Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told the National Parliament on Monday that there will be no ‘mob culture’ in the country. He also warned that road blockades in the name of pressing demands will not be allowed. The minister made these remarks while responding to a supplementary question from independent lawmaker Rumin Farhana during the parliamentary question session.

Rumin Farhana had raised concerns about past incidents of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and custodial torture, and referred to mob violence between September 2024 and January 2026 that reportedly caused over 250 deaths. In response, the minister said he did not have statistics for that period but asserted that no mob incidents had occurred since his government took office. He emphasized that not all violent incidents should be labeled as mob actions, citing examples of organized crimes that are under investigation.

The minister further stated that while democratic demands can be expressed through proper channels such as seminars or public gatherings, blocking highways to press demands will no longer be tolerated.

A Jamalpur court has sentenced Aminul Islam to death for murdering his wife, Sujana Akter, in a dowry-related case. The verdict was delivered on Monday morning by Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1. The court also fined Aminul Islam 100,000 taka, ordering the amount to be paid to the victim’s parents.

According to the prosecution, Aminul Islam, son of Md. Amjal from Beluar Char in Dewanganj upazila, married Sujana Akter, daughter of Suruj Mia from Taliapara in Bakshiganj upazila. Although dowry was given at the time of marriage, Aminul later demanded an additional 20,000 taka. When the demand was not met, he physically assaulted his wife on April 24, 2022. Sujana was taken to Bakshiganj Upazila Health Complex, where she died the following day. Her father subsequently filed a murder case with Dewanganj Model Police Station.

The court found Aminul Islam guilty beyond reasonable doubt based on testimonies from 13 witnesses and issued the death sentence in his presence.

The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations for this year are expected to begin on June 7, according to a preliminary decision by the Inter-Education Board Coordination Committee. The proposed date was set during a meeting of board chairmen held on March 29 at the Ministry of Education’s Secondary and Higher Education Division. The final schedule will be prepared after receiving approval from the education ministry.

A board chairman confirmed that the date was chosen based on the education minister’s latest guidance and overall considerations. Once approved, the final timetable will be published soon. The meeting also decided that from this year, all nine general education boards will conduct the HSC exams using a uniform question paper.

Previously, only the madrasa and technical boards used common question papers. With this decision, all 11 education boards in the country will now hold examinations under a unified question format.

A Dhaka court has granted a six-day remand for dismissed Lieutenant Colonel Md. Afzal Naser in connection with the murder of Delwar Hossain during the July uprising in Mirpur. The order was issued on Monday, March 30, 2026, by Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Hasib Ullah Piyash after the Detective Branch (DB) police sought a seven-day remand for interrogation. Naser was arrested earlier that morning from his residence in Mirpur DOHS.

According to the case documents, on July 19, 2024, Delwar Hossain was shot during a protest supporting the student movement at Mirpur-10 allegedly under Naser’s direction. He later died on July 21 while undergoing treatment at a hospital. The prosecution argued that Naser had previously assisted the then government in suppressing opposition activities and requested remand for further investigation. The defense sought bail and cancellation of the remand request, which the court rejected.

Investigators stated that preliminary evidence links Naser to the incident and that police interrogation is necessary to uncover the full circumstances of the killing.

A Narayanganj court has rejected the bail petition of Dr. Selina Hayat Ivy, the mayor of Narayanganj City Corporation, in a case concerning the burning death of interior worker Selim Mondal. The decision was delivered on Monday afternoon by District and Sessions Judge Md. Abu Shamim Azad after hearing both sides. This marks the second time Ivy’s bail request has been denied in the same case, following an earlier rejection on March 5 by Senior Judicial Magistrate Selina Khatun.

According to the case file, the incident occurred on July 20, 2024, when a fire broke out under the Dutch-Bangla Bank building on Chittagong Road, killing Selim Mondal and two other workers. The case was filed on June 30, 2024, by farmer Wazed Ali. Ivy’s lawyer, Advocate Awlad Hossain, stated that her name was not mentioned in the original complaint and alleged that she was shown arrested arbitrarily.

Earlier, Ivy had been arrested in multiple other cases, including several murder and obstruction charges. The High Court had granted her bail in five cases, but the order was later stayed by the Appellate Division.

Iran has claimed responsibility for drone attacks targeting US military radar stations located in the United Arab Emirates. According to a statement from the Iranian army, the strikes were carried out from last night until this morning local time. The radar stations reportedly serve to detect and intercept missiles and military drones. Iran also stated that its drones struck various other US military positions within the UAE.

