In Madaripur Sadar upazila, a Qatar expatriate named Akash Matubbar has alleged that his uncle obstructed the construction of his house after he refused to pay a demand of five lakh taka. The allegation was made at a press conference on Sunday by Akash’s mother Shahana Begum and wife Suraiya Akter at their home in Purbo Chiraypara village. The family stated that Akash had purchased ten decimals of land from his uncle Mati Matubbar and aunt Monju Begum in July 2020 and had been in possession since then. Construction of a semi-finished brick house was underway when Mati Matubbar allegedly demanded money and later filed a case to harass the family.

Akash’s elder uncle Amir Hossain Matubbar confirmed that Akash had been using the land for over five years and accused Mati Matubbar of filing a temporary injunction case after failing to obtain the money. Shahana Begum said her son, currently in Qatar, was being harassed through false cases. Mati Matubbar could not be reached for comment.

Madaripur Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam Azad stated that a temporary injunction order had been received from the court and that action would be taken if any extortion attempt was proven.

Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Mashum Mostafa, representing Netrakona-5, raised a demand for personal and organizational security in the National Parliament on Sunday. He described an attack that allegedly took place on Friday evening at the Giripath Filling Station in Atkapara area of Purbadhala, along the Shyamganj–Birishiri road. According to him, a group identifying themselves with the BNP vandalized his car, assaulted his associates, and attempted to break into a mosque where he had taken shelter during evening prayers.

Mostafa told Parliament that the attackers tried to kill him and that professional killers had been hired for the purpose. He credited mosque worshippers for preventing the attackers from breaking in. The MP appealed to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for protection for himself, his family, and his party workers. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed responded that nine people had been arrested in connection with the incident.

Mostafa argued that only one of those arrested was a listed suspect and that the others were innocent. Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir described the incident as very unfortunate and assured that a fair investigation would be conducted to identify and punish the real perpetrators.

Syed Abdal Ahmad, Executive Editor of the newspaper Amar Desh, has been appointed as the Principal Information Officer (PIO) of the Government of Bangladesh. The appointment, equivalent to the rank of Secretary (Grade-1), was announced on Sunday through a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration’s Contract and Foreign Branch. According to the notification, the appointment is on a one-year contractual basis, effective from the date of joining, and requires him to sever ties with any other professional or institutional engagements.

The notification further stated that other terms and conditions of the appointment will be determined by the contract agreement. Ahmad is a veteran journalist who previously served as Deputy Press Secretary to Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia from 1992 to 1996. He has received several awards, including the Philips Award in 1989, the ESCAP-FEJEB Award, and the Dhaka Reporters Unity Lifetime Honor in 2025.

Ahmad has held leadership roles in the National Press Club, served on the Media Reform Commission under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and authored over 20 books on politics, literature, and social issues.

Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarek Rahman announced in the National Parliament that the fuel rationing restrictions previously imposed on police and other emergency service agencies have been withdrawn. He stated that the decision was made two days earlier and expressed hope that such problems would not recur. The exemption applies to law enforcement, ambulances, and fire service units.

The announcement followed remarks from Comilla-6 Member of Parliament Monirul Haque Chowdhury, who raised the issue of a customs officer’s killing in Comilla. He said police had cited fuel shortages as a reason for reduced duty hours, which affected their ability to respond. Chowdhury demanded the immediate withdrawal of the fuel rationing system for police, warning that it could otherwise lead to a deterioration in law and order and hinder public movement.

The prime minister’s statement indicates that emergency and law enforcement operations are expected to return to normal following the lifting of fuel restrictions.

The Bangladesh Parliament has passed a bill abolishing the provision that allowed Members of Parliament to import vehicles duty-free. The amendment to the Members of Parliament (Remuneration and Allowances) Order 1973 was passed on Sunday without any discussion or amendment proposals. Law Minister Md. Anisul Huq introduced the bill, which had been approved earlier by the Cabinet on Thursday.

With the passage of the bill, Section 3C of the existing law has been repealed. That section had entitled MPs to import one car, jeep, or microbus duty-free—excluding value-added tax, development surcharge, and import permit fees—under government-specified conditions during their tenure, and to import another after five years from the last import date.