Earlier on Friday, Iran had also claimed responsibility for an attack on a US military installation in Saudi Arabia, asserting that a US aircraft was destroyed at the Prince Sultan base. These developments come amid heightened tensions across the Middle East, with multiple incidents involving US and Iranian-linked forces reported in recent days.

The series of attacks underscores growing regional instability and signals potential escalation between Iran and US forces stationed in Gulf countries, though independent verification of the claims was not mentioned in the report.

The National Citizen Party (NCP) has nominated Tariqul Islam, convener of Jatiya Juboshokti, as its mayoral candidate for the upcoming Cumilla City Corporation election. The announcement was made by NCP convener Nahid Islam during an emergency press conference held on Sunday night at the party’s temporary office in Banglamotor, Dhaka.

Tariqul Islam, a law graduate from the University of Dhaka, has been active in several major student and civic movements. He participated in the 2018 quota reform movement, during which he was imprisoned for 48 days, and later took part in the 2019 DUCSU election and campaigns for justice in the Abrar Fahad murder case. He was also involved in protests against the NRC-CAA and was arrested again in 2022 during an Abrar Fahad memorial event.

Currently serving as convener of Jatiya Juboshokti and an executive committee member of the NCP, Tariqul is also a practicing lawyer. He gained prominence as a central coordinator during the July 2024 mass uprising, earning the nickname “Slogan Master.”

A live mortar shell was discovered on Sunday afternoon in Bara Haron village under Natai Dakshin Union of Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila while local laborers were digging a pond. The shell was found around 1 p.m. at the ancestral home of language movement veteran and former Chamber of Commerce president Farid Uddin Ahmed. Police arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area with rope, and secured the site.

Authorities suspect the mortar shell dates back to the 1971 Liberation War. On Monday afternoon, a team from the Bangladesh Army inspected the recovered shell. The army’s artillery cell disposal unit from Cumilla is scheduled to neutralize it. Meanwhile, curious residents, including children, gathered near the site after hearing the news.

Police have maintained a security perimeter to prevent accidents and confirmed that the army’s disposal team is en route to safely deactivate the shell.

Iraq’s Ministry of Defense reported that rockets struck the Mohammed Alaa Air Base, located near Baghdad International Airport, on Monday morning. The attack destroyed one aircraft but caused no casualties. Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage and investigating the source of the rockets.

Earlier, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Baghdad reported hearing loud explosions, which were later identified as rocket fire targeting the U.S. ‘Victory Base’ about 20 kilometers west of the capital. The air defense system failed to intercept the rockets, which hit an Iraqi special forces A32B transport aircraft, setting it ablaze.

The incident adds to ongoing security concerns in Iraq, where military facilities near Baghdad continue to face periodic rocket and drone attacks, prompting renewed scrutiny of regional defense readiness.

The government of Bangladesh has announced a reward of up to Tk 100,000 for individuals providing verified information on illegal fuel storage or smuggling. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division issued the notice on Monday, stating that the initiative aims to enhance transparency in fuel supply management and strengthen field-level monitoring through public participation. Informants’ identities will be kept strictly confidential, and payments will be made through the respective district administration after verification.

According to the government, certain groups have been exploiting recent global fuel price hikes and supply uncertainties to create artificial shortages by hoarding fuel and selling it at inflated prices. To ensure proper use of imported fuel and prevent market manipulation, authorities have already conducted operations in several districts against hoarding and smuggling networks.

Officials believe that involving the public through financial incentives will make enforcement efforts more effective and help maintain stability in the national fuel supply system.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed a case under the Money Laundering Prevention Act against Evaly.com Limited owners Mohammad Rassel, 43, and his wife Shamima Nasrin, 40, for allegedly embezzling Tk 310.99 crore. According to a press release signed by CID Special Superintendent (Media) Jasim Uddin Khan on Monday, the case was registered at Dhaka’s Kafrul Police Station on March 28.

Preliminary investigation found that between December 16, 2018, and December 31, 2021, the couple and unidentified associates collected large sums from customers by taking online orders for products but failed to deliver them on time. They also purchased goods from various merchants without paying and allegedly used the embezzled funds to buy luxury cars, acquire assets, and travel abroad. Customers were repeatedly given new delivery dates, but products were never supplied.

CID stated that thousands of customers and merchants were defrauded through Evaly’s operations. The agency continues its investigation to trace the misappropriated funds and identify other collaborators involved in the scheme.