Both ruling and opposition parties had previously stated that their members would not accept duty-free cars, signaling political consensus behind the reform.

In Debiganj of Panchagarh, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad has forgiven a college student who was arrested after posting criticism of him on Facebook. The minister also assured legal assistance for the student’s bail. The student, identified as Rishat, was sent to jail on Saturday after being presented before the Panchagarh Chief Judicial Magistrate Court-5.

According to police and local sources, Rishat had criticized a parliamentary speech by the minister in his Facebook post. Following the post, a local leader of the Debiganj Sadar Union Jubo Dal filed a case, leading to his arrest. After learning that the accused was a minor, the minister contacted Rishat’s father, Ashraf Ali, and promised necessary legal support. Ashraf Ali confirmed that the minister had spoken to a lawyer regarding his son’s bail.

The minister stated that the student was of his own child’s age and that mistakes can happen, so he decided to forgive him. The family now awaits the court’s decision on the bail application.

Education Minister Dr. Ehsanul Haque Milon said that students are moving toward morally void spaces and are increasingly eager to become viral. He made the remarks on Sunday morning at the University Grants Commission (UGC) during an event marking World Intellectual Property Day.

Milon noted that although universities have large budgets, there is no allocation for research, urging both universities and the ministry to address this issue. He criticized the growing trend of students and young people going live on Facebook and making random or inappropriate comments such as “Hi,” “Go ahead,” or “Do a research,” which often spread without purpose and encourage a culture of seeking viral attention.

He expressed concern that the younger generation, including those still in school uniforms, now feel no hesitation in making indecent remarks against their teachers or ministers, reflecting a worrying decline in respect and moral restraint.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington would not stop him from pursuing victory in the ongoing war with Iran. The attack occurred late Saturday night at the Hilton Hotel, and police have already detained the suspect. Speaking at a press conference afterward, Trump described the attacker as a lone wolf and said investigators shared that view.

When asked whether the incident was linked to the Iran conflict or his personal security, Trump said he did not believe so but could not confirm definitively. He added that U.S. investigators were working on the matter and would soon have more information. Trump reiterated his stance on Iran, saying the U.S. had to act to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and that he had previously canceled the Obama-era nuclear deal.

Trump emphasized that such attacks would not deter him from continuing his efforts against Iran, asserting that the incident appeared to have no direct connection to other events.

A California man arrested on Saturday in connection with a shooting at a White House dinner attended by former President Donald Trump has been identified as Cole Thomas Allen, a 31-year-old resident of Torrance. Social media information indicates he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. Partial information suggests he is a follower of Christianity. His LinkedIn profile, published in May 2025, shows him in graduation attire after earning a master’s degree in computer science, matching the image shared by Trump following the arrest.

Allen graduated in 2017 from the California Institute of Technology with a degree in mechanical engineering and was involved in a Christian student group and a campus Nerf gun competition club. A professor at California State University-Dominguez Hills described him as a polite and attentive student. Allen previously developed a prototype emergency braking system for wheelchairs and donated $25 to a Democratic political action committee supporting Kamala Harris in 2024.

He worked for six years at C2 Education, where he was named Teacher of the Month in 2024, and was developing a space-themed video game at the time of his arrest.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved 14 development projects worth Tk 13,445.41 crore at a meeting held on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at the Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman. Of the total cost, Tk 8,089.56 crore will come from government funds, Tk 5,340.26 crore from project loans, and Tk 15.59 crore from the implementing agencies’ own resources. The approved projects include five new, five revised, and four time-extension projects.

Among the approved projects are initiatives under the ministries of Health, Finance, Fisheries and Livestock, Local Government, and Road Transport and Bridges. Notable projects include the expansion of urban healthcare access, customs modernization, disease control programs, and several major road and bridge developments. A committee led by the Cabinet Secretary was formed to investigate repeated time extensions for three road projects.

The meeting also reviewed 33 previously approved small-scale projects costing less than Tk 50 crore. Ministers from various portfolios and senior government officials attended the session.

Bangladesh’s Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir met with Swiss Ambassador Reto Renggli in Dhaka on Sunday to discuss strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation between Bangladesh and Switzerland. The meeting took place at the minister’s office in the Secretariat and was described as productive.

During the discussion, both sides noted the long-standing friendly relations between the two countries and Bangladesh’s duty-free access to the Swiss market under the GSP scheme. The minister highlighted that Swiss products are well-regarded in Bangladesh for their quality and that competitive pricing could attract more middle-class consumers. He encouraged Swiss investment in service-oriented sectors and potential industries such as pharmaceuticals, leather goods, light engineering, and shipbuilding. Muktadir also mentioned Bangladesh’s request to delay its LDC graduation process by three years and sought Switzerland’s support.

Ambassador Renggli acknowledged the existing trade imbalance and expressed Switzerland’s interest in expanding trade and investment in Bangladesh. The meeting was also attended by the acting Commerce Secretary Md. Abdur Rahim Khan.

A major fire erupted early Sunday at the United Kingdom’s RAF Fairford airbase, which has been used in operations against Iran. According to reports, firefighters from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service battled the blaze for several hours before bringing it under control. Video footage shared on social media showed smoke rising from the base’s commissary building, whose roof collapsed due to the intensity of the fire. Authorities advised nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed. No casualties or damage to Royal Air Force aircraft were reported.

The British government had allowed the U.S. Air Force to use the base after the Middle East war began in March. American bombers have been deployed from Fairford for so-called defensive missions against Iran, reducing flight time from the U.S. by nearly half. On Saturday, around 200 protesters gathered outside the base, calling for an end to the war in Iran and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from British bases.

RAF Fairford, built in 1944, is one of only two European bases capable of hosting all three U.S. long-range bombers: the B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress.

Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Ramis Sen met with Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan at the minister’s office in the Secretariat on Sunday. The meeting focused on enhancing bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in media, culture, and knowledge-based sectors. The ambassador congratulated the minister on assuming office and handed over a proposal to increase collaboration between Turkish state television and radio and Bangladesh Television and Radio.

During the discussion, the minister recalled his visit to Turkey in March to attend the Strategic Communication Summit and thanked the Turkish government for organizing the event. He described the summit as a timely initiative and emphasized the importance of establishing order and regulation in digital platforms through collective international efforts rather than by individual countries.

The report also noted that during the minister’s earlier visit to Turkey, both sides had agreed in principle to sign a memorandum of understanding on knowledge exchange and information sharing in modern information management between Bangladesh and Turkey.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed all government agencies to ensure cost efficiency and rational spending in project adoption and implementation. He emphasized that every project must align with the government’s electoral commitments and broader development plans. The directive came during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) held at the Secretariat on Sunday, which he chaired.

After the meeting, State Minister for Finance and Planning Md. Junaid Abdur Rahim Saki told reporters that 17 projects were presented, of which 15 were discussed in detail and most received conditional approval. Among them, six were new and seven were revised projects, while others remain under review. Some projects required cost increases and time extensions, prompting further scrutiny.

Saki added that the government is reassessing the progress, costs, and timelines of ongoing projects while evaluating the necessity and effectiveness of new proposals. He also noted that delays in implementation are being investigated, with efforts underway to balance project review and development progress.

Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice President Sadiq Kayem has responded to allegations made by student leader Abidul Islam Khan, describing them as part of an organized activism campaign. In a Facebook post on Saturday night, Kayem claimed that the allegations were being used to conceal the misdeeds of the BNP-affiliated student organization and to divert attention from national crises and campus unrest.

Kayem’s post cited various incidents of violence, extortion, and campus attacks allegedly committed by BNP and its student wing since August 2024. He accused the group of spreading false information through social media pages and using artificial intelligence to create fake images for propaganda. Kayem also denied that the DU Insiders page, linked to him, was involved in harassment or misinformation, asserting that a separate, fake page was responsible for objectionable content.

He further alleged that student activists had engaged in intimidation, phone checks, and assaults on journalists and student representatives. Kayem concluded that such actions reflected authoritarian tendencies and warned that the public would eventually hold the perpetrators accountable.